"Elodie?" My breath choked in my throat. I sat up in time to see her walking away.
Yun-Jin was still naked in my arms. The Asian goddess glanced in my friend's direction, as she flirtatiously placed her hand on my now flaccid cock. "You see, Felix is just fine."
My body felt hot, flush with adrenaline. I wanted to stand up, to go after my best friend. But I felt so good where I was. My body felt strong. I felt human.
Yun-Jin cupped my face. She looked at me with a smile. "You know, it's funny..."
"What is?"
She traced her finger along my jaw, to my lips. "I thought I died and went to hell."
"But?" I asked, assuming she had more to say.
"Nothing," she chuckled. "As much as I adore spending quality time with you, my pretty-boy blonde angel, I'm a little uncomfortable with the audience we've acquired.
Yun-Jin crept off my lap, slinking off into the darkness of the tree line. Her nude body glowed like an angel in the moonlight. I was left alone to dress myself. My clothes had magically appeared by my side in a neat pile. It was almost laughable; this was just another trial, a means of feeding off my emotional turmoil. To believe otherwise would imply a degree of hope in this God-forsaken realm.
With cheeks flushed with embarrassment, I faced away from the other captives as I got dressed. All I knew for certain was I needed to find Elodie before the next trial that would potentially separate us. With my jacket and pants on I turned to the small group huddled around the fire.
"Looking for Elodie?" asked Dwight, comically avoiding eye contact. "I think I saw her head up a tree."
"She climbed a tree?" I repeated, assuming he was screwing with me.
"Believe me or don't, she headed that way." He pointed a finger towards a section of massive trees. They were tall enough to resemble a wall, but I could make out the bright orange highlights of her sweatshirt. I would have to climb a tree in slacks and loafers.
With moderate difficulty (and a lot of swearing) I managed to climb to where Elodie was seated. She was cross-legged, looking like the most elegant yoga princess. In front of her were her shoes, tied together and thrown over a branch like something a child would do.
"The climb is easier without shoes," she said with a sweet smile.
I playfully poked at the swinging black ballet flats. "Are you not afraid of losing them?"
"They'd likely just appear on my feet during the next monster encounter." Her voice was peaceful, calm with a noticeable sense of longing. "Everything here is part of a game; the entity's game. Her dark eyes sparkled with tears. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for." I reached for her hand. Under the light of the strangely purple moon, her skin looked like velvet.
"I'm sorry you're trapped here." She pursed her lips, blinking back emotion, but it was no use. Soon the teardrops were flowing freely. "I'm just happy you found Yun-Jin. You deserve to be loved, and cherished like the prince that you are."
"What?" I couldn't help but chuckle at her choice of words.
"Back on earth, when you were with Lauren, the pretty blonde with the Ph.D.," she laughed looking up at the sky. "I followed you like the British press followed Prince Harry and Megan Markle. I was so happy for you. Not only were you succeeding as an artist a visionary, but you had a partner who could love as deeply as you did. Someone to laugh with, to look up at the stars, to hold you when you cried. I was so proud of you because you were going to have the most perfect life with a woman who was truly worthy of your heart."
"You just described yourself." There was an awkward silence. Would I have gone with Elodie on her journey for answers? Could I have convinced her to stay with me; go to school, live as my wife. "Why didn't you ever try to contact me?"
"I guess I was busy with life," she replied in a whisper.
"I would have loved to see you." I would have given anything to see her; literally, I would have gotten on a plane to meet her for just a cup of coffee.
"Everyone who's watched a movie knows that the crazy girl; the dark-skinned daughter of immigrants, she gets to be the sidekick, the best friend. She does not get the handsome prince."
Elodie's words cut through to my soul. With trembling hands, I reached for her. Stroking her cheek, I turned her face to look into her beautiful eyes. I wanted so badly to tell her she was wrong. As a boy, I dreamed about her. I could picture her kind, angelic smile whenever I closed my eyes. I turned my head, aligning our lips. We were moments away from a kiss when the world went black.
I cursed silently as we landed in the cold decrypt garden of Crotus Prenn asylum. It was a place I knew all too well. Haunted by madness and emotion, I had an idea of what I was about to face. Dusting the dirt and ash from my clothing, I forced myself to my feet. 'Here we go again.'
In the distance, I could hear footsteps. One set was fast, another slow, followed by a visible shock wave. I dove out of the way, rushing towards the safety of the main building. The monster of the day was 'the doctor', a mad scientist stereotype with a passion for electricity. Inside there were plenty of places to hide, offering us human players the chance to strategize. I was just hoping to find a friendly face.
Behind a curtain was a filthy bed, and a supply closet. I could hear breathing. I knew better than to callout to whoever was there, instead I walked to the door and tapped. The door unlocked opening slightly.
"Felix?" the voice was clearly Yun-Jin. She gripped my hand motioning for me to come inside.
The first thing I noticed was the blood on her hands. "I finally got a chance at my personal monster."
"You were able to attack him?"
"No, I couldn't get a hit in," Yun-Jin said as she twirled a metallic object between two fingers. "I did manage to grab one of these." With an elegant twist, she allowed the light to hit the colorfully decorated knife revealing its majesty. This was clearly the tool of a professional performer.