The Death's Game

23. Game of Reunion

The dark Millie walked Percy and Ryder through so many layers of fear that Percy felt sick deep in my stomach. Those weren't her fears though, and she doubted if they belonged to Ryder, because for all the way he remained his stone-faced, emotionless expression. All those fears they were passing by, were closed behind an icy, almost invisible wall, like some collection shown on exhibition. Fear of so many origins.

Fear of the darkness, where Percy couldn't see anything, but felt the presence and heard disturbing noises in the black behind the wall. The notices itself gave her goosebumps.

Fear of being boiled alive, with somebody whose skin was peeling over, revealing muscles and bones.

Fear of being quartered alive, with every part of the body precisely cut off while conscious. So much blood, so many screams, and so much pain.

Fear of ghosts who could make a life a living hell with their tricks, and knives flying around, piercing through someone's body - to hurt, but not to kill yet.

There was even fear of zombies, but those zombies were nothing like the ones from the funny movies Percy watched. These zombies were full of terrors, with carelessly hanging parts of the body, revealing rotten insides with bugs coming out, dried blood on bluish skin, and sharp teeth used to tear apart the victim.

And so much more. All these sights of horrors, each more horrible than the other one, were making Percy want to faint. She knew that some of these views she will never forget. Ever.

No words could describe how relieved she was when the dark Millie finally showed them to the exit door from the basement. She stepped out into the pleasantly lit high school corridor with a feeling of ecstasy spreading through her body. At last, she was free of smoke, darkness and the endless suffering of souls, about whom she was not sure whether they were human or the products of fear, or perhaps what according to the basement's rules had become IT. It didn't matter anymore. She was free.

Percy took a deep breath of air, gloating at the now-familiar sights. She never thought she could be so happy to be back in high school, even creepy supernatural one. To see metal lockers - which in her own high school were also devoid of color, but at least everyone could personalize them with stickers as long as they weren't caught directly doing so - and silly posters with captions cheering the various extracurricular activities. Not to mention, crappy light that sometimes was flickering. In their high school lights worked at least, although it would be funny to set some scary scenery. As long as it's not set in an afterlife game with Death.

"Finally. We should head back to the main exit, where we'll probably meet the rest of the players. Gosh, I'm so happy we finally left the basement. Aren't you? You were awfully quiet, but on the other hand, so was I. Those horrible images behind icy walls were making me have goosebumps. Some of these fears could as well belong to me. To be honest, I feel like now some of them might be. Gosh, I will never forget what I saw. It's gonna haunt me in my nightmares for sure. If I make it out past the last level. You know, I already hate the first one. Hope the sport's field was heavens better than what we have encountered," Percy couldn't stop talking, just as if it was the first time she could speak. It felt after that long trip through the corridors of fear.

The only help in putting up with it all was to imagine that it was really just a game. That she wasn't experiencing all this. That it doesn't exist. She didn't want to think otherwise. She didn't want to think that it could have happened or that it had happened to someone. She didn't want to think about it ever again, but she knew it was impossible. That's why she wanted to hide behind a veil of wordiness. Talk about anything, as long as she didn't see in her head those terrifying visions not of this world.

"Percy." Ryder took her by the arms and turned to him. He was irritating her on so many occasions, but right now she was more than happy to see his face. Just a normal – and very handsome – face. A bit pale, but it had some charm. And those dark eyes. One could say they were sometimes almost completely black, but from the close up they seemed more like dark grey. She could look in those eyes forever, as at the mystery she couldn't solve for years.