Chapter 13: CLOUDS AND RAIN

Ten random beasts dart straight toward the newcomers like a flurry of gigantic arrows, and the ominous sight immediately drives Jennifer into a frenzy of apprehension. She feels as though all her blood came rushing into her brain as gruesome thoughts cloak her mind and seize her nerves. She just can't bear watching other persons ending up like John Paul. Meanwhile, Joshua's heart thumps aggressively as he gapes at the relentless attackers. From a distance, Vincent is certain that another three names will soon appear on his watch. He knows he doesn't have the time to prepare himself for another gory sight, but he just can't look away from the scene. Knowing that his power is useless to save them, he just stands still and hopes for a miracle.

    "THE BLUE CIRCLE!" Jennifer yells, forcing air through her dry throat as she frantically points at one in the distance. "GET INSIDE THAT BLUE CIRCLE NOW!!!"

    Aeron, Joriz and Johnrey are too shaken to notice Jennifer. The sight of the squealing beasts instantly overwhelms them.

    "What on earth…?" Aeron mumbles while eyeing the horrifying cloud of flying creatures.

    "I told you, this is not the way," Johnrey says.

    "We're dead," Joriz mutters. He feels as though the thin string of survival he'd been holding on snapped right before him.

    "THEY'RE COMING! MY GOD!" Jennifer yells, almost teary-eyed. Desperate, she shoots the enemies and fortunately freezes five of them. At the same time, Johnrey produces a vehement gust of wind directed upward, blowing away four attackers, along with those frozen by Jennifer. The wind is so strong that it temporarily creates a large hole on the cloud of swarming beasts covering the green sky. One manages to swerve, dodge Johnrey's attack, and then land on the ground. It glares at the three, lets out an earsplitting squeal, flutters for several seconds, and then whizzes until it's a meter away from clawing Aeron. But Aeron reacts just in time to detonate a fireball at the oncoming creature, blasting it to pieces, showering the three of them with hot green blood, burnt flesh, and fragments of internal organs. A meter from them, the severed tail still wriggles like an agitated earthworm.

"These two are monsters," Joriz realizes. He suddenly remembers how Aeron almost blew his head off in the forest. Good thing, he was just in time to remove the sharp thing "planted" on Aeron's nape and free him from his madness. He managed to do the same for Johnrey, though he had a hard time succeeding with the help of his slime. The "laughing" forest almost drove them crazy, but Johnrey, out of exasperation, decimated with his violent wind whatever invisible creatures there were.

What they have just beheld stuns Jennifer and Joshua, and fills Vincent with awe. Vincent suddenly remembers that one of them can actually shoot exploding fireballs. And the gust of wind he has just witnessed fills him with dread and envy. Meanwhile, about 35 meters west of Jennifer and Joshua, Mabel discerns that something strange is happening with the other players, but her mind is too preoccupied with Cristina's agony and with the fact that the red circle protecting them is getting too small. She can almost feel the pain herself as she looks at Cristina's purplish legs and almost unconscious body. She wants to help her so bad, but she's also starting to consider leaving her if things get out of control, and run toward the nearest blue circle where Kriz and Shaira are in.

Suddenly, unconscious beasts start plummeting onto the ground, fortunately missing the locations of the players. This intensifies Vincent's fear of Johnrey's power.

    "Let's go back into the woods!" Joriz says, trembling in fear. "This is suicide! Hey, Johnrey, are you okay now? Just… breathe and get up! We're heading back!"

    "But they're here," Aeron says.

    "Who?" Joriz asks.

    "The other players. Look."

    "STEP INTO THE BLUE CIRCLE!" Jennifer yells. "YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!"

    "If they remain where they are, another batch of attackers might get them this time," Joshua tells Jennifer.

    "I'll go there and tell them what to do. I have to save them."

    "No. We can't lose you."

    "I'm not planning to die. We need their powers."

    "If you go inside the blue circle, you won't be able to use your power anymore. Mabel and Cristina need you."

    "But we can't lose those three! Let's think about Cristina later."

As Jennifer runs toward the three, another batch of attackers is activated. Good thing, Jennifer finally manages to tell her "old allies" the best thing to do, and they safely step into the nearest blue circle, at last. Taking his chances, Joshua dashes toward the blue circle where Jennifer is in. This gives Jennifer a sharp kick of terror, knowing that she can't use her power anymore. Fortunately, nothing bad happens. Then, Vincent steps out of his circle and follow his best friend.

