Fiction Rumble II - Week 26 (Current Champion: Zaphkael)

[Bins]

its gonna be a pretty loose association again lol

[Bins]

(expired on 2019-08-02 16:41:34)

oh boy

[Zaphkael]

I'm getting to this

[Creature]

I got it planned

Just gotta start writing :/

[Something_Smart]

Spoiler: Righteous Endeavors, 1500 words

Brandon Burke was a giant.

Not a literal giant, mind you. He was only in high school, after all, and barely five foot eight. But to us, he was a giant.

I don’t know how he rose to power. Maybe he inherited his empire from someone else. Maybe he built it from scratch, or tricked someone else into building it for him. Either way, by the time we both had begun eleventh grade, Brandon Burke was in charge of the largest cheating ring our school had ever seen.

His approach was two-fold, and unmatched in its cold efficiency. One, he hired students to serve as “tutors,” ironically named workers who completed homework assignments. And two, he possessed a collection of past tests, and he somehow always knew when a test would be given and what would be on it.

I hated him more than anything at that God-forsaken school. I was a decent student; my strong economics grades had caught Brandon’s eye, and he offered me to be a tutor, but I turned him down. Success should be determined by hard work, not the fattest wallet. I thought about ratting him out to the teachers, but without proof, nothing would have happened. Besides, he had half the football team among his clientele. Hector Razna tried to tattle on him a year earlier and ended up in the hospital with multiple broken bones. Hector insisted that he fell out of a tree, but everyone knew what really happened.

So when I found out my family was going to be moving, my first expression was of relief. I would no longer have to coexist with this monster. I would no longer have to hear teachers praising the work of students who couldn’t tell a dipole from a derivative. Two more weeks to endure, then I’d be gone.

It wasn’t until later that evening that all the puzzle pieces finally clicked.

If I was moving away, all the way across the country actually, not only could I escape Brandon.

I could end him without any chance for retribution.

Not that it would be easy. Two weeks was not a lot of time. But it was worth a try.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Fourteen days left.

I enlisted my friend Mikey’s help in locating Brandon’s locker. Of course, Brandon had a network of lockers all over the school, but his assigned locker could be tied back to him. Mikey and I traded off following Brandon around. After three days, we finally managed to keep eyes on him for the whole day, but to no avail. Of course, in retrospect, this shouldn’t have surprised me. He couldn’t risk getting seen with something incriminating in his locker; he’d send a lackey to get it instead.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Eleven days left.

While chatting with Hannah Calkins, whose locker was next to mine, it occurred to me that lockers were assigned alphabetically. So to find Brandon’s locker, all I had to do was find someone with a similar name, and... bingo. Dave Burlow, sat in the front at the far right in my Spanish class. I followed Dave to his locker and quickly located Brandon’s.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten days left.

I was never a good actor, but I’ve heard that confidence is the key. I strutted right up to Brandon’s locker, spun the dial a couple of times, then called out “Ugh!” and struck my hand against its metal door. I turned around to see a friendly custodian approaching me, asking what was the matter. “My locker’s jammed,” I replied. “It does this a lot. Could you open it please?”

He looked at me for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to me. Like any moment he’d be grabbing me by the arm and leading me to the principal’s office. I felt anything but confident. It was warm in the school, but the hair on my arms was standing straight up.

But just as suddenly as it had begun, the spell was broken. “Tell me about it. I keep saying they need to replace the damn things, but they never listen,” and I breathed a sigh of relief as he opened the locker.

It was empty.

Okay. Brandon was good. But my time here was not completely wasted. I pulled a pen from my pocket and stuck it in the mechanism, keeping the door unlocked. That would come in handy later.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Seven days left.

I’d wasted a week, and all I had to show for it was a pen stuck in a locker. It was Monday morning now, and Brandon’s “tutors” would be passing back all the assignments they had illegitimately completed over the weekend. Before homeroom, I located the economics tutor, Sam Roscoe, in the library. “Hey, man,” I said to him, “I need your help. I forgot to do the econ homework for today. Can you help me out?”

Sam looked at me, one eyebrow arched. “You know that’s not how Brandon does things. All homework requests need to be put in the day before.”

