Only a Game (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 45: Parkour! (do not recommend) (in fact just delete this)

Teddy

"Hey, it's getting late—aren't you supposed to go?" I ask, as I trip over something.

"Let me show you back to Ariadne's trail at least, it'll be fine. My dad overestimates everything—are you okay?" he pauses because I clearly tripped.

"Are those human bones?" that is what I tripped over. Human bones. Human bones with meat still on them.

"Shit, probably," very calmly.

"Um---nope they're still here," I took off my VR headset to see if it was part of the game. It was not. "Do you---understand what an issue that is?"

"Not really? It's already dead—come on Teddy," Viktor sighs, walking on.

"Why—why would there be human bones?"

"Because someone died, these things happen," he shrugs.

"What aren't you telling me? You and Ariadne both? I know your dad was lying," I hiss.

"I shouldn't tell you if he didn't want me to," he sighs.

"Why not?" I ask, following him.

"The trail is just up there---shit," He grabs my arm, really hard. I can hear a noise. Like a high pitched whistling. "Run---we need to run---NOW---"

He doesn't wait for me to respond, taking my arm. Viktor takes off back the way we came, sprinting back down the path. We go so fast I can barely stop in time to maneuver the corners. Viktor is much more agile.

"Shit, shit---come up we have to go up," he throws a grappling hook and clips himself to it, together we climb up. The humming is louder. I rip out my headset. Nope, still happening.

"Why are we running!?" I pant, as we run on top of the wall.

"Do you want to be human bones?" Viktor grabs me and pulls us to a stop, "Okay, we need to jump down there isn't time for a line."

"What-----I can't—"

"You've got this, grab my back, and try not to make us fall."

And that's how I learn how to parkour down the walls of the Labyrinth. Just kidding. I will no way ever be able to replicate that. So, I don't actually learn anything. But I do experience what it is like to be moderately active and fit and to street-run down walls while the sunset glows in your ink black hair and your body stinks of second hand smoke.

I have no idea how long we run because by the time we stop I'm blacking out and out of breath and in weird amounts of pain. I don't know how many walls we skipped and climbed. Or why we were running.

"What---the---fuck---" I say, between gasps, leaning against the wall.

"I don't hear it anymore, do you?" Viktor asks, actually panting too.

"All I hear is my own blood rushing," I hiss, "What the hell?"

"Look just---go that way—here give me that," he takes one of my VR controllers and fiddles with it. On my headset, a new path appears, this one dark purple.

"It'll re-route you, back to Ariadne's path—sorry. You're probably at least a day from the finish just---just if you hear that noise run okay?" he asks, backing away, looking at the sky nervously. The sun is well setting. I check my watch. It's nearly four thirty.

"What were we running from?" I ask, angrily. Clearly something was coming after us. What did they do, put us in here to hunt us for sport? Isn't there a movie on that? Or a book? Yes, The Most Dangerous Game. "Who is coming after us?"

"I'm sorry---look if you hear a noise run, okay? Good luck, I have to go—my dad will be mad as it is-- I'm late," Viktor says, tossing a grappling hook to get to the top of the wall.

"Viktor—" but he leaves.

And I'm alone here.

Or I'm not.

I fish in my backpack for my knife. Whatever it is coming after me, I have every intention of killing it.