by Magus Tor
He checked his alarm clock and flopped into bed, ashamed that he had indulged in the muffin extravaganza. Luckily, the park was nearby and he could simply jog over, run for an hour or so and then have time for a quick shower and head to work. Drew dozed off as he thought about the spring run in the park.
***
Drew jolted, sitting straight up. Whatever made the loud bang that woke him wasn’t very far away. He turned to get out of bed and realized he was on the floor. Looking around, he saw four blank walls and a door. He was back in the dark room, but this time the TV on the wall was gone. He set his hand down on the floor to boost himself up and it landed on the gun.
Drew made his way to the door, knowing what would be waiting for him on the other side. He looked at his watch and saw the glowing 49. Some would be happy to see that they still had 49 lives left, but for Drew that wasn’t enough. His quest for perfection had always led him to want the best for himself, and 49 just wasn’t a good enough number. That led him to another uneasy feeling. He would have to kill in order to bring himself back to 50 and then he still had 50 more kills to win.
He stepped out into the corridor and looked around. All was quiet. He inched forward, and out of the darkness he heard the sound again. Something hit the wall beside his head. He knew it was a bullet. Drew ducked down and slid himself forward along the wall. When he felt he was in the clear, he stood straight and checked his weapon; full clip, safety off. He was as ready as he could be.
Drew stood tall, flat against the wall, weapon ready. He turned the corner and heard footsteps. In the dimly lit corridor he could not see anyone, but the sound of footsteps seemed to be getting closer. He moved forward, glancing back and then ahead again. He was nearing an intersection of sorts. The tunnel he was in kept going, but it branched off to the right. The footsteps had to be coming from that direction. He stopped, back against the wall once again.
A dark figure came around the corner and stopped. Both men pointed their weapons. It was then that Drew realized it was the man he encountered the night before. Both Drew and the other man side stepped, and before Drew could decide what to do, the man turned and continued down the hall. Drew relaxed slightly and wondered why neither of them fired their weapons.
Another shot rang out and this time Drew was hit. There was a searing heat in his left arm, and he could feel the warmth of his blood spread as it soaked his shirt. He knew he had to get back to the safe-room, but first he needed to shoot his pursuer. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, Drew spun on his heels and pointed his gun. There was nobody there. He stepped forward and another shot rang out. He turned slightly and just around the bend a figure stood in the shadows. Drew fired his gun and the shadow dropped to the floor.
Drew went to the shooter, kicked his gun from his hand and carefully, his own gun still drawn, reached down to grab his wrist…just in time to see the man’s number change from 30 to 29 on his watch. Drew then glanced at his own watch; 50.
Drew took the downed man’s gun, tucked it into the waist of his jeans and slowly made his way back to the safe room. He could feel the blood dripping off of his hand and that gave him an uneasy feeling. Wondering if he would run into the Dark Man on his return to the safe room, his footsteps quickened, and kept his gun drawn.
Once back at the doorway to safety, Drew looked around one last time. All was clear, so he opened the door and ducked inside. Even though the room was fairly dark, it was a little brighter than the corridor. Drew took off his shirt and looked at his wound. It seemed to only be a graze, but he wrapped the shirt around his arm to stop the bleeding and sat. He needed to rest and figure things out.
Who was the man from the corridor? Drew knew that he had seen him there last night, but he seemed to recognize him from somewhere else. As he leaned his back against the wall, Drew drifted off to sleep with the Dark Man’s face on his mind.
***
Drew could hear the familiar soft buzzing of his alarm and slowly opened his eyes. His first instinct was to reach his right hand over his chest and feel his left arm; nothing. It had all seemed so vivid and real. He sat up, still seeing the face he encountered in his dream. He knew he had seen him before, but remembering where was proving fruitless.
Drew dragged himself out of bed, threw on his track pants and grabbed his shoes. Maybe a run would help refresh his memory. He grabbed a bottle of water on his way out of the apartment and locked the door. Tucking the single key into his shoe, he jogged down the stairs.
As he made his way over to the park, he looked at all of the faces that he passed hoping that one of them would be the face of the man from his dream. Then he chuckled as he thought about the fact that he was looking for the man of his dreams. Do you realize how crazy that sounds, he asked himself as he entered the park.
Running usually helped him clear his mind, but this run was different. With every step he went deeper into thought about his dream. Like a TV show, last night seemed to be a continuation of the dream from the night before. It was definitely a nice change of pace compared to the hum-drum world of customer service, but his frustration was soon growing when his thoughts returned to the man who chose not to kill him…twice. If only he could figure out why he seemed so familiar, then he could finally put the thought out of his mind.
*****
CHAPTER THREE
After a quick shower Drew decides that he has just enough time to stop in for a coffee on his way to catch the train. As he walked through the door, he instantly noticed the large, dark man sitting in the same spot as the last time. When Adam came to the counter Drew inquired about the mystery man that has grown increasingly familiar to him.
“Hey, Adam. Before you get me a coffee, do you know who that man is over there? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere other than here, but I can’t seem to place where.”
