Author´s note:
This chapter contains:
Graphic depictions of violence
Description of injuries, crime scenes and blood
Violent deaths
Swear Words/Offensive words
Welcome to the tensest and saddest chapter of this story :(
Chapter 28 – Bridge to Nowhere
When we returned to the dorm, I counted only 25 participants and that shocked me. The excess of empty beds disturbed even Tom´s gang, the ones who usually celebrated when a life was lost and the safe was filled with more money. When the guards finally served the food, despite my hunger and my thirst, I lost my appetite. I looked for a bed to curl up on and to forget Lupe's innocent smile being interrupted by a gunshot. Also, to try to forget that I was totally responsible for that shot. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time I needed to process those feelings, minutes after, my friends surrounded the bed and encouraged me to get up.
Andrei: I know words don't make sense right now, Velma, but I want you to know that you did your best to make us win the last game…
Velma: Yeah, but in this place, the best isn't enough...
Andrei: It's not enough, but it's necessary. All you did was necessary to be done… you dared to do what was necessary to be done, and that´s admirable. We couldn´t predict her death…
I nodded and smiled in a totally artificial way to show appreciation for Andrei's words, but in fact, I just wanted that conversation to end quickly. The guilt of surviving hurt every part of my body, and consumed my heart so much that I wished it would stop beating. Then, my friends took me to the dinner line, and there we saw the Brits laughing out loud and toasting with beer bottles in their hands. At the table, we realized there were no meals, the guards had only served alcoholic beverages, appetizers and industrialized food with no nutritional value. The only one who didn't feel disappointed was Shaggy, who started eating huge portions of potato chips and popcorn. My friends still insisted on walking around the table, looking for something less horrible to satisfy their hunger, but I soon gave up. So, Daphne took my hand and encouraged me to eat something, when she found bottles with a clear liquid inside, she gave me one and drank the other. However, the first sip made us spit the liquid back into the bottle and give up drinking it.
Daphne: Eww! It´s horrible! It's… it´s… pure alcohol!
Velma: It's vodka!
Our reaction made the boys approach us and confirm that it was indeed vodka. Fred looked at all those drinks with concern, and we all shuddered to imagine how dangerous a collective drunkenness could be.
Ginevra: Maybe we should, at least, have a beer to quench our thirst... and avoid dehydration...
Velma: On the contrary, alcohol dehydrates the body... I don't see any problem taking a sip or two, but I believe drinking a whole bottle will only make hunger and thirst worse...
Shaggy: Like, I think it´s a problem to take a few sips too... look at that!
Shaggy pointed to the other contestants, and they were like drunk zombies. Some of them had fallen to the floor, others were already on their beds, and the few who resisted on their feet were staggering.
Shaggy: Like, we've seen this scene before, haven't we? That's how they drugged us at the hotel! Don't put a drop of these beverages in your mouth!
Fred: Too late...
Fred showed a half-empty bottle of beer, and Andrei pointed to an empty bottle. Daphne had an apprehensive expression on her face and held Fred's hand tightly, and he comforted her with a kiss on the forehead.
Wang: Well, at least, we'll be safe tonight. The other contestants won´t be able to start fights… nor attack us…
Shaggy: Like, but there's a huge fucking chance of those motherfucker guards take a kidney from each one of us while we're unconscious... or worse, they might take the girls and...
Shaggy stopped talking and widened his eyes when he felt the weight of what he was going to say. Ginevra and I looked at each other, and Fred hugged Daphne tightly, as if he wanted to protect her from those words. At the same moment, Andrei staggered, showing the effects of the beer he had drunk, and Fred tried to hide the signs of dizziness he was feeling.
Ginevra: No, I don't think they would do this... even though organs are worth a lot of money, I think those damn VIPS want us to stay in the game to keep the bets on... I think the real reason to drug us is to not let us escape, right? They are chasing the infiltrator through the corridors, they know we can escape at any time…
Fred: …or, maybe, Flim Flam has drugged the other contestants to make his escape plan work… but he didn´t have the chance to tell us about it… he knows that many of us don´t drink, so many of our team would be awake after a mass poisoning…
Velma: …or, maybe, unfortunatelly, the reason is to make the next game harder. Look at the wall, seems like we will have to jump over obstacles, cross some kind of bridge, something like that… and that´s impossible to do it while you're high...
I pointed to the wall and everyone looked at it with concern. Although we provided other explanations, the initial idea suggested by Shaggy still haunted us.
Wang: Rest assured, gang. I didn't consume any of the items served, and I´ll watch during the night. Nothing will happen to us. And I´m sure Fred and Andrei will feel better before the next game.
Wang's words were followed by the megaphone annoucing the lights would be turned off. Shaggy and Wang helped Andrei to reach one of the beds, and Daphne led Fred to the nearest bed. Fred covered Daphne with his coat, and she snuggled into his arms. When I chose my bed, I noticed the guards had taken the blankets and the sheets, and the air conditioning was incredibly cold. Even curled up to the point of being able to warm myself, the memory of previous events prevented me from falling asleep. Suddenly, I felt something make my mouth and my throat numb, and I realized that small sip of vodka was doing something to my body. Then, I surrendered to those symptoms, with the foolish hope that they would ease my pain.
