The rumbling seemed to go on forever. 

By the time the sound died down, Sam's ears were ringing and the couldn't see anything because of the dust. It seemed to seep everywhere: in his throat, his eyes, his ears.

"Is everyone okay?" he called out.

"Sam, move!"

Kyle's voice put him in motion and he took a step to his left. Nothing happened, so he waited in darkness and silence.

"Okay, I think it's stable for now," Jimmy said from somewhere to his right. "Let's turn on the lights."

Sam took his own flashlight out and in a moment, the giant room was lit well enough for him to take in everyone.

Kyle was ahead of him now and to his right, Kay just one step behind him. Jimmy crouched just one block ahead of them, but on the right edge of the chessboard. Jessie lay next to him, stretched on three squares, her hand over her right side, her face scrunched in pain.

The sight had bile rising to Sam's throat and he quickly continued his search. Tom, Christine and Jerry were to his left, all of them looking dirty but unhurt except for a bloody gash on Tom's shoulder. Angie was right behind him, shaking but unhurt.

A few squares had sunk in permanently and others were completely covered by what looked like stone blocks. After pointing his flashlight at the ceiling, Sam realized there was more than one layer of blocks covering the room. Which meant a lot more could still dislodge and fall on them. A few spears protruded from more squares, and there were openings in the walls as well. The entire room was wired to kill them.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice strong enough to show that he really wanted an answer this time.

"Well, we apparently set off a chain of traps," Tom said, wiping the blood off his shoulder. "And had to move around until it all finally stopped."

"How's Jessie?" Kyle asked, shining his flashlight on her.

"I'm fine," Jessie said between her teeth. "Got scratched pretty badly by one of those flying spears and it stings, but I'll be fine. I just need--"

Jimmy tore of a piece of his t-shirt and helped Jessie tie it around her midsection.

"What traps?" Sam asked still marveling over his dumb luck of ending up in a space devoid of any.

"Falling stone slabs, spears, those tiny projectiles, the floor falling... You name it," Tom said, the beam of his flashlight moving erratically around the room. "Shit," he mumbled.

That was a word Sam never wanted to hear again. At least not in this context. He didn't even ask, just pointed his own flashlight in the direction of the wall in front of them. His breath caught in his throat. Somewhere along the way, spikes had come out of it, filling every inch of it. Was there no door to lead further to the jewel? But then again, who knew what their next sequence of movements would reveal.

"There's a door open behind us," Jerry whispered. "Do you think the jewel could be through there?"

Sam shook his head. "It's probably an exit." The jewel obviously demanded human sacrifice, and that chessboard was the way to get it.

"Good to know that we have a way out," Jessie said. "I'll need to stand and all hell will probably break loose."

"Did anyone notice a pattern?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. There is no pattern," Tom mumbled. "The only constant is that if you take two consecutive steps forward, ya dead."

"Still something," Sam said. He didn't like those spikes at all, but there was a fairly big possibility that by continuing their way across the board, they'd either pull back or a door would open. "Jessie, tell us when you want to move." 

His pulse already drummed in his ears as adrenaline started flowing through his veins. He wished there was another way. He wished they could turn around and leave now that they knew the jewel was very well protected. He wished he could hold Christine's hand through all this, but all he could give her was a reassuring smile. She smiled back, sweat dripping down the sides of her face, looking exhausted. Resigned with their fate.

No. They had to get through this. It wouldn't be the end. They'd make it. They were halfway there. "Okay. Let's try to keep moving until everything settles down."

"Good plan," Jessie said. "Okay, I'm standing in three, two, one..."

All hell broke loose again. Sam jumped to his right, then forward to his left. A chunk of ceiling hit his shoulder, but he managed to keep his balance and tried the square to his left. Light broke through the room as a portion of the skylight opened again. Sam froze in his square, which seemed safe and turned. Most of the others had stopped as well, no new gashes on any of them.

