The Human Paradox here to bring you Chapter 11 of "Live or Die? Make Your Choice." University is tough. I have a LOT of work on my hands. It's a miracle I've had time to get this chapter done! So for the next 6 weeks until I stop for Christmas I've got another short film to make, write 3 short stories/scripts, write an essay on "Alien" (1979) and do a presentation on motion capture. Whew! I'm gonna be extremely busy for the whole of November, so don't be surprised if you don't see another chapter until December. Then I'll have all the time in the world to work on this! :)
Reviews-
DMysterious- Will Swizzle do it? I do wonder…
Oh before I forget, happy anniversary to Wreck-It Ralph! One year since this wonderful movie's release! Happy 10th anniversary to SAW! I can't believe it's been decade since this gem was introduced to us. Only this time round I can go see it in the cinema, yes! And happy anniversary to this story! I remember uploading the first chapter on this night last year, not knowing what to expect. Thank you all for keeping with this story for so long. I really appreciate it! Whether you have reviewed it, read it, glimpsed at it or flat out hated it- I thank you all for taking your time to acknowledge this thing's existence. Just stay with it a bit longer, we're nearing the end people! :D
I do not own Wreck-It Ralph, it belongs to Disney Animation. I also do not own any Saw characters or traps, they belong to Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures.
Adorabeezle's head was pounding, she tasted dry blood in her mouth. She could hear gears moving and rotating in the room. She figured that she must be in some kind of factory perhaps. She tried to open her eyes but she couldn't. The girl began to panic, hands scrambling for her eyelids which, under inspection, were sewn shut. She felt pressure on her throat and released there was a collar around her neck.
"HELP!" she screamed in terror clawing at the threads connecting her eyelids, "What's going on?!"
On the other side of the room, Nougetsia woke up wide-eyed in alarm. She sat up breathing heavily through her nose. Her mouth was incapable of breathing as it was sewn shut. She began to claw at her mouth willing it to open but it wouldn't. She became aware of Adorabeezle's cries for help. Nougetsia look to her sister and yelped at the sight of her. Nougetsia looked at her sister's eyes and the collar round her neck. Nougetsia also had a collar around her neck. She attempted to call out Adorabeezle's name, but all that came out was a groan. Adorabeezle ceased her screaming, hearing the groaning. However, she had no idea it was Nougetsia.
"Who's that?" she called out, "Talk to me!" Nougetsia tried to comply but couldn't. she continued to make noises and mumbled through her sealed lips. Nougetsia ceased her actions and finally took notice of her surroundings. They were both trapped in a room, it was bathed in a golden glow from the cracks in the walls. Through the cracks she could make out gears and other machinery. Their collars were connected by a single chain that led into a gear in the middle of the room. Suddenly the machine roared into life and began to twist the chain around the gear and drag the girls toward it. Nougetsia noticed this and tugged on the chain, trying to break loose. This unintentionally caused Adorabeezle to be tugged to the ground by Nougetsia.
"What's going on?!" she yelled as she felt herself being dragged, "What are you doing?!" Nougetsia shouted through her mouth, willing her sister to hear and understand her. "Speak! Why won't you say something?!" Adorabeezle demanded. She felt the ground for anything, grabbing hold of an object and began to swing madly,
"Get me outta this thing!"
Nougetsia stared at her, horrified. The image of the blinded racer, swinging a wrench in the air was something out of a nightmare. Nougetsia then noticed something on the back of Adorabeezle's collar, it was a key. Nougetsia felt the back of her own collar, and sure enough there was a padlock. She realised that the only way to get a hold of that key was to get close to Adorabeezle without getting hurt. The gear dragged both girls closer to each other. Adorabeezle continued to swing madly, Nougetsia stayed low. She crawled on her hands and knees until she was next to the gear, she looked up to see Adorabeezle blindly attacking empty air, still screaming. Adorabeezle turned to swing behind her, exposing her back and the key. Nougetsia seized her chance and tackled Adorabeezle face-first to the ground. Nougetsia fumbled for the key while Adorabeezle writhed beneath her,
"Get off of me!" she screamed, elbowing Nougetsia in the jaw. Nougetsia groaned clutching her mouth as she fell off her sister. Adorabeezle heard her assailant fall beside her, lifted her legs and kicked the attacker. Nougetsia moaned in pain with every hit and then rolled away. She felt around for the wrench she had dropped, before her head snapped back on impact from Nougetsia's boot. Adorabeezle dropped to her side and tasted blood,
"Why are you doing this?" she cried. Nougetsia was crying also, but she needed that key. Both girls were getting dangerously closer to that gear. Nougetsia picked up the wrench that Adorabeezle had dropped and approached the girl with caution. She bent down behind Adorabeezle reaching for the key, but was stopped by Adorabeezle who grabbed Nougetsia's leg and sunk her teeth into the limb. A wail of anguish stayed rapped behind Nougetsia's sealed lips and lashed out with the wrench striking Adorabeezle's skull. A loud crack was heard and Adorabeezle slumped to the ground. Nougetsia unhooked the key from Adorabeezle's collar and slipped into the padlock on her collar causing it to open.
