Chapter 16 - Edging Closer

I wasn't asleep or knocked out - I was just weak. I don't know how long I stayed there on the floor before the Spackle came, but it felt great. I was absolutely exhausted, my legs were giving out, my arms felt limp and heavy, and all in all I just couldn't move much more. I wanted to stay there for longer and regain my energy, but all too soon four of the Spackle who wound the cogs in the chamber were beside me, picking me up and throwing me forward into the next part of the horrifying challenge.

It didn't look difficult. It looked like one of those soft play centres that we used to take Toby, Harper and Gus to when they were little - except it wasn't made of foam and soft fabric, instead it was made of stone. The whole thing. It had an incredibly thin stone path, one that I wouldn't even properly be able to walk along without falling off, in the middle of what just looked like a wide moat of water. There were stone pillars coming off of the path in the middle which reached all the way up to the ceiling. I released what I had to do.

So I did it.

But I knew the Mayor, and I knew that he wouldn't let me just fall into the water and get back on again. There had to be a catch...something to make it more dangerous. I unhooked my belt from my trousers and dipped it into the water. It immediately fizzled and bubbled up and when I took it out the end had completely dissolved. I only left it in for about 3 seconds and yet there was an immediate reaction. Acid. It would kill me if I entered it.

Slowly, I stood up and put one foot at a time across the unsteady stone path. The pillars shook with each movement I made and I began to go faster rather than slower to get it over and done with. It worked, and I was soon across the path and onto the next stage.

I could hear my family above me - well, I could hear the males of my family. I could see them all, but the boy's noise was by far the quietest thing I could hear - the cogs grinding was far louder. I couldn't see where I had to go next, and I began to hope that I had reached the end. Before I knew it there were tears of happiness running down my cheeks, and I jumped up and punched the air above me with joy. "SEE?" I shouted to the Mayor. "SEE?! I HAVE FINALLY DEFEATED YOU! I KNEW YOU COULDN'T WIN!" I laughed, a mad, mental laugh at the ceiling above me where I knew he had cameras and was watching me. I felt glorious. I had won the Mayor's game, and he couldn't do anything about it.

I felt glorious...until I felt a horrid, aching pain in my left ankle.

I sunk to the ground and clutched my foot in both hands, wincing at the pain. There was an arrow in my leg and further away a Spackle with a bow, standing next to a grimy bucket filled with something I could not see. Some form of poison, probably. I just hoped that it wasn't too strong, for if it was, I would surely die.

A/N: Heyz! I need some help here, okay. How long do you guys think Viola should stay in the chamber for? I'm kind of disturbed about how much I enjoy writing torture things but at the same time I'm also running out of ideas, so I don't want to keep it going for much longer XD If you have any ideas for me, please leave them in a review :)

Adios Amigos!

EggyDanosaur x