Game on - Part 3
The seconds ticked by at an alarming rate. The final, few fragments of their lives etched into the fabric of time and space. The last remaining grains of sand were all but running out. There was nothing left to hope for, except maybe praying for a quick, painless end. The physical nightmare enduring for what appeared to be forever, itself had now only moments of life left. A blessing and a curse all wrapped into one, neat deathly package.
They huddled together on the cold, dusty floor entwined in each other’s embrace. Ben wept silently as he reminisced about what his previous vision of emigrating to this godforsaken land was.
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” was a line often repeated to Sheila in order to convince her to depart from her life of comfort back home and reside in this hellhole. Regret had hollowed Ben out into a shell of the man he once was. One of many professional doctors in a highly reputable hospital now reduced to a forlorn shadow of his former self, wallowing in muck and filth. Like an animal. He tried hard not to pity himself, but that was a task easier said than done. He was inextricably bound to his chosen path and the final destination was clearly in sight.
“Not long to go now.” he whispered quietly to himself.
“Ben...” Sheila called out feebly.
“Sheila, darling. You awake?” he said in a trembling voice, trying to compose himself as quickly as possible.
“I’m sorry for my outburst earlier. I don’t know what took over me. I think I just needed to release my bottled up frustration. I lost total control. Please forgive me, Ben.”
He stroked her long silvery, course hair slowly. “No, don’t you say that.” he said almost on the brink of weeping again. “Don’t you ask me for forgiveness when you are guilty of nothing. I’m ashamed, Sheila. Of the man that I am, that I’ve become. At my core, I’m a weakling. I can’t protect you when you need me the most. I hate myself for that, Sheila.”
She looked up at him and saw a haggard, dishevelled version of the man she fell in love with all those years ago. She cupped his face gently with her hands.
“If you honestly think that of yourself, then prove to me that it’s not true. Let’s fight to the end just as you said before. The way I feel right now, I’m prepared for anything.” She gently wiped away the tears from Ben’s face with a newfound determination in her eyes.
Dumbfounded by this sudden change in circumstances, he looked over at the iPad lying innocently beside them. “But dear, I don’t know how much time is left. The captain will be back any minute now.”
“Well, we better hurry up and check on that then.” she said as they slowly started crawling back to the device.
He carefully lifted it whilst resting his back upon the stony wall. Sheila did the same next to him. He pressed the small button on it's pale bottom border and light promptly illuminated onto their faces.
“It’s 15.07. I thought it would be later than that by now. Seemed to me we were lying there much longer. They’ll be here any time now, Sheila.” he said dejectedly.
“OK, quickly start the game up and let’s see what we can do with the time we have left.”
Still startled by her transformation, he did exactly that. Ben recoiled slightly as he heard that cheerful, melodic tune from the device, bringing back horrid recent memories he just didn’t have the time for right now. He dug deep within the recesses of his mind and honed in the last traces of energy and concentration he had.
“I’ve tried at this for ages, Sheila. I just can’t do it. The colours, the sounds, everything just merges together into a blur after a while.”
“Right, well, let’s work together. Why don’t you concentrate on one side of the screen and I, the other. It’s as simple as pointing and flicking away at some pretend graphical fruit. You’ve had a good rest and I’m also feeling like myself again. Please, let’s do it and work together this time. We have the choice not to die today.”
“OK, Sheila, one last attempt.” He fired the game up and the fruit started sprouting forth onto the screen. One by one, they both swiped and sliced away at all manner of fruit. Watermelons, bananas and apples all exploded childishly on the screen as they worked vehemently on the task at hand.
“Careful.” he said nervously. “Don’t strike the bombs whatever you do. We’ll have to start all over again and I don’t think we have the time for that.” She nodded, deep in concentration.
As seconds ticked by, the speed of the fruit started increasing. “Why is it getting so fast now?” she exclaimed.
“That’s just how the game works. Let’s keep going, we’re slowly getting there!” he replied.
Her wrist was weak from holding it aloft for such an extended period of time, so she gripped it with her other hand to steady herself. The counter was tallying up at an impressive rate now.
“Remain calm, we’re almost there now.” he muttered.
Nerves began to cause split second lapses of attentiveness in them both, but not long enough to force any error. They had just broken the previous high score.
Neither one of them made a single sound as, eyes glued to the screen, small flickers of light dancing upon their pale faces.
178… 179…180… 181… 182. Only a few points away from their goal. The open abyss before them closing after every passing moment.
At that exact same juncture, a tremendous clang tore through the silence. The door was being unlocked. Sheila looked up as Ben yelled with all his vocal might. “No! Concentrate! Look at the screen!” Two fruit fell away as they were now being hurled in front of their eyes at a furious pace. She screamed, as for a second she assumed all was lost.
“No!” Ben cried out. “We still have one more chance. Keep it together!”
They were only five points away from victory and tiny beads of sweat almost magically appeared upon his brow.
Then, the door opened with a loud creak.
The captain strutted in with two guards on either side of him. He blasted the intense beam of his flashlight in front of himself.
The two bodies of Ben and Sheila lay propped up against the wall with the iPad resting at an angle upon her thigh.
