Author´s note:
As a writer, I don´t like gore stuff; still, I´ll need to describe some unpleasant details about the games, so, this chapter contains:
Graphic depictions of violence
Description of injuries
Violent deaths
Swear Words/Offensive words
Chapter 24 – Red Light, Green Light
"This one is so tiny! Seems like she´s just turned 18…"
"She doesn't look like a Spaniard… nor a Latina…"
"Milagros! Nationalities have no face… she can be from anywhere, even Korea!"
"Of course nationalities have face, Lupe! And this girl looks like an English person…"
"No… hmm… maybe French?"
"I don't know where she's from, but with these glasses on, she looks pretty smart... I bet she´s a scientist... a teacher... a lawyer, something like that..."
"Or maybe she´s just a whore who wears glasses…"
"MILAGROS!"
"I'm just being honest, Lupe…"
"Well, brown hair, elegant, short… she is certainly Italian…"
"You want her to be Italian, Ginevra, but clearly she isn't!"
"Of course I do! I´m tired of speaking Spanish with you both! And I can´t stand hearing Korean language anymore, caspita!"
The interjection said by the female voice was so emphatic that it made me open my eyes, yet my mind was still in a deep lethargic state. I saw three blurs with brown hair scrutinizing me as if I were an alien, then my head ached so badly that I thought I was going to have a stroke. When I touched my face, I realized I was wearing my glasses, so the blurry images were probably caused by the vertigo that was attacking my senses very badly. Despite that, my memory was intact, and soon I remembered the last horrible image that my eyes were forced to see: Gi-Hun´s blood running through my arms, Flim Flam and Scooby-Doo running away, and two masked men carrying my numb body into a car. Immediately, my body sat up and I groped for clues about the place I was. To my surprise, I was in the bottom bed of huge, made of metal, bunk beds, and three women were sitting around me. They had different ages, and they were wearing green sweatshirts with a large white number on the left lapel. Again, my memory kicked in and reminded me that the clothes they were wearing – and I was also wearing, to my dismay – were identical to the victims´ clothes in those photos, and that led me to the worst conclusion of my life: I had become a victim of Squid Game. My first reaction was crying, and that caused different reactions in those women: the youngest tried to comfort me with a hug; the oldest sneered at me and mumbled a few words in Spanish, and the last one just smiled sympathetically.
Lupe: Relax, dear, it's the medicine's effect, soon you´ll feel better… my name is Lupe Flores… Can you understand me? ¿Hablas español? Do you speak English? Parlez-vous Français?
This time, the words were spoken in understandable Spanish, and I understood that Spanish was her native language. Under normal conditions of temperature and pressure, I would start speaking Russian just for fun, to see her questioning face… but, unfortunately, I was not in a normal condition. I was in Hell.
Velma: I speak English, but I can understand you in Spanish, French and 5 other languages.
Milagros: I told you! She is English!
Ginevra: And very intelligent, like I´ve said…
The three women started gossiping about the impressions they had about me, but I didn't feel like correcting whether those impressions were right or wrong. I just wanted to find my friends and find a way to get out of that place as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they didn´t notice my despair, and instead of letting me go, they introduced themselves. The youngest introduced herself as Anahí Guadalupe Flores, a 23-year-old Mexican girl, fashion student and daughter of a textile industrialist. She said she ended up in debt due to her compulsive buying. The first impression I had was: she was a latin, brunette version of Daphne Blake. Then, the oldest woman introduced herself as Milagros Cambi, retired, 70 years, who loves card games and cats. And the other woman was Ginevra Bianchi, a 50-year-old widowed Italian teacher who talked more about her three children than about herself. When they finished, their curious eyes forced me to say something about myself.
Velma: I'm Velma Dinkley, I'm 26 years old, American and I work in NYPD´s forensics.
I thought that a short presentation would end that conversation, but the opposite happened. They asked me lots of questions like: "Are you the daughter of the Dinkley couple who won the Nobel Prize?", " Is your work like CSI?". Only two questions were relevant enough to answer: "Why did you come to this reality show? NYPD doesn´t pay enough?". I stared at Lupe, the questioner, for some time, and it took me a while to decide whether or not to speak the truth about the Squid Game investigation. In the end, I decided to gather some evidence before my answer.
Velma: Well… it's a long and complicated story… but tell me, why are you here?
Ginevra: Money, of course! Being a teacher, a widow and having three children is something that makes you acquire some debts… and in the last few months, those debts took my house…
Milagros: Of course I came here for the money… I can't play cards with my shitty pension… at least not as much as I'd like… plus, I have 7 hungry cats to feed every month…
Lupe: Well… of course, I am here for the money, I maxed out all my credit cards… my parents paid everything, but they were very disappointed… so, I decided to accept this reality show to earn enough money and pay my parents back… and, of course, have enough money to buy more!