The only ones still on the move were Jessie, Jimmy, Kyle and Kay. Jimmy suddenly stopped. Once Jessie changed squares as well, the room stopped shaking, but a spear darted upwards from the square behind her and threw her forward. Kay reached back, grasped her shoulders, and pushed her to her feet. 

The room was drenched in silence. Sam glanced from the door behind them, to the wall of spikes in front and the skylight which was too high for them to reach and climb out. A part of him really wanted to try that, but the closer they came to the end of the chessboard, the more he felt like he couldn't abandon the game unless they won.

"Everyone okay?" he asked.

"I took one of those tiny projectiles in the shoulder," Tom said, turning on the spot. He was indeed bleeding worse now, but there was nothing visible there.

"I think I landed badly on my ankle on the last jump," Christine said, "but I can still walk. I'll be okay."

Sam nodded, even if he didn't believe everything was peachy. Jessie was already pale, and they had to get out of there. But they were already past the middle point of the chessboard so getting back would be harder than moving forward. He took in the squares and compared them to how they'd all been positioned during the last calm spell to see if he could find a pattern of some sort. As much as he tried to find possible combinations that made sense, he had nothing.

"Could we try sticking to the same color, each of us?" he asked, searching around for the next black square. It was two spots up and to the left. "And maybe try not to move unless we're in immediate danger."

"We only move because we're in immediate danger, Sam," Angie said, her voice strained. "I'm not sure you've noticed, but the shaky floor is not helpful."

Sam had noticed, but he still wasn't sure how that kept happening since... His eyes drifted towards the skylight once he realized it was actually a hole in the ceiling caused by falling slabs. Unfortunately, it wasn't like they had the choice to quit right there.

"Are you guys ready to try again?"

There was no sound of protest so Sam started counting. On three, he jumped on the closest black square. It opened up underneath him. His right leg fell through and his knee hit the edge of the hole. Electric current shot up his spine and he let out a groan of pain. Out of reflex, he propped his hands around the hole to avoid falling further down. Something stung his hand and he pulled it back a second before a spike ran right through it. Stuck in a precarious position, half-fallen in a hole, his gaze shot to the others, his heart beating like a war drum.

Tom rolled out of the way and avoided a falling spear. Angie and Christine held hands, trying to keep each other from slipping in the holes which had opened up behind them. Jimmy had picked Jessie up and held her against him as bits of ceiling fell around them. Jerry yelped somewhere behind Sam, but he couldn't turn around and look. He was fascinated by Kay who was lightly jumping from square to square as everything she put pressure on crumbled. 

Kyle, who was a few steps in front of her an closest to the spike wall twisted in place as if sensing the danger. He launched forward towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Both of them tumbled away just as a thick spear shot out of the ground where Kay had been. They rolled over and Kyle managed to get into a half-kneel with Kay in his arms, holding her off the floor entirely.

Even if everyone seemed to have finally stopped, the room shook again. The spiked wall began moving towards them. There was a new rumble which seemed to be coming from under them, as if some ancient beast trapped beneath the floor wanted to escape and devour them.

Kyle suddenly threw Kay out of his arms and towards Sam a second before a giant wall shot out of the ground right from under his square and threw him back. The thing extended to the ceiling and cut the room in two. It seemed to take all the air and heat with it.

"Kyle!" Kay got to her knees. A spear flew out of the nearby wall, but missed her head.

Sam pushed with all his might and managed to get out of the hole. His knee hurt like hell, but he still crawled towards Kay. He moved across square after square, but it didn't matter anymore. The appearance of this thick wall seemed to have messed with the algorithm of the floor.

"The place is falling apart," Jerry called from somewhere behind.

He was right. The walls shook and bricks kept falling from the ceiling as the entire room seemed to be caving in. Sam's heart beat so fast it hurt his chest. This couldn't be happening. He threw a glance at the wall, but there was no sign of a door anywhere on it.

"Move towards to exit," he called back. The words hurt more than he cared to admit, but they couldn't all die in there. 

Kay didn't listen. She launched at the wall, throwing her entire weight against it. Sam caught her shoulder and pulled her back before a chunk of ceiling crushed her.

