I'm Not Ready

Set Me Free

Riptid3's P.O.V.

I was my five-year-old self again. I was holding my dad's large hand, well more like a finger, in my tiny one. My mother held my dad's hand while we walked down the street. We were coming home from an Italian restaurant that I chose for my fifth birthday dinner. I was smiling and giggling as my dad told me old work stories.

We turned the corner and I suddenly saw a tall man. He didn't look like a nice guy. He didn't acknowledge me, but he stared at my dad intently.

"Shaun."

"Sorento."

They didn't seem to like each other. I looked at my mom to see what she was looking like. She was gazing at Sorento with fiery hate in her blue eyes. I've never seen her look like that. I was terrified. I gripped my dad's finger tighter out of habit.

"How's the family?" the man called Sorento asks while gazing briefly at my mother and me.

"We're just fine," my father responded without emotion.

"Well, that's good to hear."

"Now, we shall take our leave. Enjoy yourself," my father said while walking past Sorento.

The last thing I remember was a click and a bang.

I woke up gasping for air. My heart was racing and my breathing was rapid.

That scene never actually happened. That's just what I wished my life was...

I tried to rub my eyes, but my hands wouldn't move more than a centimeter. When attempted to move them further, I was met with a cold, hard surface against my wrists. My feet are in the same condition. I looked around and all I could see was white. A color that is supposed to make you calm but it was giving me the opposite effect.

A rectangle door that I didn't know existed opened. I snapped my head up. My dyed blonde hair covered my vision, but I could still tell who it was by their egotistical sounding voice.

"How are you?" Sorento questions with a smug look on his face. I glare at him before responding.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," I spit at him.

"Now, now. Let's act civilized. I just want to talk," he says while slowly raising his hands.

"About what, you bastard?"

"About the second challenge in Halliday's never-ending game. The first challenge was a race that only a few could win."

"You just stated the obvious."

"Why were you and your friends at the Distracted Globe?"

"We just wanted to have some fun. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No, but I have a feeling that isn't everything."

"Well, that's what we were there for," I say while slightly rolling my eyes.

"I guess I'll let you off the hook this time," he says while gazing off at a wall of this monotone room. "I'm proposing something that could work out for the both of us... I'll allow you to stay in one of IOI's luxury apartments. You can do whatever you please, except for entering the OASIS."

"What?! Why?!"

"Well, let's just say we don't want you leaving us quite so soon," he responds while tilting his head. "So, do we have an accord?"

"Fine..." It's better than being tied up here.

Someone find me...

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Sorry for the short chapter. But the next chapters are going to be long af and I didn't want to bunch stuff up.