No Outlets in The Darklands
A/N: Holy shit, I actually wrote a thing? for the first time? surprise, surprise it's angst
Spoilers for the 'Welcome to the Darklands' book!
100%
It wasn't until after the ordeal with Skarglak that Jim realized he had his phone on him. A spark of hope flew through him as he whipped out his phone, yearning for communication and his friends.
The screen shined brightly in his face as he pressed the home button. He quickly lowered the brightness. The date read 10:05pm. Thursday, May 27th. Jim was in the Darklands for almost a week now. Made sense considering how the foul odor that reeked from his armor (and armpits) were. The black skin-tight suit underneath his armor did not breathe well.
Jim unlocked the phone and went to his contacts. Who should he call? Claire? Toby? His mom? What would they say? What should he say?
Jim was so overcome with emotion that he failed to see the 'no service' on the top left of the screen.
75%
He lay on the hard rocky floor, flipping through his photos. There may not be any WiFi or signal, but he could still access some apps.
As he went through the album, Jim reminisced the adventures of the previous months. Finding the amulet, playing Romeo, kissing Claire, killing Bular and Angor Rot.
And Arrgh.
50%
He forgot about the Gun-Robot game Toby raved about during middle school. It was an obvious tower defense ripoff app but Jim kept it in case he was bored.
He opened the app and set his defenses. Just Gun-Robot himself, no other support.
As the aliens marched through, Jim thought about Rob, the helheeti. He would've geeked out over this game. Maybe he would still be on Jim's side.
His defenses failed.
If only his friends were there.
20%
First warning. His phone was going to die.
Jim knew he should use his phone wisely and not play stupid games, but he didn't know how long he'd be there. Every night, after venturing out for Enrique or better yet, food, he would lay on the rocky floor, going through those same photos. Then he would try a round of Gun-Robot Defense.
He needed something to help keep him sane.
10%
By the second warning, he couldn't bear it. He stopped playing that stupid battery draining game and focused on the photos of his friends.
It hurt hard. The more he looked at them, the more the battery drained, but without it, he would be lost without them.
Jim was lost physically and emotionally.
He thought about Toby. He thought of Claire. How hurt and lost they may be. Because of him.
He thought of Arrrgh. He thought of Skarglak. Dead because of Him.
For the first time in the Darklands, he cried.
1%
The last thing he saw was a selfie with him, Toby, Claire, Blinky, and of course, Arrrgh.
'I'm sorry'
The screen went black.
He was trapped alone, with his thoughts.
There was nothing he could do, no way to charge the device.
There are no outlets in the Darklands.