I woke up from a dreamless sleep with the sound of the bedroom door closing. As I looked around, myopia and darkness only allowed me to see the shadows of the other participants, all lying on the ground. I tried to see my friends, but I couldn't. After a few minutes, insomnia made me sit up in bed, and my sudden movement woke Wang up, who had fallen asleep next to my bunk while watching.
Wang: Is something wrong, Velma?
Velma: No... I heard the door close and I woke up... and now I just can´t sleep...
My words made Wang stand up immediately.
Wang: Seems like something is wrong... let's check and figure out what's going on…
I got up and followed Wang through the dorm. He counted the sleeping bodies on the floor, so I decided to check up on my friends. I found Ginevra, Andrei and Shaggy, but when I approached Fred and Daphne's bed, I felt a large space around Fred's arm. Then, my heart raced when I realized that Daphne was missing.
Velma: Oh no, Daphne! THEY TOOK DAPHNE!
My cry of despair woke Shaggy and Ginevra up, and Wang walked quickly around the dorm, looking for Daphne. Shaggy ran to the door and started knocking and calling her name. I shook Fred several times until I made him react, but even with so much effort, I couldn't wake him up. Ginevra did the same to Andrei, but he was more unconscious than Fred. Shaggy's rage made him kick and punch the door, and Wang did the same. As expected, their actions resulted in several shots towards the door, and both Ginevra and I screamed. I closed my eyes and I was really afraid to reopen them, because I thought I would see both them dead. When the silence reigned in the dorm again, I heard the sound of quick footsteps, so I opened my eyes and realized that, fortunately, Wang and Shaggy hadn't been hit. I was trying to wake Fred up again when I felt Shaggy's trembling hands grip my arms, and I heard him crying.
Shaggy: Like, we need to do something, Velma! We need to help her!
Shaggy's plea increased my despair, so I shook Fred once more to wake him up.
Ginevra: First, we need to survive, Shaggy... we can´t help her if the guards shoot us… unfortunately, we will have to wait…
Despite Shaggy's disapproval, fear made me agree with Ginevra. Annoyed, he kicked one of the bunk's iron bars and returned to the door again. This time, he just wandered back and forth in the darkness, probably thinking about something to do. Anger and other overwhelming feelings made me shake and slap Fred, but Ginevra and Wang made me stop before my actions hurt him. Then, they took me back to my bed, and after minutes looking into the void, I curled up and tried to sleep again.
Hours after, I woke up with the sound of bells and with the lights on. The other contestants were still sleeping, including Fred and Andrei, who were still in the same position they had fallen asleep. While I sit up in bed, some guards opened the door. Shaggy, who was sleeping near it, got scared and walked away a little, but when he realized they were carrying Daphne, he returned and helped her. Ginevra, Wang and I ran towards them, then we all hugged Daphne. Before the door was closed, I saw the Front Man behind several guards, and I shuddered to imagine what had happened to my friend. Daphne seemed very scared, but she wasn't very hurt. Her arms were injured and they were bleeding a little bit, as if they had been cut in small horizontal lines. I hugged her and kissed the top of her head, and when I did that, she took both mine and Shaggy's hands to calm us down.
Daphne: Calm down, gang... I'm fine...
When I looked at the bunks, I realized Fred had woken up. He had sat up in bed, but he still seemed distant, as if he was still processing the waking reality. When Fred finally understood that Daphne was bleeding, he ran towards us and hugged her.
Daphne: Freddie, calm down! I am fine! Nothing happened!
Fred: You're bleeding, Daph!
Daphne: Calm down, honey, I´m ok, I cut myself...
Daphne's revelation calmed us down a little bit, even so, I still shuddered to imagine what she had gone through. Daphne surreptitiously showed us the cameras in the corner of the dorm and, like a good actress, she burst into tears and feigned pain. Her attitude confused us and made us hug her once more. When we were all around her like a dome, she stopped crying and started whispering.
Daphne: I´m ok, gang... Flim Flam has captured Alan and has held him hostage... then, he dressed up as Front Man and took me out of the dorm during the night... he has a yacht and an escape plan, and we will have to play the next game to make his plans work. The next game is called "Glass Stepping Stones", and we will have to cross a very high bridge made of glass… there will be two glass platforms, one will have common glass that breaks easily, and the other has tempered glass, which can withstand our weight... the challenge is to find out which glass platform is the tempered one, then jump correctly on top of it and not fall to death…
Ginevra: Oh my God, and how exactly will we do that?
Daphne showed us both her arms and the small cuts that were still bleeding. Placing the arms side by side, we noticed that the cuts were interspersed between the left arm and the right arm, in order to form a sequence of paths to be followed.
Daphne: I made these cuts to copy the right glass path that Flim Flam showed me. And also to pretend the Front Man hurt me. Look, first we'll jump on the platform on the right, then we'll jump on the left, then twice on the right, and so on. When the game starts, I'll be the first in line, and you'll just need to follow me. When we finish crossing the bridge, we must lie down on the ground, because the remaining glass will explode. At that moment, all the cameras and electronic locks will explode too, and that will be the right moment to escape. Flim Flam will come to get us. We have to be very quick and not give the soldiers time to react, ok?
