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 25- Blood Honeycombs
The lights were turned on when the sound of bells echoed throughout the room. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't move my body - it was still aching after the all the adrenaline and the physical exertion. When I got up, all my friends were already awake; apparently, no one could sleep well. Fred and the others had gathered, and I joined them to hear what they were planning.
Andrei: The guards don't go inside the restrooms, nor during hygiene moments, so I believe that´s the perfect time to escape...
Shaggy: Like, there are air ducts there, I´ve checked… we can escape through them…
Wang: Well, me, you, Velma and the two women certainly can, Shaggy… but Fred, the Russians and the Spanish lady don´t fit the ducts, and we can't leave them behind...
Fred: That's not a problem. If you have a chance to escape, you should try… we'll find another way to escape with Milagros…
Velma: NO!
My sudden intervention startled my friends and they looked at me.
Velma: We can't split up this time, Fred…
Fred: We have no choice, Velma, we don't know what kind of cruelty we´ll find in the next game… we can't stay here to find out!
Velma: Here, all mistakes are lethal, Fred...
Fred: And the games are lethal too! At least, the escape gives us a higher chance to survive…
I opened my mouth to reply, but Fred gripped my shoulder tightly and I stopped. Without saying a word, he pointed to a man who was was listening to our escape plans. Then, Wang told us to return to our beds. I was heading to my bunk when the guards announced something in the megaphone. I looked towards Wang, expecting him to translate what was said, but he just silently moved his lips and said " That´s our chance".
When the masculine and feminine lines were formed, I was nervous, because we didn´t have an escape plan. I could see that Shaggy and the others were anxious too, because they walked back and forth in their places in line. Fred was the only one with a confident face, and he wished us good luck before joining the Russians in men's line. When we left the dormitory, we were taken through the labyrinth of stairs to reach the restroom facilities, but to our surprise, when we arrived at the women´s restroom, there were guards everywhere, pointing guns at us. I understood that, somehow, the guards had discovered our intentions to escape, and that made me feel more anxious. Nobody felt comfortable to shower in front of those masked delinquents; Ginevra and Milagros walked towards the sinks for morning hygiene, and before doing the same, Lupe looked at me desperately, expecting some guidance on what she should do. But I just lowered my eyes, ignored the despair – mine and hers – and walked to one of the sinks to have some cold water on my face – and maybe wake up from that horrid nightmare.
When the women's line met the men's line again in the dormitory, I saw Fred´s frustrated gaze and realized men didn´t have a chance to escape either. The big table was already set with lots of food, and the voice on the megaphone mentioned the Korean word for breakfast. Shaggy licked his lips and gave a step towards the table, but in the same moment, his body stopped, fearing the the cruel episodes of the previous day. Rather than joining everyone in the breakfast line, Shaggy sat on his bed and watched the line go forward. My heart ached to realize he was so scared that his fear was greater than his hunger. Sympathetically, I approached him and took him back to the line by the hand, so that we would stay together until it was our turn to get the food. Like a small child, Shaggy looked to me for guidance on what he should do, and I told him to get his portion. He nodded and consumed his portion before we left the table. Of course, he was still hungry after that. He coveted my portion, but fear prevented him from reacting. After two sips of coffee and two small bites in my toast, I handed him my leftovers, and he ate everything immediately.
