Round 1 Action

The Tournament

Round 1 Julie Amore (offense) vs Kurt Devore (defense)

1-30-2035

"How about stopping for something to eat somewhere?" Kyle Devore asked. His stomach was complaining very loudly and had been for over an hour.

Kelly looked at the digital clock and then scowled. "We'll be home in three more hours. Can't you wait?"

"We've been driving for six hours and we've stopped once." Kyle snapped. "I've been cool with that. I haven't complained once. But we're stopping because I'm starving." And he was. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this hungry.

He thought back. When was his last meal? He thought the last thing he'd had to eat was one of those nasty beef jerkeys that were bright red and soaked in that repulsive vinegar. You couldn't really call that a meal. Must have been breakfast. They were sinfully repulsive but soooo good!

Kelly shrugged. "Okay, let's roll through the next fast food thingy we pass."

"That's doable." Kyle agreed, pacified. His stomach made a rather rude noise.

The problem now was when would that be? They were on a two lane highway and there was NOTHING out here. The last farmhouse had been ten minutes ago and since then there hadn't been anything except for trees or power poles since then.

"Great." Kyle muttered. "It'll probably be an hour before we hit civilization again."

Kelly grunted. She'd been irritated since the convention ended. They had attended different events so he didn't know what her problem was.

"Do you want me to drive for a while?" Kyle asked lightly.

"We can switch when we stop." Kelly grouched.

"So what's the deal? You've been in a snit since we lef-." Kyle began but his car mate cut him off.

"You might be in luck. I see some lights ahead."

Kyle was so starved that he actually leaned forward to peer at the upcoming lights. "Oh yeah, I see those fabulous Golden Arches." He was actually starting to drool. "That's what I'm talking about! Bless you, Mickey D!"

"Okay Homer." Kelly actually smiled, her first since this trip began. "Mmmmm, Mickey D's."

She began to slow as the McDonalds drew closer. Kyle was staring at it, already running what he was going to order over in his mind. Half a dozen people were inside, despite the late hour, but for some reason they appeared to be standing at the windows staring out towards their car. Further in, he could see several people dressed in red and gold outfits. It could have been because of the way the car was approaching or the car's speed, but the employees seemed to be moving very slowly.

The parking lot was completely vacant of cars.

Then, for a second, the bright lights went out and the entire building, including the sign, went out. But Kyle could still see the people inside. They were glowing a bright crimson. It was a sickening color, like fluorescent blood. It looked creamy, and the glow made the people look less like people and more like furry apes.

Kyle rubbed his eyes. "What the hell?" Before the second word was out, however, the lights were back as if they had never turned out. He glanced over at Kelly. Her expression was calm as she turned into the empty parking lot.

"Did you say something?" Kelly asked, steering the car into the drivethru lane.

Now that they were slow close to the building, Kyle could see that everyone inside was lined up at the counter or sitting at tables eating. No one was at the window staring out at them.

As Kyle was turning away, the scene changed again. This time the people remained where they were, but their expressions became murderous. They were all staring at him with hollow eyes as they were stuffing pawfuls of still bleeding meat into their craggy mouths. And all of them were naked ... except that wasn't quite right. They didn't have any clothes on, not as he understood the term, but they were wearing something. Something made out of their victims' skin.

But worse than that was the sudden realization that theirs was the only car in the parking lot. Kyle looked around wildly. There wasn't another car in sight! How did everyone in that building get there? "Let's go!" Kyle chirped, surprised he could muster enough breath to speak.

Kelly had rounded the corner and was pulling up to the order window. Great, it was the kind of drive through where you dealt with the person face to face. "I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying." She seemed more amused now than grouchy.

"No, I mean let's get the fuck outta here!"

Kelly had already rolled her window down and now she stopped next to the first window. "What?" She said, turning to him. Now her good humor was finally starting to melt away again. "You're the one-."

The thing behind the order window slide its window open.

"-who was so irate about us stopping in the first place?" Kelly was saying.

Kyle couldn't speak. He moaned but he could not force any breath to leave his body to power his vocal cords. All he could do was watch helplessly as the horror wearing the stupid McDonalds uniform reached for her with two hands oozing fresh blood.

"What is your freaking deal?" Kelly finished.

Kyle's vocal cords finally loosened up. "LET'S GO! LET'S GO! LET'S GO! LET'S GO! LET'S GO!"

But it was too late. The nightmare's talons found Kelly and began to pull her face off. Before her first scream it had already stuffed a big handful of her face into its waiting, toothy maw.

Kyle ripped his seatbelt off, slammed open the door, and leaped out of the car. Then he remembered the gun in the glove box. This was Kelly's car, and she kept an automatic in the car at all times for protection. She'd even bragged that it had a 21 round clip. That should be more than enough to take care of the ten or so monsters he had seen inside.

Kelly was screaming, sobbing, and begging. Begging for it to stop tearing her living flesh from her body, and also begging for him to help her. For the love of God, help her.

They were pouring from the side door now. Half a dozen of them, All grinning. All staring at him with hollow eyes. All wearing the blood of their last victims. All reaching out with red soaked claws.

Kyle looked longingly at the glove box a mere three feet from his right hand.

And then he broke and ran.

They caught him before Kyle had gotten twenty feet and devoured most of him before he even hit the ground.

A shudder passed through the world...

Kyle opened his eyes slowly. When the memories crashed back into his head, he pained with both imaginary and very real emotional pain. He'd quit again. He was 0-2. It was over.

Oddly enough, he didn't feel too bad for that part of it. He did feel bad for Lisa though. She wanted him to win so badly.

Julie Amore was standing over him. She offered a hand to help him off the table. "I'm sorry." She sighed.

"Don't be sorry. That was a good scenario. Very eerie." Kyle got to his feet with her help, glancing over at the reporters and family members rushing in to greet them.

"Well, it probably makes me look like a hypocrite after the way I talked about Ezor's scenario." Julie stammered.

"No, the problem you had with him, if I understand it right, is that he had his monster torture you before killing you. That's not what you did here." Kyle told her softly.

"Thanks." She murmured, then finally turned to the interviewers for questions.

Home

Blake Ezor (offense) vs Damien Johnson (defense)

Kurt Shilling (offense) vs Leo Rameriz (defense)

Alyson Kerrigan (offense) vs Gabrielle Sallor (defense)

Roland Windom (offense) vs Katya Floski (defense)

Anne Layden (offense) vs Harry Brown (defense)

Sissy Crydom (offense) vs Eli Vaquez (defense)

Kim Jong (offense) vs Max Fields (defense)

-