Author´s note:
This chapter contains:
Graphic depictions of violence
Description of injuries, crime scenes and blood
Violent deaths
Swear Words/Offensive words
Suicide (only mention)
Chapter 29 – Squid Game: The Final Game
Fred carefully settled Daphne in my arms and got up. His attitude made Shaggy grab his weapons and charge at the table like a soldier. Flim Flam tried to do the same, but the wound didn´t let him walk. I hid my face on Daphne's shoulder as soon as I saw the determined way Fred grabbed a knife, and I couldn't help but cry. Those men were evil criminals and they were willing to kill us for millions... but they were still human beings. And the idea of murdering to save our own lives was hideous and cruel, even in the demonic context of Squid Game. Seeing my anguish, Daphne gathered the little strength she still had to hug me and to calm me down. My crying was interrupted abruptly by the sound of a shot hitting a bunk next to me. I heard Shaggy scream then fall with his hands on his stomach, moaning in pain. Several shots followed the first, and I had to drag myself and Daphne under one of the beds, seeking shelter. Fred, Flim Flam and the others did the same, since Alan was at the dorm door shooting in all directions without mercy. When the he finished, he smirked at the scene he saw.
Alan: Jones, thanks for the advice! This time I remembered to reload the gun! Unfortunately, I have very bad news for you and your gang: you are not the favorites anymore! Therefore, from now on, you will be unarmed, and you´ll be killed if you attack our favorite contestants. You know what, this worldwide investigation about the VIPs´ crimes made them feel very disappointed with you all… you´ve caused such a mess for us! Right now, China and Russia are working together to recover their beloved agents… South Korea and other nations have just found out that many of their citizens disappeared in the same strange way… In US, the media is on fire with Angela and Dale Dinkley demanding the FBI explanations about her daughter's disappearance… Delilah Blake is asking authorities to do justice for her father and her sister... even the insignificant Rogers are mobilizing the community for their son, can you believe it? Now, the VIPs´ financial life is a catastrophe, thanks to you meddling bastards… the whole fucking world is against them… well, in fact, not everyone… your father, captain, agrees with us that´s all your fault! He knows that people died and your gang is here because you´ve failed again…
Velma: FRED, DON'T LISTEN, HE'S LYING!
I can't say how I got the courage to shout those words and interrupt Alan. From the fear of being killed? From the sadness of hearing about our families? Or the anger of not being able to do anything? I don't know. I only know that soon the courage dissipated like an electrical discharge, making me feel weak and vulnerable again. And that made Alan sneer at me.
Alan: Oh, please, Velma, don't be ridiculous! The captain knows I'm not lying! He knows well that if he dies here, his father won't even come to Korea to retrieve the corpse! Instead, he will complain about all the expenses he'll have with the funeral...he also knows that Judy Reeves has no idea where he is right now, and that´s why his disappearance was reported by Delilah… after all, he has a mother and two fathers, but none of them really care...
Daphne started sobbing uncontrollably, since she didn´t have strenght to help Fred, and I tried to calm her down. Unfortunately, while I was doing that, what I feared most happened: Alan's taunt was effective and it made Fred leave his hiding place to attack him. When I heard the sound of Fred knocking Alan to the ground and grappling with him, I ran in his direction to stop him— or, maybe, to help him kill Alan. Even wounded, Shaggy and Flim Flam crawled towards us to help. To our surprise, the other contestants defended Alan and attacked us with the weapons they had, and soon they immobilized us.
Alan: What the fuck, Fred! Stop trying to die before Daphne, man, how unchivalrous of you! If you do that, who will be on her side when she takes her last breath? Who will convince these gentlemen to not stab her right now and turn her insignificant life into a few millions inside that safe? And you´ve also put your friends at risk, what a jerk! No wonder your father thinks you're a piece of shit... Damn, is it too hard to understand that you won't get out of here alive? You will play the final game, amuse the VIPS and die, period! Stop trying to resist, its over! Game over for you! Now, return to your beds and enjoy your last hours of life… if I were you, I would smother Daphne and Flim Flam with a pillow, you´d hate to see me shoot them before the start of the next game…
The contestants helped the guards to violently drag us to the beds. There, Fred immediately held Daphne in his arms, and Flim Flam and I helped Shaggy. In addition to other previous wounds, Shaggy had a glancing wound to the stomach, even though the bullet didn´t lodge in his body, it caused an intense bleeding that surely was causing him a lot of pain. While Flim Flam and I took Shaggy towards Fred and Daphne, the other men returned to the table, and there Alan gave them the knives that were previously in our hands.
Alan: Behave yourselves, kids! Whoever tries to kill the VIPs´ favorites will go to hell earlier!
Alan laughed at his own joke before locking the door. Some guards remained there, silently watching us while we accepted the fact that we were really going to die. Fred hugged Daphne tightly, and Shaggy and I approached them, since a hug was the only thing we had left. At the moment my arms and Shaggy's were around Daphne and Fred, Flim Flam hurled a pillow in our direction and looked at us with tears in his eyes.
Flim Flam: Shags… please, man… go ahead…do this for me! I've killed more than 40 guards… and some VIPs too…I know they'll torture me to death...
I couldn't describe the horror I felt when I heard that, but Shaggy could. After repeating "No!" several times – and angrily shouting his repertoire of swear words at each time -, he wept. Rather than causing commotion, his attitude angered Flim Flam, who grabbed him by the collar and demanded some action.
Flim Flam: DO THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW, SHAGS, FUCK! WANG IS DEAD, NOBODY HERE IS KOREAN TO UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGES! NOBODY HERE KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THIS FUCKING GAME! THE GAME IS OVER FOR US, WE WILL DIE IN A HORRIBLE WAY IN A FEW HOURS, SO LET ME DIE WITHOUT PAIN! I DON'T WANT TO GET A NON-FATAL SHOT AND BE INCINERATED ALIVE!
Flim Flam's words only made Shaggy freak out. He released himself and ran away to continue crying on one of the beds. Flim Flam got angrier and offered me the pillow.
Velma: Me? No way, Flim Flam!
I backed away from the pillow like a demon fleeing from the cross, and that made Flim Flam ask Fred.
Fred: Never, man!
Daphne: Freddie, maybe it´s a good idea...
Daphne's weak voice startled Fred, and it made him look at her with tears in his eyes.
Daphne: Please, Freddie, it´s hurting so much, I can't breathe properly... Flim Flam is right, it's better to die without any pain…
Fred: WITHOUT ANY PAIN? DO YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD DO SUCH A THING TO YOU? YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SACRED TO ME!
Flim Flam: Fred, after all the sadism you´ve witnessed during the games, how do you think the organs are removed? Do you think the donators died peacefully in comfortable beds and had their organs respectfully removed after death? Of course not! You can't imagine what those guards do with the contestants, especially with the women, you have no idea what I've seen! And considering all the hatred Alan and the VIPs have for us, I'm afraid of what they'll do to us... so, if she really is sacred to you, and if you have the slightest regard for me, help us to die quickly and without pain! Then, try to win the final game and save Shaggy and Velma!
