A Dangerous Game

Part 5: Wounded

Gregory crashed inside a veterinary clinic to get the first aid kit. The pain is unbearable. He needs to patch it up before it gets worse. He opened the kit and grabbed the mirror. He decided to stitch up his wound on his own like Matt Damon in the movie The Martian. He looked for the anesthetic and a syringe.

However, he thought it will be easy. But it's not. He cannot reach his wounds on his back.

"Damn it." He realized he need some extra help.

But then he heard the Beast creeping outside, waiting for him to set up a trap.

"If he's the 'hunted', he should be hiding right about now." Gregory knew he cannot get a chance to tag the Beast because of the wounds but that was not his in the first place. He plans to lure the Beast away from Caitlyn and Heath. That's the only way to make sure they are safe.

Then the Beast spoke to him through an opened window, "What are you waiting for? Are you planning to trap me?"

"Can't you see? I'm busy fixing myself. Thanks to you, pal." Gregory said.

"Not my problem." The Beast responded but still keeping his distance away from the human.

"I know... still thinking of a way to catch you. But... this wound distracts me." He tried to look for the pain pills around the clinic. "I can't think clearly with all this pain."

The Beast did not reply.

Gregory continued talking. He's distracting him... stalling him. Waiting for a chance the Beast lower its guard. "So, Mr. Beast... while I try to patch myself up, can you tell me the entire rules of this game?"

"You know already. You read the book, right?"

"I skipped some parts, honestly. It's pretty terrifying." Gregory lied. "But are there any additional details that R.L. Stine did not put in the novel?"

"Yes." The Beast came down from the window but meters away from Gregory. "I added some."

"Care to tell?"

"Time-outs." The Beast said. "There are time-outs. But you should inform the 'IT' first."

"Okay?" Gregory then asked. "Can the 'IT' kill?"

"No. During the game, the IT cannot kill. Only the winners of the game can kill and claim their reward."

"You mean the losers will be the food." Gregory already knows this. He just want to stall the blue creature. "What happens if the IT... dies?"

The Beast answered. "Then the previous one will become IT." Then, "Wait... what are you planning to-" He saw the human boy dropped to the ground face first with a deep wound on his back, bleeding badly. "No. NO!" The Beast ran towards the human and grabbed him. He tried slapping and shaking the human hoped he would wake up. "Wake up! Don't die on me, you pathetic human!" The blue creature had no idea how to revive Gregory. He doesn't know how to bring him back to life. "NO! I don't want to be IT again!" If the Beast has his friends with him, he will just ignore the dead human and goes out hunting the two with his buddies. However, he was alone. He's going to do all the work. "WAKE UP!"

Then suddenly, Gregory opened his eyes and slam his clenched fist to the Beast's neck.

The creature felt a little sting. "What-?" The Beast's vision began to blur and body numbed. "What did you-?"

Gregory stood up holding a syringe that was once filled with anesthetic. "This is my trap, Beast. And you fell for it." Honestly, it was not part of his plan but he improvised. He took that chance to take down the monster. As the numbed blue creature lie down on the clean clinic floor, Gregory gentle pat the Beast's back and said with a smile. "Tag. You're IT."

"YOU HUMANS... ARE SO DAMN CLEVER!" The Beast growled, trying to get up but he cannot move his limbs anymore. The anesthetic was too strong. Not a single finger can be moved. Enraged, the monster yelled at the human boy. "I CHANGE MY MIND! I'M CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME NOW! THE 'IT' CAN KILL ANYONE THEY WANT!"

"Then I have to tag myself back." Gregory responded. He wanted to finish the Beast once and for all."

Unfortunately, the Beast laughed at the human. "You may be clever but you lack the knowledge of my existence."

Gregory listened. "Do tell."

"We were made from fiction! Molded from the mind of one man! We are Ideas and ideas don't die! They evolve!" The monster yelled in a violent tone and sinister grin. "We cannot be destroyed, human!"

Gregory was terrified by the truth. The creature was right. Once the idea's out, it cannot be killed or destroyed. How can you kill a horrifying 'idea' like this monster? He tried to think of something to end this horrifying night. Gregory thought of a way to defeat the Beast from the East. But then he recalled what the Beast said to him earlier. "You were all molded from one man, right?"

"Yes."

With that answer, Gregory has found a way to end the nightmare. He had no choice but if he wants to save his friends and himself, he has to make his hands dirty.