roll the dice. / feral boys (dream smp)

4 | Panic Room

George couldn't see. Having been in the pitch-black room for about 5 minutes, he could only decipher bits of what the room could look like: 1) there wasn't much that got in his way, 2) the lock was right where the beeping bright red timer was, so at least he knew where one thing was, and 3) the floor was entirely soft mattress. To prevent injury, he questioned, though this hellhole would be the last place to care about safety.

He had no clue how to solve the lock. It was illuminated in crimson red light. The red of the timer, haunting him and screeching an obnoxious BEEP every minute.

The lock was 3 letters.

BEEP — 04:59

He spent the past 5 minutes touching everything he could, but to no avail. There must be something on the wall I can't see, he theorised. His next move was to take out his phone and turn the flash on, which slightly brightened the wall to a barely noticable blot. But it was enough.

He scanned the room.

BEEP — 03:59

George screamed out in frustration as the timer seemed to be getting louder and louder, taunting him. And then he saw it. Then another. Then another. One letter in each corner of the room; some at the top, some at the bottom, but all right in the corners.

BEEP — 01:59

Relief washed over him as he rushed to the lock. Now all he needed to do was to try out all the combinations. Time to speedrun this shit.

---

While George was so very close to escaping, Dream had 4 more minutes on his own timer in the room that was attempting to drown him alive. Despite being 6'2, the water level had already risen up his ears. He had no idea how on earth this task was related to hearing when there were no sounds, no music, absolutely nothing to hear.

It was only when it reached over his ears and up his head when he figured it out. He couldn't hear at all. The task wasn't based on what sense you needed to use to escape; it was what you had to escape without.

BEEP — 02:59

Dream couldn't even scream with his head underwater. He was technically losing all 5 of his senses when the water reached above his head. He couldn't hear, see, touch, smell or taste anything except the salty water. How fucking unlucky can I get, Dream thought as he climbed on any structure he could find to get one last bit of air.

This room was made kill customers off slowly. A task made very true by the sadist that was Quackity.

He must be having fun watching me drown.

BEEP — 01:59

Dream had given up trying to escape; he was confident that the newbies simply bet money, which he had miles of. His new focus was to stay alive.

He heard a faint opening of the door and voices as he inhaled his deepest breath to battle the water that was beginning to rise above his head. George, he thought. He made it out.

Okay, okay. Don't breathe. Calm down. You got this, you got this.

Dream had 1 more minute to go.

---

"Wait, Dream's also in a room?" George said, realising the counting timer in Dream's room. He joined back Sapnap, Karl and Quackity.

As the timer hit the 1-minute mark, George winced, as if reliving the moment. He could still so vividly hear the screech even though he wasn't there:

BEEP — 00:59

"Wait, you got out?" Sapnap asked, genuinely surprised that George managed to.

"Uh yeah. I'm actually a genius, in case you didn't know," George said nonchalantly, but he was anything but. He couldn't have his peace of mind after cracking the code.

The timer was at 00:13 when he heard the lock unclick loose. A wave of excitement, then confusion washed over him. Why is this the code? he thought, but brushed it off as the door opened and bright light finally shone through.

"What happened in there?" Karl asked in pure curiosity.

"Yeah, dude. We heard you scream and thought you were done for," Sapnap added.

"Well I did almost die, that's what," George deadpanned. "It was pitch black! I couldn't see!"

"You're so dramatic, man. Dream's in there not making a sound," Sapnap said.

"He could be dead," Quackity offered, looking at Dream's room timer. 00:00.

"Why would you say that?"

Quackity shrugged, rummaging for his keys. "He got unlucky. That's the toughest room. Actually, the toughest of the whole list. So if he somehow escapes, the next round will be a piece of cake for the rest of you."

He strolled to Dream's room and flipped up a piece of the wall to peek in. Next is the sound of the water draining out, smooth and fast like the flush of a toilet. He unlocked the door and entered the room. A few seconds after, he reemerged, dragging Dream behind him by the shirt collar.

The other 3 watch in shock as Quackity sat Dream back in his seat, barely able to contain their exclaims of fear, rage, and confusion.

"Alright, alright. Calm the fuck down." Quackity waved his palms at them dismissively. "He's not dead. Just knocked out. Hang on, I'll go get something to help bring him back."

"He sounds like he's done this a million times before," Karl piped in as Quackity started to walk away, trying to lighten up the situation.

The attempt was shut down with Quackity's reply. "That's because I have, Karl."

"Oh."

Quackity turned around and continued walking. George waved at them frantically and his voice fell to a whisper, "Guys, guys, guys. I'm kinda freaked out by- Okay, so my room had a lock that I had to figure out and it had 3 letters, right? So I figure it out and start trying every single combination there is-"

"So what was it?" Sapnap asked, he sounded impatient, but it was really the panic talking. Quackity could be back any minute and he did not want to die.

George looked around and at Dream before saying, "I don't know what the heck it means, but the code was D-R-E. Like-"

"Wait, like dream?" Sapnap asked.

"Yeah, exactly! I don't know why or what and I'm so confused, oh my god. I know he's been here before, but for him to have a whole room to him, what is he?"

Karl let out a nervous giggle, a reflex when he was scared or uncomfortable. Sapnap also found himself cracking a nervous scoff.

"Whatever he is, let's hope we walk out of here alive tonight."

They nodded, right as Quackity returned. They couldn't look away from the mask starring back at them. As stagnant and steady as his beating heart, on the contrary to their racing ones.