by J. B. Smith
Dance for him? This giant wanted us to dance in the middle of a fight? Did he really think we would stop fighting and suddenly start dancing? His passion for watching us dance was high. But that was not going to happen. Instead, I slapped Stevie across the face. "You will pay to always be born," I shouted.
Suddenly the giant growled. "What's wrong with my hamster?" he asked with furious eyes.
We did not respond. Stevie wrapped his hands around my neck and turned me against my back. He jumped on me. "Shouldn't we be dying now?" he asked with a whisper.
Stevie was right. It was time to put our plan into action. The moment of death had arrived. “Yes. Act like you're biting me or something. But don't really bite me.
Stevie leaned over and pretended to bite my face. I threw my arms and legs in the air. "Why are you biting me? Please don't bite me you little bastard, ”I yelled at the top of my lungs.
Then I stopped moving. Stevie did the same. We just stayed there. All we could hear was the giant breathing. “Stop right now,” he said.
We did not respond. The giant did not speak for several minutes. Stevie was always on top of me. How did I get into this situation? How could I have ended up on my back with a guy in a rat costume on me? It was something I could never have predicted. But it did happen. Time passed as I wondered what the giant was doing. Then I heard him stick the key in the keyhole. Oh shit, that was it. This was when the plan would fail or work. The moment of truth had arrived.
Chapter twenty-eight
The door creaked open. There was a stillness in the air as I wondered what was going to happen. Then I heard his hand enter the frame. Suddenly Stevie's body moved. Stevie and I looked each other in the eyes. Stevie was scared, I could see that. Then his body moved again. Was the giant stinging him? "Wake up," roared the giant.
We continued to play dummy. "What's wrong? I said it's time to wake up," the giant moaned.
Then Stevie's body started to lift. Oh shit! My arms wrapped around his back before feeling the giant's grip around us. We both took off in the air with sudden speed. My heart started to shake and I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. My grip tightened around Stevie's back as I feared I would fall to death. I couldn't see anything except Stevie's seedy face. Did we get out of the cage? The flow of air under me tickled my back as I could feel us getting higher and higher. I turned my head to my far side and tried to see what was going on. We were much higher in the sky than I would have guessed. Below me I saw the ground. To my left, I saw the cage. It was official, we were outside the cage. "Now what?" I mumble.
“I don't know,” St evie replied .
How could we both not know the next step? It was a critical step, and we didn't know it? "Won't you use your sword?" I whispered.
Before Stevie could answer, I felt a sensation of falling. Almost like you would feel when riding a roller coaster with a big drop in a theme park. I knew he was training us on the ground, but for what? In a few seconds, the giant had placed us on the ground. Without much effort, he kicked Stevie away from me. I had my eyes closed, but I could feel his large head hovering over me. Then I felt something. My body straightened as he let out a sniffling sound. Wow. The power of his sniffle had actually made my body jump a little. But why was he sniffing me? Oh shit. Was he preparing to eat me? My worst ear had seemed to come true.
How could I have been so stupid? Panic started to break out inside me, but I didn't show it physically. I haven't moved an inch. But what was I going to do? Then I felt a gust of wind. He wasn't looking at me anymore. I just knew it . I barely opened my eyes just enough for me to see. My vision slowly began to appear. Above me there was only the dark sky. I turned my head to where I knew the giant was. Then I saw him. He was busy sniffing Stevie. Was he going to eat it? I wouldn't want that to happen. But maybe he would be full if he ate Stevie? I did not know. Stevie was a little guy and would probably be nothing more than a snack for the giant. I didn't want him to eat Stevie. But, if that happened, I was hoping Stevie would provide the giant with sufficient nutrition. Deep down inside, I was worried that Stevie was just a snack for him. Then he would pick me up as my next snack.
Suddenly I realized I had a chance. Maybe a chance to run. But what about Johnson? He was the reason I came here, wasn't he? I couldn't have this terrible experience without being rewarded, could I? I sighed. Shit. I couldn't run, nor watch the giant eat Stevie. Sometimes I really hated being a decent human being . As my thoughts continued, I couldn't believe what I saw happen next. With precise speed, Stevie drew a sword from his side. In the blink of an eye, he thrust the sword into the giant's head. "Get him out of me," roared the giant, tripping over his knees .
What the hell? Did I really see what I had just seen? "If you want your reward, you better catch Johnson," Stevie yelled.
"Wait? Aren't you going to help me?
“Why should I? You don't give me a cut,” he replied. “Besides. At this point, I just want to get out of here. There's no way I'm going back to this cage. I will never risk my freedom for anything again. See you later!"
Before I could answer, Stevie ran away. With him still in his rat costume, it was a strange sight. It was all happening so fast. The giant pounded on the ground and it started to shake. My balance became wobbly as I tried to get closer to the wooden platform. Was I an idiot or something? Maybe Stevie had the right idea. The boy wasn't dead yet and I didn't know if he would die. Was I really about to go back inside the cage and risk being locked up again? Part of me wanted to go in the same direction as Stevie, but I couldn't. I was just too greedy. My feet began kicking of feet at a speed so intense that I headed to the cage. Suddenly the giant swung his arms towards me. “My head hurts,” he shouted. "Something is stuck in my head."
