The Mysterious Door

Chapter 13

"Jake," I hear a voice and try to compose myself. A moment later Jason looks around a corner, finding me half leaning on the wall opposite the green door, "Here, let me help you out." He puts his arm around me and hoists me up with no trouble at all.

"Thanks," I say, "I guess I pushed myself a little too far in there."

"You're alive," he smiles, "That's all that counts. That's more than the others can say at this point."

"How long have you been out?"

"Not that long actually, about three minutes. I guess I made a lot of lucky choices. None of the obstacles were half as terrifying as the ones where the others died."

"I just hope the other's make it through," I sigh as we turn around the corner from which Jason arrived, finding myself back in the training room. I guess the green door has been behind the scoreboard all along.

"They will," he says, setting me down on my designated seat, "Your friends are adaptable, they'll make it out."

"They're our friends now," I say, smiling through the pain, "You're one of us now."

"That's nice of you," he says, "But I'm not really the 'friends' type of guy. I'm more of a get through things alone type."

"That's what I felt like too, but you need to realize that it doesn't have to be that way."

"That's all I know," he shrugs, "I've been so busy looking out for my brother's social life the last few years that I didn't really care about my own. I don't think I even know how to be a friend anymore."

"If you ask me, you're already doing great without trying. You're a good guy. Trust me, my friends will love you. Just be yourself and don't let Cindy fool you. She might be beautiful on the outside, but she's a cunning generous on the inside."

"What have I got to lose," he smiles, "I guess I'll give the having friends thing a try."

He checks the scoreboards which has giant white letters counting each candidate's running time. Both mine and Jason's have stopped, being very close to each other, but everyone that's still on the scoreboard is running, "Daniel is really raking up quite a time. If he doesn't get out soon you'll pass him for sure."

"I don't mind passing him," I smirk, "I'll just be happy if he's knocked out of first place. I don't know how he survives in such a small room with such a gigantic ego."

"I think he's just afraid," he says suddenly serious, "You should remember that he's been here way longer than anyone. Nobody knows how long he was here completely on his own with no idea what's going to happen to him. I think that would rattle anyone."

Before I can answer his time stops and we hear a hell of a racket from behind the scoreboard. Speak of the devil, I suppose. Jason jumps up almost instinctively, his protective tendencies kicking in and I wince as I run after him. The pain isn't gone, but it has become more of a dull ache as my energy returns.

"Get your hand off me," Daniel says as I round the corner, just in time to stop Jason from falling after Daniel pushes hum away, "I don't need your help."

"Have it your way then," Jason says, walking away with not so much as a second thought, "I find it best to just leave him when he gets like this," he whispers to me, "It doesn't help reasoning with him, he's far beyond reason."

We take our seats again and watch the times go up, dreading yet another red screen. Before long Daniel emerges from behind the scoreboard and sits as far away from us as physically possible, followed shortly by Anthony.

"Hey, Jake, can we maybe talk," he looks at Jason, "In private."

I look at Jason, who just shrugs. "Sure," I say, "See you just now, Jason." We walk to the barrel station. The barrels have been emptied since the training program ended.