Trista's POV

It was the May Day holiday, and my boyfriend said he was taking me on a road trip. A surprise getaway, he called it.

We drove the whole day, winding through remote roads until we finally arrived in the middle of nowhere. That was when I realized what his "surprise" actually was: the “Partner-Swapping Game.”

The rules? Break up with your partner for the night, randomly pair up with someone else, and go wild all night.

And me? I was handed over to one of his buddies like some party favor.

Shaun Dawson, the boyfriend I once trusted, tossed me a lace dress and barked, “Trista, change into this. Just relax and play along. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it too. Don’t even think about running. We’re in a place I picked for a reason. No one’s around for miles. You won’t make it far. You’re like a rat in a trap now.”

What he didn’t know was that this mountain belonged to me. And the ones trapped like helpless rats would be them.

——

“Damn, Shaun, your girlfriend is smoking hot!”

“Bro, you're seriously generous. Sharing a rich, gorgeous girl like her? Respect!”

“Tonight’s gonna be one hell of a ride!”

His disgusting friends, the fat one and the jock, were eyeing me like vultures, their words sleazy and crude. But his best friend, Dr. Toby Andrus, was silently setting up a tent. He didn’t say a word, just moved with this eerie calm, his presence darker than anyone else there.

I felt the danger sinking in and turned to run. But Shaun grabbed my wrist before I could get two steps away. The charming boyfriend I once knew was gone. In his place stood a monster, eyes sharp and full of menace.

“You’ve heard of partner-swapping game, haven’t you, baby?” he whispered. “We’re playing it for real. Trust me, it’ll feel good.”

He pulled some lace scraps from his pocket and tried to force them into my hands. I was stunned. The same man who always acted like a straight-A gentleman, polite, responsible, even a little shy, was now this twisted stranger with no shame.

“I’m not playing,” I snapped, pulling back. “I want to go home!”

But no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t shake his grip.

“You came here behind your parents’ backs, remember? And your phone's with me. Like it or not, you’ll be the star of the show tonight, and you can't get away with it.”

Before the trip, he vaguely mentioned something about an “extreme adventure” and told me to keep it secret from my parents so they wouldn’t worry. I thought we were going skiing or hiking. Not this.

Done being toyed with, my hand flew across his face.

“I gave you everything!” I shouted. “Bought you name-brand clothes and shoes, took you on trips overseas, sent you money every single week! Why are you doing this to me?!”

His face twisted with rage, veins bulging as he screamed, “Because I heard your parents! They said you’re still young, and dating a broke college student like me was just for fun! That once you were done playing, they’d make you break up with me and even demand all the money back!”

I shook my head, heart pounding. “I never said I’d leave you. I loved you! My parents have always cared about me. If I told them I wanted to marry you, they wouldn’t stop me!”

But as I said it, I realized something. The love I’d held for him was now gone.

A cruel smile curled on his lips. “No, baby. I don’t believe anyone but myself. I’ll just film you tonight, show your parents what a dirty little girl you really are. Then surely, they’ll beg me to marry you.”

He pointed to a backpack lying on the ground and called out to his friends. “Set up the camera. Tonight, I want to capture Trista at her most beautiful.”

Then he turned back to me, brushing his hand against my cheek. “Don’t worry, baby. It’s the same camera you bought me. The one that cost over fifty grand. It'll definitely make you look amazing.”

I felt sick.

The fat one and the jock rushed over, practically fighting over the camera like kids with a new toy. “Damn, Shaun! This thing’s crazy expensive. Your girlfriend’s loaded! I want a turn filming too!”

Just then, a girl in a tight red mini-dress strolled out of a tent, and she asked with a pout, “Did someone say fifty-grand camera? Come take my picture. I need something for my feed.”

Trista's POV

The girl’s eyes swept across the group and landed on Shaun. She batted her lashes and purred flirtatiously, “Wow, handsome! You’re so hot. Pick me later, okay? Just you and me, under the stars.”

The jock rolled his eyes and turned toward Toby, who was still quietly setting up a tent. “Dr. Andrus, where the hell did you find this wannabe girlfriend? First, she’s after me, then real quick she's after Shaun.”

Toby didn’t even look up.

“Online,” he said flatly. Then, calmly went back to setting up the tent. “I don’t have a girlfriend. But I wanted in on the game, so I recruited someone fast.”

My eyes widened. I didn’t know the jock or the fat guy well, but Toby? I knew him. He was famous at school as the cold, distant guy with ridiculously high standards.

That was when it hit me. These guys weren’t just playing some twisted game. They were completely insane.

Desperate to get away, I shoved Shaun with everything I had and bolted for the woods, running like my life depended on it.

But I hadn’t gotten far when my legs gave out. The world spun around me, and before I could process it, I collapsed.

Through blurry vision, I saw Shaun walk toward me, calm and smiling. He picked me up like I weighed nothing and said, almost playfully, “Looks like the stuff Toby gave you works fast.”

That was when I realized the water bottle he gave me after we got out of the car was actually drugged. They were in this together.

With what little strength I had left, I screamed, “You bastard! If you lay a finger on me, I swear I’ll destroy you even if it costs me everything!”

But he just chuckled. “Well, then I'll break your legs and cut your voice out. Then I’ll stay by your side and pretend to be the perfect boyfriend. Surely, your parents will be grateful for it. Same outcome either way. So, just stop wasting your energy, Trista.”