I let my eyes widen and my fists clench a little. “Please, it’s an emergency. I need an A in economics, or my college chances will be ruined.”

Sam shrugged. “Sorry, but what Brandon says goes.” He picked up his backpack and left.

I looked over to Mikey, who was sitting at the next table over. He held up a blue folder and winked at me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that day, I made my way to the study room in the library where Brandon’s tutors sat. Sam was there, looking absolutely miserable. “Hey, man,” he mumbled, resting his chin in his hands. “Sorry I couldn’t help you earlier. If it makes you feel any better, I screwed up even worse than you.”

Before I could say anything, Brandon Burke stormed in, a look of absolute contempt in his eyes. “Sam Roscoe. You lost an entire week’s worth of homeworks? Do you have any idea how much this will cost me?”

Sam stared at his feet and said nothing. “Get out of here, and don’t come back,” continued Brandon. “You’re done.”

After Sam had left, I smiled sheepishly at Brandon. “So, I guess you’re looking for a new economics tutor now?”

Brandon nodded curtly. “You offering?”

“Yeah, man. There’s a big test coming up next week. You’re gonna need someone.”

“All right, you start tomorrow.”

Finally. I was in.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days left.

I told Brandon that, in preparation for the exam on Monday, I needed to look through the past tests.

He looked skeptical. “Fine. Tim, take him to the vault, and make sure there’s no funny business.”

I followed Tim to a locker in a remote corner of the school. “Turn around,” he said, leaning to enter the combination. “Remember, Brandon said no funny business.”

As I turned around, my phone slipped and clattered to the ground. I went to pick it up and heard the locker open.

There was the mother lode, in all its glory. Arms crossed, expression inscrutable, Tim watched as I searched absentmindedly, but I already had what I wanted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

One day left.

This was it.

There was a football game that night, so Brandon’s thugs would all be occupied. I sneaked into the school and located the vault. I entered the combination from the video I had taken from my phone, when Tim thought my back was turned. I grabbed some tests.

All I had to do was put some tests in Brandon’s locker in time for the locker inspection the next day, and he’d be history.

But when I reached it, hands full of papers, the door wouldn’t budge.

“I have to admit, that was a nice move with Sam.”

I froze.

Turning around slowly, I saw the sneering figure of Brandon Burke. “I figured out your stupid plan. You were gonna plant tests in my locker and run crying to the teachers. Pathetic.”

“I don’t think you realize how hard I work.

Hundreds of students count on me every day to get their assignments and test answers. And the money? It doesn’t remotely cover the work I put in. I run this operation under the teachers’ noses and they don’t notice anything.

You got closer than that twerp who tried me last year, I’ll admit. But that just means I’ll have to mess you up even more badly. Go ahead. Walk into the building tomorrow. I promise you won’t be walking out.”

Just then, an unfamiliar voice caught us both off guard. “You sure about that?”

A student I didn’t recognize at first stood holding a phone, a wide smile on his face. “I just emailed that little speech of yours to every administrator in the district.”

Brandon stared at him with dawning horror.

“My name’s Hector Razna. Maybe this time you’ll remember it.”

Then he turned to me. “Probably best for you to be going.”

As I left the school for the last time, I felt an exhilarating rush I had never felt before.

This was the feeling of justice.

[Zaphkael]

When I read the prompt, I could only think of this one idea that I really loved. In retrospect, it's probably too similar to what you (ep) have done before, but since deadline is soon I'll submit it anyway.

Spoiler: In Your Heart, 899 words

Do you remember when we met? Because I do.
We were so young, so shy. We were so different, you and I, we came from two different worlds. But were we really?

My friends told me you were a terrible guy, that you weren't worth anyone's time. I guess that pretty much was the way you tried to look. Back then, I had no idea why you did it, why you pretended to be a douchebag.
But my friends, they were wrong, I've always know. Ever since we met, I saw this spark, just this tiny bit of light in your eyes. It was beautiful, just like you.
I knew there was something about you, something stunning and hidden that just had to come out. I just knew.
And for some wonderful, strange reason, you apparently saw something in me, too.

