I don’t have much time so I’m going to write this as quickly as I can. Yesterday I was browsing the dark web to amuse myself. Just seeing what sites I could find, to see if I could uncover anything interesting.
I’d been clicking through several mundane links that led to dead forums or private sites that were only interesting to a very small subset of people. I was about to give up and call it a night when I eventually stumbled upon a site that intrigued me. It was an innocuous link on a directory list I’d found.
When I clicked on this particular link, the screen was filled with a flying American flag, standing before it was a very tall man in a very fancy-looking black suit wearing an eagle mask. Plastered at the top of the screen were the words “All American Extreme Games!”.
Underneath were what looked like several different videos, I was about to scroll down and click on one to explore further, when the page loaded a small advert.
It claimed that it was a site that hosted all manner of popular childhood games, but taken to an extreme level. Like a massive nostalgia kick that everyone secretly looks for. As I looked through the site, I found that there were several videos, all linked to some kind of game that I recognised from my childhood. Among others, there was Red Light, Green Light, Simon Says and my personal favourite Hide and Seek.
From the thumbnails, they looked incredibly fun. There were videos of a Capture the Flag game, where the contestants were running through what looked like a gigantic industrial estate, chasing down the flag bearers before tackling them to the ground and stealing the flag for themselves. A sense of excitement began to well up from within me. I remembered playing these kinds of games when I was a kid, it would be fun to have another go now that I was bigger.
I eagerly clicked play on one of the hide-and-seek videos. I wanted to know how this whole thing worked. It looked so fun. The game consisted of a group of adults, split into Hiders and Hunters. From the video, it looked like they were playing a massive game of hide and seek all the way across the city. When a Hunter found a Hider there was a chase, ending in either the Hider getting away or the Hunter catching them. I imagined what it must be like, it was my favourite game as a kid, but as an adult, it must be even better. I’d be much better at it now too, I thought to myself, I’d pick much better hiding spots.
Almost as if in response to my thoughts, a popup took the focus of my screen, pulling my attention back. It looked to be an advert. “Think you’ve got what it takes to win?” it said. Intrigued, I read through it. As I scanned the ad, my heart skipped a beat when I realised it was for the next hide-and-seek game that the site was organising. It was recruiting players. The excitement I’d felt initially when I found the site was nearly doubled now knowing that I might be able to join in.
Reading through the details, it went on to explain that the participants of the game would be split into two teams, Hunters and Hiders. The Hunters needed to capture the Hiders and bring them to a specific location where the Hider would then be out and the Hunter would earn one point. The Hiders needed to evade capture for the duration of the game in order to win. It sounded simple enough.
Starting tomorrow, the game would take place over the course of two weeks, or until all of the Hiders were caught. At the bottom, there was a section titled “Grand Prize”. My jaw dropped as I counted all of the zeros in that number. Not only would I be able to join in with what looked to be an incredibly fun version of my favourite childhood game, but I could also win enough money to set me up for the rest of my life. Even the runner-up prizes were nothing to be scoffed at.
Without much hesitation, I thought I would try my luck. Worst case I’d be out with nothing, best case I’d be rich, but either way I would enjoy myself. Giddily, I tapped the “Apply Now” button at the bottom of the popup. The button relocated me to another page of the site titled “Rules and Terms”. Oh great, I thought to myself, mountains of small print to read. It had dampened my excitement slightly, but much to my surprise, there were only five lines on the page:
Rule 1 “Hiders must be brought in alive and not incapacitated”
Rule 2 “Hiders must not kill or incapacitate Hunters”
Rule 3 “No players are allowed to leave the city boundaries, this will be enforced by our agents”
Rule 4 “Anyone who turns off their phone/location immediately forfeits the game, we will be watching for any signs of cheating”
Rule 5 “Once you’re in, you’re in, no backing out until the game is complete.”
At the bottom of the page was a small section for me to add in my details and sign up. I was amazed, there were hardly any rules. I guess that’s what makes it extreme, I thought. A slight sense of apprehension welled up in me. I began to question if maybe this was a scam. Then again, the videos on the site looked real. And if this was real and I missed my opportunity to join in I would kick myself.