"Why did you run without warning me? Are you crazy?" Jennifer snarls at Joshua and Vincent right after they enter the blue circle. "Don't do that again, okay?!"

"I trust you," Vincent says.

"Trust?! That's not the point! You should have told me, at least! Besides, my power is disabled. That was stupid! That was dangerous!"

"I'm sorry," Joshua says. "I just felt unsafe being alone back there."

"How come we're still alive?" Joriz asks while gaping at the swarming monsters. "What are they waiting for?"

"Okay, listen to me," Jennifer says. "I'll explain everything. Hey, Joriz, look at me…. They won't attack us, okay? But you need to listen to what I'm going to say if you want to stay alive. And most importantly, do not attempt to step out of this circle whatever happens unless I tell you to do so, because you won't be able to get in here again…. And I don't want to see blood spilling on the ground anymore…."

Kriz, who is about 18 meters west of Jennifer's new location, witnessed everything and let out a sigh of relief after seeing that everyone is safe. She's happy knowing that they have strong allies now, but something keeps on bugging her. She thinks that the blue circles are strange. "I've used my power inside this blue circle. But I thought…." Kriz then remembers how Shaira manipulated Vincent's clothes. "Why didn't I notice it earlier? Why can't Jennifer use her power inside a blue circle but Shaira and I can?" At last, Shaira is able to move again and then quickly stands up to hug Kriz.

"Thank you for saving me!" Shaira says, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"No problem. That's okay. I'm glad you're safe. By the way, we still have a problem."

"Huh?"

"Mabel and Cristina…. Look. They're still in danger. And Cristina is badly hurt."

"Oh my God!" Shaira looks at Cristina and Mabel about 45 meters southwest. "We should help them! What should we do?"

"I don't know. I want to help them, but we can't rush over there and…. But we have more allies." Kriz directed Shaira's gaze to Jennifer's location. "I hope they can help us."

"Who are they?"

"Apparently, they are also players. But they're too far. I don't know what to do…."

"But someone has to help them! We can't just let them die! We should do something!" Shaira's tears start flowing down her sweaty cheeks again, and Kriz's vision starts to blur as her eyes likewise well up with tears.

    Meanwhile, Cristina passes out. The red circle is now only about a meter in diameter, which forces Mabel to curl Cristina's body to make her stay within the safe zone. "SOMEBODY HELP US! HEEEEEELP!" Mabel's voice is now hopelessly hoarse, but she still tries her best to signal her despair. "HEEEEEELP!!!" Mabel kneels beside Cristina and repeatedly shakes her body. "Hey, Cristina, wake up! You have to wake up! I don't want to die out here! Hey!" A mixture of sweat and tears continue to drip down her face as her anguish escalates every passing second.

    "I'm sorry, but I will have to leave you…."

2:04 pm

"You still have one hour and thirty-six minutes, but I'm afraid to tell you that Cristina's life might be over in about two to five minutes," Victor tells Jeric. "It depends."

"What did you say?" Jeric immediately clenches his fists. His eyes bulge like threatened puffer fish. "WHAT DID YOU SAAAY?!"

"Just what I thought. You would turn into a crazy lion again. Just relax in there. Maybe—"

"Shut your disgusting mouth and let me out of here! CRISTINA!!!"

"Why are you so concerned about her, anyway? She's not even your—"

"YOU DON'T CARE!!!" Jeric kicks the metal bars repeatedly, only to end up hurting his right foot and cursing Victor with the vilest words he knows.

"Your oral cavity is really something, you know…. You know what oral cavity is?"

"What's happening out there?" Jeric's voice suddenly turns menacingly low and dark. "Just tell me."

"Oh. You're trying to scare me. Very effective…. Apparently, nobody wants to help her at the moment. Scratch that. I mean, nobody CAN help her at the moment. You can't blame them. Survival of the fittest…."

"They will pay for this. All of them!"

"Oh. What do you mean? You blame the other players? Wow! I can't see the logic there. In the first place, you were the one who sent her out there. Don't you remember?"

Victor's words instantly boil Jeric's blood, pushing him to create a large chainsaw and attempt to tear down the cage. But his creation suddenly turns to smoke within seconds, infuriating him even more.

"JUST LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU BASTARD!!!"

"Hey! Relax. Maybe if you beg me, I might be able to change things a bit."

Jeric suddenly calms down while still clenching his teeth. "Okay…. Please. I want to save her…. I'm begging you. Let me out…."

Silence quickly envelops the room.