The extra amount of food brought a smile to Shaggy's lips, but it was soon interrupted by a sudden and violent crash in his direction. The noise of breaking crockery caught everyone´s attention, including mine, but I just saw Shaggy on the floor with his hands on his head, and I couldn´t understand what had happened at all. When a cup hit my left ear, I realized that the same Korean man who had attacked Shaggy the day before was ready to fight again. He approached us in a threatening way, and right behind him, Tom and Ian came with some plates in their hands. None of the guards cared about that attitude. On the contrary, they seemed quite amused with such violence. Fred came in our direction, ready to attack them all, but before he could start another fight, Shaggy grabbed his wrist and stopped him. I groped my ear and pulled my hand away when I felt pain. When I looked at my fingers, I realized there was blood - the cup had made a big cut behind my ear. In addition to the pain, anger and the sadness I was feeling, an unbearable buzz started - and almost drove me mad. The only thing that kept my sanity intact was the need to help Shaggy, who had a bad gash on the forehead and was bleeding. Ginevra came towards us with a piece of sheet in her hands, and we made a makeshift compress on Shaggy's wound. Then, I felt a hand tighten my own wound; when I looked back, I saw Lupe cleaning my blood with a piece of sheet. Shaggy broke down and cried, and his despair amused the men who attacked him. That infuriated Fred even more, but instead of attacking them, he just helped Shaggy to stand up. Ginevra and Lupe did the same to me, and while our group was returning to the bunks, Shaggy bent down and picked up a sharp piece of the broken plate that had hurt him.
Half an hour later, the masked men took the table out. I panicked at the thought that, at any moment, another wicked game would begin – and, problably, we wouln´t have so much luck. Suddenly, the door opened again and several armed guards formed a triangular line. At the tip of that triangle, there was a very short masked man, with a square symbol on his mask. This man started shouting things in Korean language, and pointing his gun at some of the contestants. Shaggy and Wang looked at each other with surprised faces, and a small smile appeared in Shaggy's mouth. About five people with Asian features approached the guards after the masked man's orders, and to my surprise, he pointed his gun at me and shouted some orders in Korean. Immediately, I felt my heart beat fast and my legs give out. My inertia made the masked man insist more harshly, and his shouts made other guards point their rifles at my head and force me to join the others. Fred was the only one who grabbed me by the wrist and stopped me; Then, he put himself in front of me. That made the man with the square mask get angry and order the guards to point their guns at Fred´s head. Immediately, Shaggy came and released Fred's hands from my wrist, telling him to let me go.
Shaggy: Fred, like, we should let her go…
Fred pushed Shaggy violently and insisted on holding me. Even so, two masked men grabbed both my arms and took me out of the dormitory along with the other people. Fred resisted Shaggy's attempts to stop him and insisted on running after me, but the door was closed before he could reach the guards. When I walked through the door, I cried desperately, fearing the fate that I´d meet. I confess that I also felt anger, because Shaggy gave up helping me even after all the support I had given him during the breakfast.
The guards led us through narrow, colorful corridors and endless staircases, until we reached a dark basement that looked like a morgue. On the walls, there were drawers, where bodies were kept. There were also dozens of gift-box-shaped coffins, autopsy tables, surgical instruments and a few body incinerators. That image reminded me of the organ trafficking, and I cried more when I concluded that I was about to be a victim of that crime. To my surprise, when all contestants entered the room, only the man with the square mask followed us. As soon as he entered, he dismissed the other guards, grabbed an assault rifle and locked the door. Soon after, he approached one of the autopsy tables and revealed the body of a man lying on his stomach, and I shuddered when I realized that it was Agent Li, shot during the last game.
We all were in deep shock. However, the masked man ignored our reactions and dumped a lot of surgical instruments and medication on the table, right in front of us. Then, he continued dictating orders in Korean and pointing his rifle at our heads. Obviously, I couldn't understand the orders, but the other participants soon started surgical procedures on Agent Li's body. I panicked when I realized they´d extract Li´s organs – and panicked even more when I noticed that I´d have a role in that evil act. My emotions were so out of control that I froze; my hands started shaking, while many tears wet my face. One of the contestants felt sorry for me and whispered in English that I should prepare anesthetic medication for a bullet removal surgery. The revelation surprised me again, and I stared at the masked man, doubting that order. The masked man just hit my forehead with the tip of his gun, and dictated again some orders in Korean in a menacing tone. I raised my hands and lowered my eyes to prevent him from shooting me; the moment I did that, I noticed Agent Li's ribs were moving slowly and he was breathing. Then, the same man who had whispered the orders handed me the medication and some surgical instruments. The other four people prepared the asepsis of the area.
