Game-Lock

Chapter 4: Main Menu

Vera's POV

I knew I was screaming, but the wind was blowing so hard against my ears that I couldn't hear anything. It was deafening. I spread my arms. I knew it was pointless, but at the same time, I couldn't help myself. I turned my head, and I spotted Rey flailing and kicking, as if that would allow him to fight gravity.

I turned to the other side. Austin had his arms spread like mine, but he was holding onto Blake. My hair flipped over my face, and I looked down, my heart racing.

This couldn't be it, right? Was it going to hurt? I hoped not. I just hoped everything would grow black, and that would be it. I frowned as my vision grew blurrier–was I slowing down? That wasn't normal.

I stared again at Rey. I wasn't wrong. We were slowing down. Everything was growing blurrier again. The wind wasn't blowing so hard against my face. Now I was completely at a standstill — or that was what it felt like.

I blinked, and I was in the dark again, but there was a door in front of me, glowing a sickly green. It had a neon red number: 1 plastered at the top. For a few seconds, it remained red, then it switched to green.

I slowly walked towards the door and opened it. I was immediately struck with a moldy smell. I coughed as I stepped out into a long corridor; the walls filled with torn plaster and mold.

"I don't know how we're alive, but — I'm not complaining." Rey's voice echoed behind me. I turned to see Rey stumbling through the door. I waited for a few seconds, before Austin stumbled through, holding Blake, who had passed out in his arms.

"Is he ok?"

Austin glanced at Blake, then at me. "Taking a much-needed stress-nap. He passed out during the fall."

"I was nearly knocked out with " Rey muttered.

"With how you were kicking, I'm sure you would've powered an entire city."

Rey frowned at Austin, and I shook my head. "Well, I guess I wasn't wrong about the fall."

"You were wrong about our deaths."

"Something I am more than happy to be wrong about, trust me." I said, raising my hands in surrender. "Only question is...where are we?"

"The main menu —" Rey said.

"What?" Both Austin and I asked and turned as Rey pointed down the corridor. All of them had numbers on them, all lit in red. I turned to look at the door we just walked through. It had a one on top and it was green, then I looked at the 2. It was slightly ajar, but it was still glowing red.

"I guess we are stuck in Game-lock after all," Austin whispered.

"This can't be happening... how the hell do we get out?" Rey asked.

I frowned and crossed my arms.

"You've got something to say — Jessie?"

"It's Vera," I said, turning to Austin. "Forgot I didn't tell you my name–"

"Ok, Vera — got something to say?"

"According to the terms and conditions, we need to beat all 100 levels before we can quit that game."

"Wha — ALL 100 LEVELS?" Rey screeched.

"Dude, chill–"

"You don't tell me to chill! How are you not panicking!?" Rey yelled at Austin.

"Cause yelling ain't gonna do nothing about our current predicament." Austin said. "I've got my twelve-year-old nephew with me; what do you think I am feeling right now?"