Without giving myself time to question further, I quickly filled in my details and pressed apply. I know handing out your personal information on the dark web is generally a bad idea, but the excitement and the thought of that money quieted the voice in the back of my head telling me it was a bad idea. The screen then changed to an image of the suited man wearing the eagle mask tipping his hat to me with the caption “Right on, you got this, we’ll contact you when it’s game time!”
It was done, hopefully, I’d signed up in time, the date on the advert had been tomorrow so I was hoping I’d just beat the closing time. I watched Hide and Seek videos on the site for the rest of the night, trying to prepare myself for the game, to see what strategies others had used before. I really hoped that I was on the Hunters team, I didn’t mind the hiding aspect of hide and seek, but I much preferred the detective work involved with finding someone who was hidden. I’d always imagined myself as a tracker following an animal through the forest, looking for any tracks or traces of my quarry.
I didn’t hear anything from the site the next day, and was beginning to give up hope that I’d been selected for the game. Maybe I had applied too late. I was at work, going about my usual boring office job, when at around 3 pm my phone buzzed. My heart skipped a beat. I knew it could have been any manner of notification that I’d just received, but I so badly wanted it to be something from the site.
Checking it, there was an icon of an email on my scroll bar, showing me the newest mail I’d received. The address was a garbled mess of characters but the subject read “Game On!”. My heart jumped out of my chest. It’d been selected to play, images of chasing Hiders throughout the city filled my mind as I smiled to myself.
“Yes!” I thought, “I’m in”. That same sense of excitement had welled up again, as well as a feeling of anticipation. Clicking on the mail, it loaded with the same branding as the site I’d found yesterday, the same man in the suit and mask holding his thumbs up in a good luck gesture. “The game is on, find your team below, and remember, once you’re in, you’re in!”
I hastily scrolled down, my excitement peaking as I reached the section showing the teams. My heart sank a little as I saw which team I was assigned to. I was in the Hiders team. There were 24 others and me on the team, their photos and mine were all present so that we could identify each other. I was amazed by the varying ages of the people who were in my team, they seemed to vary from teenagers to people in their mid to late fifties. “I’m glad this isn’t a team game”, I thought to myself, “Some of these people don’t look like they can run let alone hide”
Underneath the section showing me and the other Hiders was a section called Hunters. It showed each of the other 25 people on the Hunter’s team. I looked through them all, concentrating hard to try and memorise their faces. I didn’t want to get caught by doing something stupid like passing one of them in the street and not recognising them. Although I was disappointed that I was on the Hiders team, I still wanted to play and hopefully win.
The message was signed off with just one sentence: “Good luck, don’t get caught!”. I was shaking with excitement now, it was actually happening. As I closed the email, I looked around with nervous excitement, half expecting to see a Hunter snooping around for me already. I was relieved when I didn’t see anyone, although I knew now that the game was on.
I couldn’t stay here, it would be too obvious. These Hunters knew my name, it wouldn’t be too hard for them to go on social media and figure out where I worked. I cringed as I imagined being chased by a hunter through the office, with my co-workers staring at me, dumbfounded. I needed to get out of here, I needed the freedom to move.
Making my way into my boss’ office, I told her that I was feeling ill and needed the rest of the day off. I put on a stellar performance if I do say so myself, doubling over at one point, retching. She told me to go home and rest with a panicked look stricken across her face, I think she was worried I may have blown chunks all over her pristine office.
Happy with this result, I thanked her in my best sick voice and slowly staggered out of her office. It wasn’t until I’d made my way out of the main block and into the car park that I dropped the facade. I made my way to my car, all the while darting between the concrete columns of the car park, scanning the area for any signs of Hunters.
I was met with the stillness of the multi-story carpark and the sound of the wind blowing between the concrete. It looked empty but you couldn’t be too careful. That childish excitement welled up in me as I started to lose myself in a sea of nostalgia, remembering how I would feel when I hid as a child.