All the answers hurt my heart in some way, but the innocence on Lupe's face made me uneasy. And such feelings forced me to tell them the truth.
Velma: As I´ve said, I work for NYPD, and I'm here because we´ve started an investigation about this reality show... apparently, it's not an ordinary reality show that provides prizes to participants, it's a...
Against my will, my voice ceased and I couldn't express the horrible truth about Squid Game. My heart sank in panic as I realized that we were victims, and we could die at any moment.
Lupe: Oh, you're an infiltrator! How awesome! I thought it only happened on TV shows...
Ginevra: What's wrong with the reality show? I confess that it really seems a bit suspicious... when I received the advertisement online, I thought it was something related to pornography or illegal betting, because it's a lot of money! 38 million dollars… the same amount in Euros… not even Grande Fratello pays so much in Italy… but I took the risks anyway… three kids, dozens of debts and no house didn´t let me have other choices…
"Jinkies! That´s why there were no recruiters at Seoul´s subways, they recruited people all over the world online!", was the first thought I had, while making up a good answer.
Velma: Everything is wrong, Ginevra… starting with the fact that only one person will leave this show…
Ginevra: But that's how reality shows work! Contestants are eliminated and only one person gets the prize!
Velma: We have enough evidence proving that those eliminated are… really eliminated… and only one person will stay alive… so, we need to get out of here fast! Please, tell as many people as you can, we need to start a riot!
I finished talking and left. I thought my words would shock them, but instead, they remained where they were and looked at each other awkwardly. Milagros made a mocking gesture and laughed, and I panicked when I realized that I would have a lot of work to get all those people out of there. Then, I obsessively looked for Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Flim Flam and the other agents, but the hundreds of people in that location made my task difficult. At first glance, no one there had red hair, so Daphne certainly wasn't around. The large number of people with Asian features couldn´t let me find Flim Flam, Li and Wang immediately, so I started looking for the blond ones, to find Fred more quickly. I was just a few steps away from a blond male head sleeping in a bed when a familiar scream echoed throughout the room. Immediately, I looked towards the scream and recognized Shaggy on the top bunk crying his eyes out. I ran towards him, and as soon as I arrived, I tried to calm him down. Shaggy's cry made many men laugh, maybe because they didn't have the slightest idea about their destiny.
Velma: Shaggy! Calm down… breathe… we'll find a way to get out of here! C´mon, let´s find Fred and the others…
Shaggy: NO, WE´RE NOT! WE'RE GOING TO DIE IN A HORRIBLE WAY JUST LIKE DAPHNE! And… And… SCOOBYDOODIEDTOOVELMAAAAA!
Shaggy's anguish contaminated me, and I felt like crying too. The mocking reactions that other people expressed made me feel angry and nurture a selfish feeling of getting out of there with my friends and leaving those idiots behind. Despite that, I tried to remain calm and be as rational as possible.
Velma: We have no proof that Daphne is dead… on the contrary, the jewelry found at Applegate suggests that she was kidnapped, and the VIPs want to negotiate with George. As for Scooby, he and Flim Flam are alive! The last thing I saw before passing out was both them running away from the masked men's shots... Gi-Hun wasn't so lucky, he was shot and I remember seeing him bleeding… when I saw the masked men taking you away, I thought you were dead and I had lost you forever!
My hug stopped Shaggy's cry and he hugged me back. Then, he showed me a mark on his neck and pointed to a similar mark on my neck, and I understood that we had been shot with tranquilizer darts.
Shaggy: So… do you think Scoob is alive?
Velma: Yes… if anyone survived, it surely was him… I also believe that the VIPS and the masked ones wouldn't sacrifice him, after all, he's just a helpless animal…
Shaggy: Zoinks, I hope someone feeds him... and he finds the police station... and some police officer downloads my app and translates Scoob´s testimony about the facts...
Under normal conditions of temperature and pressure, I would curse that damn app, but since we were in an exceptional situation, I allowed that cheap illusion bring some comfort to my friend, and hugged him again. My hug was interrupted by the sudden - and violent - sound of a kick in the big metal door. As I looked towards the sound, I noticed Agent Daniel Crane violently kicking the door and shouting at the top of his lungs. Right behind him was Vivian, equally angry, but not hitting the door.
Velma: Come on! Let's help them! We need to get everyone out of here as soon as possible!