He moved in closer to see them panting in unison. He laughed wickedly at the image before him.
“Still got enough energy to have a good time together, I see? Lucky you, eh? Well, let’s see what else you two lovebirds managed to accomplish since we last met. Apart from the obvious.” He smiled freakishly unveiling a set of stained, brown teeth.
He picked up the device and checked the game for the score.
“Oh my, we have been busy. 201 points. You fortunate fucks. I had an on-going bet with the boys that you’d be shot dead in the next few minutes.”
He squatted awkwardly and shoved at Ben’s shoulder. He groaned and looked up. The captain glared at him ferociously. “I lost two good dollars on the both of you. You gonna pay me back from that?” he snarled.
Ben tried to speak but no sound was made.
The captain then impulsively hopped back up to his feet, making them both jump with fright.
“OK, boys, I’m done wasting my time anymore. Let’s go.” he commanded.
Each P.L.A. officer went to their respective prisoner and hoisted them off the floor. They shrieked in agony from the pain. With one arm wrapped around each of their waists, they limped forward with the officer’s assistance and out of the prison cell.
A musty, stale stench engulfed their nostrils, almost causing Ben to dry heave. Their feet completely useless at this time, the officers dragged them along the wide corridor. Dust kicked up into the air as they passed door upon door in a maze of brown and green textured surfaces and walls. The captain marched at a steady pace, barely allowing for his guards to keep up. Finally, they reached a small door to their left.
Upon entering, the room looked very similar to their tiny cubicle, except a table and two chairs were placed at it's centre. The officers settled them surprisingly carefully into the seats and left the room, closing the door shut behind them.
They scarcely had the strength to look at each other. “Sheila… Are you OK, my love?” he asked exhaustedly.
She was slumped into the chair like a ragdoll, looking up at the ceiling “I can’t believe we actually made it out of that room, Ben. I can’t believe we completed that blasted challenge.” She rolled her head toward his direction. “I’m so weak that I can hardly move my limbs.”
The door opened and they both looked round. The same officers returned with two metal trays and set them down on the table in front of Ben and Sheila. They then promptly exited, without saying a word.
Instantly, saliva started collecting in bucketful’s within their mouths. On each plate lay a strip of meat, a handful of rice and a plastic glass of water. No cutlery was anywhere to be seen, although at this particular time, they were hardly required.
Ben picked up the meat with both hands and savagely tore at it. He chewed the morsel in pure ecstasy, spluttering for a moment before drowning his gullet with the glass of warm water. Sheila proceeded to do the same. With still not a word spoken between themselves, he accidently bit his tongue twice, causing the coppery taste of blood to blend in with the food. Their heads spun with ravenous pleasure. They could already feel a growing resurgence of power within their withered arms and legs.
A few short minutes later, plates emptied, they basked in the aftermath of their culinary encounter, bloated and satisfied. “When did you ever think you’d taste the flesh of a cooked animal again?” he said with a look of contentment on his face. “Ben, I ate so fast I've got a stomach ache now.” she teased with a wry smile. “Only kidding, that was the best meal I’ve ever had. The dirty gruel they serve to us every day literally made me forget how gratifying food can feel inside you. What an incredible feeling, Ben.”
“I know, darling. Let’s just enjoy this moment for what it is and for as long as it lasts.”
Upon uttering those words, as if by some sick ironic coincidence, the captain then entered the room.
“So, you enjoyed the meal, did you?” he said genially. They didn’t respond, but he continued anyway. “Good, good, I’m glad of it. Care to know what it was that you ate? That tasty slice of meat?”
Again, no response.
“Well, let’s just keep it that way, shall we? Let it just be my little secret ingredient.” The two guards entered the room again and walked up to Ben and Sheila. After a hand gesture by the captain, they helped them up once more and the whole group filed out of the room.
With replenished energy in their limbs, they needed less support now from the officers to walk. Their feet, instead of being dragged against the hard floor beneath them, were now able to shuffle along at a rhythmic pace. A short distance further down the dingy corridor and they stop abruptly at another similar looking door to their left, albeit slightly larger. The guards proceeded to open it and they felt a sudden gust of breeze on their faces. For the first time since eternity, they were able to look upon the sky and feel the sun beating down upon them. The emotion they felt was so deep, they couldn’t help but grab each other and burst into tears.
“Move!” shouted the captain as he pushed hard between them, cutting their embrace short.
The guards pushed and manoeuvred them to the centre of the sizable courtyard. Sand filled the spaces of their toes as they waded through the scattered, powdery surface. All around them was just dessert, for miles on end, save for a long stretch of road to their right that rolled off in a straight line into the distance as far as the eye could see. The sky was a bright blue with not a cloud in sight. Ben and Sheila briefly glanced back at the building and each had a vague dark recollection of the first day they were brought to the camp. In fact, they remembered being marched through the very same door that that had just appeared from. It produced cold shivers down their spines, even in the burning heat they were soaking in.