Nougetsia then gazed in realisation at the body of her sister who was motionless. Nougetsia had killed Adorabeezle. Nougetsia sobbed painfully and hunched over the dead body of her sister. Suddenly a door swung open with a crash and a hooded figure waltzed into the room towards Nougetsia. The poor girl barely had time to register the obscured figure before it plunged a needle into her neck. Nougetsia grimaced and attempted to strike the figure, but passed out before she could do it any damage. The figure picked Nougetsia up and carried her bridal style, leaving Adorabeezle's body in the room still being dragged along the floor.
Crumbelina pushed the front door to her shop open with ease, but entered with difficulty. The gut-wrenching stench from the corpse in the window had made its way into the rest of the building. Crumbelina gagged and held her breath as she walked in. Strahm followed behind with his gun aiming at her back, he didn't care what Matthews said he didn't trust the girl. Matthews brought up the rear with his gun pointing in the room as he entered, unlike Strahm he truly believed that Crumbelina wasn't involved in Minty's death, however he was still cautious about entering the building.
Crumbelina's store specialised in clothes and fashion accessories. Everyone at some point or another had come to her for help when they needed something repaired or required something fancy for an event. Even Matthews and Strahm had come to her from time to time. The front room had a counter at the back wall, with an opening in the wall that led into the back room. The back room was used for storage, some included items specific to a game character. The items in the front room consisted of more general stuff, that anyone could use if they so desired.
"Is there a basement in this place?" Strahm asked. Crumbelina nodded and replied without looking back at him,
"Yes, the only way down is through the back room."
"Lead the way then" Strahm ordered, "Matthews cover me."
"No problem" Matthews muttered in response. Crumbelina walked forward towards the opening that led to the back room. Strahm and Matthews stepped in and couldn't help but admire Crumbelina's handiwork. The room comprised of rows of mannequins dressed in the attire of every character in Sugar Rush, from themselves to the racers to the ordinary citizens. The room also had several shelves of spare accessories most notably hats and helmets from Gloyd's orange pumpkin hat to Taffyta's pink helmet to Candlehead's candle hat.
"You sure do keep yourself busy Crumbs" Matthews remarked.
"It's a hobby" she said with a smirk. Strahm had no time for this,
"I thought you said this room led to the basement?"
"It does" Crumbelina said pointing to the concealed door near the far right corner of the room, "I've got the key right here." Crumbelina pulled the key from her pocket and Strahm promptly snatched from her. Strahm pushed past her and made his way to door. Crumbelina glared at Strahm from behind, as he reached the door and opened slowly. Once the door was wide open, Strahm pointed his gun down the stairs that led into the basement. A bright green light seeped in from the room at the bottom of the stairs, the same green light that was in the room where they found Wynnchel's body. He tried the light switch next to him, but the lights on the staircase appeared to be not working. He turned back to speak to Crumbelina,
"What you got down there?"
"Nothing" she hesitantly replied.
"Nothing?" Strahm asked.
"I'm not too fond of the dark" she answered sheepishly, "I don't go down there."
"Well today's the day you're going to" Strahm said rudely nodding to the door, "In you go."
"I don't want to."
"I don't care, you're going down there."
"Peter" Matthews started, "She doesn't have to go down there if she doesn't want to." Strahm responded by pointing his gun at the detective,
"Fine, you can go down first, followed by her and then me."