Shaggy climbed down the bunk without using the stairs, and I followed him. When we approached Daniel and Vivian, we noticed that Andrei and Dmitri were coming towards us, along with agents Wang and Li. The Russian and the Chinese agents remained calm, looking carefully around the room, and they did not join Daniel's outburst. To my surprise, Shaggy, who is usually scared in dangerous situations, had courage enough to punch and kick the door violently. Less than a minute later, Agent Li nudged me and Vivian, and surreptitiously showed us the flash hider of a AK47 in a corner of that room. Behind the gun was a masked man dressed in red, who was aiming the gun at Daniel. Immediately, I grabbed Shaggy´s arm and didn´t let him continue, and shortly after, Vivian did the same with Daniel.
Daniel: What? Are you going to shoot me? Go ahead, you fucking coward! You will kill a British Intelligence agent! And that won't change the fact that your stupid game is over, in a few hours our reinforcements will arrive and the world will know the truth about you!
Daniel only stopped talking when the Russian agents took him out of masked man´s sight, and he was followed by Vivian. I didn't have to do the same with Shaggy, but I could see in his eyes that the anger was still in his heart.
Velma: Let's find Fred! We need to be faster and smarter if we want to get out of here alive.
When Shaggy and I joined the others, Lupe and Ginevra walked towards us, and I introduced them to Shaggy.
Ginevra: So… what you´ve said about the reality show… is true? Are they… are they really going to… eliminate us?
Velma: They won't if we work together. Warn the others about it, we have to find a way to get out of here. They have guns and they will use them!
Both women started warning others in Spanish and in the few languages they knew. I panicked when I realized how difficult it would be to warn everyone, due to language issues. Then, agent Wang climbed onto one of the bunks, and explained the situation aloud in Korean. Li did the same in Chinese, and the same message was conveyed in English, Russian, Spanish and Italian by our friends. In the end, a large number of people understood the message, and they started arguing about what they had heard; Still, there was a small group of people who couldn't understand those languages, so they didn't understand our message. Among people talking, I spotted a blond man sitting on a bed against the wall, and his face had a confused expression. Immediately, I approached him, and I was happy to see that it was Fred.
Fred: Where's Daphne? I couldn't find her anywhere...
The question was so instantaneous that I didn't have time to show any reaction of joy when I saw him.
Velma: She's not here, Fred… I´ve already searched…
Fred: We need to find her, Velma!
Velma: Surely! But we need to get out of here first… come on! You´ve heard the message, let's mobilize these people and work as a team, that's the only chance we have!
Immediately, Fred got up and we walked towards the door. When we approached, we didn't need to convince anyone: dozens of people were already there, knocking on the door, shouting for help and begging to get out of there. A voice through a megaphone said something in Korean that I didn't quite understand. As expected, Fred hit the door with violence, expressing all the rage he was feeling for being caught in a trap - and for losing Daphne. Several people copied him, even the ones sitting on their beds got up and came towards us to express their anger. Again, the voice said something in Korean, and this time I could understand that it asked everyone to get away from the door. Suddenly, there were so many people attacking that metal gate that Fred, Shaggy, me and the others were pushed back, far from the door.
The strain against the door was so great that I thought it would scare the masked men, but, instead, they scared us. Unexpectedly, a shot hit the head of a man who was kicking the door, and his dead body fell into the crowd right behind him. Soon after, three or four people were shot in the same fatal way, and everyone panicked – including me. I grabbed Fred and Shaggy by their wrists and ran away from that door as fast as I could, until I managed to hide all us under a bunk bed. During the race, the shots did not stop, and I saw several people die by my side. I cannot say how many minutes that terror lasted, but when the shots and the cries of despair finally ended, there were about twenty people lying on the ground in a river of blood. The silence that followed was only broken by the sound of the large door opening, revealing half a dozen masked men dressed in red, carrying large black gift boxes with pink bows. As Shaggy had surmised before, the gift boxes were really coffins. The victims were placed one by one inside them, and then carried out by the masked men. When the door finally closed, murmurs echoed in the room, interrupted only when a large, transparent, pig-shaped safe appeared on the ceiling, and some wads of bills fell into it. Ginevra, Lupe and Milagros approached with horrified expressions on their faces, but I was too shocked to say anything. Fortunately, Fred Jones wasn't so shocked.
Fred: See? This is an example of what comes next! We need to work as a team and get out of here as soon as possible…
Tom: Exactly! All that money is an example of what we will earn during the games!
The accent of the man who refuted Fred made me think he was British. When he finished speaking, people stared at him smiling, and Fred glared angrily at him.
Fred: Nobody's gonna win, damn, this reality show is a trap! Only one person will survive, and the others will be sacrificed...
Tom: Absolutely! And I´ll be the winner… or rather… my gang will… we will split the millions…
Fred approached the man with the clear intention of punching him, but before he could reach the man, Daniel stopped him and started talking aloud.