We all nodded and released ourselves from our group hug. Daphne continued to feign sadness and pain, and sought comfort in Fred's shoulders. Then, Fred dressed her with his coat, so the cuts wouldn't be noticed by the guards. Andrei finally woke up, but he looked very dazed. Then we left for the morning hygiene, and Wang and Shaggy had to help him walk through the halls. When we returned, some contestants had woken up and they were dizzy and nauseous. Minutes after, we ate our breakfast in peace. That finally would be our last meal. Not the last meal of our lives, but the last meal in that hellish place.
The table was being removed when the megaphone announced the next game. Wang translated the information and confirmed that, indeed, the game was called "Glass Stepping Stones", exactly as Daphne had said. Then, the door opened and the guards told us to choose shirts with numbers, from 1 to 25. Immediately, Daphne chose shirt number #1, to be the first in line. Fred chose the number 2, and when he returned, he squeezed her hand tenderly, as if he feared that something bad was going to happen. I decided to choose number 3, and our friends took the following numbers, so we all were together. When everyone had already put on their T-shirts, we were taken through corridors until we reached a very high platform. Around it, there was a large hall lit with colored lights, and below it, a great dark abyss. As Daphne had said, there were two steel bridges with small rectangles made of glass and LED lights underneath them. Between the glasses, there were large spaces, which made us assume that we should jump from one glass to the other to cross the platform. The megaphone announced new instructions, and Wang confirmed that we should choose which glass we should jump on, and one of the alternatives would always lead us to death, for being a common glass. Daphne showed a confident, fearless smile, but Fred grabbed her by the wrist anyway, not letting her step into the platform.
Daphne: Freddie, honey, calm down... I´ll be ok, I've memorized the correct order of all glasses, ok?
When Daphne finished whispering, Fred looked at me with concern, and I understood him perfectly. If our clumsy Daphne Blake could lose her balance and trip over her own feet while walking barefoot on a completely flat surface, imagine what could happen to Daphne Blake on the top of a tiny glass plate suspended in a very deep abyss. That fact made my heart race and fear for Daphne's life, even though she knew which glass wouldn't break. Daphne realized why we were worried and tried to calm us down.
Daphne: Hey, I´ve started taking ballet classes 25 years ago, ok? I have way more balance than you both! Now, stop worrying about me and focus on crossing this bridge as quick as possible. There is only 1 minute per contestant, that means, 25 minutes in total. After that, all these glasses will break!
Daphne's scolding didn't lessen our concern. Even so, we knew she was right, and we had no choice but let her carry out the plan. Fred hugged her tightly, kissed her tenderly, and wished her good luck. Then, we all hugged and wished each other luck. As the line entered the platform, the timer was set to 25 minutes, as Daphne had said. Unfortunately, I made the huge mistake of looking down, and the vertigo I felt made my legs tremble. When one of the guards fired a shot to start the game, Daphne successfully jumped onto the first glass. Like a good actress, she hesitated for a moment, then jumped onto the second tempered glass. Fred followed her, and when it was my turn to step through the glass, I shuddered. First, due to the height, the glass plates were too small, and the spaces between them, too large. The second reason, unfortunately, was the fact that I just couldn't see the glass plates clearly, my myopia did not allow me to see beyond the second glass plate. And those facts, added to the fact that Daphne always jumped on the correct plate (and the wrong plate didn't break), made it very difficult for me to know which of the two glasses I should choose. Fred was already on the 5th plate when he looked back and encouraged me to go forward. Sensing my fear, he pointed to which glass I should choose, and luckily, I jumped on the correct glass. Fred helped me until I reached him, and our friends followed right behind me. Halfway there, a sound of breaking glass startled us, and when I looked back, I realized that one of the contestants had jumped on the wrong plate. Daphne continued her act of choosing the correct glasses, and as we moved forward, four more contestants fell, some of them due to the lack of balance caused by the sedatives. With the clock ticking down to four minutes, Daphne reached the exit platform. In less than a minute, we all made it to the end too, and in the final minute, the last contestant on the bridge stepped on the wrong glass and fell. During the final seconds, the Brits were celebrating another victory, and Daphne signaled us to lie down on the ground and wait for the explosions. However, to our surprise, by the time the clock finished counting, there was no explosion. We waited a few minutes more, but nothing happened.
Daphne: This wasn't in our plan, gang... something seems wrong… I'm worried...
Fear spread through all of us, and it was only relieved when the exit door opened slowly, allowing us to leave that place. Daphne looked at us and told us to run as fast as possible, but at the moment we turned the corner, we met about fifty guards pointing rifles at us. We all stopped abruptly, Fred placed himself in front of the guns and raised his arms, asking the guards to not shoot. Then, the line of guards parted and allowed the Front Man to come towards us. Right behind him, two guards brought Flim Flam, who was very injured, with his arms and legs tied, then they threw him next to us. Daphne burst into tears to see Flim Flam captured, and I almost did the same.
Alan: Sorry, but we will have to cancel the last game and play it again. I was pretending to be the hostage of an asshole who believes that you will get out of here alive, so, unfortunately, I couldn't watch you crossing the bridge. But the VIPs told me it wasn't very funny, after all, we have 19 survivors! Come on, guys, don't you want to fill up that safe? Plus, I heard that someone has cheated, right, Miss Blake? How will the other contestants react when they find out that you´ve cheated and helped so many people survive?
