Chapter 23
The seamstress arrived on time. She handed us the clothes and went her way. She said that she made it special just for me, because she had fun fitting me.
And proposed in the future to be her model in her gowns.
I said I'll think about it but there's like one percent of that happening and ninety-nine not happening.
I took the clothes from Sen and headed upstairs to my room to try it. Remembering to lock the door, I went to my bathroom and took off my clothes.
I put the new ones on and got out. I walked to the floor length mirror and saw myself.
The color black gives attention to my light skin, giving it a bit of glow. The duffle was long, ending just below my butt, the turtleneck fit me in every aspect.
The socks and boots feel comfortable and I can move how I want to move. The belt and shorts hang on my waist perfectly.
Awesome, I can live with this.
We were on our way to the event, it was being held on the arena.
Just how big is this forest to have a damn arena?
It takes time but I'm getting used to what they are.
I nodded and she let go of my hand. Van then spoke.
Since this was a limo, Van was seating beside me while Sen seated in front of me.
When we got there, I didn't expect so many people. The good thing is we go behind to avoid being seen by them until the game begins.
The arena was huge. It was noisy inside and a lot of people were selling stuff outside. They had four huge entrances in the arena.
How do I know? We practically got around and driven through every corner of this place just to get where we should be.
I noticed just now how different mine is from theirs.
Something with my clothes seems to have changed, the designs were more attractive, luxurious.
They looked over and saw me enter. Then it happened, the whispers.
Ignoring the attention, I tried to look for a certain someone but I don't see her anywhere.
Whatever, I'll just look for her later.
The horns started to blare, taking over what was once an annoying production of noises.
I can hear a muffled voice talking through the speakers. What's happening?
The doors that I once entered opened and a man stepped in. He told us to go out and prepare ourselves since the game is starting.
The girls started to fix theirselves and some started to line up and go out.
Nervous was an understatement, I'm shaking.
I breathed in deeply, calm down, stay focused.
I keep repeating those words inside my head until I felt okay. I sighed and followed the other girls outside.
At first, I saw blinding lights, but it was only the lights that were set up throughout the area. When my vision adjusted, I gasped lightly. We came out directly inside the arena.
The crowds surrounded us and they were all seated in the raised platform of the arena.
The arena was designed as a forest. Good enough to think you're really inside a forest.
Whoever made that is definitely out of this world. Then again, they maybe built this with the forest still intact. I don't know, this stuff is crazy.
The crowd cheered and roared like there is no tomorrow. They chanted lets play over and over until the person who spoke, shushed them.
It was glowing and something was written on it.
There were cheers everywhere.
Everyone hurriedly formed a line in front of the crystal ball and one by one, started to have their numbers and some, changed theirs.
Some were contemplating whether to change or not, their faces were either sour or they were smiling. The ball holder speaks of their numbers when they are final with their decisions.
When it was my turn, I took a deep breath. The crystal glowed, my mouth formed an o, being so close to it feels so unbelievable. My eyes were zeroed on the ball, I was waiting for something, I don't even know how they got their numbers.
The crystal had numbers written in its center, it was shuffling real fast and when it stopped, I couldn't see it.
Then the top of it, a hole suddenly appeared. I grinned, awesome. I put my arm inside and grabbed the paper.
1.
I should take what I am given.
The ball holder nodded and shouted, "The first ever, Number 1!"
I was the first to get number 1?
The crowd suddenly went berserk. They were shouting, chanting, some had their hands out and were pumping the air like victory.
The girls were looking at me with either pity or jealousy. I took my leave and settled on the shadows just behind the girls where I'm not much seen. Too much eyes, can't handle it.
Adjust the goddamn volume.
There was a countdown presented to us. It was a hologram in the air. It was huge in font but the count hasn't started yet.
I was facing the door for building 1, whatever is inside is either my doom or my destiny.
I was with four people, I don't know anyone so I distanced myself as far as I could.