Daniel: Gentlemen, calm down. Well, as you've noticed, in this game, people who are eliminated die. So, I think each one of you should decide what you want... if you want to put your life at risk for money, stay… if you don´t, come with us…
Tom: If you are cowardly enough to return to your miserable life, you can go with them… if you have some dignity and want your glory days, stay with us and conquer the millions… and all the luxury you deserve…
I don't know if it was for putting hundreds of people in danger, or simply for mentioning the word "cowardly", but Fred approached the man again and tried to hit him. This time, Daniel joined him, and the Russians had to stop both them. Unfortunately, I could see on those people´s faces that they agreed with the British man.
Ian: Tom's right… do you really want to get out of here and starve again? Or you want to have enough money to eat anything you want? Do you want to live in charity shelters or you want your homes back? Can you imagine being able to buy the house you want? Being able to buy houses for your parents or children? Well, if you stay here, you'll have it… you´ll never be in debt again… but it's your choice! You can choose if you want to remain as a loser or not…
The murmurs were louder, and I saw several people smiling and nodding their heads in agreement with that man's pathetic motivational message. Vivian poked Daniel and pointed to both men.
Vivian: Dan, look! That´s them… Tom Burton and Ian Farland… both fugitives from justice in London…
Vivian´s comment made Daniel lose his patience and grab the man by the collar.
Daniel: You piece of shit, we´re putting our lives at risk for you! We came here because you were reported missing!
Instead of attacking Daniel, Tom just laughed at him.
Tom: As you can see, these guys here are cops... they are the ones who arrest and humiliate poor people like you… they receive high incomes to take you out of the house you´ve lost when you refuse to do it… so, they don't know what they're talking about… as for us, we are ordinary people, just like you… we want a better life for our families, we are tired of shitty jobs with low wages…
Vivian: BETTER LIFE FOR YOUR FAMILY? YOU KILLED 3 PEOPLE DURING AN ARMED ROBBERY!
Tom: …well, that´s what the cops are saying… you decide who you want to follow…
Ian: No one will die during the games! That massacre only happened because those people followed police´s orders!
After their ridiculous, encouraging speech, I felt people looking at us in an hostile way, and I confess that I feared for my life after that. Shaggy and the Russians grabbed Fred´s sweatshirt to avoid another conflict, and Vivian did the same with Daniel.
Fred: We are 9, they are 5, we have numerical advantage and we can finish them!
Andrei: And that would confirm all the lies they've told about us! No, Fred, we need to be more strategic if we want to get out of here taking as many people as possible with us...
Agent Li asked for silence and I realized the megaphone voice was speaking again. I couldn't understand a word that was said, and it caused me a huge anguish. In the end, Li explained everything.
Li: The games will start soon, and they will take us to a room for bureaucratic matters. Don't be violent, because you can be shot like the others. Pay attention to the places around, if you find an opportunity to run away, then run away. Good luck to everyone.
We agreed and followed the huge line that was formed towards the door. Each of us signed a contract with dubious clauses, one of them said the games would be suspended if the majority of contestants wanted it, and I saved that information to use it as quickly as possible. Right after that, we were led into a confusing, colorful labyrinth, and that vision caused me a very strong feeling of déjà vu. After the initial confusion, I remembered my nightmare days ago in Fred's apartment, and I understood why I felt like I had seen that place before. As we passed through the maze of stairs, we ended up in a red room, and they took a photo of each one of us. Then, I understood the photos of the victims Gi-Hun sent us had been taken in that location - probably in previous editions of the game- and I couldn't stop thinking that it would be the last photograph of many of those people, including me. When we got back to the dormitory, our group was complete, no one had found an opportunity to escape. As I approached Shaggy and Fred, I asked if they had seen any doors or places we could escape through. Shaggy's gaze was distant and he shook his head. Only Fred looked at me.
Fred: Sorry, I couldn't pay attention to anything. I can't stop thinking that Daphne is dead and we're next...
Velma: Me too, Fred...
The megaphone voice spoke again, and before I could ask the Chinese agents to translate what was said, the big door opened and some masked men carried a large table with food. Shaggy smiled immediately and got out of bed quickly, but Fred grabbed his sweatshirt and stopped him.
Fred: All mistakes are fatal here, Shags... take care…
The only thing greater than Shaggy's hunger is Shaggy's fear, so he obeyed Fred. A huge line was formed towards the table, and we joined the others to receive our meal. When it was Shaggy's turn, unfortunately, he couldn't control himself. Quickly, he ate his portion, then took another portion, but when he did that, one of the masked men hit his hand so hard that I thought his bones had broken. I screamed in panic and Shaggy fell to the ground, groaning in pain. We couldn´t do anything because the armed, masked men made it clear they would shoot if riots were formed again.
