JINX

EPISODE 33

[Earlier]

As Joseff enters his room, he immediately shut it and locks himself inside. When he is sure that no one can barge in without his permission, he shouts in frustration, punching the wall right beside the door twice, enough to send him whimpering in ache.

"Ow, sh*t!" He yelps as he pushes himself down on the bed, now seated as he inspects his throbbing knuckle, now showing light bruises and minor cuts from the impact of his hand to the wall. He's not a puncher; that's why when it comes to hitting someone, it gets his skin very sensitive and makes him complain in pain after of split-second collision of his fist and the well-painted wall.

"F*ck." A curse escapes into his mouth as he blows out the air of disappointment and anger as he starts to feel his eyes getting watery. "What have I done?" He asks himself as tears immediately flow out of his eyes, now making him sob silently.

"Don't cry, you son of a b*tch! You did this to yourself. . . You surrendered, didn't you? And that includes you, leaving your true nature behind." He lectures himself as he consciously presses his thumb into the enormous bruise on his knuckles. Just as he applies a heavier pressure, he moans in pain as he closes his eyes and bites his lower lip, preventing another moan of pain from escaping into his mouth.

‘You wanted this to happen to yourself, Joseff! You just wanted to escape. . . And you did get out of that freaking situation. But look what it got you. Is this what it feels like to be free, huh? No! This is NOT freedom AT ALL. It even makes you feel caged.’  He continues to reprimand himself as he presses deeper and heavier as if it is his way to torture himself with the baddest decision he has ever made in his entire life.

The pain that he's feeling is enough to wake him up to the grudge he's been keeping against his father.

"You've been too kind, too considerate for his liking but only to find out that he's the one who gave consent to that f*cking project to capture you and make you surrender!? And he didn't even seem to fail to make you quit because he knew you're weak. . . He knew you wouldn't stand a chance at surviving that gore reality on how to eliminate someone. They make sure you're attached to them all and then force you to turn your backs on them. . . They became your friends, Joseff, and they felt betrayed because you choose a path for your benefit. You chose to turn your back on the truth that's been lying in front of you ever since. Because there's nothing more true than seeing them and making you realize that you love who you are. . . And yet, here you are. . ." he continues to realize the moral of what happened to him, talking to himself in a manner that he's not him for just a short moment.

"F*ck this." He cusses again, still sobbing from the pain of the revelation he has to know the moment he just got home. "I just wished I didn't even get home if I knew this is coming." He regretted.

•••

"Good evening, my little lambs! Are you ready to burn some calories?" Pastor Roman's voice echoes to the darkness as they start to get wary into the directions that they're facing.

"It seems to me that you were able to enjoy dinner? I'm happy to hear that." He says again and then pauses, assuring to keep them entertained, now that everyone is starting to guess what game is coming before them.

"But I wish I did get to see how heavenly you must have felt just by eating dinner with your friends and without ANY distraction. . . Did I disturb your dinner just in time? Or haven't you eaten your whole dinner yet?" He asks as Kyle decided to speak up.

"Even if we ate it all or not, does that change your f*cking view to when and how you will get us out and put us in here? I mean, who are you trying to fool? Us?" Kyle asks after having enough of the pastor beating around the bush. Instead, the pastor laughs t his statement before replying.

"Hmm, well, you have a point on that, mister. . . Because you know how much I value time. But no worries, I know that you'll soon enough surrender yourselves to the Lord because we are all bound to worship him. . . But before that, I know that you haven't gotten any exercise yet because clearly, you guys all did for the past few hours of spending time here is to watch your friends who lack belief even to continue with the life they have. . . Because I'm sure you've all move on from their tragic deaths. Isn't that what you wanted? To save yourselves?"

‘He's trying to get inside our heads.’ Miguel thought to himself as he secretly curls his hands into a ball.

"And do you truly trust anyone? I mean, everything COULD happen. Are you trying to risk yourselves?" He continues to ask, which makes Miguel growl almost in a whisper. Nobody answered back after the words escaped into Pastor Roman's mouth. Nobody seemed to know what to say next, now that his words are starting to creep inside their heads.

When the pastor couldn't wait for their reply, he decided to pull the lever down as the lights come into life. The light brightens at its finest as they all cover their eyes to adjust to it. A couple of blinking and seconds passed, and they already see clearly around them.

There were ten shovels with different colors and shapes aligned perfectly in front of them. Miguel, Kyle, Blake, and the rest look at each other, now more wondering to where they should be using it later on.

"Now, I'm pretty sure you, my little lambs, already know the item you had in front of you, am I right?" Pastor Roman asks as he uncaps the bottled water in hand. He waited for them to reply as he takes a moment to devour some liquid as he enjoys the feeling of it flowing inside his throat.

"Of course we know what's that! You think we're THAT dumb?" Briar asks as he raises a brow over the man who happens to be smirking in front of them all. Pastor Roman chuckles as he hands his bottled water to Ruther before clearing his throat and talks.

