Multiple Faces
1742 Words
[Time Remaining: 00:30:12]
Peeking one block away is Lucas. He can see from the corner the entrance/exit way of the theme park. There is a big moldy gate with a divided entrance and windows on the corner for the passes.
He went back inside a food truck where others were waiting.
“How is it?” Kiko asked.
“It’s empty, for now. The other ways are blocked. How about the surroundings? Have you spotted some harpies?”
Aaron answers while looking through the binoculars. “I noticed at least two are around the vicinity.”
‘Can we make it?’ Lucas questioned himself.
Though the distance is not that great. It was a large open space with a shattered fountain in the middle aside from the main straight street where the other ways are blocked with big parade caravans, making it impossible to go around.
Once they proceed on going in this only direction, they will have to run to the entrance with all their might because they will have no protection from the winged mutants, the half harpies.
Another problem is they have no idea what is behind the gates. They will have to figure it out as soon as they see what awaits there.
‘Are we safe once we get out there?’ He thought and remembered all the times from round one, the gate kept the undead inside the building, round two, even if an undead came through the gate, they were immediately taken care of, the gas masked man, must be part of the games. On the third round at the Prison, there were guns installed preventing undead from attacking players inside the safe zone.
‘Are we really safe?’ Something has been bothering him, since Round 4 had been replaced.
“Huh? What was it again?”
“What?” Kiko raised an eyebrow at him.
“What is the name of this game round again?”
Aaron answered. “Game 5: Test of the Apocalypse.”
“Right, I remembered it correctly… they said ‘Goal: Survive the Mutants Attacks, Drive away from Theme Park’” He muttered.
“Is he okay?” Kiko wondered as he watched Lucas mutter to himself.
“He is always like that when he is thinking.” Elijah answered after sliding himself in the food truck’s window, flawlessly and soundless.
“Ah. Where did you go?”
“I just checked something.”
*Clap
Lucas who is sitting at the flooring with crossed legs brought his hands to his knees
“Can you listen to me?” Lucas said seriously.
He began with his theory that the other side of those gates might be different from the previous escapes they had before, that is only if they were based on the ‘Goal’ of this round.
‘Drive away.’ Then it’s possible there might be a car parked somewhere. It was also unclear what this remaining time was for…
“If we run in that direction now, we will have to hope, either we hope we don't get attacked or noticed by the mutants then another hopeful thinking that it’s our way out there…”
Because if they were followed and there is no way out there. There is no car, then quick death is the next thing they could hope for…
[Time Remaining: 00:19:57]
It wasn’t even noon yet but the sun was already blazing and it’s scorching heat made the boys sweat even by just standing still.
“Do you think they will lock us here?” Aaron asked Lucas in a low tone.
Sweat is dripping from their nose jawlines and their napes. “I don’t know.”
Just like the first and third round, the doors shut before them, not minding if there are other players trapped.
Lucas and Aaron ran to the next and last shade they could be hiding. After that is the big open space. On the opposite side of the street is Kiko and Elijah who gave an okay signal. Lucas raised his hands and they all got ready for a sprint.
Lucas put him down.
*Swish
And the four of them dash on opposite sides of the fountain.
“EIRKKKKKK! URKKKKKK!”
*Flap flap flap
Just like they’ve feared. They were spotted by a Half Harpy. It flew unstably down and chased after them.
“RUN FASTER!!” Lucas said after seeing the shadow of the flying creature it is descending down faster.
“UGHHHHH!” They sprint for their life.
Elijah was the first to reach the entrance and jumped on the debris with an ease. He didn’t look back and just kept going.
Kiko was the second to arrived since there was no creature behind them unlike Aaron and Lucas, he had the leisure to look behind
“!!! Behind you!!!!” He shouted.
Lucas and Aaron immediately turned and saw that as the half harpy extends its wings covering almost all their light, it’s mouth extends open and it’s sharp teeths bared closer and closer to them.
It’s thin boney wings are closing in, trapping both of them.
“Kwarrrrgkk!”
*Screech
Aaron stopped running.
“Huh?” Lucas realized that and followed Aaron with his eyes as he took over.