Fred and I approached Shaggy to help him; despite the great pain, he was worried because the portion of food was on the floor, a few centimeters from him. We helped him to get up, but his first reaction was chasing the damn food again. I held my breath, fearing some masked man would shoot him, and luckily, they didn´t. Instead, a Korean contestant kicked his legs and he fell again. Then, the same man kicked Shaggy´s stomach and said that food was his. Fred approached and knocked the Korean man down, and that made Tom and Ian´s gang approach and attack both them. I noticed some masked men coming in their direction, and I shouted Shaggy´s and Fred´s names to make them stop. Seconds later, Russian and Chinese agents separated them, but my friends were incredibly hurt. Shaggy was so badly hurt that he had to be carried to one of the beds, and I couldn't do anything but cry. I can't say if what hurt me most was seeing Shaggy seriously injured, or if it was the thought that he would have to compete seriously injured – and that would give him less chances to survive.
After a while, Fred and I got back to the line to get our meals. That fight traumatized me so much that I didn't feel like eating anymore, so I offered Shaggy my meal. For the first time in his life, he refused food and said he wasn't hungry. Fred didn't let me insist.
Fred: Shaggy has already eaten a portion, and it's enough for him to survive. You need to eat to be able to compete, we don't know what we will have to face next. If you don't eat, you can feel weak and you´ll have no chance...
I obeyed Fred's request and swallowed a small portion of food. When I finished, the voice on the microphone started talking again, and Agent Li approached us with a worried face.
Li: They said the first game will start…
Li's announcement caused me indescribable anxiety and nausea. Li noticed that I was nervous and he patted my arm to calm me down.
Li: Apparently, the first game is very simple. It's a children's game known as Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida in South Korea… the translation of this expression is something like "The hibiscus flower bloomed", but I think this game has different names around the world… Well, a person will stay in a tree hidding his or her face, while the others will stay behind a line, at some distance from this person. When the person says " The hibiscus flower bloomed", the others advance towards the tree… when the person finishes the sentence and looks at the others, people must freeze, and whoever moves is eliminated… the game´s goal is to cross the tree without getting caught… did you understand?
Andrei: Yes… that game is called "The slower you move" in Russia… we used to play it in school…
Vivian: In UK, it's "Red Light, Green Light "… I think it has the same name in USA, right? But that's ridiculous! I won´t play stupid children's games, I'm here on a mission!
Li: Stupid or not, this is what we should do if we want to save our lives and our missions… I want all of you to pay attention and follow the game´s rules as much as possible, since we know that "being eliminated" means "being fatally shot"… ok? Velma? Fred, Shaggy? Did you understand the rules?
Velma: Yeah, we played Red Light, Green Light a lot during preschool, remember Shaggy? We were very good, no one could beat us, especially if it was Marcie on the tree… you ran very fast, Daphne was very agile and…
Shaggy: And now Daphne is dead, I can barely walk after that spanking and the person on the tree has an AK47 pointed at our heads...
My attempt to cheer my friends up – and myself too - was shattered by the Shaggy´s harsh, angry words. Li just patted us on the back, wishing us good luck in the game. As I looked around, I noticed that some foreigners had approached us to hear Li's explanation in English. Then, Fred repeated the explanations loud and clear, to inform as many people as possible, and I admired him for having enough strength to put others first when he himself was at risk too. Ginevra, Lupe and Milagros approached me and asked instructions in Spanish. I wasn´t in the mood of saying anything, but I did anyway. Because I knew those could be my last words.
Fred: Velma, you know my dad always considered these games as girls´ and fags´ stuff, so he never let me play…
Velma: Your father is a jerk, Fred...
Fred: …and you know that while you guys were playing, I was forced to train for championships…
Velma: This confirms that your father is a jerk… why the hell are you telling me this now?
Fred: What I'm trying to say is… well… I have no idea how to play this game… so… if I don't make it… and the chances are high… I want…
Velma: SHUT UP, JERK, THIS IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN!
The scream that came out of my mouth caught everyone´s attention, and inevitably brought tears to my eyes. Fred didn´t really care, and continued his speech.
Fred: If I don't make it, I want you to get out of here, find Daphne and tell her that I...
Fred's voice failed and stopped abruptly. He looked at me sadly and tried to say something, but he couldn't. Instead of compassion, his attitude made me feel angry.
Velma: FORGET! EFFING! DAPHNE! FORGET HER, DAMN IT! FOCUS ALL YOUR FUCKING ATTENTION AND STRENGTH ON SAVING YOUR LIFE! UNDERSTAND ME?
I was so out of control that I finished the sentence pointing my finger at Fred's nose, and he just looked away, showing that he hadn't regretted what he had said. Shaggy was a little more empathetic and patted Fred on the back.
Shaggy: Like, just think that you have to survive to help her, okay?
Then, Shaggy told us to move on, as the contestants were already gathering around the dormitory´s door. Vivian approached, mocking us.