Fred landed a blow on Alan´s face and he fell to the ground before he could continue talking. Andrei and Shaggy started hitting Alan too, until the guards hit them back and knocked the three men to the ground. When the guards landed blows on Wang, Ginevra and me for no reason, Daphne started screaming and asking them to stop, but they only stopped when Alan stood up and shouted orders in Korean.
Alan: As I´ve said, it's a shame that some VIPs still put their bets on you, otherwise, I would love to shoot each one of you. But, don't worry, I´m sure they will change their opinion soon... now, get up! In half an hour, you will play the game again!
We didn't have time to obey the order, because the soldiers violently pulled us and made us get up. Daphne hugged Fred and wiped his bleeding wounds. Flim Flam was untied by the guards and Wang helped him. Then, we remained in a tormenting silence for a few minutes. Sometimes, the silence was interrupted by radio beeps and messages in Korean, dictating ominous orders about the future of our lives. When the messages stopped, Alan pointed to one of the contestants, and the soldiers dragged him away. He did the same with other contestants and, again, they were dragged and placed just behind the first. After new orders coming from the radio, I finally understood that the VIPs were choosing the order of the contestants in the line of the game. Unfortunately, in the following moment, Wang was chosen, and after him, Ginevra and Daphne too. Fred protested and tried to hold her for a moment, but the guards hurt him so much that soon he gave up. Alan laughed when he realized that Fred didn't have enough strength to resist and mocked him.
Alan: I'm sorry, Jones, I didn't want her to die fast like these losers… she means a lot to me too, we had a wonderful week together, but I don't have a choice! I´ve promised George a dead body a few days ago, and if I don't give him what he wants, what will he think? He may not consider me like a son anymore… not to mention Delilah, that bitch who's been bugging me for days and putting those damn US Rangers after me just because her little sister is missing... so, I think you understand that it's not my personal choice, Daphne is wonderful, I just need her dead as fast as possible, ok?
Tears ran down Daphne's sad face, and Fred didn't have time to react to that provocation, because Shaggy and Andrei held him tightly, so that his attitudes would not result in another beating, or even in a fatal shot. I hugged him for a while, trying to comfort him from all the anger and all the complicated emotions that I knew he didn't know how to handle. Alan was amused by what he saw, and smirked once more in the same moment he pointed at Tom and ordered him to stay behind Daphne. We all realized that choice was only to piss Fred off even more, and Shaggy patted him on the back to calm him down. The entire gang of Brits was put right behind Tom, and Andrei was behind the last member. When the remaining ones were Shaggy, Fred, Flim Flam and me, I noticed there was a small standoff between the VIPs. Then, they decided that Shaggy should be placed first, and when the guards grabbed my arm to drag me into the line, the VIPs protested.
Alan: Oh! Seems like you´ve got a fan club, Ms. Dinkley! They don´t let me do anything to you! According to them, I should put a red carpet over the entire bridge to let you pass and win Squid Game soon...
Velma: I want you and this fan club to fuck off!
Alan: Oh, how rude, Velma! You should have more consideration for the ones who bet millions on your shitty life… the ones who let you live after escaping, stealing that card and ending the innocent lives of two guards!
Alan's revelation made a shiver down my spine and I shuddered.
Alan: Oh, don´t tell me you're surprised that I knew about this too? Or that I know that you´ve met the little Interpol agent several times? Don´t tell me you didn't know that I´ve allowed all these things? Wow, how disappointing, Velma, you seemed smarter! Seems like the VIPs are really losing money believing in your skills... and that's why you're the next in line!
When Alan said "the next in line", he landed a heavy blow on my back and knocked me to the ground. Fred hit him repeatedly again, but as soon as Alan fell, Flim Flam prevented Fred from continuing – and suffering the consequences for his acts. I got up right away and two guards grabbed my arms, leading me to the game line. As soon as Alan got up, in a quick movement, he groped his black tunic, removed a pistol from his pocket and shot Flim Flam in the foot, making him scream in pain and fall. We screamed with horror as we witnessed such scene, and Shaggy and I hugged, hiding our faces in each other's shoulders to not see the horrors that would come next.
Alan: Sorry, agent, don't take that shot personally... it has nothing to do with the fact that you´ve broken into the facilities as a disguised guard, nor that you´ve killed VIPs, guards and even have tried to kill me... I forgive you for that! It was really funny to pretend I didn't know anything, and it was a very enriching experience for Squid Game, the VIPs enjoyed a lot! They enjoyed so much that they´ve asked me to include you in this game too!
The moment Alan announced that Flim Flam would be part of the game and compete for the prize, one of the first contestants in line protested and shouted angry words in Korean. In one quick movement, Alan just pulled his gun and shot him until his gun ran out of bullets. Again, we screamed in horror and closed our eyes, but Alan just mocked about what had happened.
Alan: Sorry, I was interrupted and told that I was acting against the rules for adding a contestant. But now the problem is solved and the total number of contestants has not changed. So, as I was saying, we´ve decided that you should play too, agent! And I´ve decided to make things more funny for you. After all, a person who can kill more than 40 guards alone surely will be able to jump throught some platforms with a bullet stuck in the foot...