Friendship is a strange thing. You have all these ideas about how someone is, and about how you'll never get along. But as time passes, you learn how wrong you can be. I know I did.
I learned you were this wonderful, caring, loving person, having put up walls so you wouldn't be hurt yet again. I learned how, no matter how tough the person, they always have a reason and a need to cry. You probably still don't know how much it meant to me that you dared to cry with me. How much it meant to me that you were able to tell me that your parents died in a car crash while you were there, and about how you still see their mutilated bodies whenever you close your eyes. I told you I'd be here for you, because you deserved someone to be there for you.

And then there was that night. You, me, on a bench way too small for two, gazing at the most incredible night sky I've ever seen. You told me that, sometimes, there's this nice person inside that desperately wants to get out. And that sometimes, it needs help, it needs someone else to believe.
You told me, that you were happy I was that someone.

Life takes strange turns, but there was no better turn than being there with you. It took me, probably the most oblivious person ever, that long to realize how much you meant to me. How much I never wanted you to stop holding my hand.

God, we were so scared of what was to come, but it was all right. We'd do it together, you and me against the world. Like we always have, ever since, right?

Do you remember our wedding? We chose to have it outdoors at lake Monroe, at that bench, too small for two, where our journey really began. It was raining, no, pouring, and all our guests had left because of it. There was just you and me, soaking wet in the rain, and the happiest we had ever been. I can still feel your warm hands on my back, and your soft lips tenderly kissing mine.


We've had some of the best years, we really did. It wasn't always easy, but we could make it work. We felt untouchable, invincible. You and me, against the world. It's all been a dream, too good to be true. Yet, I've had the luck to wake up next to you, every morning again.

One moment, we were laughing, watching our favourite show. The next, I watched your beautiful smile fade, watched your lifeless body drop on the ground. I've never been so afraid in my life. This dream we had, this love I had never felt before, i was scared to lose it. I was scared to lose you.

Hours, that seemed like years, later, you woke up in a hospital bed. The doctors told us that, just like your father, you had a weak heart. That, unless you'd find a donor really soon, you might not make it.

There wasn't a single day I had cried more. But you were there, still struggling with what you heard, and already you were comforting me. That it was you and me, against the world, and that this wouldn't tear us apart. That this wouldn't be the end.

Days came, and days went. Every day again, we were waiting, hoping for a phone call. And every day again, we got nothing. Absolutely nothing.
We were running out of time, and I couldn't accept that. I never could have, you know me.

I promised you I wouldn't keep any secrets from you, but I had to know. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.
It didn't take long for the test results to arrive. They told me that I was the perfect donor. They told me that my heart was compatible with you. The bittersweet irony of that made me laugh just a little. Of course it was. It always has been.

If you're reading this, the operation was a success. My heart belongs to you, it always has, it always will. And now it really does.
This world can do without me, but it needs so much more of you. I'm sorry, please forgive me. Please, don't give up. Don't ever give up. Believe in the good of this world, like I believed in you. I'm with you, in your heart, and I always will be.
Always.

With all the love in this world,
Lucas

[Zaphkael]

Come on beans and creature and whoever else is joining, you can do it!

[Creature]

I'm almost done, but still have school.

[PJ.]

I might jam it out after I get off work in an hour and before bed.

[Bins]

yeah literally the worst week for me and i have something half written lol ill try on my lunch break

[vizIIsto]

Well... I wanted to do something with writing in my gap year, but my gap year hasn't really started yet so my brain has been asleep for the past few weeks. I'll pass on this one.

[Creature]

Spoiler: Fading Away, 1479 words

I was born with the ability to see people’s life spans.

As long I focused on them, I would be able to see something like a solid red sphere the size of a tennis ball and a surrounding red light.

At first I didn’t know what it meant. Everybody I got to see had the same solid red sphere, but sometimes, mainly the elderly, I would see it being a little less red and a less bright light. Eventually I would suspect it has some connection with said person’s longevity. I was unable to see my own longevity though.

---

My first experience with death happened when I was eleven.

