The Game

Chapter 22: Down In Flames

Mr. Beaufort's voice echoed through the intercom, his words cut through the tense silence of the chamber like a knife "Well, well, well it seems like Garold is having quite the struggle right here" he remarked his tone laced with amusement "But I must say I'm impressed, genuinely, he survived two of the three traps I set up already, one more and he might just spoil my plans."

Joe's voice rang out in defiance, his words filled with optimism "And he'll survive the last one too! And we'll all make it out, Gary isn't going to give up easy." he declared, his voice ringing with determination.

But Rachel's gaze remained fixed on the screen, her brow furrowed in concern as she watched Gary's frozen and battered form. Despite Joe's optimism, she couldn't shake the gnawing sense of dread that lingered in the pit of her stomach. The trials that Gary had faced so far had been brutal and unforgiving, and she knew that the final challenge would be the most perilous yet, she wasn't certain that Gary would survive.

As she watched Gary struggle to his feet, his body battered and broken from the relentless onslaught of traps, The odds were stacked against them, and with each passing moment, the threat of failure for them all loomed larger in her mind.

As the seconds ticked by, Rachel's eyes remained fixed on the screen as she waited for Gary to face the final trial that awaited him.

The air grew thick with the suffocating heat as Gary stood to his feet in the next chamber, flames licking hungrily at the walls, causing heat all throughout the room, the intensity of the heat felt like an inferno, searing through his clothes and singeing his skin as he took exhausted steps forward.

Every breath he took felt like inhaling fire, the scorching air searing his lungs with each gasp
He swore under his breath "Fuck."
Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, stinging his eyes as he surveyed the fiery landscape before him, he knew this last game wouldn't be easy to escape, he survived the cold and even being shocked, but he couldn't just survive being set on fire.

In the corner of the room, mounted on the wall, was a fire extinguisher encased in a glass box, its surface bristling with menacing spikes though, Gary's heart sank at the sight of it, another cruel trap designed by Beaufort to inflict harm upon anyone who dared to break it open, But with flames closing in from all sides, he knew he had no other choice but to risk his hand breaking it to receive the extinguisher.

Summoning every ounce of courage he possessed, Gary approached the glass case, his hands trembling with fear and rage, With a swift, decisive motion, he slammed his fist into the glass, the spikes digging into his flesh and drawing blood, Pain shot through his hand like a thousand punches, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through the agony, his adrenaline-fueled determination driving him forward

After the glass shattered into a shower of shards, Gary grasped the fire extinguisher as he scanned the flames around the rooms, his injured hand throbbing with every movement he made, With trembling fingers, he aimed the nozzle at the nearest flames and pulled the trigger, unleashing a powerful stream of foam that doused the fire with a satisfying hiss.

But the relief was short-lived as the flames roared back to life with renewed vigor, their relentless heat bearing down on Gary like a relentless force of nature, Sweat streamed down his face, mingling with the blood from his injured hand as he fought to keep the inferno at bay as he kept going with the extinguisher.

Time seemed to blur into a hazy, never-ending nightmare as Gary battled against the flames, his body growing weaker with each passing moment, The heat was oppressive, suffocating, threatening to overwhelm him entirely, he never felt such heat before in his life.

Despite his best efforts, the flames continued to rage unchecked, their intensity growing with every passing second, Gary's vision swam, his head spinning from the combination of heat and exhaustion He staggered and stumbled, his limbs heavy and unresponsive as he fought to stay upright.

Joe yelled out hoping to be heard
"Don't give up Gary! You have this!"

Rachel just watched in sorrow knowing that he already lost.

But as the flames closed in around him, Gary knew that he was fighting a losing battle, His strength was waning, his injuries too severe to ignore any longer, With one final, desperate effort, he aimed the fire extinguisher at the heart of the inferno and screamed as he kept trying, he was unleashing a torrent of foam in a last-ditch attempt to quell the flames.

But it was too late, The heat was unbearable, consuming him from the inside out, With a final, agonized cry, Gary collapsed to the ground, his body wracked with pain as the flames closed in around him engulfing him.

In the end, there was nothing he could do but surrender to the inferno, his life snuffed out in a blaze of heat and fire from Mr. Beaufort's game.

As Gary's limp form laid crumpled on the ground, the flames continued to rage unchecked, amidst the chaos and destruction one positive came from it, For beyond the flames, beyond the smoke and ash, was the door to the last game, a door that now stood open, beckoning to Joe and Rachel, offering them a chance to escape the fiery inferno that had claimed Gary's life.

With heavy hearts and tear-filled eyes, Joe and Rachel stepped through the door, leaving behind the charred remains of their fallen comrade as they prepared to face the final game that awaited them.

But as they ventured into the unknown, their thoughts lingered on Gary, a brave soul who had sacrificed everything in the name of survival, Though his journey had come to a tragic end, his memory would live on in their hearts forever, a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.

As Gary's lifeless form lay amidst the smoldering ruins of the chamber, Mr. Beaufort's voice cut through the  silence, his applause echoing through the intercom.

"Well done, Garold" he remarked, his tone dripping with malice and amusement."You truly had the performance of the night, what an emotional rollercoaster we've had."

Joe clenched his fists in anger and sadness, but he kept his silence knowing that lashing out would only play into Mr. Beaufort's twisted game

Rachel however was not so restrained, Anger boiled within her, fueling her words as she unleashed her fury upon him.

"You're a sick twisted bastard" she spat, her voice laced with venomous contempt "You really think that you're God himself, You enjoy watching people suffer, don't you?"

Mr. Beaufort's smirk widened at Rachel's outburst, clearly relishing the opportunity to provoke his contestants further "Ah please, Miss Rachel you're always the passionate one aren't you" he replied, his tone mocking and condescending "But let's not dwell on the past, The real fun is yet to come in our final game."

With a smile and a point, he gestured towards the open door, his eyes gleaming with anticipation "Now, please if you'll both follow me" he continued his voice dripping with excitement, "we can proceed to the final game, I assure you, it will be a spectacular spectacle, and I promise with everything I stand for, both of you can survive."

Joe and Rachel exchanged wary glances knowing that this final game could contain anything.