I made it to my car without incident, darting behind the concrete pillars, before finally swinging myself in and locking the door. If anyone was hiding out there they wouldn’t be able to get me while I was in here. I was safe for now, but I couldn’t just sit in my car for two weeks. I had a plan in my head, I would go somewhere with a large group of people, somewhere I could get lost in the crowd. Sure it was risky with the chance that I might bump into a hunter, but I’d be harder to pick out that way and if I got chased there would be a mass of people to get between me and my pursuer.
My mind immediately went to the Mall, it was always busy, and there were several shops I could dart into if I saw any Hunters. I could also get a snack if I wanted to and I wouldn’t need to leave my hiding spot if I needed the bathroom. It was genius. Satisfied with my plan, I started the car and made my way out of the empty car park, giddy with excitement thinking about all of the money I could win.
I pulled out onto the main road, busy with its regular traffic. The sun was shining and everything felt great. I was on top of the world. I began thinking about how to evade a Hunter if I saw one in the Mall. Images of jumping over the aisles in the shops or throwing down mannequins to block my path filled my mind and I chuckled to myself.
As I was daydreaming, driving along, I came to a stop at a crossroads. I was waiting at the red light, reaching down to grab a bottle of cola from my passenger seat when something reached my ears, it sounded like the screeching of wheels spinning on the tarmac. Some boy racer must have been trying to race one of the other cars at the stoplight. “Bloody tool,” I thought to myself.
There was an ear-shattering bang and everything began to spin. My vision blurred as I jerked violently to the side, slamming my head on the dashboard as the car seemed to slide sideways. I shouted out a startled scream as the bottle of cola was thrown through the air. The scent of burning rubber thick in the air and the sound of shattering glass filled my ears. The sound was deafening, I had a persistent ringing in my head for several seconds afterwards.
Dazed, it took me a few moments to realise where I was. I was terrified, I didn’t know what was going on. As my senses began to come back to me, I realised that the passenger door seemed much closer to me now, resting just below my arm. There was something behind it that blocked the rest of the street from view, something large and dark with smoke billowing from it.
I shook my head, confused, feeling the rush of wind on my face from the now gaping hole where the windscreen of the car had once been. The sound of screaming came from somewhere in the distance, I couldn’t make out exactly where. There was a metallic taste in my mouth and my chest felt heavy. What the hell, I thought. What just happened?
Then it clicked, the bang, the burning rubber, the missing windscreen and the broken door. I looked out of the passenger window again and realised that the black shape was the front of a large black pickup truck. Someone had slammed right into the side of my car on the passenger’s side. They must have been travelling pretty fast as both cars were totaled. Rage welled up in me, how badly must that asshole have been driving to have hit me, I was stationary after all. They best have insurance.
I could see faint movement through the windscreen of the other car, the driver must still be in there. I forgot about the game and focused on what was happening. As angry as I was that someone had totalled my car and nearly killed me, they were still in their car and might be hurt. I sat up and reached my hand for my door, when I noticed the warm feeling on the left side of my face.
Reaching my hand up and touching my face, my fingers were stuck with red when I pulled them away. I must have been hit pretty hard, I thought, staring at the blood on my fingers. I took in a sharp breath to scream and doubled over. Two of my ribs felt like they were being torn apart, my lungs pushing against their now shattered remains.
I tried my best to shake the pain off, thankfully I was still numb from the adrenaline. Reaching for the door handle again, I pushed it and it moved, only to jam shut inches from opening. I sighed and tried it again, throwing myself against it. Immediately my ribs flared in protest and I had to take a second to catch my breath. The door still stood closed.
As I was doubled over, I noticed the windscreen again. It had been shattered by the impact, leaving only a giant hole, I should be able to climb out of that to freedom. Without much more thought, I started to pull myself from the windscreen and out into the now-still crossroads.
The smell of burnt rubber was stronger out here, there was also a very strong petrol stench filling my nostrils. One of the fuel tanks must be leaking. Putting in a great deal of effort not to stumble and fall, my world spun as I slid from the bonnet of the car and tried to stand up. I couldn’t tell if I was shaking from adrenaline, my shattered ribs or from the crash, but I had to lean against the car to steady myself. As I raised my head above my now destroyed vehicle, flecks of shattered glass covering everything I could see like transparent snowflakes, I was able to get a better look at the car that had hit me.