Vivian: Oh, come on guys! What a drama! It´s Red Light, Green Light, not a survival game at Amazonian rainforest with Bear Grylls ! Let's move our arses on and get out of here soon! We need to finish this case!
Daniel: Yeah, and we have a wedding waiting for us… in two weeks!
My anxiety did not allow me to raise any curiosity about the wedding that Daniel had mentioned, but the gesture he made shortly afterwards – kissing a beautiful diamond ring that was on Vivian's left hand – made it clear that he was talking about their own wedding. Then, we walked to a large arena decorated like a playground, and at the end of it, there was a giant robot-doll in a yellow dress, identical to the one Shaggy and I had seen at Liberty building. I shuddered at the memory of the doll I'd seen in my nightmare days ago, and I felt that awful omen warning me again that something was very wrong. The voice on the megaphone announced a few more final rules, and Li informed us that we only had five minutes to cross the arena. I despaired, as the place seemed bigger than a football stadium. In the next few minutes, I hugged my friends tightly, but I didn't wish them luck. I wished them success in the arduous task of fighting for their lives.
When the digital clock started to count down, I could hear the quick thuds of my heartbeat.
Velma: Fred, don't you even breathe when that damn doll looks back, ok? Close your eyes, so you won´t blink... Shaggy, forget the pain you're feeling and run... and remember: you've spent the last few years running after that goofy dog, so run like you're a Flat Coated Retriever!
Both them nodded in agreement, at the same time the doll turned its head towards the tree scenery, raised the back of one of its hands to its eyes, and sang a childish song in a chilling way.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
I thought about grabbing Shaggy and Fred's hands, so I could drag them towards the finish line, but everyone broke into a run and we ended up getting far from each other. When the song ended, I froze into a comfortable, stable position and closed my eyes. A new wave of silence allowed me to hear my heartbeat, and it was interrupted by the sound of several shots. The shots provoked a desperate reaction in some people, and they started screaming and running back to the starting point. Unfortunately, the frequency and quantity of shots increased until all the screams ceased. Even closed, my eyes were flooded with tears of despair. I never learned a prayer in my life, but I prayed anyway that none of those shots had hit my friends. When I heard the mechanical noise of the doll's head returning to the tree, I opened my eyes and celebrated the fact that none of my friends had been killed. On the other hand, I realized that all the victims were the foreign ones who hadn't understood the messages we translated hours before - and my heart ached because they didn't even have a chance to fight for their lives.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
Shaggy, Fred and the Russians made a dash for the final line, and I ran towards Vivian, Lupe and Ginevra. The three of us froze before the song ended. This time, there were less shots, and there was no people running. When the doll returned, I opened my eyes and I saw Shaggy smiling a few meters from the finish line - and I felt some comfort, since 2 minutes had already passed.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
Shaggy, Daniel and Andrei crossed the finish line, and Fred and Dmitri were just a few meters from it. Me and the others ran as fast as we could, but there was still a long way to go. When I froze, I realized that agents Wang and Li had approached us. As usual, I closed my eyes before the end, but a desperate participant ran past me screaming and made my eyes open. The uncontrolled man pushed agent Li and Vivian when the doll turned its head back, then he continued running. Li had the brilliant idea of remaining frozen in the position he fell on the ground, but Vivian gave way to her reflexes and moved, in an attempt to get up again. Unfortunately, the man who made them both fall was shot in the chest by the doll, then Vivian was shot in the forehead. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. So, the horror I felt was released through crying, but I was afraid the tears running down my face could report some kind of movement to the sensor - and cause my death. Daniel's reaction to seeing his almost-wife dead was the most horrible and saddest thing I've ever seen in my life. Shaggy and Andrei tried to stop him from returning, but he angrily wrenched himself free and joined Vivian's bloodied body. I closed my eyes tightly to avoid seeing the horrid scene I knew that was about to happen, even so, I was forced to witness it through the sound of a gunshot - and Daniel's crying ceasing soon after. As if these horrors weren't enough, when I opened my eyes, I saw that the man who caused Vivian's death was still alive when he was dragged away by the masked men and placed into a gift box. And the clock was showing 1:30 minutes to the end of the game - and I was still far away.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
This time, Fred, Dmitri and Wang crossed the finish line, and Lupe, Ginevra and me were just a few feet from it. I noticed that Agent Li didn't run so much this round, he just wasted time looking at the guards, the sensors and the weapons around the room. Despite being shattered after seeing so many horrors, my heart was calmer because my friends were safe, and soon me and the others would be safe too. However, the comfort I felt was fugacious. While the doll was eliminating more people, I noticed Fred Jones saying something to the Russians and staring at Milagros, who had made little progress since the beginning of the game. I could read Fred's lips saying " I'll get her", and I panicked as I imagined what could happen to my friend.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