"Still…. No."

2:06 pm

The red circle protecting Mabel and Cristina rapidly shrinks into a small dot, almost freezing Mabel in terror. Taking her only chance, Mabel wastes no time to dash toward Kriz and Shaira who are watching her, fearful of the worst possibility. Jennifer notices Mabel racing for her survival as ten beasts dive toward her and Cristina. Johnrey, Joriz and Aeron already know the rules and that their powers are disabled, so even though they want to save the ladies, they can only stand still and painfully watch the appalling scene.

"This is exactly why I tried to stop you," Joshua tells Jennifer. "It's too late now…."  

Seeing that the two ladies are seconds away from death hurts Shaira like no other. She feels as though a knife were stabbed right into her heart. Desperate, she attempts to use her power to control Cristina's and Mabel's clothes. To her surprise, Cristina quickly slides against the grass as though a strong magnet were pulling her. Mabel stumbles on the ground and is then quickly dragged by an invisible force, brushing her against the blades of grass. Soon enough, the ladies are inside the blue circle with Kriz and Shaira just before the beasts can grab and tear them apart.

"What just happened?" Kriz asks Shaira.

"I-I don't know. I just controlled their clothes. I've never thought my power could do something like that…." Shaira happily faces Mabel who is lying on the ground, almost unconscious. "Are you okay? You're safe now. I'm so glad you're alive…."

"What was that?" Aeron mumbles in disbelief.

"Shaira. I think she used her power," Jennifer says joyfully. "HEY THERE! IS EVERYONE OKAY?!" Jennifer shouts to Kriz and Shaira several times, but nobody seems to hear her.

"Yes. It was Shaira," Joshua says. "But she's inside a blue circle. How was that possible?" Joshua asks.

"I don't care. As long as they're safe…."

"You didn't explain to us that some players can use their powers inside a blue one," Aeron tells Jennifer.

"I-I don't know about that. I'm also surprised." Jennifer suddenly remembers that Shaira was indeed able to use her power inside a blue circle when she manipulated Vincent's clothes earlier. "I don't understand this." Joshua and Vincent try out their powers and discover that they too can use them inside the blue circle.

"I think not all are affected," Joshua concluded. "Well, it's a good thing. I'm relieved that everyone is safe now."

"What should we do now?" Vincent asks. "The heat is killing me already."

"We can't do anything about the heat. We're trapped…. I think we need to eat," Joshua says. "We need energy. I'm hungry. Time to eat some apples."

"You think Cristina is okay?" Jennifer asks.

"Yes. The watch doesn't lie," Joshua answers. "And she's with Kriz. She'll be okay."

2:09 pm

Mabel thanks Shaira with lots of tears and hugs. Kriz attempts to heal Cristina, but as expected, no healing light emanates from her hands.

"I need more time," Kriz says.

"Let's take our time in here," Shaira says. "This one won't shrink."

"How did you know you could do that?" Mabel asks Shaira.

"I didn't. It just happened."

"And it happened while you were inside this blue circle. Come to think of it," Kriz cuts in. "It's weird."

"Oh." Shaira realizes that Kriz is indeed right. "Yes. I thought…."

"Yes. I also used my power to heal you minutes ago. Also while inside this circle."

"Hmm…."

"It means some of us can use our powers inside a blue circle."

"Did Jennifer lie about this?"

"No. I think not. I also think that she has already realized this fact."

"What should we do now?"

"We have to wait. Cristina should be healed first before we move forward. You may eat if you want…."

2:55 pm

"See? It's almost three, but Cristina is still alive," Victor tells Jeric. "Very lucky girl. In fact, Kriz healed her just a few minutes ago. She's as good as new. Even more captivating, in fact. She's emotional right now, and I understand that. Very thankful that she escaped death."

"Who's Kriz?"

"You were with her in the ROOM OF FRIENDSHIP this morning. I'm sure you don't remember her because you were full of yourself back then. But she's not the real hero. Someone else is to thank for saving Cristina's life from a painful ending. Remember Shaira?"

"Who?"

"Let me rewind things for you…. When you created 'tools' to fight against the three mannequins, she was the girl who mocked you. You think we're carpenters? Ring a bell? She also said something like 'You're a monster'."

"What did she do?"

"Well… she saved Cristina."

"How? What really happened out there?"

"Gotta go…. I have to check with Mr. Glass Man…."

"HEY!"

3:33 pm

"Are we just going to stay here and get roasted? I thought we needed to move forward," Aeron complains. "I'm getting dehydrated, and the castle is waiting."

