John uneasily gazed forward as sweat poured down his face. His legs were sore and tender as he sprinted through the jungle. His hand urgently grasped Amy as they both weaved in and out passed the trees. “Where…is Kara?” Amy weakly huffed as her face turned a deep rubicund color. John squinted into the distance. There Kara was—almost a million miles away. “She’s going to make it,” Amy beamed. “We’re finally going to get out of here! We—“Amy suddenly halted in place whirling John around her. Amy choked and coughed hoarsely until blood appeared on her hands. She solemnly stared at John, her eyes filled with affliction.

“John…look! She made it…” Amy pointed at the heavens grasping John’s hand. Immediately the ground shook and cracked as the sky let out a mighty roar. Amy’s blood-curling scream was the last thing John heard until everything turned black…

John’s eyes flung open as he observed the empty white room. He immediately stood up and put his ear against the wall listening—nothing.

“Amy, Kara where are you?” The room quickly overcame with silence. He hollered in rage as he slammed his fist against the door…waiting for someone…anyone. John slid back onto the ground burying his head into his arm. He, John Adillio, had never felt so hopeless in his entire life. Then…in a flash, a dark voice appeared.

“You have now passed level three on the computer game…congratulations…I will instruct you on your next assignment…”

“You can’t make me,” John hissed with clenched teeth as his fist flexed violently with every passing moment. “I won’t!”

The voice replied steadily, “You will complete the level or you will be trapped in this video game forever. Now…as I was saying…” the voice continued, “to complete level four you will be given a partner…you must kill this partner and you will be set free—“

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

“You don’t,” the voice answered, and then it was gone…

Light began to stream into the room as the door creaked open. John’s muddy feet sprinted out into the dim hallway. The lights began to flicker as John opened every door circling him—nothing…more nothing…John’s eyes widened—something! John raced toward the blond dressed in rags who was kneeling against the white-washed wall. It was Kara!

“Kara! Oh…I can’t believe you did it, and passed us to level four…I’m so glad you’re safe! Wait…what’s wrong? Where’s Amy?” Kara turned to John, her eyes a teary pink and her skin a bone pale.

“She’s dead…she didn’t make it…” John wrapped his arms around Kara and buried his head into her hair. Kara sobbed wildly.

“Shh…” John sighed, “It’ll be okay…trust me. I even know how to escape this horrible, horrible place.” Kara gazed up into John’s hazel eyes, shaking with every inhaled breath. “We…” John stared at the floor examining a tiny dust ball. His memory gradually regained consciousness from what just happened. “Oh, no…” he whispered. “Oh, no…”

“I have to kill you. I have to kill you, Kara!” John quickly stood up and backed against the other wall like a timid mouse. Kara’s eyes grew hard and insane. She stared up at the ceiling and let out a bell-chimed laugh.

“Do it,” she giggled. “Do it!” John turned horror struck.

“Are you serious? No—“Kara stood up and handed John one pistol from the floor beside her ignoring John’s every word. “Whoa, Kara…whoa. This is insane. Where did you--?”

“Does it matter?” Kara blandly stated. “Shoot me, John…please. I don’t want the game—this game to take me like Amy!” John’s eyes grew wide; his arm up and his face a sickly pale. “Now please shoot me,” Kara demanded, prying John’s resistant fingers around the trigger. “John…just do it.”

“No, I won’t do it!”

“Yes! Now John, for god sake!” Bam!
Kara’s lifeless body fell into John’s hands as the feel of warm blood dripped on him. John kneeled onto the cool ground.

“No…” he sobbed, “no…Kara!” John gently laid Kara curled on the floor in a careful position, as if she was a child. He stared at her as if waiting for an answer. Her blue eyes glistened in the soft light; her strawberry blond hair flowed lightly on her shoulders. John never realized how beautiful she was until now…she seemed happy, as if she was out of the video game forever…John waited, waited for anything; life or death…something. John laid his head against her stomach and closed his eyes as if in a dream-like sleep. John waited and waited until finally, that low, dark voice advanced him to the next level.