“OK.” the captain said with a crooked smile. “I hope you are enjoying your rewards and having a pleasant time so far. It is about to get even better, though I’m sure you both find that impossibly difficult to believe. Am I right?” They looked at the captain, showing an expression of totally neutrality. The captain’s face tensed up with anger. “Listen, I’m getting sick to my fucking stomach of you ungrateful pieces of filth. Next time I ask you something, you answer me. Now, are you having a good time?”
“Yes, sir.” They reciprocated, out of sync.
“There you go. You see? It is possible to train dogs. Now, as I promised, want a nice refreshing shower? Well, your wish is my command.” He signalled behind them. They slowly turned on the spot to see two poles sticking up out of a concrete slab in the ground. A round metal head was attached to each one.
“OK, people. Go and enjoy.” He looked at his watch. “You have exactly… 20 minutes left until our beautiful afternoon together must sadly come to an end. So may I suggest you make the most of it while it lasts.” Ben and Sheila regarded each other with a look of confusion. Almost as if they could read each other’s thoughts. Their wretched display of shame for the captain’s entertainment was not over, by a long shot.
“Hey!” he captain yelled. “Go and wet yourselves! Or do you want to go back home now?”
They struggled clumsily through the sand before both arriving at either pole. After one final look at each other, they started undressing. As Sheila removed her bra, the captain laughed heartily. “Oh wow! So you get to suck on those, eh? You lucky devil, you! When you’re both ready, turn the faucet on the pole.”
Embarrassment did not even seem an issue anymore, as they excitedly anticipated the cool flow of water from above them. They were being treated like savages, but savages they would remain until some miracle pulled them out of this horrific ordeal. They almost simultaneously opened the faucet on their individual iron pole and almost instantly a jet of fresh, revitalizing water came gushing out. The dry heat and exhaustion of a mere few seconds ago was now a distant reflection.
Through the tinkling sound of water beating against them, they could hear the sadistic sound of the captain yelling something out and laughing heartily. The shower not only had the power to wash away the dirt clinging fiercely onto their bodies but also drowning out the noise produced from the captain’s voice box. Precious moments that they both wished could be treasured and replayed forever more.
Without warning, the showers turned off by themselves and the captain approached. “OK, the fun’s over. Under this heat, give it a few minutes and you’ll dry off in no time at all. Then put your clothes back on and meet me at the door.”
The heat did just that. With the sun seemingly burning down on them with a vengeance, they met the captain, as commanded.
Needing practically no assistance now from the two guards, they all made their way back to the horror of the tiny prison chamber. Ben thought it odd at how deserted the place looked in contrast to first arriving here when the whole facility was littered with P.L.A. outfits. The dull, lifeless walls bore down on them as they marched on. Ben peered down at his feet. Cuts and grazes covered them and blood still trickled from a few fresh wounds. He looked at Sheila. She wearily carried herself forward, presumably in deep despair at the notion of being holed up in that small, cramped space again.
Finally, they all reached the foreboding door. Ben could see a large piece of metal on a hinge which was used to lock them into quarantine. The booming sound signifying it’s opening or closing. The captain pushed the door open and they all advanced obediently in.
“OK.” he said. “All good things must eventually come to an end, you understand that I hope. So, here we are again. Hope you enjoyed today’s activities.”
Again, no response.
“Well, you can both get back to crawling on all fours like animals in the dark. I really couldn’t care less.”
He smirked at them sarcastically and turned to leave. Sheila began to sob quietly in short gasps.
Just as he was about to exit the room, he paused and looked back.
“Ah yes. How could I forget.” he walked up to a small, dark blot on the floor. It was the iPad.
He picked it up and dusted it off with care. “God, don’t you people ever clean in here?” he said mockingly.
The captain paced up to Ben sitting hunched over in a corner. He looked up at him, fearfully. He knew they were completely at his mercy and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. They were now his pets, his play things.
“I, erm, I forget about this little gadget, your best friend in here, remember?” His features look blurred and ghoulish against the dim, singular light source emanating from the centre of the room.
The captain continued. “Now listen carefully. The game is called “Temple Run”, an exciting romp through a jungle where our hero is being perilously chased by some kind of giant gorilla. Trying his best to survive in the face of adversity, a bit like the both of you actually.” he said with a sarcastic grin. “I require a score of anything over 1,000,000 points within the hour. You were clever enough to figure out the last mission all on your own so you should have no difficulties from here on.”
Ben started trembling violently as he slumped to the floor, shaking his head constantly. “No, sir. Please, no, no, no, no…”
“Shut up and listen. I’m kind enough to allow you some decent privileges here so please do me the same courtesy and hear me out!” he screamed. Sheila now lay silently at the opposite corner of the room, a dark unmoving shadow in the dreariness of their surroundings.
“You know the rules by now. Lose and you die, win and you receive a nice little gift... from me... to you. Time starts when I shut that door.”
With that, he made his way rapidly to the exit. Ben was a mess of confusion and madness. His mind spun in wild abandon as he lost all sense of reality and presence. There was no hope, there never was to begin with. Their fate was to be sealed as of today.
“Best of luck.” he whispered as the door thudded with a loud bang.
The countdown had started again as the metal bar slammed down on the other side. They were completely spent and saw their looming demise as a welcome release.
The long wait for the end had begun…
(To be continued...)
