Steven played strategically as always..
Ben however, was button mashing. Well not quite.. there seemed to be a strategy even if it seemed random, but it was hard to tell.
Steven won the first round with ease. "I won!" She said grinning.
Ben gave a little smirk. "So you did."
"Did you let me win?" She said suddenly defensive.
"Not exactly..."
"What did I say about-"
"Hey hey! Let me finish.. I was watching how you won by looking at your control pad." He smiled a bit. "Let's see how round two goes."
Ben somehow, mentally mapped the buttons that seemed to get Steven a victory against his first try. He employed that pattern, altering it a bit to his particular style. Suddenly it looked like he was almost on par with Steven.
"What the.." Steven said surprised. That didn't seem right. He was winning. A massive super combo just took half his points! "That's got to be cheating!"
"Not really.. just observation and a tiny bit of luck," Ben said pleased with himself.
Steven wouldn't have any of it.. he immediately changed his strategy. He had a number of styles for this game...
The man sighed wondering what to do next. Jenny wasn't here... and neither was the other woman any more. He was alone... alone to wonder. He wasn't physically tired, but this was mentally exhausting. How long could he keep this up?
You can't pay off your debts
Hmph... he shook his head. He knew it was true. So why say it?
If you wont let it...
'Let it'? Like just letting water flow up hill? Religious nuts... they never think things through. However the whole 'purification' by light business did set an instinctive distrust. Maybe that was exactly what the woman wanted... to scare him. Make him worry... but why? He was already on edge in this place. Why the mind games?
He once again tried to recall how he ended up in this mess. Wasn't it because of the light in the first place? He had never heard of this kind of thing happening to anyone before... but then, would he have heard? One horrifying realisation made its way... maybe... just maybe he had gone insane. Maybe whatever happened, shocked his very core. In some poor attempt to make sense of his new reality, he was projecting this... perception.
But he didn't feel insane... surly he would know it... if he was... right?
It all felt so real... how could this place be a delusion? The girl was real. That other woman was real... he was not that imaginative. He couldn't create such detailed living people from scratch... could he?
He wanted to go home... but... he had to help that girl. Right?
Or.. could she take care of herself? Maybe he interfered too much in a situation he knew nothing about. Yet still the instinct persisted, that he had to help this girl. Something was after her... even if she didn't seem in trouble right now. If he was the only willing person here to look... he had no choice.
That strange woman said she had seen Jenny. Why wasn't she trying to help? He knew one thing, he didn't trust her. She just happened to turn up and was the only person that could help him? What fool did she think he was? He had heard that line a hundred times over... He learned a long time ago, you can only depend and trust yourself.
He can get out of this! He had to focus! Just like any job... yeah... any other job. His current job was to find Jenny, then maybe they could escape this place.
He wondered how much time he had until sunrise... and if the woman's prophecy had any truth to it. Lost?.. well.. only if he was caught.
... he wont be caught.
He allowed himself a little confidence as he straightened out his clothing- pausing as something felt a bit weird... He glanced at the strange band around his wrist wondering if the chain could guide him to the girl...
That was.. weird. It looked different. Not quite a shackle but.. something else?
He continued on, counting his steps in time. Maybe it will help him work out how far he was travelling. "one.. two.. three.. four... Two.. two... three... four..."
Tiffany woke up... realising she had kicked off all her covers. Her strange glowing body, naked for all the world to see. She cringed slightly and quickly put on her normal clothes. The various lights were blocked easily by the cotton.. thankfully.
She opened the door to her room, realising just how... bigger the house seemed. She walked downstairs.... and her father was there. It looked like he had not moved from the kitchen table, and was worried.
Tiffany eyed some tea, and boiled the kettle. Right now she really needed something with more sustenance... but this will do for now.
"Tiffany? Are you..." Her father started.
Tiffany slammed the cup down so hard it almost broke. "Am I what! The way you want me to be?"
Her father swallowed.
Tiffany took the tea, and had gone from fire hot to cold in her eyes. "You got what you wanted. She's gone..." She said in the end.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said," she said angrily. "You didn't understand anything. You never do... how dare you... HOW DARE you get that.. THAT creature in our house!"
Her father wondered what she meant. "The teacher was a changed.. just like-"
"No! Not like me... not like anyone. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you I don't know what will. If you weren't a stupid human you would have realised that!"
Her father winced.
