The Riddler smiles even wider - if possible - at us, he probably feels so smug knowing that he can strike fear into all ten of us with only words.
"The second part of this test is much more difficult for you all won't be working together! That means you all won't be able to cheat-" He spat out that word like it was venom, "-and use poor Chelsea to save all your pathetic stupid lives! Before I explain what is going to happen, we all need a change of scenery." As he finishes with a wide smirk, a group of men come in wearing green clothing.
Everyone with a number on their shirt starts yelling, screaming and crying to be let go and to be freed. I sigh, seeing that there is no point in doing any of those three things, all it does is annoy the crap out our kidnappers. I look up at the man who came to me and slightly smile.
"Uh... is there any chance that I could ask you to do it gently?"
The man looks at me shocked for a second then starts to chuckle, "Sure doll face." I smile at him again but bigger and more genuine.
"Thank you sir." He shakes his head amused by what I said and then ties a blindfold over my eyes tightly but not to tight for it to hurt. I listen to him move around a bit, slightly tensed due to the whole I can't see anything and then suddenly feel I needle inject in the side of my neck putting me to sleep.
"Rise and shine beautiful! As much as I want to let you sleep, I just simply can't! We got some more riddles to answer!" I hear a voice say, ever so cheer full. I groan at a small amount of pain coming from my neck from where I got injected, but I know full well it could have been far worse.
I sit up from my laying position and look around at my surroundings, I immediately think that it's going to look like the same room from before but instead find myself in a small boxed in room, if i could get up and walk around i would probably only be able to move 5 feet in each direction. All four walls are an unusual bright white color that makes my eye sting slightly, The only things that make some sort of colors in the room is myself, a small T.V hanging above the door, and the riddler on the T.V. I look up at him to see his smug smirk looking back at me which makes me grimace, "not even 10 more minutes as a prize from answering all those riddles?" I groan feeling the urge to rub my eyes, He merely chuckles, "Of course it could but I was thinking that you just wouldn't have to answer any riddles this round, unless you want to answer the riddles?" I mean sleeping for another ten minutes is tempting but i don't really feel like using my brain for at least another year, "No it's fine, i think i answered enough riddles for my life." He shakes his head, "there is no such thing as enough riddles but either way let me explain what is going to be happening for you my dear because you've answered all my riddles last round you'll be able to watch the other imbeciles try to answer my simple riddles, you can't help them this time though dear. I have more plans for you but for now all you have to do is watch and observe my brilliance and their idiotic attempts. Enjoy yourself now." He flashes me a quick smirk and the screen switches over to the screen cut into 9 squares, in each little box it looks like the exact same room am in, bright white walls, T.V above the door and a person sitting in a chair in the middle of the room with their head down.
They all look to be in uncomfortable positions which makes me quietly thank the man who brought me in here for putting me in the most comfortable position someone could be in a chair. I hear slight static come from each of their and the riddler appears on each of the with his large smirk still present on his face, "Hey, diddle diddle~ time to wake up and make you use your simpleminded brains." They all slowly wake up and look around wildly to see where they are, Ashley, Emily, Anna and Jacob start crying. Annette and Brad start praying, Matt, Micheal and Omar glare up at the riddler.
"Where am I?" Matt yells at the riddler while shaking in his chair making it moving side to side, I look at the others quickly to see if they reacted to his voice but they all are still doing what they were doing before, none of them can hear each other. I feel slightly shocked at that but then remember what the riddler said about there would be no more cheating, I guess he thinks that them helping each other would be cheating.
I look back over at Matt and see him now on the floor, the moron tipped his chair over, "moron..." I mutter out with a slight chuckle, I look over and see the riddler snort slightly and shake his head slightly, "yes a very big moron you are number 2." I feel my cheeks heat up, embarrassed that he heard me.
He clears his throat, "If you barbarians are done then I can explain the rules for this round, you are all in different rooms but they all look the same, you will not be able to hear each other no matter how loud you yell. I will be asking 4 riddles, which means that only four people will be able to leave with there lives, the five that don't answer quick enough will be going into a death trap and be used as bait for the wretched bat." he finishes with pure venom and hatred when he mentions batman.
As I think about what he just said, I start to get confused, why am I here? If he wanted me in the death trap I would have already been in it and if I'm not participating in this then just why am I needed for?
"Without wasting anymore time, let's start!
Riddle me this!
I have keys but no locks. I have a space but no room. You can enter, but can't go outside. What am I?"
I immediately know the answer is keyboard but it's seems from the looks of everyone else they have no idea, I hear slight static coming from the T.V, "So Chelsea, do you know the answer to this simple riddle?" I nod my head knowing he was watching me right now.
"Well don't keep me in suspense, what is it?" I sigh, "I thought I didn't have to answer any riddles?" As soon as the words come out of my mouth I regret it, dammit Chelsea! He isn't some normal guy that you can talk back too! He could kill you without even blinking an eye. I wince quietly at his silence, I hear him clear his throat, "W-well I guess that is true, I uh won't ask you anymore."
