Purgatory's Playground

The voice pierced the air once more, its tone dripping with malice. "Come, Daryl, there's still time. Why bother binding your wound? You said you wanted to die, didn't you? Then let it bleed, Daryl."

Daryl's eyes blazed with defiance, her voice laced with desperation. "You fucking asshole, who are you? How do you know my name?" The words tumbled out of her mouth like a plea, her voice cracking with emotion.

The voice responded, its words slicing through the air like a cold breeze. "Why are you still clinging to your life, Daryl? You wanted to die, didn't you? Then the items in front of you are there to serve your purpose. Time is running out, bitch." The voice's words hung in the air like a challenge, daring Daryl to make her move.

Daryl's face contorted in anger, her fists clenched at her sides. "What happens if I don't choose? What will happen?" The questions tumbled out of her mouth like a desperate prayer, but the voice remained silent.

The speaker went dead, plunging the room into an eerie silence. Daryl's eyes scanned the space, desperate for answers. The fluorescent light above flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Daryl's gaze fell upon the items in front of her: the knives, the razors, and the rotting meat infested with Salmonella and maggots. Her mind recoiled in horror as she pondered the pain each item would inflict.

As she stood there, frozen in terror, a memory long buried resurfaced. She was in a car park on a college campus, standing beside a petite blonde in revealing clothes. The blonde's eyes sparkled with mischief, and Daryl's gaze locked onto a tall, handsome dude approaching them. Matty Sales, a 21-year-old college senior, looked like he had just stepped out of a football field. Daryl's eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on Matty.

"Oh, hey Matty," Daryl said, her voice dripping with familiarity. Her skirt rustled as she adjusted it, a subtle invitation.

Matty stared at her, his eyes filled with disgust. "Fuck is wrong with you, bitch? It's over, it's been over since high school. Why won't you leave me alone?" His words cut through the air like a knife, leaving Daryl's smile faltering.

Daryl's eyes narrowed, her voice laced with malice. "Matty, you don't mean that." Her words dripped with sarcasm, a thinly veiled threat.

Matty's expression turned cold. "Listen, I love Wendy, so please stop causing me problems. She's the best thing that ever happened to me." His words were a clear warning, a boundary drawn in the sand.

Anna, the blonde, intervened, her voice shrill. "No, Matty, I'm not gonna let you talk to my friend like that." Her eyes flashed with anger, a fierce protector.

Matty's gaze turned icy. "Mind your own business bitch " His words hung in the air like a challenge.

Anna retaliated, her voice rising. "Did you just call me a bitch?" The air was thick with tension, a spark waiting to ignite.

Daryl smiled, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Relax, Anna." Her eyes locked onto Matty, a calculating glint in her gaze.

Without warning, Daryl grasped Matty's hand, her voice barely above a whisper. "Come on, Matty, don't wanna taste me one more time." Her words were a siren's call, a temptation Matty couldn't resist.

Matty's eyes widened in shock as Daryl kissed him, her lips brushing against his. For a moment, Matty's resolve crumbled, but he quickly regained his composure, pushing Daryl away.

Wendy, Matty's girlfriend, approached, her eyes scanning the scene before her. Her demeanor changed, her expression twisted in anger and hurt.

The scene shifted, and Matty was sitting alone in his dorm room, scrolling through social media. His eyes widened in horror as he stumbled upon a post trending online, and his heart sank. The video depicted Wendy telling her story, sharing how Matty had betrayed her trust and broken the foundation of their love. The comments section was filled with cruel taunts and laughter, each one a knife to Matty's heart.

Matty's eyes scanned the comments, his mind reeling with the implications. He saw a post from an account bearing his name, and his heart stopped. The post was a picture of him and Daryl in a compromising position, the caption reading, "My one and only true love." Daryl had hacked into Matty's secondary account, posting the incriminating photo and caption. This wasn't the first time Daryl had orchestrated a social media smear campaign against Wendy.

The following day, Matty rushed to Wendy's dorm, but he was met with a blockade. A crowd of students and a yellow tape surrounded the place, and Matty's heart sank. A body bag came out, and Matty's world came crashing down. He pushed his way through the crowd, desperate to get to Wendy.

Wendy's roommate emerged, her eyes filled with tears and contempt. "You're too late, Matty. Wendy took her life last night. She slit her wrist with a razor blade." The words hung in the air like a death sentence, and Matty's knees buckled.

The cop's words were a blur, but Matty's ears picked up the phrase "Wendy's body will be taken to the morgue." The room spun around him, and Matty's grief felt like it was suffocating him.

Daryl stood outside the dorm, watching as the body bag was carried away. Her eyes seemed to gleam with a malevolent light, a spark of triumph in their depths. She muttered to herself, her voice barely audible. "Finally, Matty will be mine alone."

The sound of a bell pierced the air, snapping Daryl back to the present. She was back in the dingy room, the knives, razors, and rotting meat still laid out before her. The voice's words echoed in her mind, a cruel reminder of the choices she had to make.