The True Knot are the villains from Doctor Sleep, the sequel to the Shining.

Men and women twisted and danced in fancy outfits, drinking expensive wines and enjoyinng themselves. Most were older, but they were fit enough and each smelt of money. The National Association of Police Organizations had thrown this gathering, with prominent politicians and police officers coming together to talk and discuss an upcoming bill to devote more funding to stopping the criminals causing fires across America.

Drinking and dancing was necessary of course. Politicians were expensive to woo. You needed to warm them up to get them to do anything.

The True Knot was ready to do just that. Before they had been a scattered collection of nomads with weak psychic powers. They found psychic children and burnt them alive, getting enough steam from their bodies to help them live forever and grow stronger. All that had changed when The Burning One had come. She had told them how to extract steam even from those without powers. Trust, love and respect mattered. They mattered on a cosmic scale. If you burnt people who were trusted by others, who were part of a network you could extract steam from that.

They were ready to burn all of the cops and politicians and lobbyists gathered here tonight. This would have an added bonus of starting fires among every one of their subordinates thanks to the power of The Burning One. The police would be crippled, and every politician who cared about supporting them would kill their own people.

Just as they were ready to start, the guards minds befuddled, the fuel placed, the doors locked and the fires already licking against he building something went wrong. Eight children with painball guns and baseball bats and as many adults with guns entered.

The True Knot were powerful, and their abilities had grown even more with each fire. Minor talents like tracking people had expanded to the ability to set people on fire with a glance. Greater powers had grown even more terrible. None were a match for the losers. The losers knew each of the True Knot's weaknesses. One was prideful, growing more powerful the stronger their image was. After being paintballed pink they fell quickly to gunshots. Another could use their focus to start fires with all in start. A home made noisemaker left them confused and distracted, unable to resist careful shots.

As the halls of power heated up, the group headed towards a smiling Burning One.

I saw all this and shivered. I could use some of that heat right now. The video in front of me spoke.

"You have been cold to all those you meet, forcing them to follow your manipulations for your own cruel desires."

I shook my head. "To stop you from killing them, Jigsaw."

More water sprayed on me.

Freezing taking hold. Take a 10% freezing buff, negated by gamer's body.

I needed to get out. This was a trap that was mostly dependent on your physical conditioning. In theory there was a key behind some pipes that I could get to, but I didn't see any way of getting there. A strong person, like me, could avoid death.

I walked over to one of the poles, feeling my hands tight against the lock holding them. It was a big metal pole drilled into the floor and ceiling with a bunch of holes on it. Through these holes were pipes, locked in with metal brackets, which would spray me with water every few seconds. Using a leg I grabbed onto it, feeling the ice stick to my skin as I wrapped my knees around it. With a quick movement I hooked the lock with my toe and bumped the pins against the pole. In a few seconds I was out.

Couldn't use old traps on me. I was ready. Now, if this was a normal trap this is what I'd have done. She, my host, had room to get onto one of the poles. This would avoid most of the water and let her wrap her body around itself to conserve heat. She'd lose a ton of skin getting off, but she'd survive forever. That was an option, but not a great one since I didn't know how long I'd be in here.

I was a bit more physically agile. As the video continued, I pulled myself up, and hung like a vampire from the ceiling chain, out of the reach of the spraying water, my body contorting to a foetal position, hugging myself to keep my warmth constant. Maybe I could pick the lock?

"Your heart is as cold as you are, your manipulative nature clear to all to see. I have helped you by securing you, hand and foot, to the poles you so love, next to the ice you adore."

I growled. "Really, Jigsaw? What's cold about saving people?" I started to play with the chains, seeing if I could get to the lock well enough to knock it.

"And don't worry, the floor and ceiling you love breaking so much will break for you too."

I was broken from my thoughts by a sudden burning cold shooting at my nether regions and my head. I screeched and flopped to the ground.

You have taken severe cold damage! 20% frozen debuff, negated by gamer's body.

Some of it stuck. I could feel my limbs stiffen as the ice cold water froze over me. A quick glance up and down revealed the cause. Jigsaw had installed hidden holes to spurt water at me from above and below as well. I could feel this water had some of the antimagic enchantment in it, but my skill at negating that had long since grown past his skill.