Flim Flam threw the pillow roughly towards Fred, but he hit it immediately and sent the pillow away. Flim Flam sighed impatiently and moved to get the pillow, and Daphne intervened.
Daphne: Freddie, he's right... you know well that I won't be able to play... and I won't survive if I don't get medical help soon... so, please, I know it´s a difficult decision, but let Flim Flam and I die without pain! I am afraid…
Fred: DAPHNE, I WILL NOT KILL YOU! I WILL NEVER HURT YOU, OK? I CAN´T HURT YOU…
An epiphany interrupted Fred's angry words and made him stare at Daphne and sigh.
Fred: …but, somehow, that´s what I´ve done during all my life, right? I´ve hurt you… I´ve failed with you…and that's why we're here… that's why you're dying… it´s my fault… I killed your soul, Daph, and now I´m killing your body… please forgive me, even though I know I'll never forgive myself for doing this…
Fred hugged Daphne and sobbed. Somehow, I felt all the sadness he felt and I also hugged them both. Flim Flim approached again with the pillow in his hands, but when he saw us hugging and crying, he gave up asking again and walked towards Shaggy.
Daphne: Freddie, please don't say those things… the past doesn't matter now… not anymore…
Fred: No, it´s true, Daph! I need to say, I'm tired of not saying what I need say!
Daphne: So, say that you love me?
Daphne ended the sentence with a smile, and that made Fred smile too before he kissed her and repeated several times that he loved her – and that made Daphne smile even more. The sound of the dorm door opening interrupted them, and the guards asked us to leave for the nightly hygiene. Fred and I looked at each other, and we were equally worried about leaving Daphne, since we didn't know if she would still be alive when we returned.
Velma: Fred, maybe we should take her with us... we need to do something before this wound gets infected... let's try to remove the shard and wash it...
Daphne: NO! Please, no!... leave it, Vel, please! You have no idea how much pain I'm feeling...
The strength with which Daphne squeezed my hand showed how much pain she was feeling - and my heart ached for her.
Fred: You can go, Vel… and take Shaggy and Flim Flam with you… I know it's risky, but if you find a chance to escape, then go… it´s your last chance… Daphne and I will be fine… I want to spend the…
Fred couldn't finish his sentence, but I understood he wanted to spend Daphne's last moments with her. I nodded, and I felt tears running down my face when I said goodbye to both them – and imagined that, maybe, that farewell would be forever. Shaggy followed me for a moment, until Flim Flam caught him by the hand and stopped him.
Flim Flam: Are you really going alone? To a restroom with five armed men who want to kill you?
Shaggy: Like, what other fucking option do I have? To be stabbed to death in the restroom, to be shot to death in the hallways, to be beaten to death in the dorm, to commit suicide with a pillow, to die in the fucking last game… IN ALL OPTIONS I WILL DIE, SO FUCK IT AND FUCKING LEAVE ME ALONE!
Shaggy angrily released himself, but I grabbed his wrist again and ordered him to return. He glared at me, repeated his repertoire of swear words, and returned to his bed sighing with rage.
Flim Flam: You're the only woman left, Velma, but it's not safe for you either...
Velma: It's not safe anywhere here... I need to do something...
Flim Flam: So, good luck…
Velma: For us all…
My escaping illusions were soon shattered when, as I stepped outside the dorm, a guard handcuffed me to his wrist, while another guard put his rifle at my head and ordered me to walk. I was led to the restroom in that way, and when I got there, they released me. To my surprise, there were half a dozen guards inside the restroom, and that definitely frustrated my chances to escape. Their presence embarrassed me and prevented me from taking a shower, but it wasn't enough to prevent the emptiness of that place from hurting me. I was the sole female survivor. And my heart was as empty as that restroom. The merit of still being alive was offensive and cruel, and it hurt me as much as those absences. One of the guards got annoyed that I was paralyzed and threatened me, so I walked to the sink and washed the tears from my face. Unfortunately, I couldn´t wash the sadness from me. For a moment, I let my eyes linger on my reflection in the mirror, to ignore the reality that I didn't want to see. In a few hours, my life would end, not even in my wildest delusions I could imagine it would be so soon, or in such a horrid way. Inevitably, I thought of Marcie, Madelyn, my parents… and everything I wouldn´t be able to experience. The emotional turmoil caused by the memories pissed off the guard again, and he dragged me out of the restroom until he handcuffed me back to the guard who brought me, and they led me to the dorm like a dog.
I was the first to arrive at the dorm, and soon I saw Daphne on a bed. Fred and Shaggy were around her with bloody sheets and pillows in their hands, trying to somehow stop the bleeding. Then, I was interrupted by Flim Flam offering me the pillow again.
Flim Flam: Velma, please… PLEASE! Don't let the guards catch me alive!
I felt so sorry for the desperate way he asked me to end his life that I couldn't say anything. On the other hand, I promptly refused, even though I knew his request was for a good reason. Flim Flam got angry for being ignored again and started shouting our names – and repeating " please " hundreds of times. Shaggy and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes, because it was too cruel to either ignore or to carry out that request. As the requests were ineffective, Flim Flam took the sheet from one of the beds and wrapped it around his own neck, improvising a gallows rope. Flim Flam's attitude made Shaggy angrily take the sheet from his neck.
Shaggy: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? WE WON´T KILL YOU AND WE WON´T LET YOU KILL YOURSELF, UNDERSTAND? PLUS, YOUR RELIGION CONDEMNS SUICIDE! IF YOU DO THIS, YOU'LL BE FUCKED IN THE NEXT LIFE!
Flim Flam: FUCK MY RELIGION! I WILL NOT BE TORTURED TO DEATH! AND IF YOU DON´T HELP ME, YOU WON´T STOP ME EITHER!
Shaggy: I WILL!
Flim Flam: I'LL PUNCH YOU IF YOU TRY!
Velma: Hey! Calm down! Calm down you both… I'll do it, ok? I'll do it… then, I'll take my own life too… if you want, I can help you too, Shags… Just wait a bit more, ok? Let's wait until they turn the lights off, otherwise, the guards will stop us... Flim Flam is right, Shaggy, it's the best choice we have and the only chance to die in peace... if the VIPs catch us, we will spend years in a basement being tortured and abused...
Shaggy looked at me with surprise and disappointment, then a few tears ran down his face. He tried to argue, but anger and despair silenced his words. Flim Flam and I hugged him, but he angrily released himself from our arms and ran towards Fred.
Shaggy: HEY, FREDERICK, GET UP AND DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THAT ASSHOLE WANTS TO COMMIT SUICIDE! AND YOUR FUCKING GENIUS FRIEND IS TELLING HIM IT'S A GOOD IDEA!