Walking back home, I saw a woman with a child, both of them displayed with a pretty weak colored sphere, seeming like a cloud of particles evaporating away. I decided to stalk them for a while, trying to find out exactly what would happen if it evaporated completely. After two or three blocks, when their clouds were a few particles left, I noticed they were about to cross the street and I could see one car coming from the distance.

Instinctively, I called the woman’s attention, stopping her and her child from crossing the street. A few moments later, I hear a loud crash between two cars and I only got to stare in shock as one of them shifts straight to the woman and child, running over them. I could last see both their spheres, which were nothing but a few visible particles, and its weak surrounding light, completely cease.

When I returned home, I told my mother completely what happened and how I could see their life span drift away. I’d try to persuade her how I could foresee deaths and how I could prevent them. However, she never fully believed me and at some point she started to censor me whenever I brought up that, telling me how I was going crazy and calling unnecessary attention.

---

It took me long to recover from the trauma. I was unable to prove to anyone, including my own mother. She was a single mother working on an oil industry. She would always tell me to do good on school so I could go to a university. However, I never liked school and I eventually dropped out.

One day, when I was 19, I noticed how her red sphere has been losing its strength. Turns out she had advanced lung cancer. She had to be hospitalized at the local nursery center. I would always hang out at that center and frequently I’d see how many spheres from the patients were slowly fading away, some of them looking just like a thin cloud of red. But that’s also when I met you.

You were the first person to believe in me. I would tell when a person seemed to be living their last few days, hours, minutes, seconds, and you seemed to believe me. However, you never stopped caring from them, doing everything you could do to save these people even though you knew I was never wrong and their fate was inevitable.

As the days passed, I could only see my mother’s sphere thinning and thinning, until it was a few visible particles away, just like the woman and her child 8 years ago. I watched you and two other nurses rush to the room and do everything to save her. As her last bits of life faded away, I held her hand for the last time as my good memories about her started to flash through my mind.

From this day, I felt my ability was instead a curse. I could foresee people dying, but I would be completely unable to stop it. But you were there to comfort me. I asked why you tried your best to save each patient’s life even when you knew they were going to die soon, you looked me in the eyes and said you won’t give up on them until their last moment.

---

Eventually we would marry and move to the city of Hiroshima, where you’d work at the hospital center. Whenever it was possible and allowed, I would see you work and I would be impressed at how you didn’t stop caring for the people even when I told you they were dying pretty soon.

One day, when I went to the grocery store, I realized the spheres of the people around me have been a little weaker than usual. When I went to see you at the hospital, to my horror, you were among them. I decided to tell you about how the entire city seemed to be dying, but when you asked me about you, I lied, believing you otherwise would just resign to the death. I would try to argue we had to move out of the city as soon as possible. Yet you would repeatedly refuse to leave the dying people behind. You happen to have your own curse just like I do.

As the days passed, I could only see the spheres thinning, shrinking, weakening. I felt compiled to do something: maybe warn the local authorities or the local news about a possible imminent threat. Would they ever listen though? Even if they did, could I change destiny? Maybe if I got someone to leave the city I could alter their longevity; or would it just result in their death in another, possibly gruesome, manner? This desire to change what seemed inevitable kept growing whenever I saw your own life fading away.

I settled that we would move, whether you wanted it or not. I rented a car and got all the things we needed to move as far as possible from that city as soon the sun showed up in the horizon. You woke up after a long shift at the hospital when I told you we were moving out of the city immediatelly. You would come with your self-sacrifice reasons to stay as long as possible and assured you’d be fine, but I knew it wasn’t. I could foretell the entire city was dying the next day.

I would persist you to enter in the car enough for you to do the same. Soon we were on the road moving out of this damned city. You still seemed pretty sad as you watched through the car’s window the citizens moving around and working to survive another day.

“Can you stop, please?” You shyly asked, but I wouldn’t listen to. “Stop, please” You asked louder, but I didn’t want to. You kept ordering me to stop, repeating you’re going to be fine, and then I snapped: “No, you’re not going to fine!”, forcing me to confess I lied about your life span as it showed no sign of alteration.