After all my expenses to make this work I was running dry. I only had 384 perk points to save the day. I could buy more heat powers, but that was a losing battle against this much cold. I did it anyway. I burnt 100 perk points bumping up fire mastery to rank D. With that I could summon more flames. I also used a fire manipulation perk

The source. Once per day you can summon a basic fire source. 3 points.

Fire mastery D. You can summon as much heat as a torch, and manipulate it much more freely for 10 stamina per second.

With my enhanced fire manipulation I pulsed heat through my body, and clicked open a lighter with my foot to get a little bit of extra juice. The extra strong fire was draining my stamina quickly, but it kept the water from making me worse off.

I ran my fingers through my hair. My host had long blonde hair. With my strength it was no trouble at all to rip out chunks of it and passing it to my feet. My limbre body was flexible enough that I could use my feet almost like hands. I began stuffing my hair into the holes.

"Let's see how you like it when I block your shower with my long glossy hair, Kramer."

Ice froze over each hole as I worked, stopping the water. I used an earth perk Hand of earth to rapidly block one, moving to the third. The puppet spoke on.

"You can still choose to cherish your life though. Sacrifice enough of your blood to make yourself dizzy and the door will open. Then you can seek help from the one beyond. Make your choice."

This was gonna be tight but I felt I could do it. At least until the sprinklers started blasting on full. Before they had done little puffs of ice cold water. Now they constantly spurt out a thin mist of freezing water. I felt some hit me.

Freezing debuff at 40% total. Gamer's body partially negating the effect.

I felt the cold deep within me. My movements failed, and water spurt out from the hole I sought to block.

17/20 dex needed. Work failed. Try using your hands instead.

I spent another 100 perk points on water mastery D, and began using that to hold the water still. My stamina started to bottom out even faster as another 10 stamina a second joined the hole in my sinking ship.

I summoned a bottle of water with my water perk, and froze the last nozzle by pouring the liquid over it.

My stamina was at 25% now. I didn't have enough perk points to buy anything good. I was running out of time.

Maybe I could make the sacrifice? Then rely on my allies. If I stuck to the other pole my health should protect me a while. I still had a few consumables I could burn, but it would be tight. I was running low.

Congratulations! A quest has been completed. Slay The Burning One. Your companions noted that the Burning One had cut the line to the fire suppression systems and so was weak to water. With the aid of fire extinguishers and baseball bats they extinguished her. Gain 500 perk points.

Sounded like clap your hands if you believe magic woo woo, but I wasn't complaining. I felt the fire of Maturin wake up in me. Power, and stamina flooded back into me. My flatlining energy ticked up as I got a bit of extra support from the other world. It was easier for him to support me now that I had built a structure to funnel power. I felt strong and deadly.

I quickly bought gamer's body B, and felt the pain of the cold evaporated as it overrode the debuff. I flared my heat generation power, and warmed up and got back to work.

It was hard, cold, and painful work, tearing out chunks of hair to secure each hole. The water fought me at every step of the way, seeking to freeze and chill me. The fire within me, and my own will kept me going. My energy seemed limitless as I plugged each hole with hair and ice, blocking it off from freezing me more.

And soon, it was done. I was secure. Every hole had been plugged

It was getting easier to manipulate the elements with practice. Life or death practice advanced me quickly. With the bottomless stamina I'd been able to practice the abilities and get fire control up to level 100. I could use fire a bit more efficiently now as well, with no cost for the basic candle version.

"Thanks for the help Maturin." I radiated heat through my body, my Gamer's Body B quickly restoring frozen flesh. I was still naked, trapped, and vulnerable, but with my health and stamina full, I felt good.

I looked up to the sky. "Please, sir, may I have some more please?" I said in my best cockney accent.

I heard Maturin's rumbling deep voice.

"You have everything you need to survive there. The Burning One did a great deal of damage till she was banished and I need to focus on fixing it. You need to fix your end. Kill John Kramer. He worked with her. Do that, and I'll let you access your inventory even when locked up."

That would be sweet. In the meantime, I needed to exploit my currently bottomless stamina.

I bought the other two element mastery perks up to D, and then twisted up like a bat onto the chain on the ceiling and got to work on the lock.

Not being able to see inside sucked. I felt that maybe when I was more advanced I'd be able to do more, but I didn't have any feedback from what was going on inside. A minute or two later, I heard the door click open.