Fred asked for silence, like a parent cradling a baby, and pointed to Daphne in his arms. His request was in vain, since Shaggy's scream made Daphne open her eyes, but Fred caressed her cheeks and made her close her eyes again.
Fred: Why do they want to die? Next game starts soon! Look, we've won all the previous games playing against hundreds of opponents, we will win the last game too… there's only five contestants to kill, we can do it… if we kill one of them fast enough, we can give up!
Shaggy: OH, DAMN, YOU´VE LOST YOUR MIND TOO! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT ALAN WILL KILL DAPHNE AND FLIM FLAM BEFORE THE GAME STARTS AND...
Fred: SHE'S NOT GOING TO DIE! NOT NOW, NOT HERE! She's only 27! She will have a long and happy life…we all will! We will raise our kids, get old and put up with each other in the same nursing home. Am I being clear? We will play the next game and win! Daphne and Flim Flam will be lying right behind us in the arena, and we'll protect them while…
Shaggy: FRED, FUCK, COME BACK TO REALITY! SHE WON´T LAST FOUR HOURS BLEEDING LIKE THIS!
Fred gripped Shaggy's arm with rage, but instead of taking out all the anger he felt, he soon released Shaggy and pushed him away. Shaggy cursed loudly but didn´t hit him back, because he realized that Fred's mental state was worse than mine and Flim Flam's. At the same time, the other contestants returned from the restrooms smiling and celebrating, then the guards announced the lights would be turned off in ten minutes. This time, I didn't choose a bed, since I had no intention of wasting the last night of my life sleeping. Instead, I sat down by Daphne's bed and held her hand tenderly. Daphne and Fred were laughing and talking about things that I couldn't hear. Almost instinctively, Shaggy approached and sat next to me. Without saying anything, he kissed the top of my head and hugged me tightly, and I felt his tears wet my neck. Flim Flam approached us and, to my despair, he brought a sheet and asked me to do what I had promised.
Velma: Please, give me a minute… I need to say goodbye…
I said those words while getting up quickly, so that nobody would notice that I was crying. However, a second later, Shaggy grabbed my hand and forced me to return to that hug. Daphne scrambled until she snuggled into Fred's arms, and she smiled at us.
Daphne: What a beautiful scene! I´ve always pulled for you both as a couple, you know?
Shaggy: Like, I´ve always hoped she would be straight…
Shaggy's heartfelt comment made us laugh, and he blushed. And I took the opportunity to wipe away the tears that were on my face.
Velma: My sexuality never prevented me from loving and admiring you a lot, Shags… if I had to choose a guy, it would definitely be you…but sexual orientation is not really a matter of choice…
Daphne: I bet Freddie is offended now… because he wasn't chosen... he loves to be admired!
We laughed one more time and annoyed Fred with this fact until he blushed and admitted that we were right.
Fred: Come on, every guy likes female attention! Like that time Shags fell platonically in love with the Malt Shop waitress for non-sense reasons...
Shaggy: Like, it wasn't non-sense! She literally put more meat on my hamburger and more syrup on my milkshake than on other people's! And she really meant to do it, I was special!
Daphne: Because you were a loyal customer! You used to go there, like, ten times per day? She was just being nice, Shags, she wasn't into you!
Fred: Don't believe it, Shags... I spent my whole life thinking this shit about Daphne, and I was totally wrong... in the end, I just wasted my time...
Velma: Because obviously you have severe cognitive problems!
This time, we laughed so loudly that the other contestants and the guards looked at us with disapproval faces.
Daphne: Frederick Jones, I can´t believe what I´ve heard, you must be kidding me! I´ve always thought it was so obvious to everyone that I liked you...
Velma: And it was obvious!
Daphne: …and I´ve always tried to hide it, because I was afraid of what you would think about it…
Velma: And you´ve failed miserably!
I laughed while Daphne blushed, and Fred kissed her forehead tenderly.
Fred: That's it… I´ve always felt the same, but I was afraid of what you would think, too… honestly? I always thought that I didn't deserve a girl like you... and I still think the same. I´m still afraid of spoiling your life and ruining our friendship… that's why I thought I shouldn't take this feeling too seriously... but now I see that I´ve wasted time, Daph... if I had only known things would be like this...
Daphne: …that we would die so young? Or that we would have only three days together as a couple?
Fred: …that it wouldn't be forever. That I wouldn't have you forever in my life. You've always been by my side since I were a boy, so I never thought that one day I'd be without you...
The sadness in Fred's voice hurt me, and Daphne squeezed his hand with tears in her eyes, then she kissed him. Shaggy and I looked at each other, feeling uncomfortable with that sad moment, and he tried to break the silence.
Shaggy: Like, you kissed for the first time in the third grade, so it's been a while since you've been showing your feelings for each other... and I remember it was in front of everyone... if that's hiding feelings, I don't know what showing is...
Velma: It was on my 8th birthday, by the way…
Fred: Yeah, the birthday you got traumatized by clowns...
Velma: Oh no, not that story again! It's been almost twenty years, damn! Can we forget about it, please? The worst shameful moment of my life!
Shaggy: Like, it´s still funny and appropriate to me...
Daphne: Well, on that day, I was just being really nice to him… he fell from a tree, gang, he deserved a kiss to feel better… I felt so sorry for him!
Velma: What are you talking about? He deserved to fall from that tree, he was a brat! He ruined my birthday!
Fred: So my first kiss was a total lie and you kissed me just because you felt sorry for me?
Daphne: Well… yes… but at the other times, I wasn't just being nice with you…
Fred: You were really nice to me on the prom night… actually, you were wonderful…
Fred's smirk made Daphne blush and giggle, and Shaggy and I both rolled our eyes.
Shaggy: Like, too much information, man!
Velma: Thanks for oversharing, Fred, damn, how unnecessary!
Daphne: Yes, seems like we were really nice to each other that night...
Daphne's words came out as a whisper, and she smiled shyly. Fred kissed her tenderly, but soon she interrupted the kiss to breathe hard, and that made us feel sad.
Shaggy: Like, too bad everything we lived will end like this... so soon... and so cruelly...
Fred opened his mouth to rebut Shaggy, but Daphne's weakness shut him up. Seeing her struggling against her pain, the three of us joined our forces to put her back on bed, in a more comfortable position that wouldn't affect the wound. However, Daphne's discomfort did not cease, and soon the sheets were bathed in red again with the presence of her body.
Flim Flam: Maybe it won't end... maybe you'll meet somewhere else... or maybe you'll live together again, in other ways... well, at least that's what I believe...
We all looked at Flim Flam, and I could see that he tried to hide the tears in his eyes. He was no longer holding the improvised rope, nor the pillow. Fred was deeply distressed by Daphne's situation, and he tried somehow to make her laugh.
Fred: Hopefully Velma will be a Republican in her next life...
Velma: Hopefully you won´t be an asshole! Damn, how you love to piss me off, you haven't changed since the third grade!