"Maybe we should wait a little longer," Joshua says.

"For what? We're just wasting our time," Aeron says.

"To think."

"Of what? When the night comes, we won't be able to see those circles. And don't expect me to light up the whole place just to spot those… crazy things…. We should be moving now."

"We've been seeing that black circle over there," Jennifer cuts in. "It's the nearest one from here…. But we have no idea what it does."

"I'll check it out," Vincent says.

"Hey! Not again!" Joshua butts in. "Why does it have to be you?"

"What are you implying, young man?" Aeron asks Joshua. "You have issues? Why don't you check it out, then?"

"No. It's not like that. I was just—"

"Then let him do what he wants. He's trying to help. And you're not his mother."

"I'm his best friend. Of course I care."

"So sweet. You also cook for him? Feed him apples?"

"STOP! OKAY?" Vincent snaps. "It's okay. I'll go. It's doable. Jennifer will cover me."

"Are you insane?" Jennifer exclaims with clashing eyebrows. "You're forgetting something. I can't use my power."

"That's exactly why you should NOT—" Joshua says.

"But there's no other way," Vincent argues. "Maybe it's something that can help us. Maybe it's a shortcut or something…."

"How can that be a shortcut, huh? A shortcut to… death, for sure."

"I tried this before. I'm good at running. And I'm not wearing any shoes…."

Joshua sighs, exasperated and terrified by his friend's impulsiveness. "If you die—"

"I won't. Trust me."

Without warning, Vincent steps out of the circle and sprints toward the black one about 20 meters ahead, frightening Joshua and Jennifer. As expected, ten beasts chase him, but Vincent is too fast this time. As soon as he enters the black circle, lots of yellow circles immediately appear in many areas, almost saturating the ground near the players. The odd sight instantly makes everyone edgy.

"What's happening?" Joriz asks Jennifer. "What do yellow circles do again?"

"Stay away from those," Jennifer warns. "It creates nasty rain. Rain that you don't want to see."

"What do you mean? Acid rain? Poison rain?"

"Did you listen to what I said minutes ago? Just avoid them…."

"But they're almost everywhere," Aeron butts in. "How are we supposed to avoid them? We fly?"

"Just avoid them at all cost, okay?!" Jennifer says. "There are still a few areas to step on without causing trouble."

"Don't raise your voice. I'm just asking you a question."

"Okay. I'm sorry. I'm just… sick of those things…."

    Meanwhile, Kriz also warns Shaira and the rest about the horrible things that might happen after discerning the sudden appearance of yellow circles all around them.

    "Mind the things that might fall on you. This is bad…." Kriz says.

    "Yes. I won't let another tire break my leg," Cristina says.

    "As long as we're here, nothing will happen," Shaira says.

    "That's not certain. Look at them. If someone steps out of their circle, things might turn deadly," Kriz argues. "DO NOT STEP INTO THOSE CIRCLES!!!" Kriz shouts to the other players out of immense apprehension.

"WE WON'T! JUST STAY IN THERE TOO!" Jennifer shouts back. "WE ARE THINKING OF WAYS TO DEAL WITH THIS!"

"OKAY! TELL US WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK OF A GOOD WAY TO SURVIVE THIS!"

"GUYS!" Vincent yells. "SOMETHING IS WRONG!"

"WHAT? JUST STAY IN THERE, OKAY?!" Jennifer shouts back.

"THE CIRCLE IS TURNING YELLOW!"

"WHAT?!"

"THE CIRCLE! IT'S TURNING YELLOW!!!"

"Oh my God!" Jennifer mumbles. "Oh my God…."

"What's happening?" Aeron asks. "Tell me."

"Prepare yourselves. It's going to rain again. That black circle is a mistake."

"What? Can you just—"

The black circle continues changing color until it turns bright yellow. At once, twenty random beasts turn into bowling balls and start raining down the field.

"DO NOT STEP OUT OF THIS CIRCLE! I'LL FREEZE THOSE THAT WILL HIT US!" Jennifer shouts. "OH MY GOD! I FORGOT I CAN'T USE MY POWER!" Jennifer prepares herself to jump out of the circle as soon as things get ugly. Fortunately, no balls hit the safe zone she's in. "We have to stay in here as long as possible!"

"Is this the rain you were talking about?" Joriz asks Jennifer, trembling in fear.

"Why? Are you disappointed?" Jennifer retorts.