Matthews couldn't believe what he was seeing. Peter Strahm was pointing his firearm at him, with intention of firing if necessary.
"Peter, have you lost your fucking mind?" Matthews asked in disbelief.
"Sorry Eric, but you and I both know that Crumbelina is guilty of murder and I'm gonna prove it" Strahm explained calmly.
"Wait what?!" Crumbelina asked, "You think I'm responsible for Minty's death?"
"She was butchered in your shop window, of course I think you did it."
"Peter, now's not the time for your anger confuse you all right?" Matthews said, "As I said before Crumbelina wouldn't kill anyone, you know her."
Even though Matthews was making sense, Strahm refused to believe him. He knew that Crumbelina was responsible and he was going to prove it,
"Get down those stairs Matthews" Strahm ordered. Matthews stood still for a few more moments, before moving towards his deranged colleague. Strahm kept his gun pointed at Matthews until he was standing beside him. Strahm pointed his gun at Crumbelina,
"Come on, you too." Crumbelina moved on shaky legs, she was absolutely terrified. Matthews looked down into the basement, then back at Strahm whose attention was fixed on the girl. Matthews knew what he was about to do was stupid, but what choice did he have?
"I'm sorry Peter" Matthews said. Strahm only had a moment to hear this before a pair of arms locked around his neck and hauled him down the stairs.
Crumbelina tried to register what had just happened. One moment Strahm was pointing his gun at her, the next he was gone. Matthews had grabbed Strahm and threw both of them down the stairs. All she heard was several banging noises as they hit each step as they fell accompanied with grunts and curses and a gun shot. The sound of a weapon firing got Crumbelina's attention, she rushed to the door fearing for Matthews' life. She stooped at the doorway, she saw the unmoving bodies of Matthews and Strahm at the bottom of the steps bathed in the green light from the room.
"Matthews!" Crumbelina called, "Eric!" Neither body moved. Crumbelina began to panic, fearing the worst. One of the men groaned in pain, Crumbelina became anxious,
"Eric?" she tentatively asked. Matthews slowly got to his hands and knees, sparing a glance at Strahm lying still beside him before looking up at Crumbelina who was walking cautiously down the stairs,
"Yes?"
"Are you all right?" she asked concerned now standing beside him.
"Never better" he murmured sitting on his knees. Matthews picked up the key on the floor that Strahm had dropped during the fall, "Crumbelina I want you to get out of here. Lock the door to this basement when you leave, get Hoffman to take you and Vanellope back to the castle and stay there until I get back."
"What are you talking about?" she asked confused, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find everyone" he replied as he stood on trembling legs clutching his stomach in pain.
"On your own?" she questioned incredulously.
"Got no choice, Hoffman needs to look after you and Strahm is… unavailable" he explained.
"Why did you throw Strahm down the stairs?"
"Cause he was threatening us both, I had to do something."
"So you threw yourselves down the stairs?"
"In my defence it seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Are you sure you'll be fine?"
"Hopefully" he said. Crumbelina hugged the man who had saved her life,
"Thanks Eric, you be careful" she said.
"Naturally" he responded hugging back. Crumbelina let go and hurried back up the stairs into the store.
Matthews kept up the façade until the girl had left and locked the door behind her. As soon as she was out of sight the detective stumbled against the wall in agony and examined the gunshot wound in his stomach. He grimaced at the pain and the recollection of Strahm shooting him as they fell down the stairs. Those candy-cane bullets sure can pack a punch, He looked to his currently unconscious shooter on the ground and kicked him as hard as he could in the chest,
"Stupid fuck!" he cursed. Matthews noticed his gun lying on the ground, he bent down with difficulty to pick it up. He decided while he was there to relieve Strahm of his, "Try shooting me in the gut again." Matthews placed Strahm's gun in his holster whilst holding his own in his hand. Matthews placed his back to the wall and shuffled along it whilst limping in pain. The fall down the stairs damaged his leg and he might be concussed. He kept his right hand on his wound while his left held his weapon. As soon as he reached the corner, he became aware of a person's shadow from around the corner. Matthews braced himself and then he stepped out gun raised at the person. The person was secured to a harness in the air and judging by the awful stench this person was almost certainly dead. The floating carcass had its back to him, with body parts dangling off hooks at the side of the harness. Matthews advanced with care, checking all walls and corners of the room for any sign of life. Matthews scrunched his nose at the smell and slowly walked around the corpse until he was facing it.
