Chapter 7: As The Dice Fall

Everyone's eyes followed the dice as they rolled across the table. The first one stopped on a 2 and the other rolled to a 6, giving him a total of 8. Bobby unknowingly held his breath as the red piece slid across the board. It landed on Draw A Task Card.

"Guess I'm going in," Bobby said, attempting to keep his tone light. But his smile was thin, and the gravity in his eyes betrayed his unease. He drew a card, his fingers trembling ever so slightly.

Buck's posture went rigid, his eyes unblinking as he watched Bobby. Athena shifted closer to her husband, her face pale as Bobby read aloud, "At the Apartment, your destiny awaits. You'll see it clearly once you walk through its gates. Choice and chance are in your hand; it is time for you to take the stand."

The words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding. Buck swallowed hard, glancing at Hen and Chim, who were equally tense, their faces mirroring his fear. Then, as if animated by an invisible force, Bobby's game piece shot across the board, stopping beside a tiny, intricate model of an apartment complex.

"Bobby…" Buck's voice was strained, a quiet plea. But Bobby turned his gaze to him, his eyes steady. "I'll be okay, Buck," Bobby said, his voice soft yet resolute. "But listen to me — no matter what happens, you keep going, alright? You don't stop." His tone brooked no argument, his gaze unwavering, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes.

"You got this Cap."

Athena's hand slipped into his, gripping it tightly. She pulled herself close, her voice a fragile whisper. "I love you. You better come back to me." Her voice wavered, her eyes shimmering with the weight of unspoken fears.

He turned to her, the soft lines of his face etched with love and sorrow. "I'll do my best," he whispered back, just as a dense, swirling mist began to pour from the board, coiling like ghostly ribbons around his legs and arms. He tried to hold onto her hand, but the mist was relentless, winding around his torso and tightening, pulling him back even as he reached for her. She grasped his hand as long as she could, fingers slipping from his as the mist became a vise around him, drawing him in.

Bobby stumbled forward, lost in the darkness. A faint spot of light flickered in the distance, growing steadily brighter as he neared. He shielded his eyes, his heart pounding as his vision adjusted, and then found himself standing in front of a looming building. It was silent, still, a sentinel under the indifferent afternoon sky. But as he blinked, the world warped. The sky grew dark, and flames erupted, licking hungrily at the windows, smoke curling into the air as distant, desperate screams filled the silence. He blinked again, and the building was back to normal. He took a step back, his eyes wide, but that was all his body would allow.

The light around him shifted, fading from sunny warmth to a dim twilight. A coldness seeped into his bones, turning his fingers stiff as ice. He looked down to the entrance of the building as a wispy, hooded figure floated through the door. Bobby stood his ground, eyes narrowing at the creature, unphased by the rows of pointy teeth grinning at him or the hourglass in its pale claw-like hand.

"What are you? And why are you doing this?" Bobby demanded, his voice low but unyielding.

The figure said nothing, yet a chilling, disembodied voice echoed around him, each word falling like ice. "Your task stands before you. One of these tenants possesses a key. Rescue them, and it is yours. Procure the key before the clock runs out, or meet a fiery fate."

"Rescue them? From what?

The words barely left his lips before the figure turned the hourglass over and vanished as flames roared to life behind it. They exploded across the building, growing in size and heat, wrapping the structure in a blazing inferno.

Bobby froze for a heartbeat, the searing heat closing in on him until a cry shattered his paralysis. Without hesitation, he dashed into the flames, slamming into the first door he found. "Everybody out, now!" he shouted, his voice urgent and commanding.

A family of four scrambled out, stumbling toward the stairs. He caught the arm of the father. "Is there anyone else inside?" he asked.

The man shook his head, eyes wide with fear.

"Good. Go, get out of here!"

Bobby raced to the next door, banging on it as he shouted. He heard hurried movement, then the door burst open and another family dashed out. The heat intensified, pressing against him as he climbed the stairs, banging on doors, calling out for anyone left behind. On one floor, he grabbed a fire extinguisher, using it to bash open doors and douse the flames creeping up the stairwell. His own skin was beginning to sting, each breath growing more laboured as he ascended to the third floor.

"Help! Help! My daughter is trapped in her room."

