[ SUBJECT CLASSIFIED ]

The Voice Above · Unknown

What he enjoys most
is the look on a participant's face
in the exact moment they are forced to make a choice.

No one has seen him. His voice comes from speakers mounted high on the walls — sometimes a low male voice, sometimes a woman's voice tinged with amusement, sometimes a child's giggle, sometimes all three ringing out at once in a reverb that makes skin crawl.

His tone is that of a game-show host — upbeat, crisply enunciated, peppered with transitions aimed at an imaginary television audience. The only problem is that the "show" he is hosting is six college students fighting for their lives.

He calls himself the Host. He never reveals his name, gender, age, or motive. He watches everything. He knows everything.