Fred and Flim Flam ignored his provocations and didn't even look at Alan while he spoke. The bleeding had stopped, but Flim Flam was panting and feeling pain. Even so, he struggled to get up and Fred helped him. Alan got angry to see Fred and Flim Flam unshakable, so he ordered the guards to drag Flim Flam into line.
Alan: Yeah, seems like you're the last one, Jones... and yes, take that personally… I don't want the pleasure of seeing you die, captain, I want the pleasure of seeing you suffer… first, I'll take her from you, and you won't even have the chance to say goodbye... then, I'll make you see each of them fall to death, and then...
Fred: ...and then you´ll continue being the doormat of those billionaires, acting like a trained dog, following every kind of stupid order those motherfuckers dictate, just to pretend you have the power and the importance that you clearly don't have. You're not a VIP, Alan, you're not one of them. You're not a banker, you're not an investor, you are just a loser who betrayed the men who once helped you. You're the clown who puts on these shows, and you´ve failed even at your clown role, because we´ve found out everything and you had to capture us to stop the investigation. And you will fail again, at any time. And when that happens, we won't have to kill you, nor to make you suffer, we will only watch you being discarded in the same banal way you took all these lives, and…
Fred's words shook Alan so much that he was unable to answer. Instead, he pointed the gun at Fred's head and pulled the trigger. His attitude made us scream and we all threw ourselves towards Fred, but luckily the gun was unloaded and nothing happened. Several guards soon punished us and violently forced us to return to the line. Fred smirked while Alan was still glaring at him and nervously trying to pull the gun's trigger several times. Seeing that, the guards took out all Alan's hatred on Fred while they led him to the line, but he didn't show any kind of reaction or emotion.
Fred: See? You´ve already started failing... first fault: you are in a deadly game and forgot to load your gun! Second fault: if your gun was loaded, you would shoot a finalist worth millions… how would you explain that to your masters, Alan? How would you pay them all the money you´ve lost? Would they whip you or abuse you? Or would you have to crawl by their feet asking for forgiveness?
Daphne and Velma: FRED, STOP! PLEASE!
Our desperate plea made Fred hesitate to continue, then the guards hit him so hard that he fell and his nose started bleeding. Daphne sobbed and tried to reach him, but Shaggy held her back, afraid that the guards would take their anger out on her too. This time, it was Flim Flam who helped him reach the last place in line. Without saying anything else, Alan just ordered the soldiers to take us back to the game. Inevitably, I burst into tears. Of sadness, of fear, of anguish, of everything. On the way back to that path of no return, I left only tears. And I wished they would guide me back to some kind of hope of getting out of Squid Game alive.
I will never be able to define the feeling I felt when I returned to that platform. An uncertain feeling that, at the same time, caused me the worst certainty: that I was about to die. I didn´t need to fear for my friends´ lives, because in my heart something was already telling me that, if I were lucky enough to survive another challenge, I would certainly get out of there leaving many of them behind. Without turning to me, Shaggy threw his hands back and gripped mine tightly, and I hugged him back. I looked back to meet Fred and Flim Flam's eyes and wish them luck, but they were both distant, lost in their own feelings. Then, I looked ahead to look at Daphne – who was also lost in her own thoughts – and in that moment my eyes met Ginevra's. I felt a tightness in my chest, because I knew what that look wanted. Before I could dodge, I saw her make the number three with her fingers – in reference to her three children – then whisper, "You promised." I closed my eyes to stop the tears that were flowing and I nodded.
One of the guards fired a shot to start the game and the timer started ticking. This time, there were 19 glass plates and 19 minutes to complete the challenge. The first contestant didn't take long to jump, but unfortunately, he chose the wrong glass and fell. The horror scene of seeing him fall made everyone take several steps back and hesitate to continue. The second contestant started shaking and held back his steps, while shouting pleas in Korean. One of the guards took him by the arm, led him back to the edge of the platform and threatened to throw him off the platform if he refused to continue. With no alternative, the man jumped on the first tempered glass and hesitated. Almost two minutes had already been wasted when he finally jumped into the second glass... and, unfortunately, the glass broke and he fell. Shaggy covered his face with his hands and gripped his hair tightly, trying to control the immense fear he was feeling. I hugged him again, even though I knew my cold, trembling hands couldn't offer any comfort. The third contestant advanced across the bridge and failed on the third glass, and the same happened with the fourth, until it was Wang's turn to step on one of the glasses. The failure of the fifth and sixth contestants made Ginevra and Daphne get into the bridge. It also made Wang be first in line and, therefore, be next at the risk of dying. The tense silence of that place allowed me to hear Daphne and Ginevra crying, and inevitably, I prepared myself to lose both them. Before making the crucial decision, Wang looked back and saluted us. I closed my eyes to not see the result of his choice, but the sound of breaking glass and the screams of my friends warned me about what had happened.
Fred: HEY, IT´S NOT FAIR! YOU´RE CHEATING! EVERYONE IS DYING!
