Here you go. This is the last chapter until Saturday. Enjoy it. There is a little bit of angst. But this site was built on angst. So here we go!
A week had passed. The group was soon learning that this game was more trouble than it was worth.
They were sitting the marketplace, eating their lunch and reading the paper.
"So, 168 players have died in this first week," informed
Emily. "Mainly by… suicide."
They all looked at Maddy. "You were right." said Aidan.
"Let me see that paper." Natalie reached over the table and grabbed the paper out of Emily's grip. She let her have it.
"That's terrible. I guess people are just giving up, and thinking that we'll never make it back to the real world." Natalie's eyes skimmed the paper left and right.
"But will we?" Payge said, her eyes wide. There was a moment of silence between them all.
"Well, it's only week one. We can't give up now." Aidan said, breaking the silence. "But let's change the subject. Did you guys know there's another big town on the other side of this floor? It's not as big as the Town of Beginnings, but…" her voice trailed off.
"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Emily exclaimed.
"Let's do it!" said Taylor.
"Wait! Guys, can we please wait a day or two?" asked Payge desperately.
"Yeah, we need to prepare." agreed Natalie.
"Okay. That's fine." Emily shrugged her shoulders and took a bite of her sandwich. "How are we going to get there? Teleport crystals?"
"Well, I kind of wanted to walk there. I thought it might be more interesting." Natalie mumbled. They all stared at her.
"What?!" screeched Aidan.
"Are you crazy? Natalie, this game is crawling with mobs. Over 200 people have died!" Taylor yelled, a little too loudly.
"It's probably safer if we use teleport crystals." said Maddy
quietly.
"Okay! Sorry! Nevermind!" Natalie huffed. She stood up. "We should be going now."
Taylor opened her mouth to argue, but Emily reached her first. "She's right. We've been here for ten minutes-"
"Yes. And it's a waste of our time. Our life, just sitting around and eating." Natalie said. No one said a word. They all got up and walked away together. Back to the fields to level up.
Even though this was an MMO, today seemed less sunny than last week. Or maybe it was just the "less sunny" mood they were in, thought Aidan.
"You guys know that… we've been kind of cynical recently. And no one's telling jokes. Like we used to." she said once they reached the back alleys of the city.
It was true. In the real world, they were all good friends ever since early middle school. They would always talk about their fandoms, had epic sleepovers, and had a lot of inside jokes. During the lunch break at their school, they would always be the last ones in the cafeteria. Talking and sharing food and…
...laughing. Because they the best of friends.
Their friendship was, and still is, really rare. Even rarer than the truest of love.
No one really replied to Aidan. Because the reason of their growing frustration and silent sadness was this game.
And the thought that they would never get out.
"We… we were laughing last week!" Payge said. She stifled a giggle. "R-remember me stabbing the boar?"
"Ha! That was funny." said Aidan. Good old Aidan.
Maddy gave her a weak smile. The rest of them looked on.
"Okay. So are we ready for our teleport crystals now?" Emily asked them all.
They all nodded and shrugged.
"Sure."
"Let's go then."
"I don't care."
They summoned their teleport crystals, all different colors.
"Ready?"
They all exclaimed at the same time: "Teleport, Western Fields!"
That day, they decided to do things a little differently. They wrecked some boars for a few minutes, but boars were way too easy now. They needed a variety of opponents.
"Why don't we go into the woods?" suggested Payge.
Emily looked uneasy. "Well, I don't know… I read that the woods can be really dangerous. There are a lot of powerful mobs in there."
"Not really powerful." piped Maddy. "It wouldn't hurt to take a peek."
"Yeah. Come on!" said Natalie, already running to the woods with sword out. She was clearly excited to see a new place.
They all followed her. As the plain's long grasses slowly became shorter and scrubbier, the sunlight was also decreasing as they reached the damp, cool forest.
It was like a typical Michigan backyard. But bigger.
They all slowed down uncertainly and walked gingerly through the forest. The few glades of sunlight that peeked through the treetops made their swords glint.
They were far in enough to where the plains could just barely be seen. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a growling sound was heard to their far right.
They all whipped around and stared. About ten yards away was a bear. But it was brown and glinted green. It was also very large.
It had two HP bars. And it was called a Forest Ursa.
"I think we might have treaded into its territory." Payge said, but her voice was not joking. It was shaking.
Taylor slid one of her throwing knives out of her belt. She threw it, and it landed spot-on the huge bear's shoulder. It let out a deafening, painful roar, then charged.
They all scattered as it ran towards them. Instead of charging at the place where it was aiming like the boars, it followed their moves. Everyone had their swords out.
Natalie somehow ended up in front of everyone, facing the bear. But that was where she wanted to be. Protecting her friends.
As the bear charged again, it leapt on its hind legs, towering over them all. It roared again, then swiped its beach-ball sized claws at them. It hit Natalie and Payge, sending them flying backwards. Aidan automatically dropped everything and ran to them. Emily and Maddy were about to do the same, but bear was just beginning to charge again. It roared.
"WE'RE FINE!" Natalie screamed over the roar. "KEEP. FIGHTING."
Aidan was torn. Payge was crinkled on the ground, and Natalie was covering her face in agony. Payge looked up at her with bravery. "Go." was all she could say.
Aidan nodded and joined Emily, Maddy, and Taylor.
Emily was attacking it from the behind mercilessly, while Maddy and Aidan shielded Natalie and Payge. Taylor, meanwhile, was rapidly throwing knives at the bear's shoulder.
"I'm running out of knives!" Taylor said. She backed off from the battle and ran over to her friends.
"It's okay! The HP is coming down!" yelled Maddy.
"Keep going at it Emily!" Aidan tried to yell, but her voice was shaky and afraid.
The bear kept trying to figure out its attacker. It turned around in circles, but Emily was careful to hide from it. Eventually, the bear fell down on all fours. Its claws sliced through the air and barely missed Aidan.
The bear roared again and charged for Aidan and Maddy. Maddy, thinking fast, activated a sword skill and sliced the bear's face clean.
For a wild moment, the bear seemed to be in shock. But it resumed and swiped its claws, knocking Maddy off her feet. Then, it headed for Aidan. She let out a bloodcurdling scream.
All that was between her and the bear was her thin sword.
Emily desperately dashed up to her sister. "Aidan, MOVE!" she screamed.
Aidan was not quick enough. The bear leapt its massive body at her. Aidan fell to the ground, under the creature's clutches.
"DAMN YOU!" Emily screamed. There was an uproar. Everyone, even Payge and Natalie, was running for the bear and beating it up.
It was hardly five seconds of merciless stabbing when the bear's HP had finally disappeared.
The HP was all gone. Hundreds of pixelated red marks were covering the bear's body.
It turned to glass and shattered.
Emily dropped her sword and embraced Aidan. She squeezed her as hard as she possibly could. Hot tears were burning in her eyes.
"Aidan… I don't know what I would've done if…" Emily whispered.
Aidan was shaking like mad and uncontrollably crying. She barely had a scratch on her, but the experience she just had to endure was terrible.
"We should get out of here. Now." said Maddy. "Before any more come."
They all obeyed. Emily and Taylor helped Aidan to walk while she cried. "I-I couldn't breathe. It-it was so heavy, it's whole b-body was on top of-f-f me." she stuttered.
Once they reached the plains they teleported straight to the inn. They walked past everyone in the lobby without a word, and went to their room.
Safe and sound.