Scribbles

Trial By Terror pt. 1

In the game, Pearl always made it to the giant. Each time, Pearl was made to choose a bottle. Try as she might, she couldn't get through this obstacle. Pearl knew that the game was rigged. Everything was there.

There she stood again, the giant in front of her and the bottles between them. This time, the right bottle contained steamy volcanic liquid. The left bottle had clear, bubbly liquid.

Logically, the decision was obvious. Pick the bottle on the left, which looked like harmless carbonated water. But to be clever, one would assume reverse physiology, and choose the liquid on the right. But no matter if you went with your gut or your brain, you always died a gruesome death.

Pearl studied the liquid on the right. It was flaming and hot. Based on the game logic, it would freeze you from the inside. Pearl had seen this bottle before. The left bottle, which appeared harmless, would make the drinker inflate like a balloon to await a painful demise. Pearl had also seen this bottle previously.

She sighed. Isn't the definition of insanity to repeat an action expecting different results? Pearl definitely felt crazy.

"I see you are making your choice carefully, Pearl," the giant taunted. That giant was the bane of Pearl's existence.

"Hurry up, Pearl," The giant cooed. It was said that people flinched when the giant said their name, but not Pearl. The giant may be obstruent, but he was old news to an experienced game player, like Pearl. "Rose is coming soon, wouldn't want to be beaten by her."

Pearl's teeth began to grind. Rose was the other bane of Pearl's existence. Everyone hated Rose because she was the only one who has finished the game. At least, she claimed to have done so. Despite this, she was still among them, playing time after time. 

"Pearl," the giant cooed again.

In Pearl's angry mind, an idea began to form. She had gone at this giant the same way, again and again. Maybe it wasn't a feat of physical strength or stamina that would beat this piece of the game. Maybe the game had matured to trickery and tact. 

Pearl smiled crookedly. "Oh, giant?"

The giant's smile was sickly sweet. "Yes, Pearl?"

"How long have you been sitting there, giant?"

"Oh..." the giant thought for a moment, scratching his bearded chin. "I can't quite remember. Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking," Pearl said, dragging the toe of her boot across the dusty floor. "That you've probably been standing guard here for a great long while. You must be so thirsty from working so hard."

The giant hummed pensively. "You know, Pearl, no one has ever been kind enough to ask me that?" The giant sniffed and Pearl caught a glimpse of one shiny tear in it's eye.

"Oh, giant," Pearl's voice colored with false sympathy. "Why don't we both sit down and have a short rest. We've done this encounter dozens of times. After all, don't we deserve a rest?"

Pearl's stomach flipped with excitement as the giant let out an awfully big yawn. "The players are always so focused on themselves that they never give me a second thought!"

"They don't? How cruel!" Pearl admonished, easing down onto the floor across from the giant. The giant heaved its huge form onto the ground, the floor trembling under its weight. 

"It is cruel," the giant lamented. "Everyone is so cruel. No one ever has time for me!"

Pearl lined up her mental shot. "But giant, I have time for you! Come now, drink with me! Drink to our new found friendship."

The giant frowned down at her dubiously. "But the bottles always do horrible things to the drinker. You've seen it too! Horrible, terrible, abhorrent deaths! I've seen so much horror!" Pearl felt a twinge of empathy for the traumatized giant, but shoved it down.

"Oh, giant!" She gently interjected between the giant's rants. "But you're so big and strong! The drinks may kill us little humans, but surely a giant so stupendous and brave couldn't possibly be thus affected?"

"Well, Pearl, I don't know..." the giant was eyeing the bottles more critically now. Pearl loosed her final strategy.

"I've seen a giant drink from a bottle just like that one!" Pearl motioned towards the bubbly bottle on the left. "No more than a mild bought of flatulence effected the giant! Though, I suppose that that giant may have been bigger than you..."

"You have?" The giant said curiously, picking up the bottle to examine it. "This same drink?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it!" Pearl asserted, leaning forward in anticipation. "Though, come to think of it, you must be at least half a foot taller than that giant. Here, stand up so that I can see you properly."

The giant stood hesitantly. Pearl observed it with animated scrutiny. "Yes, I dare say, you are bigger than that giant. A great deal bigger!"

"A great deal?" The giant repeated, looking down at himself. Pearl hummed in agreement. "Well, if I'm so much bigger, than it will hardly affect me at all, I bet!"

Pearl smiled encouragingly, mentally betting against it. "Probably not a single bought of flatulence for you, my tall friend."

The giant grinned down at her and tipped its head back, downing the bottle in one go. Pearl watched gleefully as the giant began to shift uncomfortably, the effects of the drink taking immediately. 

"Pearl? Something feels wrong..." the giant managed before its skin began to swell. Within seconds, its form became hideously engorged before it popped. Pearl swallowed back her nausea as giant blood and tissues splattered everywhere.

"A horrible, terrible, abhorrent death indeed," She murmured before the floor gave way beneath her and she fell into nothing.