The guards ignored Fred's screams and rage, and made him shut up by pointing their rifles at his head. Wang's death brought Andrei into the bridge, and Shaggy shuddered for being the next. I tried to ignore Ginevra's glare, even so, I noticed that she was looking at me to emphasize the request she had made earlier. Inevitably, I looked at her eyes, shook my head and wished her luck. In vain, because the glass she chose broke and her life found an end at the bottom of that abyss. We all screamed with horror – for losing her, and also for knowing that Daphne had become the first in line. Fred lost control, and none of us could blame him, as we were also very worried. The line moved forward for a moment and Shaggy stepped on the first plate.
Daphne: I'm not leaving here! I... I... I can´t!
Facing the abyss, Daphne started crying nervously, and fear paralyzed her. The clock showed that more than 8 minutes had already been lost, and Daphne's delay irritated Tom.
Tom: If you take longer, I'll kick you out of this plate…
Daphne looked at us with sad, frightened eyes, seeking for a kind of help that we couldn't give her. I noticed that her arms and legs were shaking a lot, and that made me fear even more for her safety. Shaggy and I both froze with anguish, and contrary to what I imagined, Fred didn't freak out. Instead of screaming, fighting the guards, cursing Tom or doing something impulsive, he just looked at her tenderly and encouraged her.
Fred: Daph, you spend hours window shopping! You know very well how tempered glasses look like, you're used to them! Now, look at the plates carefully, search for the ones that look like a shop window... you... you'll know how to choose the right one!
Fred's voice cracked when he said "you'll know how to choose the right one", and the lump that was formed in my own throat due to those words made me cry. Shaggy started to encourage Daphne in the same way, and soon Flim Flam and I did the same.
Tom: You have thirty seconds to be kicked off…
Tom's threat made Daphne look back for the last time and say "I love you" tenderly. I decided that would be the last image of Daphne that I wanted to keep in my mind, so I curled up covering my eyes and ears to not see anything else. To my surprise, the consistent sound of Daphne's feet hitting the tempered glass echoed through the room, and we all squealed with joy. It was a brief joy, since there were still 10 choices to be made, but it was a relief after witnessing so many deaths. When it was my turn to jump onto the platform, my eyes didn't allow me to see exactly where I was supposed to jump. The clatter of Fred, Shaggy, and Flim Flam encouraging Daphne made me tense and made it difficult for me to adjust the focus of my vision, but when I finally got the courage and jumped, I succeeded. A new wave of screams of joy invaded the place and denounced that Daphne had made the right choice again, and the line advanced until it was Flim Flam's turn to jump. Flim Flam smiled nervously before jumping with his injured foot – and luckily, he made it to the glass without losing his balance. Over the next few minutes, Daphne continued to choose the right plates and lead the line across the bridge, until Andrei reached the 8th plate – the last one that had just one option, since the regular glass was broken – and he alerted us.
Andrei: Gang, pay attention to the order of the correct glasses from now on. Decorate the positions of the front contestants. Otherwise, we can lose our lives for a fool mistake…
Andrei's warning made Shaggy shiver and look at me with a fearful expression, because "paying attention" has never been his specialty.
Velma: Don´t worry, Shags, I have a photographic memory!
In the following jumps, I helped Shaggy and the others choose the right option, while Daphne continued to advance successfully. I noticed that even Tom and the other men of his gang looked back and consulted me before choosing which glass they should choose, and even though I knew they didn't deserve my help, I helped them anyway. Halfway across the bridge, Shaggy froze, and looked at me again, way more fearfully.
Shaggy: Uh… Velma... like... isn't it weird that Daphne is always choosing the right glass?
Velma: I'm relieved that she's doing so, Shags... in fact, I'm mentally thanking a God that I don't believe for this… otherwise, we would lose Daphne and our own lives...
Flim Flam: Shaggy is right Velma, it can be a trap! In the same way the first contestants failed successively, they may be leading Daphne into a trap…
Velma: Yeah, it's weird, but I don't have any logical explanation other than she's really choosing the right plates... they can´t have automated control over which glass will resist and which glass will break…
Shaggy: Like, I'm not saying they have computerized control! I'm saying that Daphne weighs way less than each one of us and the ordinary glass is thick… maybe she is too light to break the ordinary glass!
Shaggy's warning made Tom and the other men look back with concern. Daphne also stopped and looked at us with a scared face.
Fred: Hey, stop saying this shit and shut up! Daphne is choosing the right glasses, she knows which ones are tempered, she's used to window shopping...
Shaggy: Yeah, but, maybe...
Fred: "MAYBE" IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! SHE'S SAVING YOUR FUCKING LIFE AND YOU'RE DOUBTING HER? IS THIS HOW YOU THANK HER? STOP SAYING THIS SHIT AND LET HER CONTINUE!
Shaggy, Flim Flam and I looked at each other after Fred's scolding and we shut up. In my heart, I knew there was a possibility that Shaggy was right, but when I looked at Fred, I understood it was inappropriate to harbor Daphne´s insecurities and doubt her abilities. Fred continued to encourage her and Daphne picked the right platform again.
Andrei: Don´t worry, if Shaggy is right, Daphne will be safe because she's lighter, and we'll have 5 idiots who will lose their lives to break 5 wrong plates for us.
