Beyond the Walls

Running in the opposite direction of the ride tower where his team, Lark, is stuck on defending himself against the climbing mutants, Liam’s expression is crumpled.

*Bzzt Bzzt

“W–where are you going?! Liam!” Panic and gunshots are heard on the other line.

Liam pressed his earpiece and answered. “Lark, hold on, as long as you can.”

“W,WHa— *beeep”

Liam didn’t let him finish and just hung up the earpiece and removed it from his ears.

“Are you abandoning him?” Athena who is running alongside Liam asked nonchalantly.

“We have to make a choice.”

“We? You did it all on your own.”

Liam glared at her and bit his lips and halted their movements before they turned the corner.

“This is the last place. It’s your turn, Athena.” He said glaringly.

“Okay.” She acted like she was just being forced to do it. She jogged inside a mini attraction house and under a minute after she went in, his watch turned bright and a hologram popped out.

*Ting ting ting

[Team 1 had successfully finished Task #2 … Calculating rewards…]

“f**k!” Liam cursed as he punched the display street light.

‘If the rewards are like earlier and the other team would choose the obvious choice. His group will be at disadvantage, like Team 1 had been at disadvantage from losing the race.

He remembered the choice he had to make after finding all the members first.

[Congratulations! for successfully finishing Task #1… Your rewards would be… the item reveal… Do you Accept?” ]

[Items needed to be found… Ticket Bracelet, Portable Camera…]

They are items that are usually found in amusement parks like this. Accompanied by it are pictures and location of the exact items.

“What is it?” Athena suddenly pops in front of him.

“What the hell are you doing— here?”

The house she went into only then shines brightly with children's songs. “I’ve already got it.” On her hands is a souvenir bag with the theme park’s logo.

“How–”

*Thud thud thud

The lights and sounds had attracted some mutants in their direction.

“Let’s take cover first.” It was not surprising that mutants were nearby, it probably… not definitely because of Liam's group.

After hearing multiple sounds activating almost at the same time, he figured out their plans.

Still running away from his isolated teammate, Lark, Liam gives him one last glance, the mutants are coming close to him. He only spared a second before he lastly entered a room and closed its door.

Zooming in Lark’s position, he was down to his last arrow since his rifle has been long useless without its bullets.

*Bzzzt bzzzzt

“LIAM! LIAM!!!” He tried calling and calling but it's not calling. Not until there’s only a meter distance between him and a mutant that he finally accepted that he had been abandoned.

He threw out his earpiece down to the growling mutant and started climbing up more.

“Screw you. Liam! Screw you!” He spit curses after curses as he climbs up.

Maybe because of his impending end, that he reminisced on the day Liam had saved him. From the first game everyone he was with was eaten and he was cornered but Liam had saved him and took him under his wing. He is smart and naturally charismatic that anyone is charmed to follow him…

He mocked himself for turning blind eye on Liam’s actions. He really did ride out the wave that’s why he is right here but… now it’s his turn to be cast aside.

*Grab

He cannot go further anymore, he was grabbed by a mutant. It’s squeezing his ankle so hard. He tried kicking it away but he only slipped.

“ARGH!!” He groans as his two hands are the only thing that is touching the tower.

‘Is this all I can amount to? Only one more round and I’ll be able…’ In his memory an old woman who is washing the dishes, clothes and delivering papers played…

*Pull

“Uargh!!” His other hand had slipped. A tear had slipped out of his eyes.

‘You will be able to retire… Just a bit more.’ His hands had slipped, he was facing the cloudy sky as he fell down.

*BAM

With the mutant still on his ankle he didn’t fall to his death. Instead he was like a blanket that had been hung upside down.

The head and parts of his back had been whipped to the metal tower, it hurt so much that he had no chance to react to it anymore. He can only groan for a moment before his upside down view was replaced by a salivating mutant face. It’s red eyes are meeting him.

“NO! NO! NO! I’M SORRY—--!!! AHHHHHH!”

*Bite

He was bitten in the face. While he struggled other mutants had caught up and grabbed whatever parts were hanging in him and tore him apart.