I expected you to be mad at me and you had all reason to, but instead, you just looked at me and touched my shoulder with sympathy: “I’m sorry, dear. I can’t leave all these people behind, they need me more than ever. I don’t care if I’m dying with them, I’ll make their last moments the best possible. This is my destiny. As to you, you can’t see your own longevity, so you may have a chance to live longer as long you move out of the city. I really love you. Just please, listen to me.”

Shedding tears, I listened to every word and they echoed on my own head. I tried to ignore them and sped up the vehicle as you insisted to let you out. I had put all my effort into ignoring you, but what I saw ahead terrified me: a truck carrying a large pile of coal. Then I don't know what happened, I only remember it all happened so fast.

---

Now here I am, standing near the side of your hospital bed as you lay unconscious, peaceful. Even your small weak red cloud seems to be shining weakly but peacefully, unworried about its imminent fate.

The Gregorian calendar indicated today is August 6th, 1945 and the clock indicated 8:13 AM. I watched from the window of your room as the crowded street of Hiroshima kept its daily movement, completely innocent too. I could see how much you loved all of that, so much you’d sacrifice your own life to stay with them until the rest of their days. I was so oblivious to your compassion for them.

I still don’t know what’s happening. I’m honestly pretty scared right now. I know you would be yelling at me this instant for not having fled from the city by myself. However, you taught me so much, so it’s your fault I am here. Here I will stay with you, seeing your beautiful face while your life cloud is now just a few particles calmly moving around your heart.

I won’t abandon you.

Spoiler: Post-story notes

Sorry for using a very sensitive subject. It wasn't my original intention, but it came along when I was planning the story and couldn't ignore it. I'm sorry if I misrepresent some facts.

[Zaphkael]

Bump

[Creature]

I'm mostly waiting for the next prompt.

[Errantparabola]

yes i shall read these stories today thank you

[Errantparabola]

real tough choice but im going to give it to ss

creature i really liked the theme running through your fic and its like a great classic archetype that always packs a punch (person learns a good trait and gains meaning from losing a loved one)

zaph im a big fan of your writing style i think you have a good way with words

ss your story was really good -- im always a fan of a good high school drama romp, i would say the reason i gave it to you was it was the best at keeping me engaged despite it being like a less emotional concept. its not the most adventurous idea but i was just a big fan of how you managed to condense this plot into a flash fic

[PJ.]

Wooooo

[Something_Smart]

Thanks I'm glad the plot didn't feel like it was going too fast for you to keep up with.

The Prompt:

"I never should have taken your advice."

2000 words.

(expired on 2019-08-23 17:00:00)

[Zaphkael]

I haven't forgotten about this

[Creature]

Me neither

Just need the time

[Creature]

I know it's late, but:

Spoiler: The Rocky Caves, 2000 words

This was it. I failed.

I didn’t even reach close. My name showed up only twenty pages later when each page had 50 names. My chance of ever getting to the university was done.

I would need to pay up a lot just to enroll pre-grade. I wouldn’t ever be able to pay that up. Maybe I was really condemned to be a low worker.

---

One day, my rich cousin, Jeremy, the worst person I could ever borrow money from, visited home.

- Ryan! - He called my name with a stupid grin.

He was quite obnoxious, gossiping quite long. When he asked me about the university, I spoke quite vaguely about it, but eventually admitted I failed and I needed his money .

- Ryan! - Jeremy spoke with false sympathy. - I have the perfect solution for you!

He typed something on his device and it printed one of those cards generic stores give to their clients.

- This is how I got this rich. - My cousin then spoke as if I was really interested to hear his life achievements.

He proceeded to talk about...mining?

I would mine some...aurbornite?..in the rocky caves for a period of days. Each pound of that mineral should be enough to get myself enrolled in the first grade. Jeremy then bragged about his life achievements.

After finally going away, I just looked at the card again and thought it was my only way of getting into the university.

---

The Rocky Caves is a largely unexplored set of caves, containing a lot of aggressive creatures ready to attack anyone they detect. I’d be given a drug to enhance my strength and agility to take on them.

First came the interview. The contractor asked my motivations and goals. He tested me the whole time, ready to ditch me off if I showed any hesitation, while also feeding my greed during the whole interview.

