Page 1 of Cut Her Strings (Fractured Puppets #1)

The Host

T he Host examined his reflection in the vacant blank screen. Soulless raven black eyes stared back at him. He felt cold. Empty. Unhinged. He straightened his dark silk suit and blood red tie. This was his first year as the face of this game.

It would be his job to provide entertainment while the masses fought for their lives below. He would be the enforcer, the entertainer, the Host.

The two years prior he was simply a game warden, watching, but only ever from the shadows.

The year before that? Well, that was an entirely different story.

Now he would be front and center. He would interact directly with the Creators and Sponsors of this murderous game.

He stepped back from the empty screen that would soon show the bloodied chaos of the contestants below him. They would be even further underground than he was.

The Host walked languidly to the leather chair that had been the previous Host’s home. A stack of folders sat haphazardly on a table to its left. Names labeled the tabs, these were new to the Host.

Only a few more players were needed for this year’s games to begin.

Right on schedule.

“We have confirmed the last players. There will be two hundred and fifty in total. One has sponsored themselves. Keep an eye on them. The information for the newest contestants has been updated. We are retrieving the final player the day before we go live, we are tracking her movements. Her folder is now available to review.”

The Host contained a shudder. He wasn’t accustomed to hearing voices in his ear. He adjusted the earpiece before gathering the folders.

He began perusing the information. Nearly all the players were in different Factions of the Resistance. That made sense since their entire mission was to dismantle the current Government. While this game wasn’t run by the Government, it was undoubtedly funded by it. At least for the most part. The Creators of this game were most assuredly not part of the Government or the Resistance that fought it. They lived in the category of Other.

The so-called Sponsors were anonymous, but it was a heavily verified rumor that most of the Sponsors held high positions within the Government.

Their entire country was corrupt, and this game was a testament to that.

The Host continued his examination of the final players to join this year.

On the sixth folder down, he froze.

He did his best to school his features and continue as if nothing had changed, but he could not contain the cryptic smile that spread across his face.

He took twenty-three seconds to decide. The Creators thought bringing her here would affect him? Well, it would, just not in the way they expected.

He could barely contain his enthusiasm to reunite with his bunny.

An unidentifiable feeling began to spread deep in the Host’s gut.

He was determined to make this the most memorable game to date.