Death and Beyond

By Dora Liu

An intense game of Senior Assassin began on the 21st of May. The rules were simple: kill your assigned target with a water gun or sock bomb to acquire their target, and survive the week while killing as many players as possible. 

While classrooms were mostly off-limits, students thought up creative ways to lure their target out of safe zones. Common tactics included alliances, betrayal, and deception; some players even went as far as waiting by or inside their targets’ houses, doing everything they could to win the game.

As the week went by, the number of players dwindled daily as more seniors were assassinated. But what happens to their ghosts?

Many were frustrated they didn’t make it through the week. “I was dead before I even realized,” said Heeeun Bang (12), the first-ever player to be assassinated on Tuesday morning. “There was no time to process anything, only the fact that I’d been killed before the first block even started.” 

Another player, Anric Chin (12), really wanted to have a go at his target but was unfortunately eliminated. “I hate that I died because my target was someone that I have history with.”

Other ghosts turned against their assassins, wanting to avenge their own deaths. “I need him dead, Dora. I mean it. I believe in you,” said Savanna Choi (12), who died on Saturday due to an unexpected ambush at the Garage Sale. 

Despite all the tension, some deaths were surprisingly peaceful. Due to the high stress of the game, some players began to offer themselves up to be eliminated. “I gave up the game as it was stressful and agitating as I knew who my killer was and I had to wear layers of “protection” to keep myself alive on a hot and stuffy day. After ‘suiciding’ I felt so much lighter, and enjoyed watching others in the gameplay,” said Emma Yeap (12).

A dead player may seem harmless, yet they can be the most dangerous. To get closer to her target, Joyce Wan (12) faked her death with the help of Savanna Choi (12) by splashing water on her back and announcing her “death” publicly. The point was to trick Joyce’s target into believing they were safe from her and make a move when they least expected it. 

Fortunately, there are no rules governing the actions of players who are already dead. Ghosts can choose to speak about their deaths openly, help or sabotage the remaining players, and even pretend to be alive. Thus, dead players can still play an important role in the game by meddling from the outside, acting as communicators, diplomats, informants, and, at times, meat shields. I was fortunate enough to receive the help of many dead players throughout the week, and I know I wouldn’t have made it to the last day if it wasn’t for them. I hope everyone had fun as they influenced the game from the shadows.