Velma: But I´m not…
"a doctor", that's what I´d say, but I couldn't complete it – I was afraid it would cause my death. Without saying a word, the masked man stared at me. The contestant who had helped me showed which medications I should choose- his hands were shaking so much that he couldn't even hold the bottles. Based on the knowledge I had about pharmacology, I analyzed the medication dosages and prepared the syringes. Then, the contestant who helped me began the surgical procedure, and we all helped him in the way we could. I can't say how long the surgery lasted because when you´re held at gunpoint, any second seems like an eternity. When it was finally over, the masked man sternly dismissed the others and held me at gunpoint. Fear made me close my eyes tightly and wait for the worst. Fortunately, instead of a gunshot, I heard a familiar voice calling my name.
Flim Flam: Velma, hurry up, we don´t have much time!
When I opened my eyes, Flim Flam had taken off his mask, and my first reaction was hug him tightly.
Velma: I'm so happy to see you here! You´re alive!
Flim Flam hugged me quickly and soon let go of my arms.
Flim Flam: Yeah, but my subordinates can unmask me anytime…
Velma: How could you deceive so many guards?
Flim Flam: When you were caught, I followed the cars to the ferry. A masked man found me, but luckily, I got rid of him and got his clothes and his circle-mask. I used that disguise until yesterday, when I shot Li and brought him here. This morning, I got rid of the leader of the guards - who wore this square-mask- and I put his clothes on… then, I brought you and some doctors here to help Li… if he survives, I will help him escape, and he will call Interpol…
Velma: Why don't you do it yourself? We can't put our hopes on an injured person!
Flim Flam: Because it's impossible! If you think things are insane inside the dormitory, you have no idea how they are behind the walls... they truly have an army here! Shaggy was right, Squid Game is indeed a reality show where billionaires bet on people like horses… and they enjoy watching contestants suffer and die in different ways…
Velma: You mean… the VIPS?
Flim Flam: Yes! And all the money falling into that pig safe after a death is a fraction of the 38 million that you´ve discovered during Liberty investigation… anyway, we are isolated on an island… and I have no idea if it's really Silmido, because there isn't any mean of communication here… only the Front Man has a landline and a cell phone with internet access, but I didn't have courage to use it, I know it's tapped…
Velma: The Front Man?
Flim Flam: Yes, it´s a man with a black mask and black robes who leads the games… he welcomes the VIPS and takes care of all bets! And all the guards blindly obey the Front Man… if we want a escape to succeed, someone has to work hard to outwit them…
Velma: Then outwit the guards and help us escape! There are air ducts inside the bathrooms, we just need the guards to stay away! Use your authority to do it!
Flim Flam: Velma, a contestant escape will not be successful! VIPs bet their money on you, they win and lose fortunes if you pass the games or lose your lives, surely they will miss you if simply you disappeared! Also, I need to use the circle mask again ASAP! They're not stupid, soon my height, my foreigner accent and my lack of training will show that I'm an infiltrator, and if they catch me, none of us will have a chance...
Velma: Oh, Flim Flam, please, we can't go through another game! We don't know if we'll be so lucky this time, I can't lose my friends! We can't stay another second inside that place! Some men are hurting Shaggy and...
Flim Flam: Velma, you´ll have to play the next game! That's the time Li needs to recover minimally, and the time I need to poison more guards during the meals… and, maybe, I can even poison some VIPs… with two infiltrators and fewer guards alive, we have better chances to escape!
Velma: Damn, we don't even understand the Korean language! Many people are dying simply because they don't understand the rules, or because they´ve never played a childish game from a foreign culture! What if we don't understand the rules of the next game? What if it will be the damn Squid Game that we've never played before? What if Wang dies, who will translate the instructions for us?
