18 views
GAME OF EXITS CHAPTER 23: KRIZ'S CHOICE
6:07
“She’s awake.”
“Oh. Thank God….”
“How is she?”
Mabel’s vision regains focus and sees worried faces huddled around her. She slowly gets up and sits on the edge of the soft white bed that Jeric has created for her. “W-where are we?”
“On the other side,” answers Shaira who’s sitting beside her. “How do you feel? Are you okay?” Shaira moves closer to Mabel and whispers to her ears. “I hate to tell you this, but I think you have to thank Jeric for this… comfortable thing….”
“Oh.” Mabel looks at Jeric with a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
“I don’t know what to say….” Jeric mumbles.
“Where’s my backpack?”
“Right here,” Jennifer says, showing Mabel her backpack.
“Thanks for saving us all,” Kriz tells Mabel. “That was splendid. You keep on surprising me…. But of course, we also have to thank Cristina.”
Cristina smiles with utmost pride. “Don’t mention it. Glad to help.”
“And… Ryan for the bridge.”
Jeric clears his throat.
“And… of course… Jeric, for safely driving us all here. Everyone helped, actually….”
“Except me, I think….” Vincent mutters.
“Stop talking nonsense, okay?” Joshua inaudibly tells Vincent. “You’ve done a lot.”
Not long, Mabel notices a towering wall just about ten meters away, which looks similar to the wall marking the start of the open field.
“See that steel door right there?” Kriz asks Mabel. That must be the entrance. “But we can’t pass through it right now.”
“Why?” Mabel finally stands up and then walks toward the three-meter high door. At its center, she sees glowing red numbers like those of a timer. All other players gather at the door and look at the numbers, too.
30 061…
30 060…
30 059…
30 058…
“No one can destroy this door,” Joshua tells Mabel. “We’ve all tried. Even Vincent can’t make it lighter. I think the door will open if the time runs out.”
“I think the door will explode when the time runs out,” Jeric tells Joshua. “Didn’t you consider that as a possibility?”
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Says who? You?”
“It just… doesn’t feel right. Also, we don’t have other choice but to wait out here. The wall is insanely high… and dangerous.”
“Whatever, genius. What time will it open, then?”
“Based on my calculations… 2:30 am.”
“So you’re saying that we shouldn’t go to sleep? Oh boy. I love this freakin’ game.”
“You can go to sleep if you want. Just wake up when it’s almost time.”
“I’m not an alarm clock. Why are there restrictions like this? Being here first doesn’t mean anything if others can just catch up. Stupid rules.”
“Just like you,” Shaira murmurs, rolling her eyes. “Exactly just like you….”
“Mabel, can you get us some water from the stream?” Jeric asks. “We all need to drink, but I can’t create water and some other things. Just do your water bending trick. We’ll just sterilize it. Fire is not a problem for Aeron….”
“But it will make her weak,” Kriz protests.
“It’s okay. I can do that,” Mabel says. “Simply getting water won’t tax much of my...
“She’s awake.”
“Oh. Thank God….”
“How is she?”
Mabel’s vision regains focus and sees worried faces huddled around her. She slowly gets up and sits on the edge of the soft white bed that Jeric has created for her. “W-where are we?”
“On the other side,” answers Shaira who’s sitting beside her. “How do you feel? Are you okay?” Shaira moves closer to Mabel and whispers to her ears. “I hate to tell you this, but I think you have to thank Jeric for this… comfortable thing….”
“Oh.” Mabel looks at Jeric with a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
“I don’t know what to say….” Jeric mumbles.
“Where’s my backpack?”
“Right here,” Jennifer says, showing Mabel her backpack.
“Thanks for saving us all,” Kriz tells Mabel. “That was splendid. You keep on surprising me…. But of course, we also have to thank Cristina.”
Cristina smiles with utmost pride. “Don’t mention it. Glad to help.”
“And… Ryan for the bridge.”
Jeric clears his throat.
“And… of course… Jeric, for safely driving us all here. Everyone helped, actually….”
“Except me, I think….” Vincent mutters.
“Stop talking nonsense, okay?” Joshua inaudibly tells Vincent. “You’ve done a lot.”
Not long, Mabel notices a towering wall just about ten meters away, which looks similar to the wall marking the start of the open field.
“See that steel door right there?” Kriz asks Mabel. That must be the entrance. “But we can’t pass through it right now.”
“Why?” Mabel finally stands up and then walks toward the three-meter high door. At its center, she sees glowing red numbers like those of a timer. All other players gather at the door and look at the numbers, too.
30 061…
30 060…
30 059…
30 058…
“No one can destroy this door,” Joshua tells Mabel. “We’ve all tried. Even Vincent can’t make it lighter. I think the door will open if the time runs out.”
“I think the door will explode when the time runs out,” Jeric tells Joshua. “Didn’t you consider that as a possibility?”
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Says who? You?”
“It just… doesn’t feel right. Also, we don’t have other choice but to wait out here. The wall is insanely high… and dangerous.”
“Whatever, genius. What time will it open, then?”
“Based on my calculations… 2:30 am.”
“So you’re saying that we shouldn’t go to sleep? Oh boy. I love this freakin’ game.”
“You can go to sleep if you want. Just wake up when it’s almost time.”
“I’m not an alarm clock. Why are there restrictions like this? Being here first doesn’t mean anything if others can just catch up. Stupid rules.”
“Just like you,” Shaira murmurs, rolling her eyes. “Exactly just like you….”
“Mabel, can you get us some water from the stream?” Jeric asks. “We all need to drink, but I can’t create water and some other things. Just do your water bending trick. We’ll just sterilize it. Fire is not a problem for Aeron….”
“But it will make her weak,” Kriz protests.
“It’s okay. I can do that,” Mabel says. “Simply getting water won’t tax much of my...
