EnderOni, Loop One

Chapter 13:

The Turning Point

-...-

There were only eight people left, out of the first thirteen guests. Tyler, Seto, Bodil, Ian, Ty, Mitch, Sky, and Sub were the unlucky survivors at this point. Paranoia began to feast as well as darker thoughts. Any hope of escape seemed at this point almost impossible. But if they stayed in one place, they would die of starvation. It was hide and die or seek and die. It was like getting to answer a question with only “yes” or “yes”.

Tyler flinched when Mitch snatched the journal from him, but his guilt kept him from doing anything. He thought they blamed him for the deaths of Brice and Bashur, even though the opposite was true. But they were mad, none the less, as well as confused of Tyler's new found ability of magic. Tyler, whom sat at the back corner of the table, looked down as Mitch flipped through the journal, hardly even reading any of it.

“Mitch, what did I tell you?” Seto saw this, and began to walk over.

“We all know he knows more then he's telling us!” Mitch hissed, turning around to face Seto. Everyone was watching now.

“If you want him to speak, don't try to scare it out of him.” Seto snatched the book from Mitch.

Seto walked around to the other side of Tyler and placed the book back down in front of Tyler on the table. Tyler shook, staring at the book. He didn't reach for it.

“But Mitch is right.” Seto then said, looking down at Tyler. “You're keeping things from us.”

Tyler shook his head. He couldn't speak. Seto narrowed his eyes. This hidden information, the sorcerer believe, was what got Brice killed. Seto wanted to hear it just as much as Mitch.

“It's a matter of life and death, Tyler.” Seto said.

Tyler hated that all the eyes were on him. All of them. He could feel their silent anger hammering away at his skin. None of them really felt like best friends any more. Normally he'd be able to talk to Sky or Ty about things but it seemed like even they arn't the same anymore. But they would probably say the same thing about him.

“Alright, you want secrets?” Tyler broke.

Tyler stood up from his chair, taking the journal, and opening it to a page. He slammed it down on the table, and pointed at it.

“THERE'S YOUR GOD DAMN FUCKING SECRETS!” He shouted, stepping back until his back hit the wall.

Seto and Mitch walked over to the book. The page was empty. There was nothing there. Some of the others stepped closer, and Seto and Mitch turned back to see Tyler leaning back against the wall, his eyes hidden by his hair and glasses, which reflected the flickering lights. Tears fell from his face to the floor.

“I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!” Tyler screamed. “I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF IT! IT'S ALL IN MY OWN HAND WRITING BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WRITING ANYTHING IN IT!”

“C-calm down, T-tyler.” Sky said, stepping closer.

“I CAN'T!” Tyler spat. “ALL THE PRESSURE IS ON ME! BLOOD STAINS MY FUCKING HANDS! THERE IS SEEMINGLY NO WAY OF ESCAPEING! THERE IS NO HOPE AT ALL!”

“You're hurting our ears with your crying.” Seto snapped.

He wanted to go about this on better terms, but Tyler wasn't playing along. More guilt stabbed Tyler and he quit. He sat down with his back still to the wall, his knees to his chest. He could hear his heart pound in his ears. After a moment of silence, Ian found himself sitting up from where he was on the other side of the room.

“B-But isn't Tyler right? We're all going to die anyway. Why don't we just give up?” Ian asked, having forced himself to step up.

Seto frowned. “Brice didn't die for us to give up.”

“Jerome didn't die for us to give up.” Mitch added. Ian stepped back, and sat back down.

“So then are you two going to find us a way out?” Ty asked, tilting his head. He was sitting at the other table, his legs crossed.

“We're going to work together. We have more of a chance if we still work at escaping then if we don't.” Mitch replied, calming himself, but having a rather hard time doing so.

“The chances of one of us dying in the process is just as likely, if not more.” Sky said.

Sub looked around nervously. And argument was growing, and he didn't like that. It scared him.

“So are we going to stay here till we ALL DIE?!” Mitch asked, raising his voice.

“Are you saying that you'd rather sacrifice someone to leave?” Ty asked.

“We aren’t going to sacrifice anybody.” Seto said.

“Every time we step out the door, someone never comes back. If you want to give escape another try, I can almost guarantee the number will drop. Maybe it'll drop two. Maybe it'll drop three.” Ty replied.

“The clock never stops ticking.” Bodil spoke.

“The hours will continue to pass by.” Ty said.

“OKAY, OKAY.” Seto glared at Ty. “J-Just stop it! We can work this out!”

Sub looked between Seto and Ty. It seemed Ty liked arguing. Sub gulped, and looked back at Sky. Sky was worried. Sub looked down. He wanted to, but he couldn't help his friend.