When the drug was injected into my veins, I just felt my whole body freezing. I was then told to rest until my time came. I was given a uniform, several devices, my own supplies and a sleeping bag. They also gave me a light-rechargeable plasma gun.

After going through endless tunnels, the transport stopped with the map showing a vast unexplored void forward. Then it dropped me alongside three other workers.

The first one is named Kenny, a retired soldier. He would taunt us occasionally for not working “as hard as he did”. He seemed to be the one most willing to take on the monsters.

The second one is named Madalena, a fairly elderly woman who claims to have worked almost her entire life there. She seemed to carry a lot of weapons with her and would sometimes hype us up.

The third one is named Ethan and he seemed to be quite of a science fan. He took responsibility for all the complicated electronic stuff, such as the AurDrones, designed to send the extracted aurbornite to the contractor.

---

After four days of mining, we only got 2-3 pounds each. The fifth day, Kenny just grunted:

- This won’t get us anything!

- Sometimes we score big, sometimes we don’t. - The woman comicaly philosophized and then proceeded to talk about how her ups and downs in her last career.

The retired soldier lost patience, she was smiling. Ethan meanwhile looked to the path the map hasn’t registered. I noticed his idea and whispered him not to do that, but it was too late.

- What? - Kenny dumbly asked. Madalena pointed towards the unknown. - Are you fucking crazy? It’s a fucking unexplored area! May be a nest of those fuckers ahead!

- Aww! Is the soldier scared? - The woman taunted. - You can stay here while we mine more aurbornites down there.

His expression changed to a challenging grin. I had a lot of objections to this idea, but I knew I wouldn’t change their mind:

- We’re returning if this gets bad.

---

The rat-like and bat-like child-sized creatures that showed up were no match for Kenny’s strength and Madalena’s weapons. I still got to crush one of them.

- It’s our lucky day! - The ex-soldier gasped.

It was a big wall showing clear aurbornite. It would grant not only all the money I need to university, but also the ascension to the upper class.

- Let’s clean this up! - The woman hyped up.

We were now making progress. Though, as we mined the wall, I felt like we weren’t supposed to be doing that. Soon I could distinguish figures showing up in the distance. My workmates also took notice.

- Pack these things! We gotta go! - Madalena shouted.

Kenny and she had taken the defense, the former with his strength and the latter using all sorts of weapon available. Ethan prepared the AurDrones while I gathered the most aurbornite possible.

One of these rats bit my left arm, but the drug prevented my limb from being teared up. With my other arm, I managed to twist its head. A bat attacked me from the above and I kept it away enough to blast it with my plasma gun.

- Fuck this, we gotta go now! - I shouted.

At this point, they were coming from all places. We left half the minerals behind and we tried to follow the map back. However, we ended diverted the wrong way.

We ended up in an underground building. As soon we entered it, Kenny closed the door with the closest thing: a large candlestick. However, someone was missing:

- Where’s Madalena? - I tried to catch my breath.

I had a nasty bite on my left arm and scratches around my face. Ethan had a bite mark on his angle and was limping. Kenny got the worse, his back was bloodstained and had a missing ear and fingers.

- She’s gone. - The ex-soldier said.

The door somehow was resisting well and eventually the attacks diminished. After a short discussion, we settled to sleep here.

---

When I woke up, the room was brighter and seemed to reveal a lot of secrets. Ethan seemed like a child in a video game conference.

- This place is amazing! - He proceeded to talk about each detail I couldn’t bother about. - We can make millions with this discovery!

I was still pretty confused to react, but the millions got me excited though. Kenny woke up, visibly tired, but seemed better than last time.

- We should be able to go back. - The soldier suggested.

Kenny removed the candlestick and opened the door carefully, just to close it and put it back. He looked at me in horror and said:

- We’re fucked.

Suddenly, the door started banging hard, still able to resist, but giving in bit by bit.

- I know an exit! - Ethan shouted.

We ran across multiple hallways following Ethan.

- I have checked all this building except this seemingly corridor down there. - He showed us a hole leading to a twelve feet fall. - I don’t know if there’s an exit ahead or a dead end. Once we go in, there’s no return.

