The Blame Game

CHAPTER SEVEN

"So... What do we do now?" I ask no one in particular.

"I think we should get the hell out of here." Li says, turning back to the door we came through. Just as David walks in.

"What the hell! How did you get in here? You weren't meant to get in here!" he yells, spittle flying from his mouth. A drop lands on my top, and when I look down, I notice that there is blood in it. Probably from the bloody smile he painted on his face. I back away, dragging April's wheelchair with me, terrified he'll kill us all right here, right now.

"Why are you doing this, David?" Sierra asks him cautiously. What is she doing? She'll get herself killed!

"You'll find out soon enough," he snarls. Suddenly he reaches out and grabs Victoria, pulling her close to him. She whimpers, and she stares at us in fear.

"Victoria Travis saved April Raine. Now Victoria Travis will have her turn. Whoever saves her will be next. And whoever saves them will be next. You have five minutes." he says, slamming the same timer we'd been given before on a light stand near the door. I flinch away from him. He drags Victoria out, and we are left yet again what we're going to do.

"Well, we can't leave her to die." Sierra says, stating the obvious. "Is anyone willing to sacrifice themselves to save her?"

Everyone remains silent. I guess they're all thinking the same thing I am. I don't want to be tortured.

Sierra sighs, closing her eyes for a moment. Then she opens them again and looks at us, determined. I know what she's going to say. "I'll do it then."

"Sierra, you can't! You just went through it, do it you really think you can handle it a second time?" I ask, now terrified for Sierra.

"I guess I'll have to, won't I? I can't just let her die because I'm too scared to save." she says bravely, but I can see the fearful tears welling in her eyes. I can't take it.

"I'll do it. I'll do it." I say suddenly.

-----------

We follow the sound of the music, a feeling of dread in our hearts. I feel like I'm walking to my death. The music started up in the same second the timer started beeping, an obvious sign of what we needed to do.

"You don't have to do this." Sierra says, walking close beside me.

"No one else will, and I won't let it happen to you again. Just.... does he... do anything? Like, when he makes you lie down on the table?" I ask, my mind racing with possibilities. Everything I come up with ends in death though, which doesn't help settle my heart. Maybe my torture will be getting licked to death by puppies. I hope so.

"No, he doesn't do anything like that, I promise. He just makes you lie down, ties you up, and then sits beside you and tells you a story about how you're going to die we can't get you out. Then he'll leave seconds before we show up to save you." Sierra comforts me. April nods in agreement, but it still doesn't help.

I feel like my blood is lead in my veins; sluggish and slow. I desperately want to keep my life, but I don't want to risk having someone else's life on my head. I can see that the ferris wheel is lit up, and my heart sinks. I can see the cages of the wheel, singing slightly in the light breeze. I hadn't even noticed when the wind died down, but now I'm glad for it.

We walk until we're right at the foot of the ferris wheel, and then we stop, staring up at the top carriage. Victoria is up there, I can hear her screaming. God only knows what she's going through right now.

"Well, how do we get up there?" I say, deciding to ask the most obvious question we've been confronted with. I can see a ladder that's been built into the main mast that holds the ferris wheel in place. Maybe we could climb that? Sierra beats me to it.