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Chapter ??? - On we go.

Chapter ??? - On we go.

I walked for what seemed like forever. I didn't know if they were following me, to be frank, I didn't care. I'm angry as hell.

So I walked, boiling in my own rage. I hope something I did contributed to Derren's rescue, not Chris being all heroic and sh*t, saying "Oh, I dragged you out from underneath him all by myself because I'm strong and brave and totally didn't send some other kid into the intestines of a samurai skeleton to get him out of the way. Oh no, I totally didn't do that."

Derren would probably be like, "Oh, my hero, you saved me all by yourself. I'm such a damsel in distress, I always get in trouble like this. You totally didn't deserve that kick in the face."

I hope he broke his goddamn nose. He'll be like, "Yeah, he was totally out of order. Off he goes on his temper tantrum like a little kid. I only did it to help him get over his fear of spiders."

"I'm not having a temper tantrum, you d*ckhead!" I snapped. Oh. Right.

Good job, Kieran. Well done, you yelled at nothing.

Sighing, I stopped and ran a hand through my hair. I looked down at myself. What a state. My trousers barely cover my ankles, and are stained at the knees. My trainers are shredded, my hoodie's full of holes and covered in blood and dirt. Brilliant.

I looked back. They probably won't catch up with me in a while, but they're following me. Mainly because there's only one way to go, but also because I still have the key. I stuck my hand in my pocket to check it was still there.

Wait.

Sh*t.

I couldn't feel it in my pocket. Where is it? Oh no, where is it?

Eyes fixed on the floor, I started walking back. I must've dropped it somewhere. It's not in my bag, I know I've never put it in there. Where is it, where is it?

They won't take me with them if I don't have the key..

I've got to find it.

So I started retracing my steps, trying to find the key. Where is it, where is it, where is it? It has to be around here somewhere.. Unless someone took it. Oh god. If someone's taken it, we're ruined. I won't be able to go home.

If I can't go home, I can't see Mama and hug her and show her I'm okay and she doesn't need to worry about me anymore. Six months is all I have. Six months.

It's good, it's fine. Six months is enough. Seven levels in six months, that's okay. Level ten barely counts, so.. yeah, six levels in six months. Good. Good. I can do that.

A month for each level. If I try hard enough, I can look pretty thoroughly for Sofia and Sadie. They probably split from Jordie when he went mad. At least that's what I hope happened.

God, I ache so badly. I haven't even had a health potion. I'm okay, though, I think. The bleeding's stopped at any rate.

Stop complaining. Key, key, find the key, find the key. Find the key, find the-

"Oof!"

I'd hit into something hard. Looking up, I realised it was Chris' chest. "Sorry."

"Back, are you?" He asked with an amused smirk. I shrugged, looking at the floor.

"I'm looking for the key." I said, trying to keep my voice from quivering and letting them know I'm panicking a little. I'm very calm, honestly.

"You've l-lost it?" Derren asked. He looked like absolute sh*t. Not surprising, frankly. He didn't look as if he cared much about a lost key at this point.

Without another word Chris grabbed my bag and hauled me back to him, before digging through. "I didn't put it in there, I know I didn't."

It took less than a minute before the key was held in front of my face by Chris' pale hand.

"Wha?" I gingerly took the key from his hand.

"What an i-idiot." Derren laughed half heartedly.

I heard Chris' chuckle from behind me. "Honestly. These things are always in the last place you look."

Rolling my eyes, I spun and looked at him. "Don't act like you're wise." I said, punching his shoulder.

Suddenly he'd grabbed me in a headlock, rubbing his bony knuckles over my head until it was numb. Like I was a kid. "Aw, you still annoyed about the intestine thing?"

"Yes." I snapped, grabbing his arm and attempting to unhook it from around my neck. "Stop treating me like a kid! I'm sixteen, goddamn it! I killed a samurai skeleton today!"

"I'm still older." Chris said with that very slightly amused tone.

"How old even are you?!"

"Seventeen." He said triumphantly.

"That's only a year older, geez, stop acting like some god. If you're so much older than me I'll start calling you an old man."

"All right, all right, chill." He said, releasing me from his grip.

"I'm glad you came back, dude." Derren smiled.

"I'm only here because I'm an idiot." I muttered, putting the key back in my pocket.

"I'm glad you're an idiot. You wouldn't be Kieran if you weren't." He said, shifting his bag on his shoulders.

"Are you saying that's my most distinguishable feature? Me being a total dipsh*t?" I said, looking between them as we started walking again.

Chris sighed disappointedly. "You sounded so smart then you went and said the word 'dipsh*t'."

"Hey, what's wrong with the word 'dipsh*t'?" I frowned.

"Sounds like something a twelve year old would say."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "Fine, what about 'twazzuk'?"

"What does that even mean?" Derren asked.

"Another way of saying 'tw*t'." I shrugged.

"Hm."

"What, you don't use the word 'tw*t' much back home?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Not really." Chris responded.

"Well, you've butchered English enough already." I shrugged.

"Heeeey." Derren pouted.

I chuckled. "What is a zucchini, can you please tell me? Also aluuuminum. There are two 'i's in that word, you know."

"Oh, I can't hear you over the sound of me drinking tea." Derren said in a posh accent.

"Trashcan. Sidewalk." I said in a terrible American accent.

"Pavement. Policeman." Derren responded in an equally terrible British accent.

"This is gunna get racist eventually, guys." Chris said.

Derren chuckled. "We don't want that, do we Kieran?" He said patronisingly.

"No, I f*cking hate racism." I said, shooting a glare at Derren for his patronising tone.

"Oop, that's another dollar for the swear jar." Derren said, laughing a little.

"Twazzuk." I said.

So we started on our final stretch of our level three journey. The straight road ahead seemed to extend for miles, but we kept walking, hardly stopping. All of us just wanted to get to the end. At times I collapsed from exhaustion, and woke up somewhere else. We slept, ate, and walked. We didn't have to deal with many more skeletons.

The pure sense of relief I felt when collapsing into that portal was enough. I'd made it. Finally. Reached the end. I sunk into the gloomy abyss, thanking the lord I'd made it this far.