"Of course, I don't think that way! I only think you're all stupid to give up still not." He says that makes them feel more rage inside their system, all of them almost feeling their blood boiling all at the same time.

"Why don't you start picking your chosen shovel, and let's start this game immediately? I'm sure you all wanted to go back to your cell and completely sleep into your beds. . . So, what are you waiting for? Pick up that shovel because we are taking this game outside?" He asks that makes them feel more scared about what is going to happen next.

They didn't wait any longer as Blake decided to take the first initiative to pick a shovel. The rest followed when they were already sure that there's no trap on it or if they're pulling Patrick on them all. And as soon as they all have shovels at hand, Miguel and his friends were pushed by the lookouts to go out ad form a line as they walk their way into the back door.

A dark yet spacious land comes into their sight as the four-foot fences, and much taller trees cover the surroundings, still a disadvantage for them to see where they are or what lies on the other side of the wooden borders.

"It's freezing outside, have you noticed?" The pastor asks as he gets his thick coat from the man who is fluent in his English. They all quickly look on the ground as Miguel mumbles.

"There's no snow, but it's already cold enough that could make us suffer from the cold, especially that our clothes are not that thick." He mumbles to himself before hearing Ion talk.

"Why are we here!? What do you want from us!? I thought they were burning calories, you son of a b*tch! Why bring us here now that it's cold!? You're trying to make us sweat in an impossible way!?" He protests as he grips tightly into the shovel handle. Pastor Roman chuckles as he pulls the zipper of his coat up into his neck to prevent the cold breeze to his skin. He pulls the hoodie up, maintaining the smirk on his lips.

"Oh, so you seriously think I'll make this easy for you? No, no, no, no! Why would you think of that?" He asks as he chuckles, his men and Ruther laughing with him. The sound they make is never a suitable type of noise, for it only brings horror into their heads. The laugh lasted for not more than five seconds, and that made pastor Roman look over his watch before lifting his gaze to meet their angry stares. The smirk never leaves his lips.

"It's just eight twenty in the evening and, hmm. . . Ruther, how much time can we give them?" He asks as he turns to Ruther, who gave him a look. He then acts as if he's thinking before giving pastor Roman his answer.

"How about by ten? Since we always start our Jinx by ten in the evening, how about making it early to end tonight? So that they will have more energy for tomorrow's game?" He asks, and it made Pastor Roman agree without any doubt.

"Then they'll have two hours. . ."

"Yes, pastor."

"Great!" He exclaims as he keeps his eyes on Ruther. "Ruther, can you explain to them what game they're going to play tonight?"

"That'll be a pleasure, pastor." He nods before hunting to face them.

"GOOD EVENING, LAMBS! Tonight's game is about critical thinking to act fast towards choices. Each of you has your shovel in which you will have to dig your graves with the time allotment, which is two hours. All you have to do is dig, and when the time is up, pastor and I will come back and see who deserved to live and of course, who doesn't. . ." He pauses as he runs his eyes towards each of them slowly as if he's a prey ready to victimize them anytime.

"If one fails to dig a grave after the timer ends, will be buried alive. . . Good luck, players.  May the best critical thinker wins this game tonight. That is unless you'll be blinded with your greed to survive as an individual and not as a group."

They wanted to panic. . . They wanted to scream at him, to throw their shovels at him or kill him with it. But then, they couldn't. Because that's according to their plan— they have to play along. They start to shiver more and more as they get jealous of how comfortable the others are since they're all wearing something to fight the cold. But at the same time, they weren't jealous of the situation they're into because they know what's better for them.

"Good luck, my little lambs. I hope you heard Ruther's every word clearly because if not, then you would indeed be blinded. . . Now, it's getting colder and colder. Should we head inside now, Ruther?"

"We should pastor." He says as they walk inside, the man with fluent English and some more choose to stay for just a second. The man with his client English holds a digital clock as he shows it to them.

"Your timer starts, now!" As he shouts that last word, everyone starts to dig in different directions, but not for Miguel. The men around them scatter and go into their positions as they all turn their backs on them. The man holding the digital clock leaves the clock into the ground before entering the building, leaving the victims.

‘Tonight's game is about critical thinking to act fast towards choices.’

‘dig your graves with the time allotment.’

‘pastor and I will come back and see who deserved to live and, of course, who doesn't. ’

‘That is unless you'll be blinded with your greed to survive as an individual and not as a group.’

Those words coming out of Ruther came flashing back into Miguel's mind as he starts to get to the point of everything he just said. When he snaps to his realization, he turns to his friends.

"Guys. . ." he calls out, but everyone seems occupied with their shovel and the ground. Miguel inhales and exhales before calling them again.

"GUYS!" He calls out again, but no one seems to be paying attention. Suddenly, Kyle stops as he freezes in a position and starts mumbling words that Miguel couldn't seem to figure out. When he snaps too, so is Mister Valentine.

They all look at each other as they share glances of realization. And it made Miguel happy that he's not the only one who hasn't think of a more straightforward solution. With the three of them, they counted one, two, three before shouting.

"STOP!"