When the song started again, Fred left the finish line and ran back to the arena, until he reached the old woman. Fred's attitude made me so apprehensive that I kept looking at him all the time – and I made little progress towards the finish line. Fortunately, Lupe and Ginevra crossed the finish line this time, and I covered my ears to not hear Fred being shot for breaking the rules. Inevitably, the shots started, and I could hear Shaggy's voice screaming desperately after the last shot. I opened my eyes through tears and prepared myself to see my childhood friend dead on the floor… but, to my surprise, Fred and Milagros were fine. My gaze briefly wandered around the arena until I found the reason for my friends' screams: Agent Li was hit in the shoulder. Again, I managed to not show any emotional reaction that would make me end up being shot, and I tried to fix my eyes on the floor to not blink or cry. Then, a pair of masked men passed me, dragging Li's body towards a box, making a trail of blood that oozed out of his wound. When my eyes found his face, he smiled, winked, and murmured "I have a plan ". I was relieved to see that Li was still alive, even though I wasn't sure how long he would survive with that wound inside a coffin.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
During the first syllable said by the doll, Fred took the old woman in his arms and carried her to the finish line - and that attitude made everyone applaud. As for me, I ran until I felt my lungs begging for oxygen, yet there were still few meters to the finish line. I tried to not look at the clock, but I knew there was little time left to the end of the game. In this round, only two shots were fired, and I celebrated that none of them hit me.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
Fred's act of heroism motivated several people to leave the finish line to help colleagues who were nearby and had little mobility. I realized that attitude irritated Tom and Ian… and, because of that, I didn't notice when they conspired against me. When I started running again, one of them struck me violently and made me fall. My glasses probably crossed the finish line, but my body remained at the mercy of time and of the killer doll. I couldn´t see perfectly, but I realized the two men crossed the final line and I was the only one in the arena. Also, I realized that the clock only had numbers in the seconds place, which meant I had a few seconds of life.
"Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida"
Knowing that I had only a few seconds, I focused on the right direction and spent all my energy on that run. But, instead of crossing the line, I was hit by a swift arm that grabbed my waist and hugged me tightly. I closed my eyes, fearing what was going on, and I felt the body that was carrying me jump. Then, we both landed hard in the arena, as if we'd been thrown, and I heard people applaud with joy. When a strange hand handed me my glasses (and I could see it was Shaggy), I saw Fred and I lying in the arena, and the last seconds ticking away from the clock. Among the radiant crowd, I couldn't get up, I couldn't thank Fred, nor could I show any kind of reaction. I just laid my face on the floor and sobbed like a small child. I had survived. At least for a while.
The end of the first game spread joy among the survivors. Of course, it was an extremely inappropriate attitude after the violent death of more than a hundred people, but soon I understood that it wasn't really joy, it was just a physiological reaction to the amounts of adrenaline that we all received in our bloodstreams. Fred's attitude made him a true hero and more people joined us, including Milagros, who considered him an angel. I took the opportunity to use that in our favor, and I suggested them to give up the game. Unfortunately, at the same time that I was convincing some people to give up, the big pig-safe received thousands of bills - amount referring to the lives that were lost in the first game. Then, all the allies I thought I had were gripped by an irrational greed, and they refused to give up the millions. I felt like spanking each one of them, but instead, I just walked towards the bunks and let my body calm down in one of the beds. I noticed that Ginevra and Lupe were ashamed of the choice they had made, so they didn't dare to follow me. When the adrenaline in my blood faded, my eyes got heavy and closed.
Fred: Shaggy! Shaggy! Stop!
Screams and the sound of breaking crockery made me wake up. Then I saw the big table of food, two lines of people waiting to get portions and Shaggy on the floor, exchanging blows with the same Koren man. Fred tried to pull him out of the fight, but every time Shaggy got up, he attacked the man more and more. Ian and Tom approached to help the man Shaggy was attacking, but Shaggy threatened them and that just made the things worse.
Shaggy: I didn't take anyone's food this time! I'm just trying to get my food and he wants to steal my bread!
Attacks against Shaggy started, and soon involved Fred too. Immediately, me and the others tried to stop the fight, but our action had little effect and the fight only ceased when four guards appeared shooting upwards. I threw myself to the ground, fearing that I would be hit, and suddenly I saw something heartbreaking. Innocently, I thought that seeing Vivian die - and Daniel reacting to her death in a painful way, then dying in the same way - would be the saddest scene I would see in my life... but, unfortunately, I was wrong. While masked men shouted orders in Korean, Shaggy started crying uncontrollably and pounded the ground with rage, showing an emotional outburst that I never thought he would show. His crying made him retch and spit out a large amount of blood. I cried to see him so hurt and defeated, then I crawled towards him and wrapped him in my arms - like a giant baby that could barely fit in my lap. In that position, we cried together for several minutes, since our bodies and our hearts were too hurt to show any reaction.
