TOGETHER STRONG | JUMANJI • ALEX VREEKE | ON HOLD

Twelve

"FIVE YEARS, HUH?" Bethany started the conversation, and the two girls made their way down where Alex was.

"Yeah, I guess so." Alex sighed. "You know...I just keep thinking about my poor parents. What they've must have been through. And because I was sitting in my hideout, too afraid to finish the game?" Alex looked up. "Sorry, I don't mean to lay this on the both of you, it's just, you two are really easy to talk to."

"No, I get it. I mean, sometimes, it's easy to get so focused on your own stuff, that you forget that other people have problems too." Bethany said.

"Wow, that is really deep," Rae said, sitting next to Alex on the fallen log by the water.

"I feel like ever since I lost my phone, my other senses have kind of heightened." Bethany realized.

"Like daredevil?" Alex and Rae asked at the same time, making Bethany laugh.

"I'm gonna go find the others, you two can come to join us when you're ready," Bethany said and walked away.

"I never personally got to say thank you, for giving me one of your lives." Alex turned towards Rae.

"Don't even mention it. I told you back at the transportation shed that we were gonna get you home, and I meant it." Rae smiled, looking Alex in the eyes.

"How did you know that I was stuck here for five years?"

"One, you pointed out a show that only has nine episodes, before it was canceled. Two, you talked about a 'badass' girl who went to the skatepark so much you got her schedule down when she went." Rae started. "That girl was me."

"No way." Alex raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, way. Once I realized that it was you, I remember seeing missing person posters around Brantford with your face, and your name. So I put two and two together..." Rae explained.

"That's insane on how you put those clues together."

"Yeah. So, anyway, Mr. Alex Vreeke, what's your vibe, in the real world?" Rae started.

"Full-on metalhead. A drummer, like my dad." He explained. "What about you, Ms. Rae?"

"Obviously, a skater. But also, a person who is very hands-on with mechanical shit." Rae explained.

"Pretty and smart," Alex smirked, making Rae blush.

"Let's make a deal. When we get out of here, you and I should meet up at the skatepark, just so we can find each other." Rae said.

"Deal."

"THERE IT IS." Fridge said as Rae and Alex walked up behind the group.

"There it is," Alex repeated.

"We'd better get walking," Spencer said and started to walk in front of everyone.

As the group walked, the sun started to set, so when they arrived, it was completely dark.

"I think we just follow this path." Bethany looked u from her map.

"No, it can't be that easy." Alex chimed in.

"The Defenders." Bethany read. "What does that mean?"

"There's only one way to find out." Everyone turned towards Spencer. "Fridge, give me the jewel."

"Spencer," Martha muttered. Fridge handed the jewel to Spencer, and multiple torches lit up a path for them to follow.

"Something's about to happen." Rae looked down the path.

"I hate those drums," Fridge muttered.

"What, are you just gonna walk in there?" Martha asked as Spencer walked towards the path.

"No. That's what the game wants us to do." Spencer said. "Follow the path."

"Then, it's a trap." Rae looked up at him.

"When you see the elephant, begin the climb," Bethany spoke out, walking towards an elephant statue.

"I'll go through the trees." Spencer looked around.

"The trees?" Fridge and Rae spoke.

"Yeah."

"Do you think that's what that means?" Rae questioned.

"That must be it." Bethany realized.

 "That's the move. This is the final level of the game. And I'm pretty sure this is a Bravestone thing." Spencer spoke and then walked away.

"Did he just refer to himself in the third person?" Bethany titled her head.

"Fourth person, I think." Martha watched as Spencer started climbing.

"How does he do that?" Alex questioned.

"Climbing is one of his strengths," Rae explained to him.

"Gotcha."

"Cake makes me explode." Fridge butted in before Spencer let out a scream and then fell from the trees.

An animal started to eat Spencer, making everyone turn towards the path.

"No! Spencer!" Martha called out.

"Oh, my God!"

"Spencer!" Fridge called out too. "Spencer!"

"Oh, my God, you guys. Panthers." Bethany panicked.

"No. Those are jaguars." Fridge informed the group.

Thunder and lightning came along, and the jaguars disappeared, and then a familiar ding from the sky was heard. 

"Spencer!" Bethany called out.

"Oh, my God. Are you Ok?" Martha walked up to him.

"Yeah. I think so."

"You still have the jewel, right?" Alex questioned.

"I got it," Spencer said, pulling it from his pocket.

"Oh, thank God." Alex sighed.

"Hey, what happened?" Fridge questioned.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Spencer answered.

"Ok, so we need a new plan," Bethany spoke.

"Yeah." 

"Right."

"Totally. Spencer, any ideas?"

"Can I speak with you for a minute?" Spencer looked over at Fridge.

"Now?" Fridge asked, and the two walked away.

"ALL RIGHT." Fridge said. "I don't know video games, but what I do know, is football. Now, those lightning-fast, man-eating cats out there? They're the defenders. Which means we gotta run one hell of an offense."

"Guys, we gotta go," Rae called out, as the motorcycle guys started heading their way.

"Alright, here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna fan out and run a play that I call: The Double Reverse Refrigerator." Fridge said. "Bethany, you go up the left side. Rae, go with her just in case you have to protect her. I'll go up the right. Alex, you'll draw the defense, so Spencer can go up the middle."

"I'll go with Spencer," Martha said.

"No, there's something else we need you to do," Fridge added.

And so, the plan was simple. Bethany and Rae went up the left side, and then Bethany was tackled by a jaguar. In the distance, Russel Van Pelt was standing with other jaguars next to him.