Andrei's teasing made the men glare at him, but it brought some comfort to us. Fortunately, when the clock showed 3 minutes to the end of the game, Daphne stepped into the final platform and won another challenge – and we all cheered. Soon, Tom and the others arrived too, and proved that Shaggy's hypothesis was not true. I couldn't see the exact moment when I reached the exit, since Shaggy and Daphne immediately received me with a tight hug and we all cried with relief. In the following moment, Fred joined our hug, and the nightmare was officially over.
Fred: You did it, my love, I knew you would!
Daphne: Freddie, you never doubted me! Thank you very much!
Fred and Daphne hugged each other and kissed passionately. At the end of the kiss, Fred smiled and lifted her in the air, celebrating Daphne's heroism in saving us all. However, at the moment he did that, the remaining glass on the bridge burst successively towards the final platform, forming a large wave of shards of glass towards us. Andrei, who was not celebrating, jumped on my body and pulled Shaggy's shirt, and the three of us were the first ones to fall and lie on the floor. I covered my head with my arms and closed my eyes, afraid of being hit, even so, I felt small splinters of glass pierce my hands, my head and my coat. Everyone's screams made me panic and expect the worst. When the sound of breaking glass ceased and the rain of spears finished falling on our bodies, the scene was horrid. The cuts caused by the larger shards of glass were so severe and deep that we couldn't even care about the hundreds of small shards that were left on our skins.
A small shard of glass lodged itself in my hand and made blood run through my hair. Andrei, Shaggy and Fred were hit in the arms and chests by shards of glass with the size of a finger. Flim Flam received a larger shard of glass in the navel area and, unfortunately, Daphne received the largest shard of glass, with the size of a palm, on her back. Looking around, I noticed that the other men had similar injuries, the worst of them was Tom, who had a large shard of glass lodged in his face, making his right eye leak. I got up in tears and started to shake while looking at that shard stuck in my hand. Without any kind of warning, Andrei quickly removed the shard from my hand, then involved the sleeve of my coat to stop the blood from flowing. Shaggy and Fred took their own shards off in a similar way, but instead of worrying about their own bleeding, they rushed to help Daphne and Flim Flam, who were unable to get up. Even weakened, Flim Flam refused their help and coldly removed his shard of glass during a cry of pain. Then, he squeezed his stomach, and I placed my free hand on top of his to help him stop the bleeding. Fortunately, his cut was shallow, and I stopped pressing when I heard the screams of Shaggy and Fred, who were around Daphne, not knowing what to do with such a serious wound. I rushed to help them, and I had the same emotional reaction when I saw her condition. Unfortunately, we could not leave that shard there, nor we could take it out, since both possibilities could lead to her death in a short time. At the first moment, I couldn't do anything but cry along with my friends and put my hands around the shard to make her blood stop flowing a little. Then, I realized that Daphne was getting weak and cold, so Fred involved her in his arms and we both tried to keep her awake. Suddenly, Shaggy's despair and sadness became pure anger, and he started kicking and punching the exit door hard, to make the guards appear. Andrei and the others joined him, asking to get out of there too. Not long after, the door opened, but there were no guards around. Without hesitation, the men ran towards the hallways, and we helped Fred carry Daphne safely.
All the way back to the dormitory was strangely deserted, and the dorm door was open. A luxurious feast was served on decorated tables, and there were knives and other sharps objects. I was truly concerned to see some many weapons, but I couldn't prioritize anything other than Daphne. Once we put her on one of the beds, she opened her eyes and she looked better than before, despite her incredibly weak pulse.
Velma: Fred, we need to do something! Fast! Let's remove the shard, ok? By the location, I don't think it has reached a very important vessel, nor any organ, maybe the bleeding comes from the azygous system, so we have to...
I don't know if I stopped talking when I saw Fred's tears or when I saw her blood staining the white sheet, but in that moment, I realized that nothing I had said made sense – I just wanted it to make sense. Fred's inertia irritated me, but what hurt me most was the realization that, in fact, there was nothing to be done. There were no doctors, there was no help, there was no cure… on the contrary, in that place, death was more than welcome. Rather than join our sad acceptance, Shaggy continued to vent his feelings by kicking bunks and shouting curses, hoping that his actions would attract the attention of a guard. In the following moment, the Front Man appeared in the dorm and Shaggy tried to attack him, but Flim Flam and Andrei stopped him.
Alan: Great! The most valuable contestants survived, we have enough people to play the Squid Game, Delilah is on her way to receive her corpse and Daphne is dying fast. Everything is happening exactly as I have planned. Congratulations to you all!
I felt like screaming and stabbing Alan with every object on the table, but the harsh truth of his words disarmed me and I started crying my eyes out. Daphne cried too and squeezed my hand and Fred's tightly, so we hugged and cried together for a while. When the Front Man left, some guards appeared carrying a coffin and left it in the middle of the dormitory. We all understood the meaning of that, including Daphne, who cried harder.
Daphne: I don't... want to! I don't want to die... I don't want to!
Daphne´s panting words were fighting the death that was consuming her slowly, and that was a morbid certainty that hurt us all. I tried to calm her down, but my uncontrolled sobs didn't allow both of us to feel any comfort.
Andrei: Hey, wait a minute, the game is over! We are 6 now, we are the majority! If we all give up at the same time, the game ends immediately, that's the rule!
