A Room Full of Strangers

Door 6 - Door of Survival

Door 6
Door of Survival
The two haven't left the fifth room yet. They are so close to the end yet they feel like they want to surrender. None of them wants to open the door. Brett took a deep sigh before speaking.
'Austin, do the honors.'
'No.' he shortly replied. He doesn't want to see what's behind the door. He doesn't want to compete with Brett, not because he is a tough competitor but because he doesn't want to harm him.
'Right now, we only have two choices left; to surrender or to survive. If in case you are the destined survivor, would you deprive yourself the chance to live normally again?' Brett said to Austin, hoping that he could persuade him to open the door.
'I don't want to compete with you.' Austin firmly said.
'Then there's no need to feel the pressure of competition. We'll let the fate decide.'
'If I am not the lucky one, then fine. It's totally okay for me. What's holding me back from twisting that doorknob is that...' Austin paused for a while and engaged eye contact with Brett. There was a few seconds of dead air.
'I have to harm you.'
Brett patted his left shoulder and spoke, 'Bro, I hate to harm you as much as you do, but we need to. That's the only way around.' Brett headed to the door and was about to open it when Austin interrupted.
'And another thing...' He said, making Brett turn his back from the door.
'If I ever win, no, I hate to win. A triumph can never be sweet if it's a fruit of a bitter violence.' He continued. Brett released a sigh before answering.
'We do not know what kind of soil we are going to plow but once we see it, we should be wise on choosing the seeds we are going to sow. So that be it win or lose, we'll both have fair harvest.' He said and he's confident that Austin would understand the symbolism. Austin responded with a nod.
Brett continued his way to the door. A faint click was heard as he twisted the doorknob. He opened the door widely and it created a long creepy creaking sound. Right next after the door was a long foot bridge made up of wooden blocks and rope which extends up to the mansion's final door. It was coated with lots of spiderwebs and it already looks fragile. The two looked down. There was no solid ground. Below the bridge was a dark bottomless pit. Brett turned to Austin. He gave him an "are-you-ready?" look but Austin replied with a hesitant one.
'Le-let's...let's wait for the warning, shall we?' Austin asked stuttering. Brett let out a sigh.
'Sure.' He shortly answered.
A few seconds later, a thought was forcing to enter their minds which caused the two to hold their heads in pain. They screamed as the message was registered to their minds.

The last thing you will think about would be the only one you could bring with you outside.

The aching stopped. The two looked at each other. Austin extended a hand to Brett.
'Good luck,' he said.
'...to the both of us,' Brett added and shook Austin's hand.
The two stepped down from the concrete doorstep and set their foot on the wooden bridge. Brett went first and then Austin followed behind him. The two were silent as they walked on the bridge.
Austin suddenly started remembering all the pain and tears that the previous doors had given, making each step forward a little bit heavier. He chose not to think about anything because he knows, he cannot take it with him outside.
They are about to reach the middle when Austin's right foot suddenly stepped on a weak wooden block, causing it to break. Brett turned and quickly walked towards him.
'Bro, hold on.' Brett said as he bent one knee and grabbed Austin's right arm to pull him up. Austin's left hand was just relying on the dusty rope beside him.
'Congratulations.' Austin said.
'No, just keep holding on!' Brett replied. Just a few moments, the wooden block already gave up and fell on the bottomless pit. Both of Austin's legs are now hanging free, one hand on the rope and the other was being held by Brett. However, he let go of the rope, making Brett the only one who's keeping him falling.
'Fuck, why did you do that?' Brett exclaimed out of fear.
'I do not deserve it.'
'I don't either.'
'My brother was right. I am coward.'
'And damn, you believed it?' Austin just shook his head.
'Please let go of me. I'm losing my grip.'
Brett pondered about it. He realized that the man he is trying to save doesn't even want to save himself. However, something is holding him back from releasing him; conscience.
'Brett, it's not yet too late for you. Change.' Austin said, his last words before his arm eventually slipped away from Brett's.
'No! Austin!' Brett yelled as he watched him fall into the bottomless pit.
'Austin!' He yelled one last time but there was no response.
That was the last one.
And he is the last man standing.
He stood up and turned his sight to the final door. It's just a few meters away. As he moved his foot a step closer, he heard a loud creak. He turned to his back and found out that it came from the far end of the rope tied into a rusty pole at the sixth door's doorstep. Even the rope is already giving up so he walked a little bit faster. He can't run because if he did, the bridge will fall down. However, the bridge started shaking and every step he takes intensifies the shaking.
There was no choice left.
He needs to run.

Before reaching the final door, he thought of one last thing;

Everything happened was just a nightmare, I'll make it home.

He extended his arm to twist the doorknob and as he opened the door, his sight met a blinding white light.
And the light swallowed him.