George Laughed

People wearing gray robes with peculiar headdresses entered the hexagon room one after another.

George counted them and there were nine of them including Kadita and Marco. The last one to enter was the old woman called Tifati.

"Are we gonna start yet?" Asked Tifati in a girlish, bored tone—a misplaced innocence that didn't quite fit her age and face.

"All nine of us are here so isn't it about right to start?" Added Marco in his wet and gurgly voice.

Kadita pulled out a tiny black notebook from her bosom, a habit that reminded George of his aunt. "Get to your position and get your Manda-Taki." She told them all before she turned to Tifati and Marco. "Prepare the sacrifice." She instructed the two.

"Hey! What now?" Tina whispered to George.

"Let's wait."

"Wait for what? Wait till that silly bird chops us all?" Nico interrupted, a little panicky, quite obvious with how voice quaked.

"What do you supposed we do then?" Asked Tina, annoyed. But they couldn't finish their conversation because Marco carried them one by one and made them lay on the bed starting from Nico, and then Tina, and lastly George.

The pulsating ropes were removed and Marco bound all their limbs with strong leather straps that attached to the bed. And that basically restricted them from moving.

The bird mascot happened to be facing George while he was laying down and that didn't really help him with his nerves.

Then the six robed people surrounded them. They stood silently by their heads, unmoving, holding a mourning candle with both their hands that was clasped tightly against their chest, two people for each of them. Nico found it especially uncomfortable and nerve wracking. Tifati, Marco, and Kadita remained on the stone platform.

They lit the candles at the same time and gray smoke exploded from it and covered the whole room.

Kadita flipped through the manual and then she said in a loud voice. "To resurrect the oldest man to ever set foot in Phulas, we must offer three sacrifices to the twelve gods for the next twelve years no fail. And tonight we offer our fifth under the surveillance of one of the god's envoys, Sinugo."

All the five mirrors in the room rippled and a giant head of a bald, eyebrow-less man emerged from all of them, nodding his head.

"We're done. We're done. We're really done. We're gonna die." Nico mumbled maddeningly. He seemed to be losing his mind.

While Tina looked like she had already surrendered to her fate. "Guess I'll see you guys in ten years haha. Please tell mom I couldn't get my degree in this round after all. Haha." Like Nico, she seemed to be losing her mind as well.

But George remained calm. And then he opened his mouth to say in a loud voice. "Are you sure you're fine with it like this?" It caught everyone's attention. "Really?"

"Ahem! What are you trying to say?" Marco asked.

"I could be wrong but aren't you supposed to offer the best sacrifice there is?" He asked. "And I would say our condition isn't the best. Don't you think? Are you gonna offer your gods some damaged stuff, huh?"

"You—"

"And we're gonna die anyway. I don't see any chance of us escaping so would you be heartless enough to not let us eat our fill in our last moments?" George cut Marco off.

Tina caught on to his plan that's why she demanded, "I wanted rice and chicken adobo. Haven't eaten in two days so give me lots." George was actually surprised by this. "And please no ogre heads this time."

"I wanna see my mom," Nico mumbled, eyes losing focus.

The people in gray robes stared at George. They were somehow expecting him to say his demands as well considering he started it all.

He seemed to hesitate at first.

"I—I want a girlfriend." He said. "I don't want a damsel in distress. I want someone I can vibe with. Someone as crazy as I am. Is that too hard to ask?"

Tina snickered. "Sucks to be you. I'd date you once we get out of here alive, I swear. If we could even get out, that is. That should comfort you before you die. What do you think?"

"You weren't lying when you said that, were you?" George asked teasingly. Tina didn't know if this was still part of his plan or he was just tripping at this point but she still answered nonetheless.

"Who knows?"

"Proceed with the ritual." It was Kadita. She didn't really care at all. She just wanted this over already.

"Wait! Won't you at least hold my hands? I've been lonely all my life, you see. Please?" George pleaded. "I really won't shut up until you grant me that pathetic wish of mine. I swear."

Annoyed, Kadita motioned the two people above George's head.

They both shrugged and held each of George's hands. But as soon as they did that, cracks immediately appeared in their palms and traveled to all parts of their bodies. And before they knew it, they had already turned to dust. It happened so fast they didn't even have the time to scream.

Then George laughed. He laughed so hard he almost sounded like his aunt. "Ha! You see that? I can turn all of you to dust whenever I want and even this whole place. So don't you dare move unless I tell you."

But of course it was just a farce. Two people almost made him lose consciousness. His vision flickered back and forth and he was just masking it up by acting nuts like what his aunt used to do.

"I am warning you. Don't you dare move unless I tell you."