Half my soul died right there, and my body gave in too, having no strength left to fight. I lay limp as he carried me back toward the tent.

The jock and the fat one peeked through the flap, grinning like kids at a carnival, eager for their turn.

I looked up at Shaun, my voice trembling. “Please, don’t do this. We’ve known each other for three years. We’ve been happy for over a thousand days. I loved you. Itruly loved you. You can’t treat me like this. Let me go, please.”

He laid me down gently and whispered near my ear, “If you just behave, you won’t suffer too much. My buddies aren’t ugly. You’re not missing out on much. Cooperate, and maybe you’ll even enjoy it. But don’t think about running. This place is isolated. I picked it for a reason. You’re trapped. Just like a rat in a trap.”

His words made my stomach churn. I nearly threw up.

“Shaun, you’ll die a miserable death!” I spat.

But he barely reacted. He simply casually tossed the lace outfit to three girls standing nearby, who were dressed for a summer party, not a night in the mountains.

“Help her change,” he said lazily. “Once the sun sets, the real fun begins.”

A girl who looked sweet and innocent on the outside quickly stepped forward.

“Got it, Shaun!” she chirped, then came over to undress me.

Her nails were sharp, and she wasn’t gentle. By the time she was done, my body was scratched and covered in red marks.

She then leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Why don’t you just die, Trista? If you were gone, Shaun would be mine. I’ve been cozying up to that fat idiot just for this moment. Tonight, I’m going to make sure you watch as Shaun sleeps with me.”

I glared at her and spat, “You can have him. He’s trash, and so are you. You two are a perfect match.”

Her face twisted with rage. She grabbed my throat and hissed, “How dare you talk about Shaun like that!”

Between the lack of oxygen and the drugs still in my system, I blacked out.

When I came to again, it was dark. Which meant the “game” was about to start.

The mountain air was cold at night. Even though they’d thrown a blanket over me, it was useless, especially with the scraps of fabric I was wearing. I shivered uncontrollably.

But then I noticed something.

My strength was coming back.

And this time, I was ready to run.

Trista's POV

Just as I was about to rip open the tent and escape, Shaun caught me red-handed.

He stared at me, eyes dark and eerie. “Trying to run, baby?”

His hand reached out to yank away the blanket I was using to cover myself. “Trista, I told you. You’re not getting away. If you just cooperate, you might even enjoy the game. Why do you never learn?”

I grabbed his wrist and looked at him, trying to sound calm, almost pleading. “I wasn’t trying to run. It’s just a game, right? I’ll play. But I’m cold. Can we wait to undress until the game starts?”

He grinned, clearly satisfied with my change in tone, and stroked my cheek. “That’s better. Come out and eat. We’ll eat and play at the same time.”

I wrapped the blanket tighter around myself and stepped out of the tent.

The six of them were sitting in a circle, drinking and laughing over grilled food. When they saw me, the jock and the chubby guy whistled and clapped.

“Here comes the beauty!”

As I sat down, the chubby guy offered me some skewers. But too afraid they were drugged, I just pretended to take them and set them aside.

Shaun pulled out a box filled with cards. With a slight smile, he tossed them on the ground and announced, “Alright. Game time.”

It was some twisted board game where we rolled the dice, moved the pieces, and completed whatever task the card said. Whoever reached the end first got to choose a partner for the “next round.”

We started with a quick game of rock-paper-scissors. I won and got the first roll. It landed on a two.

I picked a truth card.

After a brief pause, I asked, “Where exactly are we?”

The mood instantly shifted. So, I quickly tried to explain, “Wait, don’t get the wrong idea. I know I can’t get away. I just want to know where I’m going to die. I don’t want to be a ghost with no clue.”

That finally got a reaction out of Toby, the quiet one. He answered, “Mount Newmont.”

My stomach dropped.

Mount Newmont? That was the land my dad just bought to build a retirement villa.

The construction had already started, and I remembered him mentioning how hard it was to get in and out. So he got workers who lived here. Drones flew over every five hours to check for wildfires. During the day, the dense trees might hide the tents, but at night, the lights would definitely be seen.

If I could hold out until the patrol, I’d be rescued. And then, I’d make sure Shaun and his monsters paid for everything they’d done.

I’d be the trap, and they’d be the rats.

“What are you thinking, Trista?” Toby’s voice brought me back. “Don’t even think about running. You won’t make it.”

My heart pounded, but I kept my smile in place. “Nothing. I mean, look at me, I’m not going anywhere. What time is it, anyway?”

Toby just smirked. “That’s your second question.”

The jock took a swig of beer and chimed in, “Seven fifty-five. Almost eight.”

Then he gave me a gross smile. “What’s the rush, sweetheart? Feeling sleepy? Wanna skip the game and head straight to bed with me?”

I rolled my eyes and refused, “Hard pass.”

Five minutes left. Just five minutes until the next drone sweep.

The game continued, but I occasionally glanced up at the sky, praying for the faint outline of a drone.

But then I saw Shaun watching me.

He must’ve sensed something as he picked up a half-empty bottle of water and walked toward me.

Before I could react, he shoved the bottle into my mouth. Then the astrigen taste hit my taste buds. Right then, I realized something was in it.

I immediately tried to gag and spit it out, but he pinned my hands down.

“Trista, weren’t you cold? This water will warm you up. Warm enough to make you want to rip your clothes off. You’ll love it. Swallow it or I’ll pour more.”

My hands trembled with rage.

But then, I saw the faint, blinking light of the drone overhead.