Flim Flam: That's the other reason I brought you here: I HAVE SPOILERS! The next game will be very simple, it involves a dalgona candy, or ppopgi , like they call it in Korean… it is a small, circular Korean cookie served on a stick, it is made of sugar and decorated with drawings, usually using cookie molds of stars, rockets, things like that... it was a very popular candy about 40 years ago, and people usually try to eat the round part around the drawing without breaking it... so, I think this is basically what you´ll have to do during the next challenge...
Velma: How can you be so sure? What if it´ll be another game, like Squid Game, that I have no fucking idea on what it's about?
Flim Flam: I'm sure because I've been cooking dalgonas since 4 am, and if they weren't served for breakfast, they'll certainly be used during the next game... don't worry, Squid Game is the last game, the most awaited one, and if everything goes fine, we'll be out of here tomorrow and no one will have to play it...
I tried to argue that I had never seen a dalgona before - and that fact would give me less chances to survive than the Korean participants-, but I didn't have time, as Flim Flam soon put his mask back on and started staging again his masked man role, pointing the gun to my head. Apparently, he noticed my fear, and advised me before opening the door.
Flim Flam: Just tell Shaggy, he'll know exactly what to do and everyone will be safe. I'll try to be around during the game, and I´ll get in touch as soon as possible. Good luck. And send my regards to the others.
Flim Flam shouted some things in Korean that I didn't quite understand. Then, he unlocked the door, but before he could open it, I stopped him.
Velma: Wait! Any news about Daphne and Scooby?… Shaggy and Fred will surely ask…
Flim Flam's brief silence hurt me more than all sadistic violence that I had witnessed in that place. Then, he took off his mask and sighed before starting to speak.
Flim Flam: Well… Scooby ran away, and I haven't heard of him since that night… well, you know… he's a dog… anything could have happened to him, from an adoption to something much worse… and…
Flim Flam swallowed the words, and he was hesitant to continue.
Velma: And…?
Flim Flam: …and last night, I overheard a conversation between the Front Man and two VIPs… they were bragging about the death of Steven Applegate…and also about the fact they convinced George to give up Blake Bank and Applegate Bank…
Velma: Great! Did they negotiate Daphne's freedom with George Blake?
Flim Flam sighed again before answering, and it hurt me even more.
Flim Flam: Well… they´ve also bragged about the fact that… they did to her… the same thing they did to Steven… and… George accepted… he gave up his business and negotiated with them to get… uh… his daughter's body back…
Flim Flam's paused words hit me like a bullet, my legs suddenly got weak and I fell to the ground, with eyes flooding with tears. Flim Flam tried to pull me back immediately. Despite his stern attitude, his tears were running through his face faster than mine.
Flim Flam: No! Get up! It´s not time to grieve, you have more than 300 lives to save, including yours!
Despite feeling destroyed, I got up and Flim Flam put his mask back on. Then, he aimed his gun to my head, and while he unlocked the door, he advised me.
Flim Flam: Don't tell Fred and Shaggy what you know. They will be devastated and won´t be able to concentrate during the next game…Fred surely will give up fighting… so, for the benefit of their lives, tell them Daphne and Scooby were rescued and they're fine… after we leave here, if Daphne´s death and Scooby´s disappearance are real, I'll be responsible for the lie. You are very smart, you will know how to proceed.
I nodded and wiped my tears, but Flim Flam stopped me.
Flim Flam: No! Keep the red face and the tears on your face. It will look as if I´ve done something to you… and I apologize in advance for the next actions I will have to do.
I agreed, and as soon as the door opened, Flim Flam kicked me hard in the back and threw me out. I fell against the hallway wall, then I got up, intuitively following his screams in Korean. He took me through different corridors this time, and I saw doors that led to a large industrial kitchen, where hundreds of round cookies - shaped like umbrellas, circles, triangles and stars – were being made. When Flim Flam finally threw me inside the dormitory, Fred was the first to receive me with a tight and desperate hug. He wasn't crying, but I could feel in that hug all the sadness and despair he was feeling.
Velma: Fred, calm down, I´m ok!