‘Why did he stop-”
*Push
Something had hit him in the back that threw Lucas’ body out from the impending grip of the wings.
“Huh?” Turning back, he sees the wing closing in with Aaron still inside, his leg is half risen
‘Did he kick me?’
Aaron mouthed “Go.” then turned his back on him.
“...?!”
*bzzz bzzz
The images are overlapping before his eyes. A person is holding on to a breaking glass door with his back. The other side is full of hungry undead trying to get in. He is wearing all white drenched in blackened blood.
*Creak creak creak
The glass is breaking and he is shouting.
“GO!!! GO!! NOW!! IT WON’T HOLD!” The next thing he knew, he was picked up by his mother, and they began to run away.
*CRASH!
A part of the glass door has crashed and parts of undead are coming through. It tried grabbing the man but the man was strong too, he swayed away and pulled an ax and started killing the undead.
*Crash crash
More of the glass door had shattered and shaking hand had pulled his head down.
“Keep your head down, my love. Everything will be alright. Everything will be alright.”
The shaking hands trying to console him is not convincing especially when it’s trembling that much and her voice is crackling.
As he decided to shut his eyes, he heard a faint scream and sea of growls.
*Bzzz
The scene had jumped. It went from a flickering bloody place to a clean and fruity smelling place.
A woman behind a desk is writing something down.
“It’s fine, Lucas. You were young. What could the young you can do in that situation? It’s fine. You don’t want man to die. It’s not your fault.”
“...But we– left him.” It was the first time he heard his voice in the vision… His voice did not sound like a boy.
His vision wanders and sees a vague and shadowy reflection from a tinted glass. He is seated on a chair with longer legs but a malnourished body.
*thud thud
A woman in white with vague features came to him and knelt in front of him.
“You were young… there was nothing you could have done. Running is all you can do at that moment… If it’s too hard for you… you can put this memories away— remember *bzzzzt —”
The vision is becoming blurry and choppy… The last of the words he can remember is the word “door.”
*Bzzzt
“KWArkkkk!”
*drip drip
On the floor red blood was seen dripping continuously. He was back to reality. He could see the half harpy wings closed and hugging Aaron’s body.
“ARGHHHHH!” A groan came out.
‘Aaron is still alive!!... but what can I do?’
A part of him wants to crawl his way out of there. He can never match that mutant… There is nothing he could do.
Turning his back.
‘… there was nothing you could have done. Running is all you can do at that moment…’
He froze.
‘Go!!’ The man in the glass door echoed in his head.
*Cling
Lucas' arm touches his gun to the side.
‘… there was nothing you could have done. Running is all you can do at that moment…’ The woman in white coat's words are repeating in his head over and over again.
“I…I” Shakily, Lucas put his hand on his gun.
*Click
He pulled it out and with serious concentrated eyes he exhaled slowly
“I am not that little kid anymore!”
*Pew pew pew
“I can… do it now!”
While he is making holes in the wings, perfectly aims to miss Aaron, the man on the glass door in his vision, is playing.
Unconsciously he is saying “I will not abandon you… again.”
“KWARKKKKK! URAAAAAWGHH!”
The half harpy turned violent as it opened its wing, revealing Aaron with his machete drawn up and pushed to the harpy’s mouth. It was the only thing that separated its mouth to his flesh.
His back has scratches from the boney wing that hugged him.
“Aaron! Head’s Down!!” Lucas shouted.
Aaron who didn’t think twice, dropped to his knees
*Pew pew pew
With the silencer on, there were little sounds his gun made.
*THUD
The harpy drops backwards, convulsing. Since it has no eyes, it was hard to tell where exactly it’s brain was located.
Coming close, Lucas was in perfect calm as he pulled the trigger killing the mutant.
Bleeding from the back, Aaron used his machete to come up to his feet but he soon became unstable.
Lucas caught him and put his arm around his shoulder. “Let me help you.” He said.
They begin to walk forward. Kiko and Elijah are coming out.
“Lucas.” Aaron whispered.
“Hmm?”
“Just how many faces do you have?”
Lucas looked at Aaron and exhaled. “I wondered about that too.”
- Writer