When I finally stopped sobbing, I wiped my glasses and my eyes. Shaggy got up quickly, he was so tense that he looked like a bomb ready to explode at any moment. Shaggy´s behavior was caused by hunger, but he was so scared to be beaten again that he didn´t even try to get more food. So, I walked to the table to pick the few items that were left there – and, maybe, help him. When I walked back to my bed, Shaggy was gnawing on a carrot faster than a rabbit. At the moment he saw the pieces of bread and the two potatoes that were in my hands, he immediately swallowed the carrot… but didn't take any food from me. Instead, he looked into my eyes and told me to eat.
Shaggy: Like, remember what Fred said? You need to eat… who knows what the fuck is waiting for us in a few hours… like, and give Fred some food too, I didn't see him eat…
The excess of adrenaline had certainly made me more sensitive, but at that moment, my heart melted at Shaggy's cute attitude of… sharing his food . I could see in his eyes that he wanted so bad to snatch that food from my hands and devour it before I could even notice, but he was sacrificing his will for me and Fred. Shaggy's gesture of love renewed my energy, and I hugged him tightly. Then, I fed myself and forced Fred to eat something, while messages were said on the megaphone. Of course, I left the biggest potato for my starving friend, who was willing to go on a hunger strike to save my life.
Wang: Choose your beds, the lights will be turned off in ten minutes.
Fred: Let's stay close. Certainly, we won't have a quiet night with the lights out and a bunch of psychos around…
Wang: Let's keep an eye on Shaggy. The second attack was unfair. I think more attacks can happen during the night…
Fred: If they feel satisfied to see people dying during the competition, I don't doubt they´ll purposely attack us...
We heard Fred and Wang's suggestions and stayed close to each other. When the lights were turned off, I couldn't sleep, yet I knew that I should rest to face the challenges of the next day. Shaggy slept like a baby, just like the others. After some time, I saw Fred Jones jump out of his top bunk and walk in the dark. Immediately, I went after him - I don't know if it was concern, fear, or simply because I wanted a company as insomniac as me. I don't know if Fred ignored me or if he just didn't care about my presence, but his apathy bothered me and forced me to say something.
Velma: I still haven't thanked you enough for saving my life today...
Fred: I know you would have done the same… I mean, you'd have done the same if you weren't the size of a ten-year-old… and didn't have the eyesight of a myopic groundhog...
The irony made a small smile form on my lips, and I felt comfort when I realized that the same old Fred was there.
Velma: Even so, thank you so much for what you´ve done… for me, for Shaggy and for everyone… thank you for putting your own life at risk to save ours…
Fred: Daphne can't say the same...
Fred's statement was like a punch to the gut, and the little joy I felt vanished immediately. I struggled to get rid of that feeling, even though I didn't know what I should say.
Velma: Yes, she can, Fred… wherever she is, I´m sure she can…
Fred: If she's in Heaven now, she can't...
Velma: Fred, we're doing everything to save her, ok?
Fred: What if it's not enough? Or if it´s too late?
Velma: It's not too late!
Fred: How do you know?
Velma: I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WANT TO BELIEVE SHE IS ALIVE, OK?
I raised my voice so much that I got several "shhhhh" as a response.
Velma: Look, we're in the middle of Dante's Inferno, it's not time to give up or stop believing! It´s very appropriate to nurture a little illusion right now, ok?
Fred: I've nurtured too many illusions in the past ten years, Velma... so many that I ended up here, as you said, in Dante's Inferno... I sacrificed Daphne for an illusion, and I will die for the same reason... and, in the end, I will have lived only illusions...
Velma: DAPHNE IS NOT DEAD, YOU WILL NOT DIE, STOP SAYING THAT! WE WILL GET OUT OF HERE AND FINISH THIS CASE!
Another wave of "shhhhhhh" came as a response.
Fred: That's exactly what Daniel said before watching his fiancée die… and soon after that, he had the same end…
Fred's argument hurt and disarmed me. The memory of those lost lives filled my eyes with tears and didn´t let my voice come out. The lack of arguments to refute such a cruel reality irritated me.
Velma: Fred, what the heck! Let's sleep and focus on surviving another day, ok? It´s not time to overthink and overreact… it's time to be that spartan, viking, troglodyte you've been during your whole life!
I thought my joke would bring some laughter to him, but he had no reaction. Then, I got up, grabbed his wrist and pulled hard, trying to make him get up too.
Velma: Come on! Let's sleep! We need to rest to win again!
Fred: You can go first… I'll stay here for a while… I just need to do something that I´ve forgotten to do since the hotel attack… cry…