Then, Fred started touching my arms, shoulders and head, checking if I was hurt – or if something bad had happened to me. At that same moment, Shaggy hugged me so hard that he lifted me up to his height, and soon after, the others also greeted me with joy. On the way back to the bunks, I wiped my tears, swallowed my emotions and rehearsed in my mind all the lies that I would have to tell. When I was alone with Fred and Shaggy, I started to speak in low voice.
Velma: The man who took me was Flim Flam… he disguised himself as the leader of the guards…
Shaggy: I knew it! I recognized that dwarf immediately!
Velma: Shhhhhhh! Shut up and let me continue! He took us to help Li… apparently, the contestants chosen are doctors, and they removed the bullet from Li´s shoulder… Flim Flam asked us to play the next game, so that he and Li can have enough time to prepare an escape plan. According to him, the game will be very simple, they will give us Korean cookies with different drawings and we will have to eat the part around the drawing without breaking it…
Shaggy's eyes widened and he smiled broadly when hearing about eating cookies. He murmured "Dalgona?" with joy, and looked at me with a questioning, surprised face. I just nodded, confirming that was indeed the name of the cookie, and he started celebrating.
Velma: But, please, be very, very careful! Pay attention, eat slowly and don't break the damn cookie! When the next game is over, we will start the escape plan. Let's tell the others about the game, so more people will be able to survive… Flim Flam also said that the VIPs are…
Fred: What about Daphne? Does he have news about her?
Fred's question hit me more violently than the cup that had cut my head, and inevitably an ocean of tears was formed in my eyes. I looked away and, thankfully, Shaggy's joy distracted Fred and gave me some time to make up a good response.
Velma: Yes! That's exactly what I was going to say next... he said the VIPs are on the island, and he overheard a conversation in which they said Interpol ruined their plan and rescued Daphne and Scooby-Doo in Seoul...
Shaggy: SCOOBY-DOO!
Shaggy couldn't keep such emotion in his heart and said his best friend's name out loud. Fred felt the same joy, he smiled at Shaggy and both them celebrated. Such interruption allowed me to make my lie a little better, yet I was hurt to see them so glad.
Velma: …then, took them back to NY with the Blakes. Interpol knows everything and now they´re making a plan to eliminate the VIPs and rescue us. Therefore, we have to be strong and win the next challenge. And we have to take as many people as possible with us. This mystery ends tonight!
Both them wrapped me in a hug, then ruffled my hair. I took the opportunity to shed a few tears, which they believed that were tears of joy.
Shaggy: Like, these news were the best medicine, I don't even feel the pain of the wound anymore!
While they warned the others, I felt I was the worst person in the world. And I secretly apologized to my friends for giving them such a cruel placebo that would not cure their pain, but could save their lives.
The megaphone announced the start of the second game, and a large gate on the right side of the dormitory opened. Contestants soon formed a line, and I tried to keep everyone together. Even though I gave instructions about the challenge, I could see that my friends were tense, since no one there – except, maybe, Shaggy and Wang – knew exactly what a dalgona candy was. When we arrived at the arena, several piles of flat cans were waiting for us on a table, and I sighed in relief to confirm that Flim Flam was indeed right. The voice on the megaphone explained the rules and Wang informed us that we should choose one of the shapes that were drawn on the wall: an umbrella, a star, a circle or a triangle. At the same moment, everyone looked at me, waiting for directions.
Velma: Well, we´ll have to eat around the figure, so I think it's safer to choose the triangle, because it doesn't have rounded parts and it's easier to…
Shaggy: Like, how cute, gang! An umbrella!
Shaggy interrupted my whispers to happily show the shape of his cookie, and I shuddered to realize that he had chosen the worst of all shapes. Apparently, he was so excited about the idea of eating some cookies that he ignored my directions and joined the line as quickly as possible. I could see that Fred was as apprehensive as me, but before he could scold our starving friend, Shaggy showed us a perfect umbrella with a huge smile on his face, then started licking his fingers. His gesture – again - made us feel very apprehensive, because if the objective of the game was not to detach the drawing in that way, he would be the first to die. Luckily, as soon as we all got our flat cans – with triangle-shaped cookies inside-, the megaphone started explaining more instructions, and Wang confirmed that the challenge would really be able to detach the figure without breaking the cookie around it.
