Purgatory's Playground

The voice's echo faded, and doors creaked open, one by one, starting from the room next to Daryl's. Six rooms in total swung open, revealing six individuals, each with their own unique expression: some dazed, others confused, and a few relieved.

One of them, a lanky man with a messy mop of hair, spotted Daryl and Arthur. "Hey, you over there!" he called out, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and hostility. "Hey, dude, and the...skanky-looking girl."

Daryl's eyes flashed with anger, her voice venomous. "Fuck you, I'm not skanky. Who are you calling that?"

A woman with a wild tangle of curly hair, Ruby, pointed to a room across the hall. "Look, there's a room here!" Her eyes scanned the door, and she read aloud the words scrawled on it: "Food, Snacks, and Beverages only for survivors...because if you didn't, you're dead, hahaha."

A third person, a man from room 3, ambled over to join Ruby and the lanky man, Johnnie. Rose, a woman with a petite frame and a nonchalant demeanor, leaned against the wall outside her room, her eyes fixed on the group. "The sooner I get out of here, the better."

Daryl turned to Arthur, her voice low and urgent. "Come on, Arthur, there are other survivors. Let's head over there."

Arthur nodded, his eyes sunken with exhaustion. "Sure, I could use a drink. I'm all dried up."

As they approached the group, a handsome young man with chiseled features, Keiran, stepped forward, grabbing everyone's attention. "I don't know about you all, but we should get in there and get some grub. I'm hungry as hell, and I had a traumatizing experience in that room. Let's vote on it."

The group murmured in agreement, with Liam, a burly man with a thick beard, speaking up. "I'm in."

Rose chimed in, her voice laced with a hint of excitement. "I'm in too. I call dibs on anything cheese-flavored."

Johnnie, Ruby, Lulu, Daryl, and Arthur all nodded in agreement. Just as Keiran was about to open the door, it swung open automatically, and the group swarmed in like a flock of starving birds.

Keiran chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "The fuck, y'all messed up shoes."

As they entered the room, the door closed behind them, and Arthur patted Daryl on the back. "The door just closed."

Daryl's eyes were fixed on something, her expression a mix of surprise and trepidation.

Liam's voice rose in protest. "Fuck is going on here? This isn't enough for all of us."

Ruby spoke up, her voice nonchalant. "If I could just get water, I'll be fine."

Lulu, a petite woman with a mischievous grin, responded, "You don't even know how long you're gonna be in here."

Arthur chimed in, his voice laced with concern. "Guys, the freaking door is locked."

The group's eyes met, their faces etched with surprise and fear.

Suddenly, the speaker crackled, and the voice boomed, "Hello, Daryl, Johnnie, Ruby, Rose, Keiran, Liam, and Lulu. You're the lucky ones...out of 30, you 8 ran out of time before you could choose. Now, enjoy the food, and I promise, once you're done with your meals, I'll let you out. Remember to share."

Keiran's voice rose in defiance. "Fuck you, man."

Liam protested, "Who gave you the idea to split the food?"

Keiran's eyes flashed with provocation. "You got a problem with it?"

Arthur jumped in, his voice calm and soothing. "Guys, relax. Let's just share the food, eat, and remember, our enemy is the voice."

Johnnie patted Arthur on the back. "He's right. I'm Johnnie, what's yours, champ?"

Arthur smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm Arthur."

As they gazed around the sparse room, their eyes landed on a solitary wooden table, its surface scarred and worn. Upon it, a meager spread of food and drinks seemed almost laughable, given the group's evident hunger.

Three medium-sized bowls sat on the table, each filled to the brim with gourmet meals that seemed almost too elegant for their dire circumstances. The aroma of roasted meats and steaming vegetables wafted up, teasing their senses and heightening their anticipation.

Alongside the bowls, three small bags of crisps sat, each bearing a different flavor label. The bags seemed almost miniature, a cruel joke given the group's ravenous state.

Three bottles of water accompanied the meager feast, each identical in size but varying in content. One bottle was half-filled with water, its transparent plastic revealing the paltry amount within. Another bottle was full to the brim, its water level reaching the very top. The third bottle, however, held only a quarter of its capacity, its water level seeming almost symbolic of their dwindling hopes.

The group's eyes met, their faces reflecting a mix of disappointment, frustration, and desperation. The voice's promise of food and freedom seemed hollow, given the meager spread before them.

Here's the rewritten continuation:

Keiran, his voice firm and commanding, ordered the group to "relax and let me serve you." He reached for one of the bowls and the full bottle of water, his eyes gleaming with a sense of entitlement. "I'll take this, and the rest is yours."

Liam's face reddened with indignation, his voice rising in protest. "The fuck is wrong with you, asshole?" But before he could lunge at Keiran, Johnnie grasped his arm, holding him back.

Johnnie's voice was calm and measured as he addressed Keiran. "What's your name, man?" He nodded toward Keiran, who now cradled the bowl and water bottle in his arms. "Please, don't take that much. At least leave the water. You can have the food."

Keiran's response was immediate and belligerent. "Fuck no."

The group tried to reason with him, but Keiran refused to listen. Daryl's patience finally snapped. She produced the knife she had been concealing and strode toward Keiran, the blade glinting in the dim light. She pressed the knife to his neck, her voice low and menacing. "You're going to share."

The group gasped in shock, their faces pale with fear. Arthur stepped forward, his voice calm and soothing. "Listen, let's just let him be. I'll drink a little bit of water, I'll be fine. You all can share the rest of the food."

The group hesitantly agreed, and Arthur's words seemed to diffuse the tension. They divided the food evenly, then sat down in a circle, except for Rose, who sat by the door, and Keiran, who slunk away to a far corner, devouring his food ravenously.

As Keiran gulped down the water, his eyes suddenly rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor. The group stared in horror as his body hit the ground.

Ruby's voice was laced with concern as she munched on her cheese crackers. "What the hell is going on with him?"

Keiran's body began to convulse, his eyes blazing with an otherworldly red fire. The convulsions ceased, replaced by abdominal pain, and blood started gushing from his mouth. His pupils dilated, and he tried to scream, but the blood choked his voice.

The group watched in frozen terror, except for Liam, who wore a smug, self-satisfied smile. "Serves you right, selfish bastard."

Just then, the doors slid open, the sound echoing through the room like a death knell.