I almost felt bad for him, but it quickly went away. I ran a safe distance around him and I quickly began to climb the stairs. My eyes moved from side to side as I desperately tried to locate Johnson. Then I saw him. He was exactly where we left him. I ran to his body and spoke quickly. “Your brother misses you,” I shouted. "You come with me whether you like it or not."
His feet started kicking and he shouted something. But I couldn't hear it. Stevie had done a good job of stuffing the rag into his mouth. I reached out and took her tiny body. Damn, he was bony, but still had weight on him. I threw it over my shoulder and started to climb out of the cage. The giant stumbled closer to us but was weak. The sword in his head had wreaked havoc on him. "He's my hamster," he cried angrily. "Give me my hamster."
With a burst of force, the giant stumbled closer to us. It wasn't far and I knew I had to go faster. But my body got sluggish. I looked at my stamina gauge. Oh shit! It was low. The extra weight was taking its toll on me. I paused for a moment and tried to build up my stamina. However, the giant approached the cage. Moments passed as my stamina increased. I ran as fast as I could, my eyes riveted on the way out of the cage. The feeling of relief that came to my body was overwhelming as I stepped out of the cage. The giant collapsed to the ground and let out an almost deafening cry. The sword stuck in his head had really screwed him up.
I held Johnson over my shoulder. His cries were muffled, but I imagined he wanted me to help the giant. I couldn't help it though. So, I just walked past the giant and hoped he wouldn't find any strength. The further away I got , the better I felt. A slowly growing smile appeared on my face as I took a moment to rest. I huffed and huffed. Damn, this guy was starting to get heavy. I threw Johnson on the floor and removed the rag from his mouth. Words instantly came out of him. “We must help my master,” he cried.
"We can't help him."
"Master! Master! I am here," he cried.
There was a roar in the distance. "Shut up," I said, putting the rag back into her mouth.
I picked up Johnson and started running at a steady pace. Once I got away from the giant, I stopped and rested longer. There was a small open area with a lot of broken logs around us. I dropped Johnson to the ground and sat on a broken log. �
��I'm glad it's over,” I said.
Johnson yelled something but I couldn't hear him. I pointed my finger at him. "If I take the rag out of your mouth, do you promise not to scream?"
His head was going up and down. I reached out and pulled the rag out of her mouth. "Why did you let my master suffer?" he asked with sad eyes.
"Dude, that giant didn't care about you," I replied. “He was just using you.
"He cared," Johnson replied.
I looked at it well. What a pathetic sight he was. “When we pick you up, we take this hamster costume off . No man should have to wear this.
“I like it,” he replied.
I looked at my arms. I almost forgot that I still had my weasel combination. How degrading. I quickly slid it off and started tossing it to the side. But then I realized it could be worth gold. I looked at the statistics:
Worn weasel costume
Description: A weasel costume that has been passed down through many generations.
Lunge: upper body
Level: 06 (beginner)
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Defense: 0
Denomination: 01 gold coins
Okay, that costume was almost worthless. And how could a weasel costume be passed down through many generations? Was there a guy out there looking for his lost weasel costume right now? I did not know. Even though it was only worth a gold coin, I decided to keep it just in case the times were desperate. I mean after all, a gold coin was way better than none at all. I put the suit in my inventory and equipped the armor I had purchased previously. Instantly, I felt ten times more human. I looked at Johnson. "See how much better I am?"
"I thought you were making a good weasel," he replied with crooked lips.
I took a moment to relax. This whole experience was such an adventure. I wondered if I would ever go back to real life. There was so much excitement in this life. Every moment was filled with something to do. Looking around I realized how calm it was. I hit the earth beneath me. "Is this place real?" I asked.
"Of course it does," Johnson replied.
“But it's only a game. You do k now, don't you?
“I've never known anything other than that. This is where it all begins and ends for me.
“It's not real though. There is another world out there. It's the real world, not this one.
Johnson looked confused. “I don't think that's true. I have only heard rumors about this other world. If he's there, why can't I go? "
"You can," I replied before thinking fully about my answer. "I mean. You should be able to go, but you can't. It's a little complicated.
"This is my universe. It is real. I know it is."
I scratched my head. It was a bit confusing. In a way, Johnson was right. This world was real. In fact, it might be the only world I needed. What if my body was just lying in a capsule somewhere? Did it really matter? If I never wake up my body again, does it even exist? It might as well not be. As long as I stayed in the gaming world, that was all I needed. It was the only world I needed. I got up. Thin. What was I saying? Deep down inside, I couldn't let go of the real world. I don't look fair. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I wanted. And I was not sure of my place. Suddenly I got a new message alert:
"Hey. It's me Johnny. You're gonna be so proud of me. You know why? Because I just saved Sonny and Todd. Like, I just saved them both! I discovered this whole lost soul. and all that Astral Dust stuff. I used all my brain power and figured it out. Man, I won't stop there. I asked questions and I know how to get to FlatFall. We'll be here soon. to get you out. I will send you another message soon. We are heading towards this big boat right now. The boat will take us to you. I hope to see dolphins and other fish while I get in the boat. J "I have bread and want to feed the fish. Anyway, I'll send you a message soon. Hope you're still alive and stuff. Let me know."