Wang: Shaggy is the first winner!
Shaggy smiled, but kept his doggy gaze on our cookies. Fred told the guards that Shaggy had successfully completed the challenge - obviously, he did this to prevent Shaggy from eating the little umbrella before he was declared a winner. Even though he was the first winner, the guards didn't take him out of the arena, and Shaggy stayed by our side, coveting the crumbs of dalgona candy that we would produce. Wang showed us a needle inside the cookie cans, and mentioned that it could be used to detach the forms. Even though it was an easier task than running through an arena at gunpoint, I shuddered to think that my life depended on that cookie.
Fred was the first to start, and I got nervous when I realized that he could barely hold a needle correctly. His big, uncoordinated hands kept slipping and producing tiny crumbs of dalgona candy, but he persisted in scraping a straight line at one side of the triangle. I was nervous watching him, so I opened my cookie tin, carefully picked up the needle and… I realized that I couldn't see clearly the lines of the triangle. I tried zooming it in and out of my eyes several times to make my myopic eyes find a better angle, even so, the thin lines of the triangle remained blurred. Fred noticed my despair and stopped for a second. Wang made a noise with his throat to let us know we had lost more than a minute, and encouraged us to continue. Suddenly, a crack caught my attention, and when I turned my head, I noticed Lupe with tears in her eyes for breaking a part of her cookie outside the triangle.
Lupe: I can´t do this! It's too brittle, I… I'm going to break the triangle!
Wang: Calm down, the triangle is intact! Just scrape carefully until the lines give way, ok?
Wang's advice didn't prevent Lupe from bursting into tears, and I realized that another minute had passed and I hadn't even started. I tried to keep my shaking hands steady, and I squinted my eyes as hard as I could to see one side of the triangle. Then, I slowly poked into the cookie with the needle, leaving small holes in the line. I was interrupted by a loud, metallic click and a large piece of dalgona flying towards my face. I turned my head and saw Fred smiling awkwardly, showing that he had detached one side of his triangle (he had also bent the needle and had scratched a line on the can). Shaggy hunted Fred's piece of candy like a soccer goalie, at the same moment, Wang, Dmitri and Andrei raised their hands showing perfect triangles. I pierced the dalgona faster, but my haste only detached a piece of cookie that left a large border around the triangle line. Shaggy looked at me reproachfully, and put his hand at his forehead, expressing his indignation at my stupidity.
Shaggy: Like, nobody said you need to use this fucking needle! This shit is made of sugar, just eat it!
Ginevra and I looked at each other, and she approached me with her triangle full of jagged lines.
Ginevra: Fuck this shit, I´ll bite this cookie!
Ginevra's outburst motivated others who were also having a hard time detaching perfect shapes, including me. I detached one side of the triangle perfectly, but the noise of the first shot startled me, and my bite produced such an irregular break that I could not continue. This time, Shaggy slapped himself hard on the forehead, making it clear how annoyed he was to watch such stupidity.
Shaggy: Like, don´t bite it, you animals! Just lick it! Use your tongue to melt the lines!
Many people followed Shaggy's advice. I tried to lick the next side of the triangle, but I stopped when I realized that my saliva was also melting the figure itself. The executions made Lupe break down and cry, and I nearly did the same. Fred remained unshakable, focused on scraping lines with excessive force and lack of motor coordination. While some shots were fired around me, I got rid of another part of my cookie, even though it left some irregular parts on the triangle. Shaggy approached me munching on cookie leftovers, and to my surprise, Ginevra raised her hand to show the guards her perfect triangle. I looked at her indignantly, and she surreptitiously pointed at Shaggy, telling me to hand him my cookie. I hesitated, but immediately Lupe handed Shaggy her nearly intact cookie, and in less than 20 seconds, he gave her the perfect triangle that saved her life.