I was right, it was a large, black pickup truck. It had hit me dead on the side, crumpling my poor Clio instantly. From the looks of the rubber marks on the road, it had moved me several feet onto the pavement. I could see smoke hissing from under its now crumpled hood, its wheels jutting out at odd angles. There were several pedestrians looking on at the scene horrified, that would explain the screaming I’d heard. I think some of them looked like they were making their way over to me, but I needed to focus on my task at hand, the other driver.
I’d never been in a real car crash before, I’d seen videos online, but they didn’t prepare me for this. I needed to get to the other driver, to make sure they were safe. From where I was standing I couldn’t see into the car, its window was shattered, although I could make out frantic movement from the inside. The driver was alive, and they obviously needed help. I staggered around to the front of the car, towards their driver-side window.
They appeared to be frantically fighting with their seatbelt, aggressively tugging at it with both hands, attempting to get free. It must be jammed, I thought to myself. But there was something that didn’t feel right about this. The way the driver was acting was odd, he wasn’t panicked, he seemed frantic but not in a shocked way. I made my way closer and knocked on his window.
As I tapped on the broken glass it lost whatever integrity it had left, falling to the floor in tiny crystal droplets. The driver whirled around to face me, staring me dead in the eyes. I stared back, all the while that odd feeling of apprehension buzzing in the back of my mind. Then my stomach dropped as I realised why I felt this way. He was a Hunter. I recognised his face from the pictures in the email that I’d received. He was a Hunter and he was after me. He must have seen me sitting there at the crossroads and tried to take his opportunity.
Then another thought hit me, making my already weak legs nearly give way. If this man was willing to t-bone my car for this game, what else was he willing to do? I know there are no rules banning things like this, but then again there weren’t many rules at all. I didn’t know what this man was capable of, and I really didn’t want to find out.
With lightning speed, he shot his arm out of the window and grabbed my wrist. His grip was tight and snapped me out of my stare. His eyes were still fixed on me and I could almost feel his determination to catch me. Rather than the giddy excitement that I’d felt earlier, now all I felt was fear. I needed to get away as fast as I could. All that mattered was putting as much distance between myself and him as I could.
I jerked my arm back with all of my strength, ripping it from his grip. He swore loudly, turning his attention back to his seatbelt, frantically yanking at it, trying to rip it from its socket to chase after me. I silently thanked my lucky stars that it had jammed when he crashed, otherwise, who knows what state I would have been in.
Terrified, I turned on my heel and began to stagger away, all the while I could hear the muffled shouts of anger coming from the Hunter’s black pickup as he struggled in vain against the seatbelt restraining him.
My mind was scattered and my head was pounding, I was pretty sure I had a concussion, but I carried on moving. I could just about see the mall from where I was, once I was there I could still carry out my plan. Winning wasn’t the main thing on my mind at the moment. If all of the Hunters were like this man, I didn’t want to encounter any more of them, what if they were worse?
Then I heard a sound that made my blood turn to ice. The slamming of heavy feet against the tarmac behind me, getting closer. I turned around, already knowing what to expect, but needing to see it anyway. The Hunter was closing the distance between us, the pedestrians I saw must have helped him loose and now he was free to pursue me. Unlike me, he seemed practically uninjured by the crash. He was running at full speed, closing the minuscule distance between us.
I had to get away. Turning to my left I could see the mall, so close. If I could just make it there I could lose him in the crowd. All that stood between me and it was a busy main road, the cars flying by, oblivious to my plight. I couldn’t see any way across, not that I’d be able to get to without being caught. Taking a deep breath, knowing that if I didn’t move soon that would be it. This lunatic would catch me, and who knows what state I’d be in at the capture location.
Lurching forward, I staggered across the busy main road, taking the most direct route to the mall. I knew it was dangerous, but the terror of running across an active main road was far more appealing than the terror of what an unknown psychotic hunter would do if he had the chance. Cars veered around me as I limped slowly across, honking their horns in angry protest at my presence. I felt the wind off a couple of them, just narrowly avoiding hitting me. I even felt the cold metal of a large van as it whipped past me, but I didn’t care. All I could think about was that mall, with the people and the shops and all of the hiding places.