The joke brought a shy smile to Daphne's mouth, but it was not sufficient to disguise the bad state of her health.
Shaggy: Like, Flim Flam is right… we´ll meet again… I sureIy will recognize you wherever we are… you are unforgettable… even if Velma becomes a republican…
Velma: You're almost convincing me to not want to recognize you...
Daphne: Gang, it doesn't matter if our lives will end, or how they will end... what matters is that we're together now! I will die in the place I've always wanted to be... next to my best friends and in the arms of the love of my life...
Daphne's whispered words completely destroyed the little joy that had lingered in the air after the jokes, and we all fell into a morbid, painful silence, broken only by sobs and tears. Shortly after, the lights were turned off, and we had to look for beds to sleep in. Despite the fear I was feeling, I didn't have the courage to take my own life. Fortunately, Flim Flam didn't bring the subject up again, and I stayed curled up in my bed, staring into the darkness and waiting for my final hours to pass. Suddenly, I heard Flim Flam leaving his bed, and my heart raced at the thought that he had decided to commit suicide. Both me and Shaggy got up quickly and stopped him. To our surprise, he didn't have any objects in his hands.
Flim Flam: Calm down, guys, I won´t do that crazy thing anymore... your talks made me change my mind...
Velma: So, where are you going?
Flim Flam: I'm going to do the only thing left I can do... meditate and pray for a miracle...
A sudden, distant blast woke me up and shook the entire dorm. My mind was so busy that I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. Due to the geographic location, the most reasonable explanation for the noise and tremor was an earthquake. However, in Squid Game, that could certainly be something much more tragic and dangerous than a simple earthquake. My heart raced with fear, and I immediately jumped from my bed, dreading what would happen next. The only one awake was Fred, who was sitting next to Daphne's bed, watching her sleep.
Fred: Where are you going? I won´t let you kill yourself, I´ve already told you I have a plan for the final game, and we all will get out of here alive!
Velma: I'm not going anywhere… did you hear that noise? I don't know if I'm hallucinating, but I think I heard an explosion and a tremor right after...
Fred: I can't believe I´ve lived enough to see the day when Velma Dinkley was in the area that has the largest amount of volcanoes and earthquakes and she asked the cause of a tremor… what a decadence… even I, a biology dummy, know the answer… earthquake! Damn, weren´t you born in the middle of the San Andreas Fault and didn´t you spend your whole life learning about the atypical geology of Crystal Cove?
Velma: That's not biology, jerk, it's geography! And it's a proof that you're a geography dummy too! Damn, Fred, it´s not time for irony and jokes, I'm talking serious, did you hear an explosion and felt a tremor in the dorm right after?
Fred: Velma, it was just a small earthquake, mystery solved... remember that boring documentary you made us watch when the Blakes set their home cinema? The one that said in Japan there are a thousand earthquakes per year?
Velma: Actually, it's two thousand per year, one tremor in every five minutes...
Fred: Fuck that... well, that's it...
Velma: Fred, in this place, a 9.8 magnitude earthquake would be the least cruel and frightening thing that could happen to us! That's what I mean! Don´t you think the VIPs are doing something to kill us? I don't know, a fire, an explosion, a gas chamber, something like that! Maybe the next game won't happen… and they will just get rid of us… I couldn't believe Alan when he said that Tom and the others are the favorites and they will win the game… I don't know…
My voice was cracking, and my hands and legs were shaking so badly that I thought I would pass out. Fred didn't say anything, but I could tell he had considered what I'd said because he got up suddenly.
Velma: Maybe Flim Flam is right… suicide is the best option… what will come next will be way worse and way more painful…
Fred: If I didn't commit suicide after that 2-hour-boring-documentary, why would I do it now?
Velma: FRED, STOP WITH THESE STUPID JOKES, I'M TALKING SERIOUSLY, THEY WILL KILL US!
Fred: I WILL NOT GIVE UP AND I WILL NOT LET YOU GIVE UP!
Fred's scream woke Shaggy and the other contestants up, and it made me to burst into tears. Seeing my despair, Fred hugged me and tried to calm me down somehow. I tried to explain my point of view, while the panic took over my body.
Velma: Fred, please, this might not be in your plans!
Fred: If we commit suicide now, how will we know?
Velma: Fred, stop playing the fool, stop pretending to be calm! We can't play the next game! We are going to die!
Fred: So, we must kill ourselves now because we have the possibility of dying in a few hours? Where the hell is the logical-explanation girl I knew? Look at the guards, they aren't even worried, they must be used to tremors like this...
Velma: Fred, we will suffer a lot, and I don't want to go through it! I don't want to die, I DON'T WANT!
The despair left me breathless. Fred hugged me tighter and Shaggy came to comfort me.
Fred: Velma, listen, calm down and focus on the facts, that's all you need to do right now to survive. In this psycho circus, only the ones who are mentally balanced will survive. If you get trapped into their psychological terror and allow yourself to be impressed by the violence of this place, you will lose 75% of your chances to survive… you saw how stupid I was when I overreacted, and how many times I´ve almost died… now, think about it: in which of the options we will have at least a 1% chance to survive?
Fred's words and his hug stopped my crying, but it didn't take away the fear I was feeling in my heart.
Velma: What if they're plotting an attack against us right now?
Fred: I´m also plotting against them, don´t worry. Now, try to rest a bit. We will need disposition, attention and emotional balance to win.
Before I could do anything, Shaggy hugged me, kissed the top of my head, and led me back to my bed, perhaps to make sure I wouldn´t take my own life. When I sat up in bed, I was in shock for a few minutes until another blast happened, this time louder and coming from a place closer to us. The tremor in the dormitory was so strong that the glasses of the windows shook and the bunk frames vibrated, and that woke Flim Flam up. Fred and Shaggy just got in shock.
Fred: I think you are right, it´s not an earthquake, it´s dynamite!
Fred ran towards Daphne and Shaggy grabbed my hand. This time, we weren't the only ones in panic, all the dorm guards were scared, sending messages on the radio, and it proved that, indeed, something unusual was going on. My anguish increased when I saw Fred crying and desperately screaming Daphne's name. The possibility that she had passed away made my heart ache, and immediately Shaggy, Flim Flam and I ran towards them.
Fred: VELMA, SHE DOESN'T WAKE UP! I CAN'T WAKE HER UP!
Fred's words made my heart hurt, and when I touched her cold hands, despair choked me. Shaggy tried to comfort Fred, and my first impulse was to check her vital signs. Fortunately, Daphne still had a pulse and she was still breathing, but both were so weak that they were unnoticeable. Fred stopped crying when I said that Daphne was still alive, even so, his despair continued and destabilized all the confidence and motivation he had shown minutes before. After a long radio message in Korean, the lights suddenly were turned on. The guards rushed to the dormitory door and demanded the other guards to open it, but their orders were not heard. The strong light made the other contestants get up. And, unfortunately, made us see the morbid state Daphne was.
