The Mystery Eight

Chapter Twelve: Resentment

Devin and Nissa are waiting in the eerie doorway of the the next room, hoping for Damien to come through. Their anxiety was building up, not knowing what was on the other side of the door, and what challenge awaited them. They heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door. Both of them huddled against each other, afraid of what was about to come from behind the door. It slowly started to creak, and some fingers came around the side of the door, and pulled it open.

"Damien!" Nissa said relieved. They both rushed over to him, and started asking him if he was fine.

"Yeah I'm fine.. but Tara..." he closed his eyes and squeezed his fist. "She died because of Jarvis.. if only I was stronger and didn't let him take advantage of me, she could've been alive"

"You can't blame yourself" Devin cut in, "you couldn't of had any idea that he would act like that."

"I guess.." Damien pretended he agreed, but in his mind he let her down.

"I had a memory.. I sort of met Tara before all of this. We didn't necessarily meet, it's complicated." Damien finished.

"Tara deserved that death." Nissa blurted out.

"What the fuck Nissa" Devin said shocked, giving her a disgusted face.

Damien looked away, his jaw tightened and he clenched his fists. "You didn't have to say that out loud, learn to keep your damn mouth shut."

"I'm not trying to be rude, but she let Daniel die... I don't know how I could forgive that." She tried to defend herself.

Devin was trying to defuse the situation, but was still shocked by what Nissa said, "Let's all try to remember we aren't here by cho-" the voice projected from the speakers in the next room cutting Devin off.

They all moved into the room, and the door closed behind them, they noticed that there was still a glass splitting them from another room, but it was dark and they couldn't see what was on the other side.

"Welcome to your next obstacle, in this room, you guys will have to Solve a puzzle, there are three puzzles that are exactly the same. One for each of you, whoever finishes must make a choice of who dies, and who lives. Your time begins now"

19:59

The three of the rushed over to their separate puzzle and started trying to solve it to the best of their ability. It was a like a tree stump, and had multiple rings on the top that you could rotate There were letters on each of the rings, scrambled

Damien was observing the strange device, and started turning the rings to try and make a word that made sense, but nothing came to his mind. Something seemed off, but he couldn't figure it out. He usually was much better at these types of things, but the thought of Tara was throwing him off.

Nissa was looking at the device and couldn't find where to start either. Devin was rotating it and then started pressing down on the trunk and felt it click, he realized that once he figures out the order, he just has to push it down in order to finish. He struggled to finish, and next thing to his knowledge, Nissa's trunk clicked in and she got a black lever out of her trunk. Damien and Devin rushed to solve theirs. Not too long after, Devin also finished and was holding a lever, he looked around and finally found the spot that he was supposed to put the lever in.

He discreetly walked over to it then lifted his arms in the air to put it in, then Nissa slammed her lever in first and quickly pulled it by impulse. Both Devin and Damien's hearts sank when they realized they might be killed.

The lights flickered on in the other room. They all turned to it, and saw two beds with two people laying in them, both covered in blood. The beds started rotating vertically, holding both Jarvis and Tara up and down, each squinting as their eyes adjusted to the lights. Jarvis' nerves started getting to him as he realized the situation he was about to be put in.

The voice came through the speakers, "Nissa, you must step into the small door in the back of room, in it you will find two names. Whichever you pick will kill that person."

Tara gulped remembering that Nissa was going to make her pay for what she did to Daniel. She started to cry as the realization of her life ending hit her.

"Nissa, do not do what I think you're about to do." Damien said, but Nissa didn't pay any mind and just kept walking to the room.

"Nissa!" Devin tried to grab her arm but she pushed him away. She had one thing on her mind, 'Avenge Daniels death.'

She walked in the room and it locked behind her, it was pitch black and she couldn't see anything. A dim light appeared above the buttons, she slowly walked over to them and looked down at them. She was thinking back to the moment Tara let Daniel die and she clenched her fists so hard her knuckles cracked.

A bang came from behind her, frightening her. "Nissa! Listen to me, I know you're upset about what happened to Daniel, but Tara stepped up and saved my life. Don't do this" Damien was begging at this point. He had so much he needed to tell Tara.

"Shut the fuck up, you know when I get out of here I'm going to end your life myself." Jarvis said with a sinister tone.

Jarvis started screaming, "Do it! She killed the person who saved your life! She didn't even try! Don't let his death be in vein!" Jarvis was doing everything he could to make her angrier at Tara.

Devin approached the door and said in soft tone, "Nissa, you don't want to do this, don't let anger be the reason you end someone's life, you'll be worse than Jarvis. You're a good person, make the right deci-"

"I already made up my mind." She pressed the button, and from behind everyone an ear piercing scream rang throughout the room.