Chapter Four - Virtual Reality

     "Hang on!"

     "I'm hanging trust me!" Hanging off a ledge but you know. The monster had given up the chase thinking that I'd dropped to my death already. I tried to lift myself up but couldn't find the strength. Felix jumped over to the right ledge while managing to land on my hand causing me to flail in pain. My grip on the stone slipped and I was airborne. Some unnatural sound erupted from my throat before I felt a hand clasp onto my arm.

     "I got you bro." His voice was strained as he maneuvered inside the window for leverage. Using it as such, Felix dragged me up and over the sill to collapse on the floor. I took a minute to remember how to breathe as he hovered over me asking questions I couldn't really hear over the ringing in my ears.

     "Next time…" I sat up, gripping his shirt as he leaned over and stared straight in his eyes. "You go first."

     "I'll keep that in mind." He motioned for us to continue. I stumbled to my feet to follow. From the hall we landed in Felix left to check the room Mr. Face crashed through. It actually lay completely barren of anything so we continued down the empty corridor for a good amount of time.

     "Does it ever end? Good lord."

     "Look." Felix pointed ahead to the armored statues that lined the path. As we neared nerves stirred inside me. Though the thing that made me jump was Felix shouting as he decapitated one. "I don't trust you!"

     "Dude, be careful."

     "Relax, they can't do anything."

     "Uhh… I beg to differ." At this point he was facing away from the suits of armor to look at me. He gave me a questioning look. "Felix… Turn around."

     "What the fruker ruker – shinibenib! Run bro run!" The armor had slid to line up in twos to march – er rather glide – after us as we bolted back the direction we came.

     "Where are we going?!"

     "Ledge jumping!" Instantly I knew what he meant. We ran the entire distance back to the window. Felix climbed out first and crossed over calling to me to hurry. I eased myself out with the inner fear rising. Looking back there was little time before they would reach me. Quickly I leapt for the other ledge. I was slightly off balance when I landed to which Felix grabbed my hand to stabilize myself. We both watched from that position as the army of suits tumbled out and down the thirty foot drop. A lot of clanging occurred when they finally reached ground. I sighed in relief before hopping back over. Then we stood gawking at the scene in front of us. What used to be the never ending hall was now a dark, almost suffocating dungeon.

     "Scene change… That's disturbing. Where do we go from here?" He shrugged then began to chant something I guessed was in Swedish. It seemed like the equivalent of Eenie-meenie blabbity blah… From that he chose a direction that led us down a row of locked cell doors. Inside a couple were distorted looking humans whose mouths were on top of their heads that almost resembled the shape of Pac Man. I could only steal glances at the horrid creatures locked behind bars. One reached out to swipe at me. The rush of air caused me to jump, spinning on my attacker. Though looking at it was lowering my sanity to a dangerous level I couldn't break eye contact – well I guess that's what it would be if it had eyes. My vision clouded and a red hot whining rang in my ears.

     "Do I have to babysit you? … Bro, come back."

     "What?" I finally broke the trance to slowly turn to Felix.

     "Come back to reality." He shoved a sanity potion into my stomach. I took it as I sauntered forwards with him. His words made me chuckle slightly.

     "This isn't reality though. It's Virtual Reality ."