That made several contestants discreetly approach Shaggy, and he saved them all by detaching cookies of all shapes. Fortunately, I didn´t have to ask for help: Shaggy took the can from my hands and finished my work, leaving the small equilateral triangle in the center of the tin. Fred just encouraged Shaggy to help others, and he continued concentrating on scraping lines with the needle. Shaggy agreed, and told Fred that he would come back to help him in the final minute if he needed. However, one man got angry to see so many lives being saved, and made a sudden movement to alert the guards about Shaggy´s actions. The noise startled us, and the guards approached Shaggy to check what was going on. Fred immediately stopped what he was doing to defend Shaggy. Suddenly, a shot made me scream and close my eyes. I felt splatters of blood hit my glasses and my face, and the deep horror that sensation caused me made me hold my breath. Fortunately, when I opened my eyes, all my friends were alive, and that man had been killed. He accidentally broke his own cookie while making the movement to alert the guards. Even though he wasn't an ally, his death made me cry. Fred was shocked too, and he remained motionless for a few seconds.
When the clock showed 1 minute to the end of the challenge, Shaggy helped Fred finish, then he played the role of a leader and helped other contestants in the way he could. However, while trying to help Milagros, Shaggy received a strong slap in his face, followed by some incomprehensible words in Spanish. Apparently, she wanted to eat her own cookie, and got annoyed when Shaggy bit it. That act caught the guards´attention, and they pointed their guns to Shaggy's head. I gripped Fred's hand tightly, fearing what would happen to our friend. Immediately, Fred approached the guards raising his arms, indicating a surrender and asking them to calm down. The guns lingered for a while towards Shaggy's forehead, and seconds later, a final shot echoed through the room, spattering blood over us again. I covered my face and cried uncontrollably, certain that I had lost another childhood friend. However, in the following moment, I felt Fred and Shaggy hugging me tightly and comforting me. I opened my eyes, wiped my tears and saw the horrible image of poor Milagros dead, still clutching her cookie. The challenge time had ended, and there was only a small piece of candy adhered to one side of her triangle, so the guards took her life. The imagem of lifeless Milagros brought collective grief to all of us, and no one was able to celebrate the victory when the guards declared the end of another game. We returned to the dormitory in silence, tortured by our feelings, and each one of us went to bed without saying a word. Sadness, fear, guilt and lots of adrenaline immediately weighed my eyes, and I fell asleep during the silly relief of surviving once fact, I couldn't really dream or rest, I just ignored for a few hours the harsh reality in which lives were lost by cookie crumbs.
I woke up with Ginevra touching my arm insistently, calling me to the nightly hygiene. Both Lupe and her had puffy eyes and faces due to crying. The recent loss of Milagros, and the presence of a large number of guards discouraged me to escape during the toilet visit. However, while returning to the dormitory, I noticed a short man in a square mask poking me. I left the women´s line for a second, and he violently pulled me into a room. As soon as the door closed, I saw Agent Li and I smiled to see him recovered.
Flim Flam: I´ve killed about 40 guards with rat poison… I think the Front Man suspects something is wrong, that´s why there are more guards around… so, we have to leave as soon as possible! When they turn the lights off, don't sleep. I´ve put sedatives in the water to make the other contestants sleep, so don't drink it. Choose the top bunks near the walls, and stay alert, we will arrive through the air ducts. I´ve found out there is a yacht in the southern part of the island, and the keys are in the Front Man's room. In a few hours, that motherfuckers will drink poisoned champagne, and we'll be able to go there and take whatever we need to escape. Now, go and warn the others. And stay alert!