Johnny.
I was almost at a loss for words. How the hell could Johnny have saved Sonny and Todd? And he was coming soon to take me out? Wow. I had mixed emotions about all of this. In many ways, I wanted to go out. But in another way, I didn't want to go out. Still, I knew it was probably best that I left FlatFall. There was still a small part of me that doubted Johnny could get me out. But, only time will tell. I started to write him a message:
“Hi Johnny. I'm sitting here wondering how the hell you finally managed to save them both! It's awesome! I'll wait for you to escape me. Let me know the plan and when you will be here. Thank you
Walker."
I tried to imagine Johnny getting on a big boat. It just seemed weird. It seemed shocking that he actually organized a search and rescue team for me. Like I said before, if he could succeed, I would totally forgive him. I took a deep breath and went downstairs to get Johnson. Then I stopped. "If I untie you, will you behave yourself?" Can I rust you?
“Why can't I go back to my master?” He asked.
"Because your brother needs you," I replied. “And because I came here just to save you. The least you can do is show a little gratitude.
"Fine. I'm not going to run. But I will demand that my brother take me back to my master. You know that, don't you?"
“Do whatever you want,” I replied. "We just need to get you back to him first."
I had trouble loosening the rope around it. With frustration and time, I finally managed to take the rope off him. Then I realized it was too risky to let him be totally free. “Bring your wrist together,” I say.
"Why? I told you I wouldn't run away.
" Do it," I replied.
He gathered his arms and I wrapped the rope around them. Then I tied a loose knot and used the rest of the rope as a leash. If he ran, he would take me with him. We started to walk and Johnson asked a question. "Where do you think Stevie went?"
"Who knows," I replied.
"I'll find him. You know that, don't you?
“It makes sense,” I replied.
“He left me because he was afraid. I don't want to be afraid against him. We will be reunited. He cannot leave FlatFall. It is only a matter of time before our paths cross again.
I guess Johnson was right. If he wanted to find Stevie, I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to pull off. I continued on the dirt road and looked for the point that branched off into the main road. It wasn't long before we saw the main road. "We're almost there," I said, pulling Johnson behind me.
A few players ran past us and one of them laughed. I turned to Johnson and realized the whole situation looked a bit silly. But I didn't care. All I was interested in was getting my gold. I started to think about what I would do with so much gold. Instantly I knew the first thing I would do . I will have something to eat. Yes, one of those turkey thighs I had seen. I could almost taste it as we got closer and closer to the tavern. But then I realized I didn't have time. I had to get the healing potions first. And I had to get them right away. As far as I know, Douglas could have been dead. I didn't want to think about it, but at the same time, I knew I had done my best.
Finally, we arrived at the tavern. I pushed open the door and scanned the room for the NPC who had given me the that st. The players were busy drinking and the place seemed very busy. Where was the NPC? I walked around the room and noticed Cosmo was sitting in his usual spot drinking beer. Damn, he really was an alcoholic. He probably must have drunk his guilt or something. It was the best I could imagine. My eyes left Cosmo and continued to search for the NPC on the back wall. There were many more standing around, but I didn't see him. What the shit? Did he rip me off? Panic started to set in until I finally saw the NPC I recognized. He's here, ”I yelled, tugging on Johnson's leash. I ran with Johnson behind me and stopped right in front of the NPC. "This is your brother," I said, handing him the leash.
The NPC looked at me then took the leash. " Why is he on a leash?" he asked in confusion.
My eyes have grown big. What did it matter? I completed the stupid quest and wanted my gold. Still, I knew I had to be nice to the NPC. “He didn't want to come with me. The giant had bra
inwashed him. Your brother can explain it better than I can, ”I replied with quick words. "So can I have my gold now?" Can you just put it in a bag and give it to me? "
The NPC looked at his brother. “Johnson? Are you OK?"
"Yes. I'm fine. But, we have to go back and save my master.
"It's great and all, but what about my gold?" I asked for both hands.
The NPC returned his attention to me. “Yes, of course,” he replied. "You kept your promise and so will I."
I licked my lips. The NP C rummaged in their pockets and started to mix something up. Moments passed as I tried to wait patiently. But, this guy was taking forever. In truth, I wanted to grab him by the neck and shake the gold from him. But I couldn't. So, I waited. What was taking so long? Didn't he have the gold? "Can I have it now?" I asked without patience.
"Just a moment," he replied.
My teeth went together. How could it have taken so long? Was it some kind of glitch or something? Then, gold appeared in his hand . The weight of the world seemed to be lifted off my shoulders as I pulled the bag out of her hands. I shook it. Wow, the ringing sounded almost like a magic song. I put the bag in my inventory and checked how much gold I had. Yes! It was amazing to see the number of 145 gold pieces. I felt rich and powerful. I nodded to the NPC. “This quest was indeed difficult. But, I did. Just be sure to take this hamster costume off your brother. He's a good man, but the giant brainwashed him .