"Snowanna?" he said in disbelief. It was indeed Snowanna suspended in air dead. Her chest ripped open with her organs on display. Matthews twisted around and vomited. He gagged and spluttered, whilst crying slightly. He looked through blurry eyes at the television set in front of him on a table with suspicion. It was the same model they had found at the scenes of Wynnchel and Duncan's murders.
"Those TV sets all had tapes in them, I wonder if this one does as well?" Matthews thought as he placed his gun on the table and pressed the play button on the television set and the video burst to life. The horrific image of the Turbo doll greeted him with its horrible smile.
"Hello Detective" the doll addressed Matthews whose eyes widened in surprise, he had expected the doll to be speaking to Snowanna. "If you are watching this then my plan is proceeding with success. That also means above us in the shop window there is a corpse and behind you Snowanna is dead." Matthews turned to face the dead girl with remorse, "Now Detective I am going to offer you a choice, if you proceed onwards you have a somewhat small chance of finding me, deducing my identity and saving the rest of my test subjects. I can say with upmost certainty you will most likely end up dead. These tunnels may very well become your tomb, or you can stay here in your sanctuary until my plan is complete. If I'm speaking to Detective Peter Strahm, I'm sure you'll make the right choice but if I'm speaking to Detective Eric Matthews, then I anticipate your imminent demise."
Matthews glowered at the screen with hatred,
"Sick bastard." A spotlight highlighted a previously hidden door on the wall to his immediate right. Matthews picked his gun up again and aimed it at the door as it swung open to reveal an empty corridor. The Turbo doll continued to speak,
"So what will it be detective? Level-Head or Hot-Head? Sanctuary or Tomb? Live or Die? Make your choice." The tape ended and the screen changed to static. Matthews reacted by shooting the screen, resulting in it exploding and sending sparks flying. Matthews merely flinched,
"Fuck you Turbo." Matthews gripped his gun with strength and held his stomach wound in attempt to stop the pain. Matthews walked to the door, spared a glance back at Snowanna and stepped through the door with newfound determination.
After she locked the door, Crumbelina rushed back into the front of her store in a panic. Hoffman had just walked through the front door at this point,
"Crumbelina" he said once he noticed the girl, "Are you all right? I heard a gunshot."
"It's kinda hard to explain Mark."
"Try me."
"Well…" she started, "Strahm was convinced I'm responsible Minty's murder, he tried to force Matthews and I to go down into the basement. When we refused Strahm pulled his gun on us and Matthews reacted."
"Reacted how?" Hoffman asked in disbelief.
"He threw himself and Strahm down the stairs. Matthews was okay, I'm not sure about Strahm. Eric told me to get you to take Vanellope and I back to the castle for safety." Hoffman was stunned,
"Where's Strahm?" he asked.
"Bottom of the stairs I hope."
"Go to the van right now, get in the back with Vanellope and wait there."
"Where are you going?" Crumbelina asked.
"I'll be along in a minute or two, now go" Hoffman ordered cocking his gun. Crumbelina handed him the key to the door and ran out the store, while Hoffman walked to the back room. He approached the door leading to the basement with caution, gun raised. Hoffman braced himself for the worst and opened the door and gazed down into the darkness. Strahm was gone.
Strahm shut the door behind him, leaving poor Snowanna dangling in the air in the room he had just left. He would come back for her later, once he was done with Matthews. He had awoken shortly after Matthews had thrown him down the stairs. His leg was even more damaged than it was prior to his fall. He shuffled along the walls in the claustrophobic corridor Matthews had walked through moments before him. If Strahm was angry beforehand, he was now enraged with fury. Matthews had thrown him down the stairs, his friend had tried to kill him. Strahm was now utterly convinced that both Matthews and Crumbelina were behind the murders. He would deal with her later, but right now he had his eyes set on Matthews. Strahm trudged through the darkness, hell-bent on finding his former colleague and stopping him.
End of Chapter 11!
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