Bobby nodded at the woman screaming and sprang into action, throwing his shoulder against the door, but it wouldn't budge. His gaze darted around until he spotted a toolbox; he seized a hammer and bashed at the doorknob, finally smashing a hole he could reach through. With one last effort, he wrenched the door open. Inside, a young girl huddled against the wall, flames licking dangerously close. He extended his hand to her. "Come on, I've got you," he urged, lifting her up and guiding her to safety.

As they darted out of the room, a figure stepped through the smoke, blocking their path. "That was a clever strategy, Captain," it said in a familiar voice.

"Athena!" Bobby's head snapped up, and his heart lurched as he saw his wife standing in his path wearing her uniform, her expression fond.

"Save everyone," she said softly. "You'll never forgive yourself if you don't. And honestly? I'd rather you didn't come back if you don't." Her remained soft though they lacked the warmth he was so used to. "I don't want to deal with the guilt and whining. Just… don't come home at all."

The words cut into him like a blade. He stood there, frozen, his mind reeling — until she disappeared into the smoke, leaving only the spectral hourglass in her place, sand slipping into the lower half.

The girl squirmed in his arms and pulled Bobby back to the moment. He rushed her to her mother and sent them down the path he came. He turned back toward the stairs, running headlong into the flames. They blazed hotter, leaping up the stairway, closing in on him, but he pressed forward. Reaching the fourth floor, he skidded to a halt at a hallway that split into two directions.

"Cap, this way! Hurry!" came Hen's familiar voice, echoing down the left corridor.

He bolted after the sound, finding her struggling with a locked door. Without thinking, he joined her, shoving the door until it splintered open. Hen darted inside, and he moved to follow her — but then he hesitated as he watched her try to pull the unconscious man over her shoulder. She didn't stop to check his pulse or do a quick assessment. Something wasn't right.

"No. You're not real," he murmured, backing into the hallway, his voice barely above a whisper. He steadied himself, his jaw clenched.

"Cap, come on! We need to get this man out of here. You know you'll regret it if you don't. You don't want his death on your hands, do you? Is there even more space in that book of yours?"

The words pierced through him and his stomach dropped, his ears filling with disonant, warbled screams. His eyes focused on Hen who was looking at him expectantly and he shook his, digging his fingers into his palms to ground himself. "This is where you want me to go, isn't it?" He spoke to the air as he stepped out of the room and looked around at the empty hallway, feeling the heat creep closer. "But they don't have what I need."

"Bobby?" The voice was softer now, almost pleading, but he knew better. He spun and sprinted back down the stairs, each step bringing a fresh wave of heat as flames lashed at him from every angle. He threw open doors, but the rooms were empty, their silence mocking him. Sweat poured down his face, his clothes clinging to his skin, dry and cracked from the unrelenting heat.

He jumped into the apartment right in front of him and pulled a young out from under a fallen bookshelf but sighed when he just ran out, barely even looking at him. As he ran out he heard another voice. "Cap over here. I need some help getting this guy out."

He turned and saw Chimney standing by one of the doors, tugging at a man's shirt. He took a step forward but then backtracked and ran the other way, Chimney's voice calling after him. At the end of the hallway, he saw Eddie hearding people toward the fire escape.

"Cap I could use your help here. We're not going to get all of them without you."

He closed his eyes and turned left, running away from them mumbling to himself. "This is a game. They are not real. I need to find that key."

He turned to his right and saw the hourglass, sand falling quickly into the bottom half. "Come on, come on," he muttered as he opened door after door to empty apartments. He was breathing heavily and sweat poured down him as his clothes clung to him. His skin was dry and had begun to peel. A burst of flame shot out of the doorway behind him and he dived to the floor. Up ahead Ravi emerged from the smoke and held out his hand. "This way Cap, we've gotta get out of here."

He pushed himself to his feet, chest heaving as he took deep, laboured breaths and stared at Ravi's barely visible face through his mask and back at the flames.

"Cap what are you waiting for? Time's up we gotta go."

He looked back at Ravi and charged, tackling him to the ground. "Sorry kid," he mumbled as he pulled the turnout jacket off him. He threw it over his head, pulling it over his face and charged through the flaming doorway. He felt the flames lick at his pants and the heat burn through his skin but he kept going until he reached another stairway. He scrambled up it, coughing and stumbling. As he stepped onto the landing he was met by the panic-stricken face of Buck.

"Cap, thank God! There's a mother and her two kids trapped down here, I can't get them out. You gotta come with me cap, I can't lose them."