"Don't hit the wall," Kyle called from the other side. "I tried and it just makes the spike wall move faster."

"No," Kay whimpered.

"The place is falling apart. You guys need to get out," Kyle said, his voice strained.

"No!" Kay fell to her knees and placed her hand on the wall gently, as though not to disturb it.

Sam glanced around frantically. The others had retreated towards the only exit out of the room, where less bricks seemed to be falling, all of them glancing at Sam for an order, despair in their eyes. He had nothing. If Kyle couldn't break down that wall, it was obvious that none of them could. And everything was caving in on them.

They had to get out, or they'd be all dead in a matter of minutes.

"You have to go," Kyle said, his voice so low, it was barely discernable through the sound of crashing bricks. "I... You have to."

And it was  the defeat in his voice that hurt Sam more than anything in that room ever could. Kyle knew there was no way out for him. He wanted them all to get away. Tears stung his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and moved closer to Kay in order to protect her against the smaller debris raining upon them and give her a few more seconds there.

"Kyle, I can't leave," she said, pressing her hands firmer against the wall.

"You have to. For the kids. We can't both die in here."

"You're not going to die!"

He didn't answer and it broke Sam's heart. He glanced around again. Tom tried to get to them, but the moment he stepped on the chessboard, it opened up under him. He jumped back a fraction of a second before it completely crumbled. More floor started caving in.

Sam's head pounded as he turned towards the wall. Think, damn it. But he saw no way to undo this. His mind spun as he strived to come up with a solution. They didn't have time. They didn't have anything but destruction. If he and Kay didn't move soon, they'd fall into heaven knew what.

"You have to get out of here," Kyle said. "Jenny and Alex need their mom."

"No," Kay whispered.

"I love you," he said, his voice so soft. Then his tone changed dramatically. "Get her out of here! And go! All of you, just go!"

The commanding tone put Sam in motion. Tears sliding down his cheeks, he picked Kay up and hurried across the room, dodging holes, erect spears and chunks of ceiling. His bad knee hurt with every movement, but the damage was worse with every passing second and they'd wasted their lingering time. He felt the floor crumbling under his boots and he picked up the pace. 

Everyone waited for him by the open doorway, anguish on every face he knew so well and loved. Those who were left. He couldn't bear the thought. He passed Kay to Jerry the moment he reached them, and grabbed Christine's hand. The chessboard had fallen in completely, and the path of destruction was making its way towards them.

"We need to run," he said.

And with that, they rushed through the doorway and into another tunnel. Everything still shook, and the tunnel crumbled behind them, burying the temple, the jewel, and Kyle.

Kyle.

He couldn't think about it, couldn't compute that his big brother, the one he could always count on, who'd had his back through everything, was gone. And yet the defeat in his voice, the way he'd sent them away.

It makes the spikes move faster.

How could this happen? How could this be the end? He'd been right there and hadn't even said goodbye. Because in his mind, he'd expected Kyle to bust through the wall and join them. Be the one leading them out, crashing his way through every obstacle.

But Sam was first. And all he could do was keep moving, pray that there were no traps, that they wouldn't all randomly die before they got to see the light of day again. And the tunnel kept going and going, into darkness and nothingness, the sound of destruction the only thing keeping them company.

Sam choked. He swallowed back his tears, tightened his hold on Christine's hand and kept moving. Then, suddenly, a door in front of them opened and the fading light of day flooded the narrow tunnel.

In a matter of seconds they sprinted out between heavy vines and rocks, and they were back in the jungle, almost where they'd started. He could see the shrine to their left.

"There they are!"

The foreign voice was joined by surprised gasps. Before Sam could even look around, a gunshot rang around them. Because maybe they'd all died and had ended up in hell.

"Move!" he ordered, and sprinted towards the entrance to the shrine where Kyle had deposited their luggage.