Even in the distance, Lucas can hear his cries but he did not once look back.

To him he was already dead the moment he had fired that smoke gun in his direction.

With Lark’s seconds on top of his lungs screams, it attracted most mutants to that direction again, which made Lucas meet up with the others. They meet up at the place where Kiko was found. His members waited hidden there until Lucas came to them.

All the items they brought are similar to the items of the other group. All are befitting to the place like this.

“How did you know it will be something connected to the park?” Kiko asked as he threw the bag of mini souvenirs up in the air and caught it.

“It’s the same in Test 2. The clues are always just there.”

Kiko squinted his eyes on Lucas, he seemed to change, usually he had this aura that used to blend in the crowd and was timid but the one he is looking at right now is very cold. He observed Lucas slid down tiredly and looked up before closing his eyes.

“Does he have a split personality?” He whispered.

“Did Task 3 appeared?” Aaron asked.

Very far from his usual self, Lucas took his time before he answered. “Yes.”

He tapped his watch and showed the next task.

Task #1: Team Leaders find your members and the supplies and equipment

Task #2: Hide and Seek: Hide from the monsters while seeking assigned items. (5/5)

Task #3: Steal 1 watch from the other team (0/1 watch)

???

???

“Huh? Steal? How? They glued it on our skin!” Jack tried removing his but it feels like it’s ripping skin out.

“...” When Lucas didn’t answer. Kiko took the liberty.

“Then I guess we have to chop it off.”

It was only a second surprising moment but they didn’t realize how cruel the rules of the games are.

“Lucas, is the sniper dead?” Elijah jumped in.

“... From his screams, I think he is.”

“Good… ah! Wait, that came out wrong…”

Lucas watching Elijah correct his devious remark, made his heart a little at ease. In the midst of horror and terrors, Elijah was the only one who had remained the same. Carefree and light. Seeing him not fall from despair, feels like he is being pulled out from the dark.

“...What I mean, we could just get the watch after the ghouls ea— … after the ghouls.”

He turned at Lucas with a proud look.

‘What does he want now?’

As if he heard what Lucas was thinking. “Didn’t I make it great for guessing the plan?”

He looked at Lucas with round eyes and waited for some… compliment.

“..uh… yes, you did great.”

“I know right. I wish Athena was here, I bet she will be head over heels with when she sees my cool side. Right?”

“...uhh right.”

‘Does it work that way?’

“Should I go and check it out?”

He immediately grabs Elijah’s wrist to stop him. “You… can’t go, alone. I, I mean nobody will be moving alone.”

“It'd be faster if he moves alone.” Kiko said and Jack agreed.

Only Aaron was looking at Lucas waiting until things were explained.

“It’s about the tasks…”

Lucas then starts telling what he had received after they completed the tasks. A pop out message.

[Congratulations! for successfully finishing Task #2… Your rewards would be… Easy Mode … Do you Accept?” ]

“What seems to be the problem with that?” Kiko impatiently asks.

“If we only have to collect 1 watch as easy mode, then what would be theirs?”

On the other team’s location. Team 1 is also looking at their task.

[…]

Task #3: Steal 3 watches from the other team (0/3 watch)

???

???

“Haa. There it is. The ‘Hard Mode’” Liam said as he ran his fingers on his hair.

Liam is standing by the broken window and looks out, there are only a couple of mutants left in the ride tower.

“Be ready we will be engaging in war soon.” Liam predicted their move, the watch of their fallen comrade will now be targeted and it will be their bait.

Elijah sure is quick but their group has Michael and Athena. Though Athena is unpredictable her stealth skills are inferior to none. She can disappear and appear whenever and Michael as a military kick out, only Aaron would be able to go against him in raw strength. Kiko? He was always on the sensitive side but it would not be a problem as long as they arrived first and did not make noise. The problem was Lucas.

“I’ve known it from the first time I laid my eyes on you…” Liam closes his eyes and smiles a little like he is thinking of his lover.

“... you are the mistake I have to correct.” He mumbled.