He stared at blue eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. Bobby met his gaze, a sad smile tugging at his lips. He knew his Buck would never look so afraid in the face of flames. A door loomed behind the figure, and the hourglass beside him began to glow red, a silent warning. He clapped a hand on Buck's shoulder, the warmth of familiarity anchoring him. "You got this, kid," he said softly, brushing him.

"So you're just going to go, leave me again. I almost lost everything because of you, are you going to let the same thing happen to them? How many people are you going to hurt Bobby?"

Bobby froze as words hit him and he slowly turned around facing a look he'd seen cross the young man's face only once - the night he learnt of his betrayal.

"Buck," he whispered.

"Help me help them, Bobby. It's the least you can do."

Tears pricked at his eyes as he stared at the man in front of him. He took a step forward then hesitated as Buck stood his ground, waiting for him. The real Buck didn't wait. He'd ask for help but he would already be in there trying to help. This was not Buck.

He took a deep, unsteady breath and turned away. "I'm sorry kid. This is not real. It's not you."

Bobby made it to the final floor, breathing heavily, his clothes clinging to him. Most of the doors were open except one at the back. He stumbled forward, coughing and still clutching the coat over him. "Anybody here," he called out, his voice hoarse

"Here" a small voice called out.

Using whatever strength he had left he broke down the door and stepped into an apartment and a wave of heat hit him in the face. Grunting, he pushed forward. "Call out," he cried in between coughs.

"I'm over here."

He stumbled to the hallway and found a little boy with blond hair crouched in the bathroom, around his neck was the key.

Relief surged through him. He knelt down, extending his hand. "What do you say we get out of here, kid?"

The boy nodded, wrapping his arms around Bobby's neck as Bobby lifted him up. But just as they turned, flames erupted from the walls, the roof beginning to buckle as smoke choked the air. Beside him, the hourglass began to pulse, the sand a furious red.

Breathing heavily he stepped into the next room, the flames spreading as they chased after him.

This is just a game," he murmured, reassuring himself. "Just a game."

He tightened his grip around the boy, propped his shoulder forward and ran. With one final burst of strength, he crashed through a window. Glass shattered around them, flames roaring in their wake as they plunged into the open air.

"Come on, Bobby," Buck mumbled, his eyes glued to the mirror as he watched Bobby's struggle against the shadows. His gaze drifted to the hourglass beside him, its sand slipping ominously downward.

Athena moved closer, looping her hand around his arm, her face a mask of concern as she watched Bobby stumbling through the darkness, fear etched into his normally calm features. "He's got this, Buck," she whispered - trying to reassure him and herself.

"He's right to be worried 'Thena. That place is messed up," said Hen as she looked over at Buck.

"What did you two see in there?" Athena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Buck and Hen exchanged a look, a haunted understanding passing between them. Buck finally turned to her. "I think it's different for everyone. But whatever it is… it knows things. Things about you, things you'd rather keep buried. And it uses them against you."

Hen nodded, her face pale. "It makes you believe what you're seeing is real, that the fear and pain are real. Bobby's good at solving puzzles and he's good at keeping his head, but… this? This is going to be tough even for him."

As she spoke, the hourglass beside them suddenly went dark. All at once, the sand stopped falling, and the glass grew black,

"Bobby! No!" Buck's voice was a strangled cry as he lunged forward, reaching for the board, but just as his fingers touched it, Bobby's body lurched back into the room. He stumbled, eyes wide and disoriented, his chest heaving. Athena grabbed him, helping him steady himself as he looked around, his breaths shallow, haunted.

"Bobby… Bobby, you're okay," Athena soothed, her voice soft as she guided him back to reality. Bobby clenched his hand around something cold and metallic. He looked down to find a small token with a key etched into it lying in his palm.

He took a shaky breath, his eyes still glazed with fear as he turned to Athena, pulling her into a fierce embrace. Buck exhaled, the tension draining from his face as he looked at Hen, who gave him a small, relieved nod.

Bobby's eyes flicked open, and his gaze fell to Maddie's slumped figure beside the board. The sight brought a fresh wave of sorrow. "I can see why they lost," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I almost didn't make it out of that… whatever that was."

Athena held him tighter, then leaned up to kiss his cheek softly before pulling back. Her eyes were dark, shadowed by the weight of what they'd witnessed. "I still can't believe this is real," she muttered, shaking her head. "If you'd told me a cursed board game killed the professor, I would have had you committed. But this? I have no idea how I'm supposed to explain this to Lou."