As he ran, he could see the shadows of more men coming out from the trees. There was another shot and a mumbled curse, but he couldn't look back. It would be a death sentence. His hand caught the strap of his backpack and he sensed Christine doing the same. Then the two of them rushed to the safety of the trees. They only let each other go for the few seconds it took them to strap the luggage to their backs, then, holding hands, they continued running.

Sam's mind reeled and retreated, and the little focus he had left helped him not trip over his own feet or the undergrowth. Christine panted heavily, whimpering from time to time. He remembered she'd said something about her ankle, and yet she ran as fast as she could, keeping up with him.

The sound of swishing vegetation surrounded them and Sam glanced to his left. Jerry was catching up, dragging Kay after him. Her face was pale and blank, and she just kept on going.

To his right and further back, Jimmy made his way towards them, Jessie wrapped around him. She seemed to be unconscious. And a little behind Jimmy and Jessie came Angie and Tom. They were all there, all of them well enough to run.

Gunshots began again. The tree trunk next to Sam's head splintered, the little picks of wood slashing his cheek.

"Get them!" someone called.

Another gunshot and out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Jimmy collapsing, Jessie still in his arms. Tom let Angie's hand go and turned on the spot, his arms stretched out as if to make sure everyone saw the new, willing target. A bullet hit him in the chest and he doubled over.

Even if Sam knew they were all wearing their vests, panic still caught hold of him and he twisted in place. Before he could take more than a step forward, Jimmy placed himself in front of Tom. Two bullets hit him in the torso, but he didn't even flinch. Behind him, Jessie was on her knees, her guns out and she started shooting.

Tom straightened back up and stepped closer to Jimmy, turning the two of them into a shield as Angie began shooting as well. Sam took his pistols out and placed himself on Tom's other side, shooting blindly. He couldn't see their followers, couldn't focus with the adrenaline and the pain swirling inside him, but it seemed to work. They'd all gathered in one place, fighting back, and soon, shadows moved through the darkness, hurrying in the opposite direction.

"I think I got around three," Tom said, changing his cartridge.

"Five," Jimmy said. "That should be enough to hold them back for a while."

Sam agreed. "Let's go." He shoved the gun back in its holster, and they all hurried among the trees again.

After about a half an hour of running, they slowed to a walk. After another fifteen minutes, Sam called for everyone to stop. Night had fallen completely and a low drizzle fell upon them, creating a thick mist between the trees. For a few minutes, they stood in silence. There was no indication that they were being followed. Sam also knew they'd strayed off course, so it would be hard for anyone to know where they went.

And once they all agreed that they were in no immediate danger, they collapsed.

🧭

Jessie dabbed disinfectant on her wound, trying her best to hit the right spot, but her hands were too shaky. Even if the cut wasn't as deep as the one in France had been, she'd still lost a lot of blood and the edges of her vision were hazy. It was maybe fortunate. It didn't allow her to focus on anything else but this menial task.

All of you, just go!

There they are!

The words jumbled inside her head together with the sound of gunshots and falling rocks. Crashing floors and stolen lives.

Kyle, Kyle, Kyle.

There was no way they'd lost Kyle. But the pain in her heart said otherwise, as did the tears blurring her vision. It wasn't just the lack of blood. It was the agony, the lack of hope.

Her best friend. She'd lost her best friend. Jimmy had lost his brother. Kay had lost her husband, the father of her children.

Her hands shook so badly, her next dab missed the wound completely.

"Let me help." Jerry's voice was soothing and calm, as if anything still made sense in the world.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just--"

Jerry squatted next to her and shushed her, taking the piece of bandage from her and focusing on her wound. Jessie just cried silently, too afraid to look at him. She'd been too afraid to look at anyone, see their pain, afraid it would end her even worse than her own. She knew she couldn't avoid it, but every stolen second was precious. So she let Jerry work his magic and cried.

When he finished wrapping a bandage around her midsection and lowered her shirt, she raised her eyes. His lips were quirked up, but it wasn't a smile, more an attempt at comforting her. He looked as shattered as she felt.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Jessie, we all loved him the same," he said, his voice low and strained. "You don't need to comfort me. None of us do. We just... We just need to mourn."