I blink once, twice, thrice and look up at the T.V with clear confusion on my face, I then hear the static stop meaning he was no longer talking to me, I don't know why but I feel the biggest amount of guilt tug on my heart, if my hands weren't tied up I would be rubbing my face, without truly thinking of the consequences I open my mouth, "Keyboard... the answer is keyboard." I feel my cheeks heat up again out of embarrassment. I look up to see all of them still trying to figure out the answer making me sigh, I look at Matt's T.V to see the riddler with a even larger smirk then last time, I squint my eyes and see just the smallest twinge of red his cheeks, making my lip twinge up ever so slightly.
I then see some movement come from Anna's room, "the answer is keyboard!" She yells out confidently, the riddler sighs and nods his heads, "that is correct... number 5! And I was just beginning to think that perhaps I should have given you all more simple riddles so we could not be here all day.
That means only 3 more riddles!
Riddle me this!
Every night I'm told what to do, and each morning I do what i'm told. But I still don't escape your scold. What is it?"
Everyone but Anna and me start panicking to figure out the answer, just like the last riddle I know the answer as soon as he asks it, I wait in absolute silence for a few minutes listening to them all mumble, cry and groan I hear a familiar static come from the T.V, "So do you know the answer to this one me dear?" I nod my head and smile weakly, "yeah, it's an alarm clock." I hear him sigh which makes me tense up, "yes, that is correct, if only others could have some of your intelligence, instead there are buffoons like them struggling on the simplest of riddles"
I nod my head, agreeing with him ever so slightly," Honestly riddler, I wouldn't mind if everyone was smarter in some way or form or at least have some more common sense but at the same time the stupid people are the people who work the small end jobs, well at least most of the time, while us smart people get the bigger jobs, the better paid jobs and just all together the better life style. Plus it really helps my ego when I can figure something out that others can't." I hear nothing from him except the static for a little while leaving me again with the others cries, mumbles and groans.
"I can understand what your trying to say and to some extent I agree with it but just imagine if this world had everyone with the same brilliant mind like mine? Imagine how much we could evolve from our brainless technology and barbarians into some actually impressive technology and people who could talk things out without hitting someone and just answer simple questions!" I feel shocked from his burst and from the final line, it had sounded almost desperate.
Just as I open my mouth to speak someone interrupts me, "Alarm clock! Alarm clock! Alarm clock!" I look at the screen to see Jacob sobbing and yelling the same answer over and over again. "That is correct number 6! I was just about to fall asleep from how long it was taking you to figure out the answer. Only 2 more spots to freedom!
Riddle me this!
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?"
I think over each of the words making me realize that the answer is the letter m, before the riddler can even ask me I open my mouth, "The answer is the letter m." I hear nothing but the static for what feels like hours but in reality was probably a few minutes before I use up all the courage to ask him the question that has been eating away at me, "uh riddler? May I ask you a question?"
"Yes, of course." Okay good, step one him agreeing to let me ask question complete but now for step two, him actually answering the question, " I was just wondering, why am I here? I mean I'm not exactly important in this test... I'm just sitting here watching 9 grown people trying to answer easy riddles." I hold my breath, " I told you earlier my dear, I have other plans for you, for now all you need to know is that you should get used to answering riddles." I start breathing once again but sit there thinking over what he just said.
More riddles? I'm I going to be going through more of his tests? Death traps? What does he want from me?
"The letter M!" Micheal yells, The riddler nods his head, " that is correct number 3! Last chance, I'm going to make this one incredibly easy for the rest of you morons because I have more important things to do then watch you all struggle to come up with an answer, no matter how entertaining it is, I have a lot of things to work on.
Riddle me this!
Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?"
I snort loudly at how easy it is, I look to see all of them who haven't answered racking through there brains to figure out the answer, except Emily who has a smile growing on her face, "Incorrectly! The answer is incorrectly!" She yells with tears of relief going down her face, I smile and whoop out a little, happy that she got it right. "That is correct number eight! And we are done! Numbers 1, 2, 4, 7 and 9 it seems like we will all see each other again the rest of you are free! Doesn't it feel nice to actually use your brains?"
The five people start to sob and yell at the riddler but that doesn't make the large smirk on his face go away, The T.V screen suddenly changes so all I see is the riddler, "Quite the show huh? Isn't funny watching them try to figure out the answers? Of course it is! Now Chelsea, I don't have need of you quite yet so you are also free to go but just know that we will also see each other soon! Till next time." And just like that the screen goes black and the door to the room opens and the same guy as before walks in.
"Hey! It's you again! I just wanted to say thanks for putting me on the chair comfortably before, I would have hated to wake up like the others." He looks at me completely gobsmacked, before he shakes his head and walks over to me and gently puts another needle in my neck making my vision go black.