Andrei's voice echoed through the room, and the first reaction it caused was Flim Flam shouting "I give up!". Flim Flam's attitude made two contestants react and shout "I don't give up!", as a form of protest. Shaggy's anger turned against them, and Shaggy shouted " I give up!", at the same time he pushed one of them and started a fight. Tom and the other men shouted "I don't give up " while they exchanged blows with Shaggy, Andrei and Flim Flam. Fred and I took the opportunity to shout several times "I give up!" very high, and a battle between non-stop screams of "I give up!" and "I don't give up"started. Fred and I urged Daphne to wake up and scream "I give up!", to definitively end the game. When Daphne finally said " I give up!" ,Shaggy and Andrei started asking for the end of the game, since the majority of contestants had given up.
An electronic buzz sounded through the dorm – probably showing that our request had been heard. Shaggy was already cheering when, in the next moment, Tom stabbed Andrei in the back with a large knife and he fell to his knees. Then, Tom stabbed him again several times, until he finally lost his life. Shaggy and Flim Flam tried to help him, but couldn't do anything but hit Tom until he fall. I screamed with despair when I saw Flim Flam and Shaggy fight against the other contestants with knives in their hands, but neither I nor Fred could abandon Daphne to help them. Fortunately, soon the door opened, the guards made the fight stop, and all men surrendered after warning shots. Shaggy and Flim Flam had only small wounds on their arms and hands. Tom, on the contrary, was very weak due to the heavy bleeding on his face, and he was struggling to get up. The guards approached Andrei, checked his pulse and sadly confirmed his death. At the moment the safe was filled with money and the guards put Andrei's body into the coffin, Shaggy fell to his knees and wept uncontrollably, taking out all his anger and frustration in heavy punches against the floor.
Despite the anger, I couldn't show any reaction other than crying desolate tears in silence. Daphne's increasingly cold hand chilled my spirits completely, and prevented any spark of hope from sprouting in my heart. Fred squeezed her hand to make her wake up from the morbid sleep that insisted on involving her, but her eyes didn´t obey him. Unfortunately, they only opened when the guards removed Andrei's body and brought two more coffins, placing them in the center of the dormitory. However, this time, Daphne was so weak that she didn't protest. Fred and I desperately started calling her, to make her stop accepting her own death, but our efforts seemed like a farewell. With the worst heartache I've ever had, I searched for nice words to say to her. And I didn't find them, probably because I didn't want to say goodbye.
Daphne: Gang, we will not leave this place... but I'll always remember you...
Daphne's voice came out like a breath. Unfortunately, she had found the words I didn't want to say at all. Neither I nor Fred were able to refute them, nor did we waste time doing anything other than hugging her and crying, as we knew the worst could happen at any moment.
Shaggy: WE WILL GET OUT OF HERE! OH HOW WE WILL, WE FUCKING WILL! AND NOW!
Daphne's words had the opposite effect on Shaggy, and on impulse, he ran to the table and grabbed two knives. Fred and I both yelled at him to stop, but when Flim Flam did the same, Shaggy continued.
Shaggy: WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW! WE JUST NEED TO GET RID OF THEM!
Shaggy and Flim Flam were about to attack the other men when the guards appeared and more food was served. Then, all contestants took their places at the table and started eating. However, this time, Shaggy was hungry for vengeance, and instead of getting his portion of food, he came towards us carrying all the knives he could get in his hands.
Shaggy: Fred, we need you! Like, if we kill one of them, we can give up! Let's go, man!
Fred didn't even move from the tight embrace he was in, and his lack of response made it clear that he wouldn´t leave Daphne alone. Fred's attitude made Shaggy hand me a knife and look at me – and repeat the same morbid invitation.
Shaggy: Come on, fuck! Like, they're not paying attention, not even the guards! It's our chance!
Velma: Or maybe we just need to wait a bit...
My cowardice made me point to Tom, who was dying in a bed.
Shaggy: Oh, c´mon, Velma! Who´s being a coward now?
Velma: The guards want us dead, they won´t let us kill them and win the game!
Shaggy: Who´s the coward now?
Fred: Damn, Shaggy, they have stopped many fights before, we may not have so much luck this time! They will shoot us, Daphne will be left alone and…
Shaggy: WHO´S THE FUCKING COWARD NOW? FUCK, WILL YOU REALLY GIVE UP? Will you really let this motherfuckers escape unpunished while those Italian kids will never know what happened to their mom? Is that what you want, Fred? To give Delilah her sister´s corpse?
Daphne: Shaggy´s right, honey, it´s our chance, we can´t wait more… plus, If I die before Tom, the plan won't work... they'll still be the majority...
Daphne's comment hurt us all, but Fred took it as a very serious offense. Without hesitation, he looked into Daphne's eyes tenderly, kissed her passionately, and dropped a strong kiss on her forehead before getting up and picking up the sharpest knife Shaggy had brought.
Fred: Honey, stay strong, we´re returning home.
Thanks for reading! Thanks for your time! And thank you so much for your reviews, they make me very happy.
As always, I apologize for the long chapters, and for the language mistakes.
We still have 2 chapters left and they are huge, but I´ll try to post them as soon as possible.