“Yeah, that’s T. He comes in here all the time. You want your coffee black, right?”
“Sure do,” Drew said, looking over at the man again. This time, T was looking right at him and moved his head in a gesture that called Drew over. Hesitant, he made his way over to T and asked, “I’m sorry, but do I know you from somewhere? You look very familiar to me.”
“I was about to ask you the same question. You got time to sit and have your coffee? It’s ready, by the way.”
Drew grabbed his coffee and sat down.
“I have a few minutes before I have to head to the “L”. I’m Drew, by the way,” he said as he put out his hand.
T shook his hand and said, “T. I saw you in here last night. Do you live around here?”
“Right around the corner, you?”
“Yeah, about five blocks from here. I must have just seen you around then.”
“Probably. You come here a lot?”
“Every day. It’s the only quiet place around here.”
“Yeah, that it is.”
“I know you have to get to the train. It was nice meeting you,” T said, making Drew feel as if that was his cue to leave.
“Yeah, you too. See ya’ around,” Drew replied, and with that, he left. Although it was possible that Drew had just seen him around the neighborhood, he felt as though there was someplace else that he knew T from.
***
All day at work, Drew found himself teetering between thoughts of his dream and trying to figure out why he felt he knew T from someplace other than the neighborhood where he lived. It was frustrating to him, and distracting, but every time the phones were quiet, that is where his thoughts led him.
Even people watching on the train ride home from work didn’t deter Drew from trying to figure out why he knew T. It was becoming almost an obsession, and it was really starting to annoy him.
Drew avoided stopping in at The Bean on his way home for two reasons. First off, he didn’t want to run into T again right now, and second, he knew if he went in again he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from buying more of those delicious muffins. So, he walked down the steps from the train platform a
nd headed straight for home.
It was Friday night, which meant changing into something comfortable, ordering a veggie pizza, and calling his father. This has been his Friday night ritual as long as he could remember, aside from those times when he was on a mission and couldn’t use the phone. After talking to his dad, he enjoyed his pizza and a movie marathon.
It was somewhere in the middle of his third movie that Drew fell asleep on the couch. When he woke, he reached for his remote without opening his eyes, thinking he would just turn off the TV and sleep right where he was. His hand moved around and finally rested on something other than the remote control. It was his gun.
Drew opened his eyes and stood up. He bent down to pick up his weapon and felt something in the waistband of his jeans. It was the gun he took off of the kill from last night. He felt better knowing that he had a backup weapon and checked both to see how much ammunition he had. As he had hoped, both clips were full. Checking his watch as he moved toward the door, the 49 reminded him that it was now time to take this game seriously.
Back in the tunnels, Drew decided that he would turn left instead of right at the end of the first corridor. Not sure of why he wanted to do so, he neared the turn and stood, back firmly against the wall and drew his weapon. Just as he turned to look down the large and darker corridor, Drew felt a tap on his shoulder. He quickly turned.
“Shhh. It’s me, T. I knew you looked familiar!”
Drew couldn’t believe it. “T? How the hell is this possible?”
“I know! I saw you come out into the corridor and couldn’t believe it,” T whispered. “Let’s go. We shouldn’t stand around too long.”
The two men quickly made their way through a series of twists and turns, until finally coming to another fork in the corridor. Looking around, they moved to the right and came to a dead end.
“Okay. If we stick together, we can watch each other’s backs. This place is crazy.” T spoke quickly, “We have to head back and take the left tunnel. Cover me.”
“Okay,” Drew responded. He was still a little out of sorts from finding out that the two of them were both in this game.
Just as they got back to the fork and took the other tunnel, shots rang out. It was T, and as he fired his second shot, he went down. Drew saw a figure in front of him and fired his gun. He hit his target and then looked down at T, “How bad are you hit?”
“I don’t think I am going to make it. Go back. Get out of here. People had to have heard the shots. They will come for you. Go, now!”
Drew turned and left. He knew that T would be back in the game tomorrow, so his guilt at leaving a man down was short lived. As he made his way back through the maze of tunnels, he was forced into another kill, only this time there were three of them against him. How he made it out alive was beyond him, but Drew made it back to the room ahead of the game; his watch read 53.
The second he sat down, Drew’s guilt at leaving T in the tunnels got the best of him and he jumped back up. I can’t just leave him there, he thought to himself. After all, T did take a bullet that could have easily been meant for him. In true Agent fashion, Drew checked his weapons and left the room to search out T.
Snaking down the corridors, Drew was careful not to make a sound. Avoiding another shootout would be a bonus while on this mission. Thankful of his training, it wasn’t hard to find the spot where T went down. Surprisingly, though, he was not there. Drew found himself full of questions: Was he able to save himself? Did someone capture T? Drew was hopeful it was the first question.
With nobody there to save, Drew turned to go back to the room. T was there, right behind him.
“Thank God! I came back to see if you were alright and I saw that you were gone. Are you okay?” Drew’s voice carried a startled yet relieved tone.
