Dreamscape: Saving Alex

Chapter Eight

With each plank I climbed, my heart screamed in fear. I wasn't afraid of climbing; I did that weekly at the gym at home. But the possibility of falling almost paralyzed me. On the rock walls at home, the handholds and footholds were secure. The only times I fell were from miscalculations, and that was rare. And my harness always held me secure.

Here though, I had already seen the deliberate destruction of the stage, and the haphazard way the boards had been re-secured. Falling didn't seem that farfetched a possibility. I didn't want to find out what would happen if I died. Even if it transported me home, it would hurt, and my pain tolerance wasn't that good. And besides, what if it didn't? Getting home by winning the game still seemed the easiest and least painful option.

My palms slipped on the metal beams, but I didn't stop. I paced my climb to the rhythm of the theme song, audible through Deakon and Pipes' impromptu show and the muffled outcries of the crowd. My fear subsided until I reached the top of the scaffolding and balanced against the worn bricks of the outer wall. I squinted towards the sky. Still another fifteen feet to go to reach the top of the wall. The first bit of the climb was partially hidden by the stage, but this last part was exposed. I had to climb quickly or risk giving my friends away.

Deakon and Pipes held back the restless crowd. Their juggling knives and axes flashed in the air. As hypnotic as their routine was, I didn't know how long it would hold off the mob.

Now was the moment of truth. A layer of dust flaked off the wall as I ran my hands over the rough stones. Using the dust as chalk, I covered my palms and tightened my grip within the worn edges. The holes were not as big as I would've liked or as stable as I was used to, but I scampered up the side of the wall.

It took the last of my strength to pull myself over the top edge, and when I did, I melted onto the cold bricks on the other side. A wide hallway of sorts opened up, which I imagined the guards paced regularly.

The commotion of the crowd escalated below me, and I was certain they had broken through Deakon and Pipes' performance. I wanted to peek over the edge, but I didn't dare. Their malicious obscenities frightened me. How could they think I was the bad guy?

I sat up and propped my back against the bricks, remaining low enough to stay out of sight. The rise and fall of my chest mirrored the erratic beat of my heart. This place was driving me crazy. Red blood stained the sleeve of my new shirt. I no longer doubted the reality of this world. I could only be beaten, cut, and attacked so many times before I had to believe. I was stubborn, not stupid, and I needed to start playing smart. I had come too close to game over too many times

I plucked the remaining shards of glass out of my arm and opened the leather bag to see if I had any sort of bandage. Waves of disappointment rocked me. For one moment I had been rich and could have bought anything I wanted. But when I tipped over my leather bag, all I had to show for it was a dark green cloak, a leather belt, a jewel-encrusted dagger, and a few other limited supplies. So much for a shopping spree. My wounded pride spent everything in a flash.

I pulled out the dagger and thrust through the air. The hilt cooled my hands, the sun flashing off the blade. It wasn't the beautiful jewelry from the gown table, but it would serve me better. Maybe it wasn't all a loss. At least I'd gotten the basics I needed to start. I had the costume and a weapon, and I had to believe that I would run into another market soon. They were in several levels of the game. I just had to figure out how to find it.

I pulled my hair back and tightened my ponytail. Whether or not I ended up doing what Deakon and Pipes expected by helping the rebellion didn't really matter. That was a side issue. I only cared about getting home, and that meant I had to win the game. No more fear, and no more letting someone get the better of me.