I was kicked out of the room in the same violent way that I was pulled, and luckily, there were so many people and so many guards in the hallways that I was able to join the feminine line discreetly. When I arrived at the dormitory, the food was served, and I warned my friends about the escape plans - and about the water. Impressively, Shaggy refused to get his food. Rather than risk his life, he preferred to stay in his bed, eating the leftovers of dalgona candy he had in his pockets. By the time I finished my meal, Shaggy was sleeping like a baby in his bed, with a huge smile on his face, caused by the abundance of sugar. Fred laughed when he saw that scene – I confess I laughed a little too – , but I realized that the reason for his smile wasn't Shaggy sleeping in a funny way.
Fred: Velma, I finally know what I'm going to say to her...
The phrase hurt my heart and made some tears appear in my eyes. Even so, I pretended to feel nothing. Also, I pretended to not know what he was talking about.
Velma: Tell who?
Fred: Daphne!
My heart raced when I heard the confirmation of what I feared most. I had to scratch one eye to surreptitiously wipe away a tear that was about to fall, and so I continued pretending I didn't know what was going on.
Velma: Fred, right now, you should only worry about fitting inside an air duct, ok? We don't even know if we'll survive the escape! You took ten years to think about how you feel, can´t you wait a little more? I mean, you'll have the whole eternity to think about it and…
The word eternity sounded in extremely bad taste, and an immense tightness involved my chest. I stuttered and tried to find alternatives, but I couldn't find suitable words - nor good lies- to continue.
Velma: Look Fred, it´s not time for dreams and high hopes, ok? We are under exceptional circumstances, and I believe you should prepare yourself for anything, and…
Fred: You know, I´m not good at defining my own feelings... in fact, I´ve never been… especially what I feel for her, because it's something so different that I´ve never thought it was worth a try... I confess that I´ve never thought it was really love... at least not "love" in the way I knew it, nor in the way people think "love" should be... my feeling is something more complex than a simple "couple thing"... but now I know exactly what it is...
The interruption - and the fact that Fred had completely ignored me - made me feel extremely angry, and that feeling combined with sadness made me explode.
Velma: FREDERICK JONES, WE'RE HELD AT GUNPOINTS 24H PER DAY! WE ARE VICTIMS OF A MAFIA THAT SCARES THE FBI! DAMN, IT'S NOT TIME TO TALK ABOUT LOVE, CAN´T YOU UNDERSTAND IT?
Fred: I'm not talking about love! Love is… I don't know… banal, momentary, stupid… It's too physical, too limited… my parents once loved each other very much, now they hate each other… once I thought I loved my exes, now I wouldn't even recognize them on the streets… no, I'm talking about something stronger, more constant… something eternal, you know? I'm talking about hope... Daphne is the hope in my life. Today, during the game, the only thing that kept me scraping that shit until detaching the fucking triangle was the idea that she exists and she is part of my life… and the certainty that I need her and she needs me… for her, everything is worth it, even deadly games held at gunpoint… she is the only reason to carry on… do you understand? That's it, I finally understood that Daphne is my hope...
"And your hope is dead", was the truth that I was forced to swallow during an involuntary sob that made me break down and cry. Fred smiled and comforted me somehow, without even noticing the real reason for my tears.
Velma: Sorry, I've been super emotional in the last few days… but… this is beautiful Fred!… and… I'm sure… wherever Daphne is… she's happy to hear this…
My hint was more than direct, but Fred was so into his own feelings that he didn't even notice. Instead of asking the meaning of my words, he just patted my back with a smile on his face and told me to choose the beds at the back part of the room. There, the Russians and Wang had already occupied strategic places, and Fred decided to stay right in front of the exit of an air duct. Ginevra and Lupe fell asleep, and I stayed awake in the dark with the boys. As the hours passed, I fought sleepiness, fear, anxiety and the weight of my eyelids, which insisted on closing. In the middle of the night, I lost all battles; I slept and dreamed about… crumbs of cookies. Also, about crumbs of lives, of dreams, of loves, of hopes… and all them were destroyed.
Thanks for reading! Thanks for your time!
As always, I apologize for the long chapters, and for the language mistakes.