At the same time inside the other blue circle, the ladies scream in panic as several bowling balls strike the ground near them. "Don't step outside and make things worse!" Kriz shouts while covering her head with her both arms.  

But Vincent steps out of his circle to dodge a fatal hit and ends up inside another yellow one. Without delay twenty house spiders as large as a human palm shower the ground. One lands directly onto Joriz's shoulder, terrifying him, and forcing him to step out of the blue circle and hop into a yellow one. Immediately, twenty gold bars start darting down the ground, most of them landing straight toward the blue circle where Kriz is in. This forces the four ladies to scatter and stumble into the nearby yellow circles. Soon enough, screams are all over the place.

Shaira, out of desperation, rips off Cristina's shirt, transforms it into a thick, wide carpet and then makes it hover to act as a shield. Pointing her both palms at the carpet, she makes it even thicker and wider to shield also the three ladies near her. "Just stay where you are! I've got you!"

"No, stop it!" Cristina shouts as she tries to stand up. Her red bra is now exposed, but she doesn't care. She's more worried about their safety. "You're blocking our sight!"

"Are you serious?" Shaira asks in disbelief as various things bang the shield she created. "You want me to remove it?"

"What if a truck lands directly at us? Can that thing still save us?"

"I'm taking my chances. You wanna dodge those things right now?"

"But it scares me!"

"We're all scared!" Shaira controls their shield and makes it hover even higher. "This is making me tired…."

"You keep on surprising me," Kriz tells Shaira. "I've never thought you can do that."

"I'm also surprised I can do this thing," Shaira says. "Good thing, my instinct is right…."

At last, Jennifer and the rest are forced to step out of the blue circle to save themselves. Bags, tumblers, study table, daggers, swords, typewriters, shoes, hollow blocks, tiles, and electric fans riddle the ground in a torrential rain. In an attempt to counter the downpour, the shooters do not restrain themselves so that fireballs explode like fireworks, strong wind blows here and there, and red light orbs go in all directions.

When the vicious domino effect subsides, Joshua is left lying face down on the ground with his head bleeding. Nearby, Vincent is writhing on the ground, groaning in pain as she tries to cover the laceration on his right leg with both of his hands. Joriz miraculously dodged everything as he tried to stay close to Jennifer and Johnrey. The shooters emerge unscathed, thanks to the synergy of their powers. The four ladies stand still, speechless and shaky, as Shaira removes their makeshift shield and turns it back into a shirt for Cristina to wear. Since each of the players ends up inside a yellow circle, no beast attempts to attack.

The ordeal proved to be vicious, but it significantly reduced the number of enemies. Now, only about two hundred remain.

3:47 pm

"You're lucky. They're decimating the enemies," Victor tells Ryan who is lying on the floor inside the cage. "This batch is really something."

"What do you mean?" Ryan asks and slowly stands up.

"It means I admire this batch. Really good! Maybe this is the time to embrace my freedom. Oh, I can't wait! I'm reeeaaaally excited right now! Of course, you're still one of the best…."

"What freedom?"

"Never mind. Not for you to know. I just want to tell you that you'll be out at 5:15."

"You've told me that several times already."

"Oh. Really? Well, maybe I'm just too excited seeing you again doing some action. And thanks for being patient."

"I'm not."

"Okay, then. Thanks for NOT being patient."

"If I ever see your face… I swear I will rub your mouth against the floor you're stepping on."

"Oh my…. I honestly want you to win, but… I'm having second thoughts now…."

"I'm going to survive this. Mark my words. And I'll break your face for starting this madness."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't plan this whole thing?"

"I don't care…. Liar."

3: 51 pm

Jeric stands before a colossal wall after slamming the door behind him. Looking at the swarming beasts, he quickly understands the dangers of the place. He also wonders how the other players managed to survive. While still thinking of ways to locate Cristina, he discerns that a number of flying creatures are flapping toward his direction, squealing like hungry pterodactyls.

"I didn't come out here just to be your snack," Jeric mumbles. "Let's see if you can beat me." With a few gestures, a slew of pointed concrete pillars suddenly emerge from the ground and shoot up the sky like fast-growing tree trunks, impaling all the attackers in midair like marshmallows on barbecue sticks. He then undoes his powers, letting the lifeless victims plummet onto the ground. Then, within seconds, a Porsche 911 materializes in front of him. Jeric looks at his creation with pride, letting out a smirk. He opens the front door, hops into his red car, and accelerates like crazy across the wide grassy field….