Hen nodded, glancing at the board warily. "Someone has to be behind this, right? Cursed board games don't just appear out of thin air."

"Yeah, and someone had to move it from your crime scene to that toy store. Unless it… I don't know, moved on its own?" Chimney muttered, his voice barely hiding a tremor as he eyed the board.

Buck shifted uncomfortably, his gaze fixed on the hourglass, avoiding Athena's questioning stare.

"Oh, I'm talking to that store owner," Athena said firmly, crossing her arms. "And I'm going to find out exactly where the professor got this monstrosity. After I put it under lock and key where it can't hurt anyone else."

Chimney glanced at Buck, eyebrows raised. "You're awfully quiet there, Buckaroo. No theories to add?"

Buck's head snapped up, his eyes flaring with frustration. "Just… play," he said through gritted teeth. "I'd like my sister and my best friend back."

Chimney's face twisted, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but one look from Bobby silenced him. He turned his gaze to the board, studying the spaces separating him from the finish line. His hand shook as he reached for the dice, casting them onto the table. One landed on a 6, while the other slipped off the edge, clattering to the floor.

He bent down, to retrieve the fallen die. It displayed a 4. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he carefully nudged it with his finger, coaxing it to roll over to a 6.

"Would you look at that…" he murmured, a hollow satisfaction in his voice as he stood up.

The board reacted immediately, his game piece inching forward toward the finish line. But just as it reached the next space, it toppled over, and Chimney gasped, clutching his chest as he slumped to the ground.

"Chim!" Buck yelled, his voice thick with panic as he dropped beside him.

"What just happened?" Athena demanded, her voice sharp, eyes flicking between Chimney's motionless form and the board.

Hen crouched down, her gaze sweeping over the area where Chim had been, and her breath caught when she saw the dice. A twelve. She checked the board again and groaned. He'd rolled the exact number he needed to win. A terrible realization washed over her face, her mouth falling open as she whispered, "I think… he tried to cheat to finish the game."

A heavy silence blanketed the room, thick with dread

"Idiot," Buck muttered bitterly, shaking his head. "Didn't he learn anything from Eddie?"

"I bet he thought he'd either outsmart it or get turned into a monkey," Hen whispered, fighting back a smile.

Athena raised her hands in the air and paced around the room exasperated. "With all those movie references that boy spouts, you'd think he'd learn something from them. You don't go messing with things you don't understand."

Hen's voice was thick with sadness as she placed her hand on Chimney's still shoulder. She looked up at Buck, her expression resigned. "And then there were four."

Buck looked down at Chimney's limp form, eyes fixed on the symbol that had appeared on his forehead. "Why would you do something so….… reckless, Chim?" he whispered, anger fading into grief as he reached out to touch his friend's shoulder.

A gentle pressure on his own shoulder brought him back. He looked up to see Hen, her face taut with sorrow, trying to hold it together. He stood and hugged her tightly, their shared grief grounding them both.

Releasing her, Buck returned to his chair and sank into it. He picked up the token he'd won and turned it over and over between his fingers, the small object feeling heavier with every rotation. His voice was quiet, almost defeated, as he asked, "What happens if we don't win?"

Athena's voice cut through the silence, strong and resolute. "We have to win," she said, her eyes blazing with determination. "We don't have a choice."

Bobby nodded, his voice filled with steely resolve. "Not just for us," he added, glancing at Chimney's fallen form and then to the board. "But for Maddie, Eddie, and Chimney. For Jee and Christopher as well. This can't end like this. Whoever is responsible doesn't get to win."

Athena reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly, grounding him as much as herself. She looked over at Buck and Hen, her gaze unwavering. "We also have to do this for ourselves. We're in this now, and we're going to see it through to the end. But no more cheating. Or I swear I'll shoot you myself."

Hen exhaled, her fear turning into a fierce resolve. She gave a slight nod, determination hardening her features. Her hand moved to the dice, steady but with a hint of trembling. She lifted them, feeling their cool weight in her hand, their etched numbers glinting in the dim light. With a final look at her friends, she rolled.

As the dice tumbled across the table, everyone held their breath, the air thick with tension. Each bounce of the dice echoed like a heartbeat, louder, sharper. Hen's eyes locked onto the dice as they clattered to a stop. She glanced up, fire in her gaze. "Let's do this."

Thanks for reading.

Till next time...