We heard a loud ringing from the speakers, then the countdown began.
I can do this, I just need to be calm, I need to think and act smart. I can't die, not yet.
Who says I'm dying anyways? This is a puzzle game Katie, you can do it.
Here goes nothing.
A loud bang was heard and everyone started to enter through the door.
I sighed heavily, I followed them and entered.
Inside the room was lights and levers. There are four rows of lights and five columns of it. The lever was below it.
A lot of wires were scattered throughout the room. I held my paper tightly, what is this?
The four girls started playing with the levers, some were turning on, some were going off. It was a pattern, I know this game.
What do they call it...
All Out.
That's it, if you turn on a bulb, the bulb besides it also lights up or turns off.
This is the puzzle game I hate the most, just how unlucky.
It's suppose to be turning the lights all on, not off, just what is this?
I tried to analyze the game. Lever one turns on the whole column and one row, lever two does the same, and three and four, only problem is, every bulb is connected.
It became noisy outside again, I couldn't quite focus. I walked towards a corner and leaned my back on the wall.
The girls were still playing with the levers, trying out certain patterns to work.
Alright, the goal is to turn off all the lights, not on.
"Oops, my bad."
I'm grouped with idiots, more specifically, people who doesn't take information into consideration.
I tsked and thought of a way to get out of this room.
Turn it all off, just how...
I hate puzzle games, it takes too much of my brain. I sighed and sat down, fixing my duffle so I won't sit on it.
I surveyed the room, there was lights above us that is on, lighting up a certain area, which is weird because it should light up the whole room, there are no wires attached to them, compared to the ones that we are solving.
What could possibly be the solution? All levers have patterns, just differently, and if I were to try and solve it, I'd just get the same thing over and over.
I unconsciously followed the wires with my eyes, it led to something behind the lights.
Right, we haven't even went around the room and just focused on the lights immediately.
I stood up and brushed myself, I went behind the lights and saw a generator.
I tried to open it but then I noticed the lock on it. Great, keys.
Damn that speaker.
I groaned and banged my head on the generator. Keys, keys, keys. Just where can I find keys?
The noise coming from the girls wasn't helping either. They were still arguing which lever to pull and what not to pull.
Ignoring their harassments with one another, the room was full of wires and lights, finding a key in this room is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Lights, wires, generator.
We need to turn all the lights off and get out of the door.
Lights.
Lights.
I frowned. Now that you look at it closely, the light illuminating the area is weird.
Lights! That's it, the bulb above us!
I looked up and saw its weird form of light. The bulb was only lighting up a certain area like something was in front of it, blocking its path.
I looked for something on the ground, something light and hard enough for me to throw and break the bulb into pieces.
There you are, rock.
I picked it up between the wires and aimed it to the bulb, shooting a gun is easier than this.
I doubt their time is accurate. Why does time fly so fast?
I missed at first, I put too much strength and focused on where to throw it, losing velocity.
The rock landed on one of the girls, I let out a low laugh.
I tried again, I threw the rock with much force needed and it hit. The bulb shattered and made a loud sound. The cracks fell down, my eyes caught one thing in particular, the key.
The girls screamed and ran away, wherever they can ran away to.
I hurriedly went to the spot where the key dropped and picked it up, holding it in my hands.
It was a silver key, matching the generator lock. I went to the generator and put the key in the lock.
The lock clicked and I dropped it to the ground to open the generator.
The generator's content consists also of levers, small ones. I recalled the hosts' words in my mind. He mentioned levers.
Hell.
I pulled all the levers down one by one, and all the lights were now off.
There was a sound of a buzz before the door opened. I was right, they were decoys.
The goal of the game was to turn off all the lights, which means that includes the one at the top, the one where the key was hidden.
And they also said to turn off the lights by pulling the leverages, they meant the ones inside the generator, not the one below the lights.
Damn puzzle games, I want food. Now.