Chapter 3: GAME PLANS

The once gloomy and dark forest is now littered with burning meat of rabid wolves. Among the fiery victims are seven souls standing in silence, taken aback at the sight of a bloody corpse whose neck is torn apart by razor-sharp teeth. The dead man's watch shows GAME OVER.

Aeron glowers at Moises. Then, without warning, he punches Moises' face. "How dare you!" Aeron shouts as he attempts to land another punch.

"Hey, stop it!" someone blocks Aeron. "Stop!"

Others huddle around them, worried and confused. Moises wipes his bleeding nose with his hand.

"You tried to kill me!" Aeron yells.

"N-No, no, no. Please. I didn't mean it. I-I-I'm sorry," Moises says, trembling and sweating. "I don't wanna die. I-I just... I'm sorry."

"Stay away from me. Stay away from us! Try that again and I'll roast you myself."

"But-"

"What? Don't you dare manipulate us again! Too late. We already know your game. Tell me, when you used your power to exchange positions with me, did you plan to kill me?"

"No, no. I swear, no. I know you're strong, so I thought you could handle the wolves. I didn't have a choice."

"So you chose me as bait. Thanks to you, for a second I thought I would be dead. You know what, I can burn you right now."

"I'm sorry."

"And then you picked that guy." Aeron points at Zaldy's body. He then checks his watch. "Zaldy. You picked him because... you had no choice. How convenient! And then what? You'll try it again. Who's your next target, huh?!"

Moises remains silent.

"Parasite! We don't need you. Don't follow us or I'll burn you. You hear me?"

"Please. I-I-I can be helpful. I promise. I can also change the positions of things... or people around me."

Silence. "So?"

"It means I can quickly transfer a person to other place within my sight. I can actually save someone from danger."

"Then why did you have to pick me? And what about Zaldy?"

"If I use my ability on others without changing my position, I will lose an hour. That is... too much. I cannot exchange positions with an object, but I can with other person... for free. "

"And that's why you're a deadly parasite."

"No. Please."

"We will move forward. And don't use your power on us again, understand? If you do, make sure you can escape my flames. Okay?"

"But you can't just leave me h---"

"Why not?"

Silence.

"Please don't leave me. I'm begging you. I won't use my ability again. I-I-I promise. I promise! Please...." Moises can't hold back his tears anymore, but Aeron starts walking, and the rest follow him as if "trust" and "mercy" didn't exist.

"DON'T LEAVE ME!"

____________

"I feel sorry for him," Cristina says in her mind as she walks with the group. She's a 30-year old mother wearing glasses, blue maong pants and orange shirt with black polka dots. She has brown skin, long black hair and chubby physique. "But Aeron is right. He's dangerous. I'm not taking any chances. I have to survive this... nightmare. I have a son and two daughters. They need me. When it comes to my children I will do anything. I'm sure they are looking for me now. I can't die here.... I will win this stupid game... no matter what...."

Cristina looks at the persons around her. Four males and one female.

"It's good that I didn't reveal my ability," Cristina continues talking in her mind. "They still don't know how dangerous I am. In fact I can eliminate them one by one before someone can figure out what's happening.... But that's risky. This game needs three survivors. If I eliminate three of them, the remaining two will surely run away from me. And other players are still out there.... No, I'll just keep my power hidden for a while.... And if things go wrong, I'll say goodbye to Aeron... and that student. They're very strong.... What about the others? Maybe they're not that strong. If they are, they must have already used their powers. Is Aeron a big asset in this group or just a huge pain in the brain? I admit; I couldn't handle the wolves. Aeron saved us. But sooner or later he will be a threat. That's for sure. Maybe I should really pick him as my first target..."

Meanwhile...

"We just have to follow this trail. We don't have a choice," Ryan says as he walks with the group, cautious and ready to face surprises. "One is dead. We have to be more careful."



"I'm rank 13," says Joshua as he looks at his watch. "Most of them are ahead of us. We have to hurry."

"Wait. What did you say? Rank 13?" Ryan stops walking and faces Joshua. Everybody stops walking.

"Yes. If one is out, I should be rank 14 since I'm... behind everybody else. Another one must have been left behind."

"Hmm.... Okay. Thanks for informing us. Let's go," Ryan says and continues walking.

The forest in now filled with morning light, and bright green sky can be seen through the holes of the canopy. The chirping of birds overwhelms the sound of the breezy air as if no nasty threats were lurking on almost every corner....

"Vince," Joshua says quietly as he walks with Vincent on his left.

"What?" Vincent asks, almost whispering.

"Thanks for saving me."

"Don't mention it. You're the only friend I have."

"I'm sorry.... This is my fault. I mean, the video. I should have let you go out and play basketball. You missed the game... and...."

"Hey. Don't worry. I don't care about the game anymore. We need to go back... alive.... That's more important."

"Yah. Thanks again. By the way, your power is cool. You can make things lighter."

"And heavier."

"Wow. That's very useful. I wish I could do that."

"Not good, actually."

"Eh?"

"Whenever I use my ability, any footwear I have becomes slightly heavier. And I can't use my power on myself. I can actually feel it right now. My shoes are a bit... heavier. Soon I will have to walk barefooted."

"Oh. That's unfortunate."

"Now you know."

"What if I lend you my slippers?"

"That won't work. Removing the shoes. That's the solution."

"What if you use my T-shirt as improvised footwear?"

"Dude. Seriously? Your mind is really something. And please don't ask whether lending me your shorts can help."

"Of course, not! Are you stupid? I will lend you my underwear."