In through the door walked two men. Angus Macfadyen, actor of Robert the Bruce the king with lots of bling from Braveheart also known as Jeff Denlon from Saw 3, and Adam Stanheight walked through. Adam had a hacksaw in his hand. Jigsaw had wanted him to cut my foot off. That bastard.

I waved a foot at them from my upside-down perch on the ceiling. "Hey there. Don't be strangers. Come into my humble abode. I'm a little tied up right now." I wiggled my hands in the chains. "But I'm sure I can help you anyway."

I uncoiled from the ceiling, getting my feet back down to the surface.

Adam quickly moved a crate from the hallway in to block the door from closing fully. Returning, he glanced over my naked body.

"Can I take a photograph of you? You look like an ice queen."

I frowned at him. "Do you want me to take nudes of you next time I body hop you?"

He smiled back at me and opened his eyes wide. "Let my body be your tapestry."

Jeff Denlon looked between the two of us. "Do you know each other? What is this?"

I gestured around with a foot. "This is the domain of Jigsaw, an evil puppetmaster who tortures people who don't spend enough time with their families. Because death helps you spend more time with families. Adam and I are both people who escaped from him.

"The best of my family is dead. I shouldn't be here."

"I nodded. Yep. And because I am bored of Adam oogling me, could you grab the keys behind me? Past the pipes. My hands are all slippery with the ice, I can't pick the lock."

He walked past me and went for the key. I turned back to Adam.

"So did you get all the special stuff we talked about?" I winked.

"I did get them." He looked past me. "That looks painful. Wait no, stop!"

I turned back and saw Jeff pushing up against the pipes. They were just a bit too far, so he was pressing his face into the burning pipes. He came back with the key.

"Why! Why wouldn't you use your clothes! Or all the masses of ice in here!" I shouted.

He looked hurt. Then I saw what was in his other hand.

I cheered. "My knife! Amanda pulled through."

I loved my knife.

Sometimes it's not about how smart you are. This trap is ok so long as you can do a pullup with your legs.

For those worried about the poll, I'll tally up everyone in reviews. If you can't find the poll, just say what you want in reviews, and I'll add your numbers in.

Just in case you don't remember the potential worlds.

Resident Evil village. Ethan has escaped macgyver finally. Macgyver lied about everything to him and played him as a fool. Now, when his wife is killed and his daughter is abducted, he must rely on macgyver to help him save his daughter and fight attractive tall vampire ladies.

Alien Isolation. Amanda, daughter of Ellen Ripley, is pursuing her mother into a space ship. She is massively under prepared, and she can't save scum like I totally did when playing it. She gets lucky when an inter dimensional handyman possesses her and helps her die less against aliens, androids, and space.

Until Dawn. You are Gazi. You're not the fastest crayon in the drawer. But, your Mama spoke to you. She told you need to cure the plague on the island. If Mama aint happy nobody's happy! So you better make Mama happy!

Halo. You are random marine xyz who has been chosen for a bold raid through covenant forces into the flood containment facility. A interdimensional person without a lot of skill with guns but a lot of skills with plagues is your only hope to make it out of there alive.

Freddy vs Jason. You are Gibb, a random person that two serial killers really want to kill. Can you survive fire and dreams and psychopathy while the two titans battle it out? Not without some help you can't.

Dragonbornthesam. Yep. Saw 3 is the hardest saw yet, so there was a bit of darkest before the dawn here. He was short of resources, in harsh traps, away from allies and support just like everyone here who was fucked over by Amanda. But now, his hard work has paid off. He has rejoined his pack, and the power of friendship can overcome all. Even in Saw.

Poundweed. Normally if he dies he just respawns at the start of the movie. His old patron, Summer, did a whammy on him so that if he dies in this movie he dies forever. He doesn't like death so he avoids it mostly. If he was tossed into Halo he would definitely die a lot though. On the world after, it does depend on what works. I need to find a world that thematically fits the current story arc and which I can do well. Some worlds are harder than others. And yeah, if I vanish again I'll say so. Part of it was I was a bit sad after lots of negative feedback, so until I had the story all edited I didn't want to return, and I was generally exhausted. My schedule is better now, and feedback and reviews are good, so all is well.

Next time, the Pig Vat, and a reunion with Adam.