Fred: We have to get out of here now! She doesn't have much time!
Fred and I tried to wake Daphne up again, while Shaggy and Flim Flam tried again to convince the other contestants to give up. The desperation of the guards kicking and punching the door made some of them hesitate, but Tom, even in a terminal state just like Daphne, didn't let them give up. At the same moment, a third explosion happened outside the dorm, way louder and closer than the previous ones, and it made the light flicker and the air conditioning stop working. Frightened, the guards sent radio messages, but the only noises they heard as a response were shots. Then, all the radios lost their signal and transmitted a strange hiss. Suddenly, a suffocating smoke invaded the dorm and the guards started manual maneuvers to open the door, but they were not successful. At that moment, Fred, Shaggy, Flim Flam and I looked at each other, and we knew that would be our end. Fred ran to the door and tried to help the guards open it; Shaggy, Flim Flam and the others did the same, but the door seemed locked. To make matters worse, an explosion occurred near the back of the dorm, it made the upper windows shatter and the dorm´s electrical system collapse. A few small shards of glass hit the guards and the boys, and inevitably, the smoke made everyone cough. Immediately, we approached Daphne, worried about the damage that smoke could do to her failing breathing.
Fred: I think you were right, the VIPs want to destroy the place and get rid of evidences! I think there´s a fire around the dorm, the walls are hot and there's smoke everywhere, we need to get out of here NOW!
The coughing fit that interrupted Fred – and the coughing fit that didn´t let us say anything – refuted Fred and were a proof that we wouldn't survive that fire. When the coughs stopped, Fred took a pillowcase to covered his own nose, then he did the same with Daphne. Shaggy, Flim Flam and I copied him, yet the sound of screams, bullets and scurrying footsteps were telling us that dealing with the smoke would be our least important challenge. Shaggy and Flim Flam returned to the door, and Fred tried to take Daphne out of the bed safely, without touching her wound. Fear paralyzed me so much that I didn't know exactly what I should do. I helped Fred for a moment, until our hands were soaked in blood, which made Fred hesitate.
Fred: We can't move her, Velma, she will die!
Velma: If we don't get out of here, we all will die!
Suddenly, a sniper shot coming from a window hit one of the guards who was trying to open the door and he died. Shaggy and Flim Flam ran in our direction, while several shots hit everyone who remained trying to open the door. Immediately, Fred took Daphne in his arms and ran with her to hide under the table, and we did the same. At the moment we ducked into shelter, the dorm door exploded and all the guards were thrown, as well as the pieces of concrete and wood. The explosion opened a huge hole in the wall where the door used to be and let more smoke enter the dorm. Through the hole, I could see flames consuming the plastic cover of the corridors.; through the flames, Gi-Hun and three armed Interpol agents suddenly appeared, and right behind them, Scooby-Doo. Gi-Hun and the agents entered quickly, stepping over the rubble and pointing their weapons at the bodies of the soldiers that were on the ground. Shaggy was not intimidated by the catastrophic scene and ran towards his best friend to hug him. Scooby-Doo was overjoyed to see us, he barked, jumped on us and licked our hands and our faces. His anxiety was only quelled by the long, tearful hugs Shaggy gave him.
Flim Flam: We need to get out of here now, let's go!
Flim Flam's order made Shaggy stop the hug and act. Fred ran quickly towards the door with Daphne in his arms, and Flim Flam and I followed him. Unfortunately, only two contestants followed us. The other two freaked out when they realized they would have to leave the safe behind, and they refused to leave the dorm without all that money. Before leaving the dorm, Shaggy approached Tom to help him, but he noticed that he was already dead. When we were in the middle of the first hallway, an explosion destroyed the dorm. Empathy paralyzed me for a second and made me think of the two men who were there trying to get the money, but Scooby soon bit and pulled my shirt to make me keep running. Flim Flam led us through a different path, easier than the maze of corridors we passed through every day. However, when we arrived at a large room, it was not possible to continue. It was dark, the roof had caved in and there were toxic fumes. Flim Flam immediately backed away and told us to return.
Flim Flam: We can´t continue, we will have to go through the maze!
The smoke was suffocating and debilitating. At each coughing fit, I felt like there was less oxygen available to breathe, and my heart raced more and more. We quickly returned to the usual path, but when we arrived at the maze, things were even worse. The smoke greatly obstructed our vision and it was more suffocating than the previous fumes. There were guards' bodies everywhere, some of them were still alive and they were crawling towards us. Flames consumed the plastic decoration and gave that place a hellish and frightening view. Seeing that, we all froze. Gi-Hun continued carefully and hurried us, but we remained in shock. Then, Scooby-Doo pulled Shaggy by his shirt until he convinced him to follow Gi-Hun.
Shaggy: Come on, gang, this is our only chance!
Two agents took Flim Flam, so that he could move faster, and I jumped between the bodies, dodging the hands that insisted on grabbing my ankles. When I looked back, I noticed Fred was still in the same place. Immediately, I returned and pulled him by the wrist, but he didn't move.
Fred: Velma, we can´t go on, the smoke will suffocate her!
Velma: This is the only option! The only one that has at least a 1% chance of surviving! You told me that, so let's go!
Fred: 1% chance for me, Daphne might not resist...
Velma: FRED, DON´T LET FEAR DEFINE YOUR LIFE! HAVEN'T YOU LOST ENOUGH? AREN´T YOU TIRED OF ALWAYS BEING AFRAID OF DOING THE RIGHT THING?
A coughing fit took my breath away, so I grabbed Fred´s wrist and pulled him until we got to a point where it was almost impossible to see anything. Then, I was guided by the distant sound of Shaggy´s voice for a while, until I heard shots getting closer and closer, and Scooby-Doo ran past us in the opposite direction.
Shaggy: Armed guards! Return!
Shaggy quickly pushed us back, while the agents shot the guards. The scene of both contestants and one of the Interpol agents being shot to death was the verdict that we would succumb in that place. At the central room, there were flames everywhere, the smoke was totally dark and even more toxic. Fred walked through the flames until he reached one of the corridors of the maze, while Flim Flam and the Interpol agents finished killing the guards who were chasing us. Suddenly, Shaggy, Scooby and I got lost in the middle of the room, surrounded by smoke and flames. The heat was so unbearable that Shaggy fainted while we were trying to find a way out, and Scooby had to drag him. I tried to help him, but the lack of oxygen didn´t let me do much. I heard Flim Flam shouting our names at the end of a corridor and I tried to get up, but the feeling of suffocation was so great that it closed my throat and didn´t let my muscles move. When I looked up, I saw Gi-Hun with a lantern in his hands showing us the way out, but I was not able to continue. Scooby-Doo took Shaggy's unconscious body towards the exit, and I gathered all my strength to follow them. A few feet ahead, several hands from several wounded soldiers on the ground grabbed our bodies and prevented us from continuing. Scooby-Doo bit them all and continued to drag Shaggy with determination, but I didn't have the same strength. I struggled as best as I could to release myself from the guards, but when I escaped them, I couldn't go ahead. Desperately, I looked at Fred with Daphne in his arms several feet behind me, and I tried to scream, but his name came out as a whisper. The flames were so close to my face that I felt my skin burn, and I competed with them for oxygen. At one final push, I took my body to the beggining of the exit corridor, and the last thing I saw before passing out was the image of Fred and Daphne disappearing through the flames towards the opposite corridor.
