Virtually Existent

Chapter Ten - Feel The Love

Jennifer stood there just watching the man as he moved one of the crates in the room up as a barricade for the doorway. He'd just finished when he turned turned back to her. She had slid down the wall and he looked a little worried.

"What are you doing in the melee?" he asked her again. Jennifer wasn't expecting that, so she just answered honestly and growled out "My stupid friends put my name in the draw." The man barely hid how funny he thought that was, grinning like an idiot as she eyed him angrily.

"And what name would that be?" he asked her. She let out a groan before responding. "Jennifer," she said before adding "I'll kill those idiots when I get out of here." Jennifer took some time beforere she gathered the courage to ask him as he was helping her to her feet "Um... I've heard that you, well you feel everything in here..." Her heart sank as his smile fell "Yeah, that's right. It's supposed to make it more real for the viewers." 

Jennifer covered her face, her depression reset. She didn't react as the man pulled her arms down and embraced her "Hey, calm down. It's not real remember?" In his warmth and soothing words she actually felt safe, resting her chin on his shoulder. "This feels real too..."

Connecting the clues of his indescernible but attractive accent and slicked black hair, Jennifer realised. "You're Eli," she said before stepping back with a sense of revulsion "You'd be used to killing people now, woulnd't you?"  The uppity prick feigned hurt "That's a little harsh," Jennifer glared at him "It would take a monster like you to actually volunteer for this," she said angrily "Gee thanks."

Eli ignored her glares as he gathered a handful of pickups. He walked back over and placed them in her hands "Take these. Ammo and a brownie," he told her with a slimy smile. Jennifer tilted her head in a clear expression of confusion "Look, don't question the pickups," he said with such a dry tone that she couldn't help but smile. Jennifer snapped out of her daze as she saw him leaving "Woah, where are you going!?" Eli raised his arm up as he left dismissively "I've got monster things to do, see you around."