Virtual Reality ✔

Eliminations

Duncan had simply replied with an 'okay' and left. Before I was ready to leave, the people in charge announced that it only took one person to hit the relief button for the whole team to be disqualified. They said later in the afternoon they'd reveal to us who was eliminated. They made it clear it would take a while, and we'd be able to hear the results from the flats. I rushed out of the lobby and into my own flat. I slumped onto the couch and hugged a pillow.

The game was right; I was scared Duncan would become one of The Monsters. Realistically, I knew that the scenario I had experienced likely wouldn't happen. It was hard to accept that he may be different, because all the close male figures in my life had become a monster. I just hadn't exposed myself to most of the world out there, and it made sense in my ignorant mind that they would all be like Dad.

It probably hadn't mattered now, though. I was completely out of line, thinking that my secret was more important than his. Really, part of me wished that I'd stayed. If I had, I would be with him. I wouldn't be here sulking alone, too embarrassed to leave.

Sometime later, Parker had stopped by and got a drink. He said nothing to me before leaving. For only a moment did I think he was acting a little suspicious. I brushed it off and began thinking about the next eliminations. Then about the only thing scarier than the eliminations; the final game.

Someone knocked twice before entering the flat. I looked back to see Duncan slowly approaching, his hands shoved in the blue zip up jacket he'd put on after we finished the game of fear today. He'd allowed Amberline to straighten his hair this morning, and though I thought it looked nice, I envied her for being able to interact with Duncan so normally.

"Parker said you wanted to talk," he said, sitting on the white chair next to the couch I sat in. He never made eye contact, and I understood why he wouldn't want to look at me. I was truly a mess.

"I knew he was acting suspicious," I muttered, acting as if whatever had happened between him and I never went down. I was a bad actor, I wasn't even convinced.

He only half smiled, but I figured it was something. It was more than I'd gotten this morning. "Look, Grace, I'm sorry about pressuring you to tell me I-" I cut him off.

Leaning forward, I put up my hands dramatically and said, "no, it's not that. You shouldn't be sorry. I overreacted, okay? I was scared, and I only just realized it today." He tilted his head slightly, finally looking in my direction. He didn't continue speaking, so I did, "I actually want to share now. A certain friend of ours told me about how much talking through something can help."

"A friend like Parker?" he asked, finally smiling in a way that seemed genuine. I nodded. "Remember when Parker needed our help?" he asked and I couldn't help but laugh a little at the memory. "He told me the same lesson just before he went outside."

I didn't know how much Duncan had known, and I decided not to mention Parker's depression. I would describe what Duncan had referred to as a lesson as more of a story. Something told me Parker hadn't told Duncan about his past, but maybe I was being egotistical. "Yeah, that makes sense. What I was going to tell you was actually in the fear game today."

"Really?" He asked. I nodded, and he continued, "I've actually been wanting to talk about my own game today. It was... something to say the least."

"I'm listening," I told him. I was particularly glad he was talking to me again, and it made me wonder if he'd felt the same way.

"It started off being in a room with people who cared about me, or who I thought cared about me. I didn't see the scariness until later though, I was aloud to walk around. Suddenly everyone came to me, talking about how I was a disgrace and such. They all left, and I was left with my old bullies. I got sent back to a nightmare I've had before. It made me wonder how they got the nightmare..." He stopped talking and stared of into space. He feared being alone, I noticed. Something traumatic must've happened with his said 'bullies'.

"Part of my game reminded me vaguely of a memory," I flashed back to feeling helpless in my room, awaiting my dad's wrath. Then I remembered the pain in my head I felt before the simulation started. "Mine started with a huge headache, I think the injection was different. They were able to personalize our fear games somehow. Anyway, at the beginning it was a montage of my dad... he wasn't exactly nice. You know what I mean? If you ever hear me talking about The Monsters, it's him and my brother, Toby. After that, well someone knocked on the door and Toby answered it and..." I hadn't known if I wanted to tell him that last part.

"What?" he asked. He sounded warm and reassuring, I knew I could trust him not to judge me. He was resting his arms on his knees as he leaned forward.

"You came and they both morphed into you... in a bad way," I finished explaining.

"You know that wouldn't happen, right? I wouldn't hurt you, or whatever else your father and brother did," he told me. I nodded and he continued, "is it too early to start theorizing?"

"No," I smiled. He then started talking to me about his headache, and then about the possible solutions. Ranging from extensive background checks to being able to shift through our memories, the last theory made me fear our safety. If they were able to go through our memories like he'd suggested, Parker would be busted. We would be eliminated because of his breaking the rules.

"Gamers, may we have your attention, please." Someone over the announcements had said. We really needed to find the speaker. I hoped desperately that it was only a one way thing, that they hadn't picked up our own private conversations. "We've mentioned before that some of you will be eliminated by choice. To be eliminated by choice, only one person in your team had to hit the relief button."

Duncan and I both looked at each other intently. "I didn't hit the relief button," he told me.

"Me either," I said. I decided to leave out the fact that I jumped out of the window, running from my fears. I hoped desperately that doing so hadn't broken any rules. It just all felt scripted, it wasn't even a conscious choice. I tried to justify my actions.

It seemed like forever had passed before the speaker had started to speak again. She listed a lot of teams, I was surprised so many had given up. With each name passing by worries shot through me.What if I broke a rule. What if they could shift through our memories and Parker was disqualified. What if Duncan lied, and he hit the button.

I gave out a sigh of relief when she finished and my team hadn't been announced. That as only temporary, however, because a realization had struck. D3, Jasper, wasn't eliminated either. We all had too much to lose to hit the stupid button that crushed so many dreams tonight.

"That leaves five teams left. We congratulate those of you who all faced your fears. Those of you who didn't... we'll let you stay until the final two teams are announced. After that, any team that was eliminated tonight will be escorted out of the complex." She then went on to say three names who were eliminated. That left us and D3, we could either leave this game in first or second place. "Congratulations teams D2 and D3. You all have made it to the final two! Please meet us in the lobby, where we'll show you to your new flats. Don't bother grabbing your bags, we'll take care of it."

Duncan and I looked at each other wearily. I didn't know what to feel, so I remained numb as we walked out to the lobby again. We passed by employees escorting sulking players to their departure. The girl who had been nice to us all this time came up to Duncan and I. "Congratulations, we hope you beat D3 for us."

I couldn't bring myself to do anything but smile sadly at her. "We'll try," Duncan told her. He put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a half hug. I hugged him back as someone from her team had pulled her away from us. There was an even bigger crowd at the lobby, still being pushed out of the complex. Duncan and I found the rest of our team.

We all gave each other hugs, whispering congratulations to each other. "Aren't you happy? We're so close to winning," Victoria whispered into my ear.

"Trust me, I am. It's just..." I had to think a moment before I finished my sentence. "All those people were just eliminated." It came out as barely a whisper.

"I understand." She replied. We were about to face the biggest challenge in our life so far.

A/N I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the official end, but I decided to write a bonus chapter. If I remember correctly, we're looking at two more chapters before the story is over!