When I woke up, the skin of my face was burning, and the pain was getting worse as the grass was constantly rubbing it. When I opened my eyes, I saw Scooby-Doo grabbing my sweater once more and dragging me through the grass, far away from that place. At that moment, I understood that I was alive and I finally got out of Squid Game. I couldn't hide my emotion, nor could I hold back my tears, and Scooby seemed to understand my relief, since he stopped dragging me for a moment and happily licked my cheeks. Then, several Interpol agents and several paramedics came in our direction, and they put me on an gurney right after praising Scooby's courageous act with a pat on his head. I couldn't stop coughing during my way to the ambulance. The effort of coughing made all my cuts and sores hurt a lot, and made evident how bruised I was. On the way, I saw Shaggy and Gi-Hun being helped by paramedics, and Alan Mayberry being roughly dragged by several Interpol agents. The absence of Daphne, Fred and Flim Flam made me sit on the gurney, scream their names and cry uncontrollably. Unfortunately, the crying made my breath become worse, until it took my senses. The paramedics helped me, resting my head on the gurney and putting me on life support to help me breathe better. When the ambulance started, the last scene I saw before closing my eyes was Scooby-Doo jumping on the ambulance window to say goodbye to me.
Marcie: Thank God she's already been discharged, Shags! Doctors said she has superficial injuries... her respiratory tract are a little hurt due to fumes, but she has no pneumonia…
That familiar voice, and the small, delicate hands that tenderly held my hands, made me open my eyes slowly. When I realized that Marcie and Shaggy were at my bedside, I quickly sat up and hugged both them. They hugged me back, and it was impossible to not cry. Then I realized I was in a hospital, and I had finally survived all that nightmare. Marcie wiped away my tears and told me to calm down.
Marcie: Hey, honey, it's ok… you need to calm down, ok? Your lungs can't handle these emotions right now...
Marcie hugged me gently, her voice soothed me, but I couldn't stop sobbing.
Shaggy: Like, if you'd smoked a few joints in your life, maybe you wouldn't have such a fucked up respiratory system that gets sick with plastic fumes…
Velma: Shut up, you were coughing too! And you fainted!
Shaggy: Like, but I'm fine, no lung damage! I´m fucking immune!
Velma: Information taken directly from the voices in your head, right? Nobody gets immune to fumes, if you had studied a bit more in your life, you wouldn´t hurt my ears with this shit!
Shaggy: Seems like she´s back, Marcie… like, her lungs are great… and her tongue too!
We laughed a little and hugged each other. The jokes and smiles brought me a sense of comfort and normality again, and I felt some of the joy I had before all the Squid Game investigation. When Marcie finally released me, I looked out of the hospital room window and I saw a red haired woman sitting in a chair, with her back to the glass. Immediately, my heart was filled with joy, and my body recovered all the strength I had lost during the fire.
Velma: DAPHNE!
Marcie and Shaggy screamed my name several times and tried to hold me, but I was quicker and left the bed on impulse. However, by the time I got to the door, all my joy was gone. The red hair belonged to Delilah, who stared at me and her eyes were red from crying.
Marcie: Velma, honey, you need to rest a bit more…
Velma: WHERE'S DAPHNE?
Marcie: Velma, please, you can't hyperventilate in these conditions...
Velma: ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHERE'S DAPHNE?
Shaggy: Velma, come on, like, you need to return to your bed, as soon as you calm down, I will...
Velma: I DON'T WANT TO CALM DOWN, I WANT TO SEE MY FRIENDS! WHERE ARE DAPHNE, FRED AND FLIM FLAM?
Delilah: I don't know! Nobody knows! I think they… they… are gone!
Delilah couldn´t continue, as she started crying uncontrollably and hid her face in her hands. The shock of that answer disarmed me, and the memory of Fred and Daphne disappearing into the flames brought me a cruel truth that I didn't want to accept. Then, Delilah came in my direction, hugged me and cried on my shoulder, and I felt my heart shatter.
Shaggy: Hey! Like, don´t cry, let´s wait a bit more… I´m sure they are fine… Scooby surely has found them… they might be at other hospital…and…
Shaggy´s voice cracked, so Marcie gathered us all and hugged us, since no one could find the right words for that moment. Our hug was suddenly interrupted by an impact, as I turned, I realized that it was Sugie Rogers, who had jumped on her brother's back and hugged him tightly.
Sugie: I´m so glad to see you again, ASSHOLE! Like, I can't believe you're alive, DON´T YOU EVER SCARE ME LIKE THIS AGAIN!
Shaggy: Like, I also intend to never scare myself like this again, don't worry...
The siblings hugged each other while Delilah walked away from us. Shaggy lifted his sister into his arms and they both laughed, glad to see each other. Crystal and the Rogers soon arrived and greeted us warmly.
Madelyn: Look, she's there!
I didn't have time to prepare myself to receive my little sister. She just ignored the fact that she was already 23 years old – and that she was way bigger than me – and she threw herself into my arms with such force that she knocked me to the ground. My parents ran towards us, and after briefly greeting Shaggy and the Rogers, they joined us on the ground, hugging and kissing us nonstop. I hugged them back with joy and gratitude, because seeing them again after so many horrors was a dream come true. Marcie gently started to circle us, trying to interfere and remind us that I was still sick and I needed to rest, but my mom and Madelyn grabbed her wrists and pulled her to the ground too, including her in our huge family hug. Marcie's fall made me laugh - and it also made me cry, because for the first time in my life I saw my parents treating her well and including her in our family. Then, my parents peppered me with questions, and I could barely speak, since Shaggy jabbered and gestured a lot, telling the details of everything we'd been through—in a more heroic and more romanticized way, of course.
Fred Sr.: Frederick?
Fred Sr. turning the corridor and calling his son interrupted our merriment and made all smiles cease. As usual, he was very serious and dressing very formally, but when he approached us, his countenance changed, until the previous seriousness was lost and despair took over his face.
Fred Sr.: Have you seen my son Frederick?
The silence that followed was more telling than any condolence words, and it obviously made Fred Sr.´s despair increase.
Paula: Mr. Jones, we're very sorry, but...
Fred Sr.: But…?
Not even the sweet and kind Paula Rogers had the courage to continue the explanation. Distressed, Fred Sr. continued to interrogate us with words and looks, but no one dared answer his questions. At the moment he understood what our silence wanted to tell him, he fell to his knees and started to cry.
Delilah: Mr. Jones, I couldn't find Fred and my sister, I'm so sorry...