Kenny just jumped in. “Dammit, Kenny,” I thought “we should’ve thought better about it.” I soon followed him and after me Ethan, who fell in a bad way before getting up.

We ran through the corridor while Kenny described the giant arachnid supposedly chasing us. Just then, Ethan suddenly tripped and fell behind. I headed for his rescue, but Kenny pushed me back forward:

- We can’t stop now!

I forced myself back for him. The arachnid showed up in the distance and was quickly catching up Ethan. I blasted the monster for no use. Soon it would be on me if I stood still. Ethan panicking, when suddenly sI see something thrown and then I hear a loud explosion.

- Didn’t think I would need to use that woman’s weird shit. - Kenny commented. The arachnid stopped moving.

Recovered from the shock, we reached the end of the long corridor. It had only one ten feet exit hole. The soldier gave me footing to climb up, followed by Ethan, whom I helped climb up.

As I lend the hand to help Kenny climb, I heard that thing coming again. Kenny looked at me in fear before a giant spider-like leg pierced him. Shocked, I only left him behind.

---

I had no idea where we were. I felt an underground river flowing through my feet and there was a path of dead monster bodies. Following it, we found a sleeping bag resting against a slightly elevated platform.

- Stay still! - I felt a gun cylinder on my back.

The figure walked around revealing to be Madalena, smirking at us.

---

After the casual meeting, we’ve talked about how we got here. Madalena reported her device has broken and she was walking in circles, mostly clearing the area.

Without anywhere to go, we talked about casual life things. Ethan had scientific ambitions. I had the university as my life goal, but no idea what to do after graduation. Madalena seemed happy just working there. When questioned why, she answered:

- I don’t trust anyone outside. They haven’t gone through the same we have. They just put their best false smile, speak pretty vaguely and say everything is gonna be fine. I don’t want to meet them ever again.

After resting, we explored the surroundings with an actual map when I heard wing flaps on the ceiling. There were six and counting flying creatures there. I blasted two, but soon two of them were on me. Madalena shot them off, still smirking.

We had to run once again, the monsters piling up. It wasn’t long until we found ourselves surrounded both directions.

- Take this! - The woman gave me a weird shaped gun, seeming to enjoy this. I shot the closest of these things, engulfing it in fire.

We were in circle. I had the fire, Ethan the electricity. The elderly woman attacked with a seemingly retractable sword like a maniac.

The creatures kept multiplying. I could spot a small hole leading to a small tunnel ahead. Madalena gave me one of her explosive devices and told me to go. She then litt up a flare and went straight towards the monsters.

I ran through the tunnel alongside Ethan. It was so small we almost had to crawl. I heard a laughter and then an explosion behind.
I set the device I received. It started beeping, with its intervals progressively becoming shorter until it set off.

---

The next day, I was transported back to the interviewer. Ethan talked enthusiastically about our discoveries, when two men carrying guns ordered him to come along, while telling me to wait. He still talked enthusiastically down the hallway. A few minutes later, he went silent abruptly.

The same two men showed up to guide me to the contractor. He was smiling. When I asked him about Ethan, he vaguely answered:

- He’s already going home. - He led me to the same kind of room I took the injection. - It’s the drug antidote.

He left the room, leaving me with the doctor, who told me to lie down, saying it will be fine. As he walked with the syringe, I felt something wrong in his eyes.

God forgive me for what I was about to do next.

I punched him away from me, knocking him out. I hid behind the door and when the guards kicked the door open, I kicked the first strong enough to send him to the wall and grabbed the other by the neck, twisting it. Before the other could get up, I took the first one’s gun and shoot him three times. By this time, the contractor showed up in the door, with his expression turning into horror.

Fuck you, Jeremy. I should have never trusted you.

Should probably extend for others too though, I refuse to win by W.O.

[Something_Smart]

If Zaph's okay with it I'm fine to give an extension. 3-4 days maybe?

Is anyone else actually planning to write this time?

[PJ.]

I'm dead to school

[Zulfy]

I will write something on uh Sunday

[Zaphkael]

I'm not sure if I will have time to write but I'm okay with an extension, no problem at all