_____________

"These people...." Ryan says in his mind. "Sooner or later, I will have to fight against them.... This is driving me crazy! I just want to go home and be with my daughter. I cannot survive this alone, and I cannot win without putting dirt on my hands. I don't know what to think anymore. Why am I part of this? I still don't understand. What is this all about? And there should be three winners. I don't know whom I can trust among them.... In the end, should I save Kriz and Mabel and betray the others? Or maybe.... Aaaargh! I don't know what to do. This is too much...."

"Any problem?" Kriz asks Ryan, a little worried.

"No. Don't mind me. I was just... thinking.... About things we should do to survive...."

"That's reassuring. Thank you for saving us all. I owe you one."

"No. It's okay. You don't have to think that way."

"Still.... Thanks."

"You're welcome." Ryan stops walking as soon as he sees that the trail divides into two. "Which way?"

"There's a signage over there," Joshua says. He walks toward the old wooden signage nailed to a tree and reads the small words carved on it. "Left: Flower Field. Right: Fill-in the Gap."

Everybody else huddles near the signage and reads the words.

"Fill-in the Gap? What Gap?" Vincent asks, frowning at the signage.

"I don't know," Joshua replies.

"Then let's go left. Flower Field. It sounds safe. What can go wrong with flowers?"

"Right."

"Okay, then. Let's get moving."

"No. I mean, right. To the right. I don't feel good about left."

"Flowers? Why?"

"It just... doesn't feel right."

"Fill-in. The. Gap. You think that sounds better? If I know, that way will chop our bodies. Then you fill-in the gap."

"Hello... guys? Would you like to join us in your little debate?" Shaira cuts in. "Maybe we also want to throw in somevaluable  input, if you don't mind...."

"Okay, so what's your input?" Vincent asks.

"I'm allergic to flowers."

"So? We won't be picking flowers, Miss Beautiful."

"No. You don't understand. I should not be near any f-"

"Then cover your nose. Or mouth. So you won't get allergized."

"Are you using your mind? You know, I know you Vincent Miranda since two years ago. And I admire you ever since. For playing basketball. And being good-looking. But I didn't know how brainless you are.... I mean, what the hell is 'allergized'? Oh, I'm sorry."

"Hey, you little dimwit! What did you say?" Vincent's eyebrows suddenly clash.

"Never mind."

"Repeat that! You know, I love pretty girls but don't get into my nerves-"

"IF you have the nerves."

"What did you say?"

"Wow. I'm starting to like this love team. Go guys! This is exactly the right time for your drama," John Paul mocks.

"You mind your own business, birdbrain." Shaira's eyes dart on John Paul.

"Oh, okay. I won't battle against hormonal imbalance," John Paul says.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Stop it now. Okay, okay. Those who want to go right, raise your hands," says Ryan.

Vincent and John Paul don't raise their hands.

"It's settled. We go right."

___________

Meanwhile....

"I'm rank one," Aeron says as he checks his watch. He stops walking and faces the group. "We're ahead. I think we need to plan our moves. We need to coordinate with one another. We need to know one another. We need to talk. I think that's important."

"Now? I think we should keep going. This place is not---" Cristina says.

"I agree with Aeron," Jeric says. He is a short, lean 28-year old man in white shirt and red shorts. He has dark skin, brown eyes and pointed nose. His chest and arms are firm and muscular due to his push-up routine. A band-aid sticks just below his left eye to cover the deep scratch his cat gave him several days ago. "But not like this. Let me build something for us."

"Build?" Cristina asks.

"Yes," Jeric says. He points his right palm on the ground several meters from them. Then, a small cabin emerges in a blink of an eye. Everyone, including Jeric himself, was surprised.

"That's.... Wow. You can create a house or something?" Jennifer asks.

"I can create any material thing I want.... But fake."

"What do you mean fake?" Aeron asks.

"If you attack my 'fakes', they will vanish like smoke. Just a simple punch or kick is enough. So don't punch that cabin, okay? Let's talk in there."

"Can your fake things do damage?" Cristina asks.

"I guess." Jeric creates a bronze knife and holds it with his right hand. "You want me to try on you?"

"Is that a joke?" Cristina's face suddenly turns red.

"Hey, you're so serious."

"Don't you dare. And you're not funny."

"Sorry, okay? Let's... just get inside."

Ryan and the others, on the other hand, walk through their chosen path. Soon enough, they notice something wrong ahead. It looks like the path ends in a cliff.

"So that's the gap. Very nice choice. How should we cross that thing? We fly?" Vincent says.

Before the group can reach the edge, the ground shakes violently. In front of them emerges a metallic hand from the ground. It presses the ground and pushes itself, revealing a shoulder and a head. Another hand emerges, cracking the ground even more. Not long, a tall silver giant blocks their way. It looks like a statue of a ninja, only that it is about three times the height of a typical person. Then, the ground shakes again. Soon enough, another similar menace stands several meters behind them.

"Guys...." Mabel cries.

Everyone doesn't know which way to face.

"This is it. Another set of enemies. Don't worry girls. We can handle this," John Paul says.

"Be careful," Ryan says. "We don't know what they can do."

"Tell that to them. They don't know what we can do."

The giant near the cliff gets something attached to his back---a large axe. The one behind them prepares something too---a long silver chain.

"This is NOT going to be easy," Ryan says.

"Oh, this is bad. Now, buddy, you want to fill-in the gap? You feel good about this?" Vincent says to Joshua.

Joshua remains silent, absolutely terrified. The girls huddle around Ryan, hearts pounding rapidly.

Then, without warning, the giant near the cliff steps forward and swings its axe.

"WATCH OUT!!!" Ryan shouts.