Delilah approached Fred Sr. to comfort him and to help him stand up, but the pain made her lose her strength too, and she remained on the floor, hugging him. Meanwhile, Judy Reeves appeared at the end of the hall and quickened her steps in high heels when she saw Fred Sr. and Delilah hugging and crying on the floor.
Judy: Frederick, what's going on?
Fred Sr.: We lost him, Judy.
The news hit Judy like a shot, and her shock was so great that I thought she was going to faint. However, instead of falling to the ground, she walked away from us crying and pulling her own hair. Marcie, Madelyn, and my mother got up to comfort her, and the level of grief and pain surrounding us became so unbearable that Rogers family looked at each other and decided to leave after paying their condolences. I don't know how long it took us to comfort Delilah, Fred Sr. and Judy minimally, but the anguish of witnessing all their pain made it seem like an eternity. With a lot of effort, we made them sit on chairs, and some nurses brought them water. After a while, Judy and Fred seemed more resigned, even so, they held their hands and cried together for a while. Delilah, on the other hand, seemed more and more angry. She dialed her iPhone frantically six or seven times, until she used all her force to throw it against the wall.
Delilah: WHAT A ROTTEN FAMILY! WHAT A LOUSY BUNCH OF PIECE-OF-SHIT MOTHERFUCKERS, NO ONE ANSWERS THE FUCKING PHONE! WHY DO I HAVE THREE SISTERS IF NONE OF THEM HAS SOME VALUE?
Judy and Fred released their hands for a moment and hugged Delilah, trying to calm her down. My parents and Madelyn signaled that they were leaving too – probably for the same reason as the Rogers – and Marcie and I decided to stay.
Jenkins: Ms. Delilah, I´m pleased to finally meet you! Mr. and Mrs. Blake are waiting for you in the car, and they want news about your sister Daphne...
Jenkins's distant voice in the hospital hall made Delilah stand up and lunge at him like a wild animal. Fortunately, she calmed down before she reached him, and she didn't take out on him all the anger she was feeling.
Delilah: Tell those two uselesses that if they want news about their daughter, they'll have to come here and get it!
In the same way as Daphne, Delilah was elegant and kept her social etiquette even when she was furious. Jenkins just nodded and disappeared down the hall, while Fred Sr. and Judy hugged Delilah again, in tears. Watching them all grieve was so unbearable that Marcie looked me deep in the eyes and asked us to leave too. To my dismay, Delilah grabbed my wrist and stopped me.
Delilah: Please, I need you here… you know… if they find them… I can´t do it alone…Jenkins will not want to do it either… and I can barely contact my family…please…
Delilah's request was so heinous that it made me feel nausea, but I couldn't deny it. At the end of the hall, George Blake appeared in a black overcoat that enhanced his arrogance. Surrounding him, there were several security guards, with Jenkins right behind them. Then, Nan came dressed as a member of the British royal family, rolling her eyes with impatience. At the presence of her parents, all Delilah´s previous anger disappeared. Instead, she showed fear, but she faced them and gave them the news anyway.
Delilah: I couldn´t find Daphne! She´s not in this hospital, I'm very sorry!
Despite her cracking voice and a few tears running down, Delilah's face was still serious.
Nancy: Great, so look for her at other hospitals! And tell Jenkins to call me when you find her! Don´t you know that we are busy trying to save our public image after dealing with all this scandal? Or just let Interpol do it, it´s their duty…
George: So, you´ve interrupted my schedule to let me know that you couldn't find Daphne?
Delilah: No, I interrupted your schedule to let your majesty know that your daughter is dead! DEAD! UNDERSTAND? THIS IS THE LAST HOSPITAL, NO ONE SAW HER LEAVING THAT PLACE, AND PROBABLY NOBODY WILL! Many Interpol agents died while "doing their duty", so why don´t you do a huge favor to your public image and behave like a grieving mom? I bet the public opinion would appreciate to see you showing that you care! And, please, tell Jenkins to call those bitches that I call sisters… tell them their share of the inheritance will increase, maybe this wonderful news will make them answer their fucking phones and join us at the funeral!
When she finished, Delilah broke down and cried, and Judy and Mr. Jones hugged her. The shock was so great that it took George, Nan and even Jenkins a moment to process the information about their loss, but when they understood, they displayed the most excruciating grief reactions I have ever seen in my life. Judy and Fred soon comforted them, and Delilah herself felt so unconfortable to see her parents crying that she cared about our mental state.
Delilah: I think I´ll be fine… as fine as I could be… and you still need to rest… you´ve gone through all that horrid things, you don´t deserve to go through this kind of thing right now…
We took advantage of the moment when the two ex-couples hugged each other and we left. Before turning the corner, I watched the two families in harmony, and I deeply lamented that my friends would never see that scene. Even at some distance, I could hear Nan's screams and Fred Senior's wails echoing through the hospital corridors. And once again I lamented, because my friends left this world without knowing they were so loved.
As we approached the exit, the movement of reporters intimidated me. I grabbed Marcie's hand tightly and stopped her, but she pulled me forward for a while.
Marcie: Oh, are you kidding me that you're afraid of the media and the reporters! You've always wanted this! Go ahead, it's your moment!
At that moment, Marcie didn't realize how morbid it was to take over a place that had always been occupied by Fred Jones – a place that I always struggled to fill. She looked so grateful that I'd survived that she wanted me to tell the world about it, so she just pulled me by the wrist until I gave up.
Marcie: Wow, now you´re afraid of interviews… who are you and what have you done with Velma Dinkley?
Velma: Certainly, I will never be the same person after that game… I can't even recognize myself…
Marcie felt my pain and looked at me sympathetically while she wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
Marcie: I still recognize you, honey… I still see the incredible woman I fell in love with… and I think I would recognize you anywhere, even in hell…
Marcie smiled and continued to pull me, but I remained in the same place.
Velma: I'm sorry, ok?
I overestimated my ability to say those words without crying, and as soon as I finished the sentence, I had to hide my face in my hands to hold back the tears.
Marcie: Honey, it's ok... you don't have to apologize for anything...
Velma: Yes, I do… for everything… for all these years… a few hours ago, my biggest fear was dying without having a chance to apologize and to do everything in a different way… so, please, forgive me… I promise things will change and I'll be honest with you from now on...
Marcie smiled tenderly, but soon her smile became disconcerting.
Marcie: Well, if we will be honest with each other now, then I guess I owe you apologies too... when I went to Florida... it wasn't just a vacation... I was really thinking about leaving you... forever…
The shocking news took my breath, and Marcie carefully wiped away my tears.
