Endless

Chapter 6

"We can't afford this, people." Will spits at us, his teammates. We are all standing on the base before level two-hundred. Will goes on, "All of these lost teammates. And for what? Accidents? We can't do that anymore." He pauses before saying, "Our numbers are decreasing, people. Soon there won't be any of us for me to scold. The red team will be extinct." He pauses again for effect, "So, be careful! Help your teammates if they're struggling. We are a team, people!"

Will's speech is taking a toll on me. I bet he was talking about Aimee when he said to help struggling teammates. That part was probably directed at Brooklyn. Brooklyn just stood and watched as Aimee was slipping off the edge. Maybe Will thinks Brooklyn could have helped me save Aimee. I am still caught up in my thoughts when I hear soft, sobbing sounds. I am pulled into the present only to see Will holding his hand to his forehead, trembling lightly. The cries are coming from him, he is crying. I look around frantically to possibly find the cause.

However, everyone has dispersed among themselves and busied themselves over nothing to give Will some space. A low hum of a chatter encircles me. Brooklyn and Grayson come up behind me. I hold their eyes for a moment to detect any sign of grief or panic, but there isn't any. I ask, "What happened to Will?"

Grayson answers bluntly, "He broke down because he was in love with Aimee and now she's gone forever." Brooklyn's mouth drops open and she slowly turns to face Grayson. She stares at him for a few seconds with a warning glare. Not here, she mouths. I jump in, "It's okay, Brooklyn. I know it's my fault." I sigh shakily, "I hate that I've caused Will despair." Brooklyn nods and adds, "And heartbreak."

Now it's Grayson's turn to look at Brooklyn warningly. Brooklyn pretends as if she doesn't see Grayson's piercing, grey eyes burning through the side of her face. I have caused Will misery and heartache. He is probably fighting to get through the rest of the day without breaking down again. I could've spared all that misery. What are his feelings toward me? I could've saved Aimee for him. Now what? How does he perceive me? No one will trust me now. Especially not Will.

Suddenly, Will claps his hands together as always and ushers us to begin level two-hundred. The moment of misery and mourning is over. I get in line in my section. Grayson asks me, "Can I go first this time?" I nod and back up to make space for him to stand in front of me.

Originally, Will had given us a specific order according to age, however we've established that Will doesn't remember that order. So, most of us just get into the same general section of the line and arrange ourselves however we want. It's fun to rebel against Will when we're up to it. I don't feel like disobeying Will - especially now. But I allow Grayson to take the place in front of me because he asked and I didn't realize I had answered.

I now find myself conquering level two-hundred. The level seems rather simple. It looks like a checkers board. The board acts as a walkway to the next base. Some squares are white and some red. Brooklyn accompanies me on this level. We both hop on the first two squares. I step on the red square and Brooklyn on the white square beside me. However, when Brooklyn lands on the white square, her legs drop right through it.

Brooklyn yelps. I instantly dive forward and grab her underarms and pull her back up. I hoist her back onto the level valiantly. She stumbles over to me to get away from the transparent square. She stands beside me and pants for a few seconds. I decide to let her regain herself so I launch an experiment. I reach the toe of my shoe out to the white square directly in front of me. Sure enough, I dip my toe right through the white square.

I come to a conclusion, "Brooklyn. All the white squares are transparent. Only use the red ones." Brooklyn snaps back exasperatedly, "Yeah, I know." She straightens herself and we continue level two-hundred using only the red squares.

I am careful not to touch the white squares, however it is difficult because of how close they are. My pace slows. I am taking more cautious steps now.

Brooklyn finishes first. She stands at the edge of the base, encouraging me to speed up. Brooklyn calls, "Come on, Taya! We're all waiting!" Her words sting, but they motivate me. I increase the length of my steps and begin taking two squares at a time. I reach the base in that same minute.

Brooklyn's face twists into a scrunched up smile, "That's better." I wince at her, sending a message implying sarcastically, thanks for the helpful prompts. I notice Will at the other end of the base. He is sitting alone not yelling at someone for once. Seeing his sullen face churns my stomach. I watch him from afar, the way his face shifts from gloomy to miserable. The guilt of losing Aimee begins to resurface. It starts chastising me. I stand still, watching Will get engulfed by his own emotions.