Looking back over my shoulder, my breath caught in my throat. The Hunter was charging across the road at me. I was certain that he wouldn’t have followed me across this road, that it would have been suicidal. But there he was, clumsily dodging in and out of the traffic.
Another shot of adrenaline coursed through me, I could feel my aching ribs and thumping head, but the pain was dulled. I threw everything I had into getting across that road, my legs protesting at how hard I was pushing them. With one final effort, I managed to dance around the front of a large Ford, the wind from it rippling the back of my shirt as it narrowly avoided smearing me across the tarmac.
I stumbled onto the embankment on the other side and a small sense of relief washed over me, I’d made it, all that stood between me and the mall was the parking lot out front. That relief was short lived however as the ear-splitting beep of a car horn reminded me of the Hunter still pursuing me.
I ran as hard as I could for the mall. My heart pounding in my ears, my legs screaming and my lungs burning in my chest. I was nearly there. I could still hear the Hunter’s footsteps slamming across the road, mixed with the honking of the annoyed motorists. I was so focused on the mall that it seemed distant, far off. All that mattered to me, all that I allowed myself to perceive, was the Mall in front of me.
I only snapped back when I heard a loud, frantic series of honks followed by a screaming screech of rubber behind me, then a petrified scream and the solid crunch of a metallic crash followed by the subtle tinkling of falling shards of glass. There were several other heavy crashes and several more screaming horns that followed, creating a deafening cacophony.
Still running, I chanced a glance over my shoulder. With a morbid sense of relief, I surveyed the scene behind me. There was a massive pileup on the road, there must have been at least 10 cars, all crumpled into a single, horrific scrap pile. Other drivers were getting out of their cars to help the people still trapped in the mangled wreckage. It looked awful, some of the cars behind had spilled across the embankment to get away, only to be hit by cars coming the other way. The entire road was filled with scattered parts and glass from this morbid blockade.
It was awful, and I felt terrible for thinking it, but the only thought that came to my mind in that instance was how thankful I was that I couldn’t see the Hunter anymore. Barely waiting for the automatic doors to open, I forced myself through and made my way inside the bustling mall, thankful that there had been no trace of that Hunter since the pileup.
Walking through the crowded shopping centre I kept my head on a swivel, constantly scanning for any sign of Hunters. Although I was relieved to have lost the one chasing me, the last thing I wanted was for another one to immediately spot me. I wasn’t enjoying this anymore, I genuinely felt hunted, like an animal. This wasn’t what I signed up for.
As I walked, I noticed the horrified looks from the passersby. They seemed to be making a conscious effort to avoid me, like I was some kind of social pariah. Then I remembered, my face was covered in blood from the crash. I must have looked horrific, no wonder no one would walk near me. I couldn’t blame them, there’s no way I’d be able to blend in looking like this. I rushed to the nearest bathroom and ran to the mirror to assess the damage to my face.
The bloodied man staring back at me in the mirror looked worse for wear. Drying red blood covered the majority of his face, stemming from some kind of injury at the top of his head. I felt a little woozy, seeing my own blood like that. I knew I had some on my fingers when I checked earlier, but I wasn’t expecting to see so much.
Splashing the cold water of the sink into my face a few times in an effort to clear it, it turned out that it wasn’t so bad. I had a nasty-looking cut on the side of my head, it had bled profusely but other than that I was unscathed. I was relieved that I wasn’t bleeding to death, I don’t think I had the mental capacity to deal with that right now.
I tried to tidy myself up as best as I could, all the while on edge, jumping at any sounds that came to my ears. The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing, the hand dryer blaring or the toilets flushing sparking a jolt of fear, what if they were caused by another Hunter coming to finish what the first one started?
When I was done I didn’t look too bad. I didn’t look great, but I also didn’t look like I’d just been in a car crash. Making my way back out and into the hustle and bustle of the mall, I pretended to browse shop windows, inspect the food court and just act like a general mall-goer. My nerves were shot but I tried my best to just blend in.