Marcie: …but I´ve changed my mind. My parents convinced me to keep the engagement, and they told me a lot of good things about you… but I was still confused… well, you know how I am, I ended up asking the universe for a sign… about what I should do… then, the next day, you disappeared… and I realized how meaningless my life is without you… two days later, your parents started publicly defending George on the media, and I realized that was where I should be…by your side, by the side of the people who have always been by my side… so, Delilah called me and we came to South Korea to look for you… thank God we´ve found… I mean, I´ve found, she didn´t have the same luck…
Marcie couldn't continue and hugged me tightly. This time, I soothed her, but the emotion didn't allow either of us stop crying.
Marcie: Sorry, I know you don't believe in that stupid sign stuff, but that's how it happened...
Velma: No! I do believe... before going to Seoul, I felt bizarre things, like it was a premonition... if I had believed, we would be at Disney right now... but I promise the new Velma believes in these things, ok? The new Velma will never neglect what is important to you again...
Our hug took a long time to end, and when it did, we were still crying. Marcie tried to take me to the front door again, and I froze once more.
Velma: Please, I can't do this… not alone… you know, it doesn't make sense without them here…
Marcie nodded and agreed with my decision, and instead of taking me to the main exit, she led me through smaller corridors until we reached a more discreet exit. I left that hospital in pieces, and fully aware that some pieces would never be recovered. The fresh air of post-Squid Game freedom was restorative, but it inspired a new start that I wasn't prepared to deal with - and, perhaps, I would never be. Marcie squeezed my hand so the several nurses, EMTs, and agents wouldn't separate us, and I followed her through a maze of gurneys and ambulances. Our walk was interrupted by two men who removed a gurney from an ambulance, and to my surprise, the person on that gurney was Flim Flam. My emotion was so great that I hugged Flim Flam tightly, ignoring his wounds, and it made him scream in pain. The EMTs pushed me away abruptly and continued to push the gurney ahead, Flim Flam just laughed at the incident and took my hand as he passed me.
Flim Flam: Sorry, Velma! After I remove a bullet from my foot, sew up four inches of my abdomen, stop the bleeding of thirty cuts around my body, recover from fifty beating bruises, and recover my lungs minimally, we can hug and talk more!
Flim Flam was rushed to the hospital, and the joy I felt seeing him alive made me laugh and watch the image of him disappearing. Seeing my goofy, happy expression, Marcie nudged me and pointed towards the ambulances. As my eyes adjusted their focus through the lenses, my heart skipped a beat.
Velma: FRED!
I sprinted toward the gurney leaving the ambulance, and Marcie followed me. My run was so frantic that it made hospital security guards chase us. Unfortunately, the tight and emotional hug I wanted to give Fred was censored by nurses and EMTs, who prevented me from approaching. Even so, Fred reached over and ruffled my hair, and every pent-up emotion turned into tears.
Velma: I knew you could do it, I knew!
Fred: Thanks to you… your plans… your encouragement… your friendship… as always…
Fred's words only made my crying and emotional breakdown worse, and I completely lost it when I saw an unconscious Daphne being pulled out of an ambulance and rushed into the hospital.
Fred: …but I confess I never thought you would cry for me… after all, you´ve said Shaggy is the guy…
Velma: OF COURSE I WOULD, YOU JEALOUS JERK, I LOVE YOU!
The sudden hug I gave Fred made the EMTs definitely lose their patience with me, and they pulled me off the gurney and asked the guards to get us away of the ambulance parking lot. Fred waved at us as he was led to hospital, and Marcie hugged me to hold back my tears – even though she knew it was a cry of joy.
Marcie: Calm down, honey, everything is ok now! Let's return and give their families the good news... they are heartbroken...
At first, I nodded, but when I took the first few steps back to the hospital, I hesitated.
Velma: No, let them figure this out for themselves... they have a lot to talk with each other right now, a lot to learn about how being a true family... and a lot to learn about the value of their children... maybe a few hours of mourning will be therapeutic for all them... Fred and Daphne deserve this...
Leaving the back exit of the hospital, we inevitably had to cross the main entrance - and face the sea of journalists and cameras covering the case. Marcie squeezed my hand as some journalists recognized me and came towards us, but before I could refuse interviews, Shaggy pulled us by the hand and led us to a circle of journalists who were interviewing Gi-Hun, Sang-woo's mother and a little boy named Cheol.
Shaggy: Like, if you don't want to answer their questions, that's fine! But you have to hear this story!
Scooby-Doo barked a few times and the little boy showed the translation of the barks on Shaggy's app, and all the journalists were amazed. Gi-Hun's mother started talking to the microphones of different nationalities, and listening to the simultaneous translation of an US station, I understood that she was saying that Scooby-Doo was largely responsible for our rescue.
Shaggy: Like, just listen! On the cachalot operation day, Scooby escaped because he smelled Daphne nearby... but instead of finding her, he found Gi-Hun, that's why they were together when the VIPs kidnapped us... after they took us, Gi-Hun was injured at the marina and ended up being rescued like a John Doe... Scooby escaped from the masked men and went to Sang-woo's mother's house to ask for food... Cheol had my app on his cell phone and started playing with him just for fun, but he got impressed when Scoob talked about our kidnapping and about Gi-Hun being injured and unidentified in a Seoul hospital… so Cheol told Sang-woo's mother… as Scooby had your purse, she immediately believed the story and went to the hospital… there, she recognized Gi-Hun, and when he was discharged, they informed Interpol and made a plan to save us… Incredible, isn't it?
Shaggy spoke loudly and his smile was wide, even so, I noticed that the purpose of that conversation was not to inform me about what had happened.
Velma: The news are amazing… but you are more! I'm sorry I only realized this now… if I hadn't disdained your app and your work, none of this would have happened.
Shaggy smiled at me like a child seeing a Christmas gift, I just hugged him and I thanked him over and over again. The hug was interrupted by Scooby, who put his head in the gap between our bodies and forced his body in until he separated us – and until he got the attention he wanted from both us. Reporters continued to explore the story and ask a variety of questions, and seeing Shaggy, Cheol and Mrs. Cho´s joy, I walked away and allowed them to have their moment of fame.
Angie Dinkley: You've been discharged, but it doesn't mean you're ok… come on, you need to rest!
My mother wrapped one arm around me and the other around Marcie, and a moment later, Madelyn and my father joined us.
Velma: I'm fine... I'm even thinking about winning my own Nobel...
Angie Dinkley: Oh, dear, your job is way more amazing than a Nobel!
Those words were so therapeutic that they made me smile, and for the first time in days – maybe even years? – I felt peace. We walked in silence to the parking lot, and remained in silence when we got into the car. When Dad started the car and we were leaving the hospital, I saw Delilah, Judy, the Blakes, and Fred Sr. together, smiling and talking while they crossed the parking lot. My inner peace increased, and somehow I wished the universe to make Daphne recover soon. She would love to see that.
Thanks for reading! Thanks for your time! Thank you so much for your reviews and all the views, they make me very happy.
As always, I apologize for the very long chapter, and for the language mistakes.
Next chapter will be the last one, it will be a couple of "one shot"´s about their lives after Squid Game, and a possible end to the initial case. I promise it will be a happier one!