“I have to agree though...” Sky said, his voice tired. “We can't give up. Seto was right. Even if the chance is small, there is still a chance. E-even.....Even if......”

Sky had a hard time admitting it. “Even if...o-one of us...h-had to...to die.”

Sky hated hearing his own voice admit to that. He was someone to cared more about his friends then often times himself. But all seemed a bit dark a the moment. Chance is only natural, however. It was all or one. And Sky had to admit, though not aloud, that if he had to be the sacrificed, then so it be. He'd give himself up for the hope of others.

Tyler felt some of the same feelings. He deserved it, one thing he was telling himself that Sky was not. Tyler didn't want anyone else to die, and he'd throw himself in front of the Oni to save the others. But one thought kept him back. He'd die, and they probably would too. They didn't even have a lead on an exit. All escape routs have been cut off. He'd die, but sooner or later, his death would be for nothing.

Time never stops, after all.

“Can we stop talking about this?” Bodil asked quietly.

“What else is there to talk about?” Mitch asked.

“It feels as though we still are stuck on continuing on or not.” Ty said.

Seto cleared his throat. “Raise your hand if you think we should continue on in search for an exit, possibly dying in the process.”

Mitch, Sky, Ty, and Seto raised their hands.

“Now raise your hand if you think we should stay and die sooner or later of starvation.” Seto said.

Nobody raised their hands.

“It looks like it's been decided.” Ian sighed.

Seto shook his head and closed the journal that still laid open on the table. He walked away, toward the kitchen, and Mitch sighed, sitting down at the other end of the table. Tyler still sat down against the wall, and Sky walked over to one of the beds to lay down. Bodil played with this thumbs and Sub looked over to see Ty still sitting down with his legs crossed.

Ty was looking around the room as well, and when their eyes met, Sub felt a shiver go down his spin. Sub got up, and walked to the kitchen, feeling Ty's eyes star him down. He joined Seto over by the food, and tried his best to forget. Seto picked up an orange from one of the piles of fruit. It wasn't fresh, bit it could still be eaten. The pile had been getting smaller day by day, hour by hour. The food no longer resembled life and energy, with what it gives the body, but now reminded them all that it only kept them alive to face another horrid hour.

“Not once have I heard any of the clocks tick in this god forsaken place.” Seto said in a quite voice. “But I still hear the ticking. I wonder if anyone else does.”

Sub realized Seto was talking to him. Sub nodded his head, and reached for an apple.

“What do you think about all of this, Sub?” Seto asked, looking at the younger one. Sub saw helplessness in Seto's eyes. He probably felt just as lost as Sub did. Sub shrugged, and took a bite from his apple.

“Hm.” Seto sighed and continued to peal away at the orange. After a few moments, he turned to Sub again.

“Do you ever dream about all the things you would say if you could speak?” Seto asked.

Sub paused. He did. He nodded his head slightly. Seto then continued to peal as the orange until he could finally eat it, piece by piece. He then threw the left over pieces into the trashcan and walked away, towards the bath rooms. Sub couldn't finish his apple, and instead of throwing it away, he placed it on the counter, and walked back out of the kitchen space.

“You know.” Ty spoke. “I think you all need a bit of hope.”

“Oh shut up.” Bodil rolled his eyes, resting his head on the wooden tables.

Sub watched from where he stood.

“All I see is negativity. If all you do is despair, then you won't get out no matter what.” Ty continued.

“Will you stop over using those words!?” Mitch glared.

Ty stopped, the two glaring at each other for a few seconds. The Mitch turned away, and so did Ty. Ty looked over to see Sub, and smiled.

“You understand, right? Please tell me you do.” Ty asked. “Someone's gotta put spirit into them!”

Sub didn't reply in any sort of way. Ty frowned.

“What did I expect from you?” He sighed, shifting in his place. “You know, you've changed a lot the past few hours.”

Sub didn't like looking at Ty. He ignored eye contact.

“But haven’t they all?” Ty continued.

Sub looked over at the others. They all looked so gray. Colorless. Sad.

“Despairing, huh?” Ty asked, and Sub couldn't help but look back over at Ty, still not looking into his eyes. For once, Sub replied by nodding his head.

“Nothing but, I suppose.” Ty added.

Sub continued to glance around. Bodil noticed Sub looked uncomfortable, but didn't think much over it. It was horribly quite, and it made his head hurt. Sub finally couldn't take it and turned around, about to head back into the kitchen to hide away from reality with the food.

“Heh.” Ty grinned. “I'm so happy you're mute.”

Sub stopped dead in his tracks, and turned back around slowly. He scanned the room, his eyes landing on Ty.

Nobody had heard that.

-...-