I’d made a large loop for myself, wandering up one length of the mall, making a left turn into a subsequent section, then taking the escalator upstairs to do a loop of the top level before returning back to my original starting position. Stopping occasionally, I’d pretend to have an interest in the shop windows, using their reflective surfaces to covertly look at the passers-by.
I was getting into the swing of it now, blending in with the crowd, when I noticed movement that caught my attention. It was a short distance away, moving fast, cutting a line through the crowd. My heart jumped into my throat as my thoughts flashed back to the Hunter and the way he ran across that road after me. I was just about to turn and run, assuming that this person was a hunter that had seen me, when I noticed the person looking over their shoulder frantically as though someone might be following them.
As I got a better look at their face, I recognised them immediately from their photo in the email. It was another one of the Hiders, someone on my team. She was young, maybe in her late teens, with long black hair and thin-lined glasses. I will say that I did feel a slight sense of joy when I saw her, not enough to forget what had happened with my car, but it was just nice to be reminded that I wasn’t alone in this.
As soon as I saw her, I immediately scanned the area, assuming she was being so frantic because she was being followed. Looking back through the trail she’d made, I expected to see a second form charging through the mass of people after her. Much to my relief there was no one, the mall was as bustling and inconspicuous as it had ever been, with people going back to their business after the girl shot past them.
I decided to go and introduce myself to my fellow teammate, after all, strength in numbers. She’d made her way into one of the nearby clothing shops, brushing past several shoppers, nearly knocking some of them over as she hurriedly tried to get out of sight as fast as she could. I followed her as closely as I dared, trying not to look obvious so as to not arouse suspicion in case she was being tailed. “She must not have encountered any of the Hunters yet, otherwise she wouldn’t be running around like this” I thought to myself, worried “I’d best warn her, she may not know what she’s in for”
Eventually, I caught up to her. Watching her, she’d stopped in a far section of the shop, pretending to look at some of the coats hanging from a tall rack. I sidled up to her as inconspicuously as I could. As I got closer she stared at me with a look of shock and horror on her face, beginning to start turning to run before her expression eventually softened as the realisation clicked.
“You’re playing too?” she exclaimed in an excited whisper. “It’s good to see another friendly face”
“You need to be more careful” I chastised immediately, trying to be quiet so as any other shoppers passing by wouldn’t overhear. “You’re drawing too much attention to yourself, moving around like that. These Hunters, they don’t mess around”
As I said this I gestured to the cut along the side of my head. The colour seemed to drain from her face as she saw my wound. “What the hell, did they do that to you?” She seemed genuinely horrified.
“Yeah, one of them is a real psycho. He totalled my car to try and catch me, I only got away because a car crashed into him when he chased me across the road outside the mall. I’ve not seen any more of them yet, but if they’re anything like him, I don’t want to. They’re insane!”
She seemed to go quiet after this, as though the gravity of the situation was suddenly sinking in. The colour drained from her face a little as she tried to process this revelation.
“Ok…what do we do then? Maybe we could team up? Watch each other’s backs?” she whispered nervously, her voice shaking as she looked at me with a pleading fear in her eyes. “Maybe we can avoid these psychos, win this thing?”
Looking at her, I tried to weigh my options from a tactical perspective. She was far shorter and lighter than me, if a Hunter wanted to they would easily be able to physically restrain her and bring her in. If I left her alone she would surely be caught, one less Hider on my team to share the prize with if I won. But then there would be fewer Hiders for the Hunters to go after so I would become a bigger target. I would also be on my own so if I slipped up that would be it, there would be no one watching out for me.
After quickly deliberating, I extended my hand to her. “Sure thing, name’s David, but I guess you already knew that from the email?”. She took my hand, shaking it in a firm grip, a look of relief spreading across her face. “Nice to meet you David, my name’s Jenny, and likewise.”
“We should get moving,” I said, glancing around, aware that we’d been standing in this same position now for a few minutes. “I don’t like staying still for too long. Follow me, just act like you’re window shopping and try to blend in.”
I wish I’d known now what was going to happen, if I did maybe I’d have done things differently. I’ll get into the details but right now I need to move, I’ve been here too long already. I’ll post the restof this when I get to a safer place.