His words felt like a slap and sent new tears down her cheeks. Mourn. The word was so final, so devoid of hope. Jerry had embraced what happened, accepted it. Or tried to.

"I always wondered if he'd ever truly forgiven me," Jerry said unexpectedly, his voice so quiet, Jessie wasn't sure he wanted her to hear. "I sometimes still felt like our relationship was never as close--"

"Kyle loved you," she blurted out before Jerry could finish. "He forgave you ages ago. He doesn't hold grudges." Didn't. But she moved past it. "And I know you meant the word to him and that you more than made up for any bad blood that might've ever been there."

Jerry's eyes filled with tears as well, but this time, he smiled. "Thank you." And with that, he stood and walked away.

Jessie couldn't look after him, couldn't focus on their camp, on how one of them was missing. But being there alone felt forced and only reminded her of her reason for seclusion. Fortunately, Jimmy joined her seconds later and sat next to her.

"How's the wound?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the side of her head.

His question was straightforward. He wasn't asking how she felt because he knew.

"I think I'm going to be fine as long as it doesn't get infected."

"It won't. We're getting out of here."

She glanced up at him. His gaze was glazed over and empty as he looked at everything and nothing in particular.

"How's everyone else?" she whispered.

"Sam's knee is swollen and Christine sprained her ankle. Apart from that and minor cuts, we're..." He stopped. They weren't fine. "You're the worst off."

No, she wasn't. Kay was. Even if she dreaded it, Jessie raised her eyes as well an focused. Angie and Tom sat in front of the fire, Angie cleaning a wound on his shoulder. Sam leaned against a tree, holding a shotgun. Kay and Christine were not in sight, probably already in their tent.

"Is she sleeping?" Jessie asked.

"I don't think so. I know I couldn't." He glanced down at her. Something looked broken behind his eyes, as if his very soul was shattered.

Jessie swallowed heavily, for the first time in years wishing that he had kept his numbness to feelings, that he could sail past this and be strong for the rest of them.

"We'll talk when we get out of here," he said, as if guessing her thoughts. "Sam thinks it will only be two days at most. Once we're safe, we can--" He halted as if he'd suddenly forgotten what he wanted to say.

"Talk?"

"Yes, talk." He squeezed her against him for a moment and kissed her hair. "You should go rest." And he stood and walked over to Sam to talk to him.

Jessie moved too, heading for their tent. She wished she could knock herself out, but she also knew that she needed to be a best friend now. A sister.

Christine and Kay were indeed inside the tent, Christine's ankle bandaged. Kay was curled inside her sleeping bag, her back to them, unmoving.

"How are you feeling?" Christine whispered the moment Jessie sat down. "That cut looked nasty."

"I'll live." She cringed at her own stupid choice of words. "It will heal. How's your ankle?"

"Annoyingly painful for such a small thing," she said, her eyes drifting to Kay. "I just... I'm so sorry, Jessie. This is..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." And she meant it. None of them had done anything wrong. There was no blame to place.

Christine bit her lip and nodded. "She hasn't said a word," she whispered so low, Jessie had to read her lips. "Hasn't let out a sound. I told her I'm here if she needs anything."

"That's good, Christine." Jessie threw Kay a worried glance as well. "She knows we're here for her. If she wants to talk, we're here."

But it was nowhere near enough. If it had been Jimmy... She couldn't even imagine it. Which was why she was letting Kay decide what and when she needed it.

"We're always here for you, Kay," she said. "All of us. Just give us a sign."

Kay ignored her and Jessie got the message. Only when the darkness surrounded them and Angie and Christine had long fallen asleep did Jessie hear sobs coming from her corner.

Without a word, she crawled to Kay's sleeping bag and hugged her. Her body shook with sobs, and as Jessie tightened her hold and leaned her forehead against her back, she finally wept as well.

🧭🧭🧭

I have no words. 

I'll just silently let myself out and see you next chapter.