“Just when I thought it was over, the pain started to just…,” T started but then paused. Looking confused he continued, “Vanish. Then I was back in the safe room and I went looking for you.”
For a moment, they both stood silent. It wasn’t until they heard more gunshots that they both jumped into action. They moved in the opposite direction of the gunfire, both feeling that they had had enough action for one night.
Once they reached the doorway to Drew’s safe room, T spoke with a slightly confused look on his face, “Well, I don’t know how this is happening.”
“What?”
“We are both in this game, or dream, or whatever it is…”
“And we also know each other on the outside,” Drew finished the thought with the same confused look.
“I think we should meet at The Bean tomorrow. We can talk strategy.”
“Sounds like a smart plan. I can be there by 9:00.”
“Okay. 9:00 then.”
Drew looked at T and said, “Stay safe.”
Drew went through the door, hoping that having an ally in this game would help. Thinking about what T had said, Drew realized that he had not thought of the game as a dream while he was playing. With this new revelation, he sat down and placed his guns on either side of himself. If T is at The Bean at 9:00 will he even know what I am talking about? If this is just a dream, I could wind up looking like some crazy stalker. I think I will just play it cool. If he is there I will just say hi and leave strategy talk up to him. Drew didn’t like this confusion. He finally figured out why he felt like he knew T, and now another question loomed in his mind.
He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. The events from tonight had drained him of his energy and he knew tomorrow could prove to be just as crazy, so sleep would be in his best interest. It wasn’t long before he was in a deep sleep.
***
When the alarm went off at 8:00, Drew regretted not setting it for earlier. He felt like he needed more time to mentally prepare for his meeting with T, if in fact there really is a meeting at all. Foregoing a shower, Drew slipped into his track pants, left the same t-shirt on, and decided a quick jog might help him think more clearly.
A couple of laps around the park was all he had time for. Drew wanted to be at The Bean before 9:00, hoping that he would be there before T. If it was simply just a dream and T was merely just a character in the dream, then he could just say hello and carry on with his day. If T approached him and mentioned the dream then he would run with it.
Not even stopping off at home, Drew jogged right to the coffee shop. Adam was behind the counter again. Drew was first to speak, “Hey, Adam. Are you ever NOT working?”
“What can I say? I love my job!”
“That’s cool. Can I get a coffee, please?”
“Sure thing, Boss, can I get you anything else?”
“What the hell, I’ll take one of those croissants, too.”
As Adam got the coffee, Drew grabbed the biggest croissant he could find. When his coffee was ready, he paid and grabbed a table. He picked the table next to the one T usually sat at, trying not to be too eager. If the dream had been just that, he didn’t want to be sitting at T’s table; that would seem…weird.
Drew looked at the clock on the wall. It was exactly 9:00, and on cue, T walked in. He exchanged words with Adam and, coffee in hand, walked past his usual table and sat across from Drew.
*****
CHAPTER FOUR
Drew opened his mouth to say hello, but before he could get the word out of his mouth T started speaking, “There is something you should know.”
“Hello to you, too,” Drew said, a bit confused with just how serious T was being.
“Sorry. Hi. I just think that before we talk any type of strategy, you should know a few things.”
“Okay. You sound upset, is everything alright? Did something happen?” Drew was really feeling uneasy about the way that T was acting. He was feeling less like an ally and more like a stranger.
“It’s important that you listen to everything I tell you. There are things that are going to happen, some you will be warned about and others you will be left to find out on your ow
n. I will try to tell you as much as I can so you won’t be left with any major surprises. It will probably sound crazy to you, but trust me, everything I tell you is the truth.” With that, T settled back in his seat, and picked up his coffee. Drew decided that it was best to pay attention.
“Last night you completed your third day in the game. In those three days you were given the safe haven of your safe room. You have had minimal contact with other players and your kill/be killed ratio has been quite equal with little action. I know this because I was sent to take part in your training.”
Drew looked at T, confused, “Training?”
“Yes. Every person who enters the game is given three days to be introduced to the way the game works. It is just like in video games when you’re given a tutorial. Since I have been in the game for a while and have seen a lot of action, I was placed in a room much like your safe room and was given instructions. I was to take part in training missions to introduce new players to the game. While in this mode I realized that you weren’t like most players and decided that I wanted you on my side.”
While he wanted to ask questions, Drew thought it best to just let T continue. T took a big sip of his coffee and started again, “The next time you enter the game it will be completely different. The screen will be back in your safe room and you will get new instructions. This will be the last time that you’ll have access to the room. From this point on, you will pretty much be on your own.”
“On my own? What exactly does that mean?” The question barely made a sound as Drew choked on his words.
“There will be no more instructions once you leave the room. Your safe room will not exist anymore, and once killed, you will lose a life on your watch and you will reappear in the game someplace other than where you were shot. I will still be in the game and will still be your ally, but there will be times when you will be alone.” T then smiled. It was the first real smile Drew saw from T.