Heads Of Medusa

THE TRUTH

"Are those..." WHI's voice trails off. She gulped down hard, she stared wide-eyed and a little frozen. Her hands shook slightly.

"This is it, everyone. The reality." DAD took a deep breath as he stared sadly at the statues, "That one right there," he pointed and everyone looked at what he was pointing. It was a statue of a woman, on her knees and hands together, "I was told that's my wife. We had a baby but she died due to hunger."

"Oh my!" Athena gasped, she began taking steps backward as her eyes started to sting.

She felt her heart tightening as fear seeped into her heart.

She wasn't alone, everyone had a similar mortified expression on their face as they stared wide-eyed at the countless statues in front of them.

"This can't be real." Someone said from the crowd.

"We can't leave. If we leave we'll all turn to stone." A man voiced out.

"This isn't real." Someone said matter-of-factly, from behind and everyone turned to see it was EHB. She looked furious and her messy locks made her look crazy.

"He's just messing with us again." She accused while pointing at DAD. "What we all encounter back there, it was all a simulation wasn't it?" She asked him, "I didn't really kill anyone but you made me believe that!" A tear rolled down her cheek. She looked away from him and swallowed back her tears and turned to WHI who had been walking slowly towards her, "This is probably another simulation. Another trick! They are messing with us."  Her bottom lip quivered as she spoke.

WHI stared at her, this time, her eyes were softer and held pity for her, "Oh dear." She took EHB's hands in hers, "I know you're scared but..."

Before she could finish, EHB pulled her hands back and yelled a "no,"

She shook her head, "Don't try to patronize me or anything. Didn't you see what I did?" Her hands shook as she brought it to her face and stared at it. She burst out crying and sat on the floor.

"Kid, this is why you shouldn't have taken the situation more seriously. You thought this was just some kind of game." ANT said to her and she shot him a look.

"What should we do then?" The woman with hazel eyes asked. Her name tag read PUZ.

"You can leave. I'm stopping no one from leaving but whatever you face out there, you'll face alone and bear the consequences of your decision." DAD warned. "So are you leaving, EHB?"

EHB ignored his question and just kept on crying.

DAD looked from her to WHI and then to everyone else with a raised brow. Everyone dropped their gaze once DAD's eyes met theirs. No one was brave enough to leave.

Expect PUZ who kept on staring out the glass door.

"Alright then, let's return... We have a long day..." DAD began but was cut off.

"Wait!" PUZ interrupted him, she walked slowly to the glass door. She stopped before it opened and stared at the beautiful scene outside then nodded to herself. "I'll go outside." She mumbled.

She turned back to everyone and repeated louder this time, "I will go outside."

"Alright then." DAD gestured for her to continue walking walking.

"No!" WHI shouted after her as she turned her back to them. "It's too risky."

"Yeah, you cannot just believe what the child is saying." Another woman seconds.

She turned to them again, "I mean think about it, what if everyone is still in here not because they'll be safe but because they're scared? What if there's no danger anymore but everyone is too scared to check?" She reasoned. "Are we all going to be cowards?"