The Absconsion

The Phoenix Reborn

After walking for a while, they finally reached a long hall. After seeing the setup, they let out a deep sigh. The first impression of the setup did not appear to be scary. It looked similar when compared with the setup of the first round. The arrangement of the first round consisted of cages, and 

this round consisted of small compartments which looked like igloos. For a moment they felt like they were on a vacation. There were twenty-five igloos in total. One for each team probably. The igloos looked blueish in color, and each of them was equally distanced. Even though the arrangements might look normal, everyone knew that it is not going to be easy. 

Now, the players were waiting to know whether the teams should battle against other teams or it is a battle amongst the teammates themselves. If the battle is between themselves, then it would be tougher. Anyways, it does not matter now as the teams were already created. Whatever the game is, they'll have to play it as there is no alternative. The two players who formed a team were standing closer and together. Every team went in line to collect their numbers. they were given a card on which a number was written. Now all of them were eagerly waiting for the organizer to come and instruct them about the game. 

The thing is that the game is always going to be scary, but the wait and the suspense are more scarier. Everyone's heart rate is spiked, but they try to maintain their composure as it is essential to maintain focus on the game. The moment they lose their focus, their mind would not be able to think straight, and that will be the end of it. 

The organizer has finally come online. ' Good Afternoon, players. I hope you all like the arrangements we have made for this round. It might look simple and pleasant, but the game is definitely not going to be pleasant. The name of this round is " The Phoenix Reborn."

I do not think that by the name itself, some of you have got an idea about how the game is going to be. Anyway, I am now going to instruct you on the rules and regulations of the game. Every team now holds a card that has a number on it. Every team should search for the dome on which the respective number is written and occupy it. Further instructions would be communicated once after all the teams occupy their respective domes. Five minutes are given and if any team fails to occupy their domes, they will straight away be disqualified from the game. The players nervously were searching for their igloos. The moment when they realized that the igloos were not arranged in order, their panic heightened and they started to search for it faster. 

In three minutes, every team found their respective compartment. This is one of the best examples of individuals working well under pressure. Pressure and fear are two of many factors that can improve the efficiency of people by many folds. Of course, the converse is also true, but many people need some guiding force to work. For some individuals, motivation and appreciation act as guidance, but for others, fear, pressure, and deadlines act as guiding factors. The teams were relieved after finding their respective compartments. There were two doors for each dome and both of them were opened. Some teams immediately went inside, and the doors behind them closed swiftly. Now they were locked. 

The other teams looked at the screen and they still have two minutes to enjoy the open hall, before they get closed in a small space with no way out other than winning. The compartment may look like a cute room, but they know that it is a monstrous room ready to devour the people who enter it. The soothing color was just a facade to the malignant intent behind it. Since they have no other choice, other than to enter the igloos, they entered reluctantly before the time given to them comes to an end.

The walls of the dome were transparent, but the view appeared to 

be blue. They could see past the wall, but everything was blue in color as if they were wearing blue shades. The temperature inside the room was cooler than that of outside as if they were truly present in a polar region. It was not so chilly, but the sudden drop down in temperature gave them chills, and some of them were already shivering. The absolute silence of the gigantic hall was disrupted by the organizer. 

' Now that the players have successfully entered the domes assigned to them. It is now time to move forward with further instructions. As you might have already noticed that the outer covering of domes is transparent, but as soon as the round starts, it will turn opaque and conceal the environment outside of the dome so that every team can focus on their own game. The second point is that the temperature inside the dome is slightly lower than that of the room temperature, and as the time passes, it will lower down even more. The time allocated for this round is one hour. Coming to how the game must be played. Each of the players should put forward their points about why their survival is important than their teammate. The players must then vote about who gets to get out of that dome. The players with maximum votes will get rewarded for their actions, while players with minimum votes or the players who sacrificed will lose the round, but will have a surprise at the end. The team members can arrive at a decision in the way they see fit. There are no restrictions regarding that matter. By the end of fifty minutes, the vote must be taken. If a player, for some reason, fails to vote. Then the decision would be taken by the vote of the other player. I will announce the teams, and then the round would commence. 

Team 1: A15 and D18

Team 2: C15 and N19

Team 3: C1 and I1

Team 4: D4 and K10

Team 5: A1 and C20

Team 6: E7 and Q3

Team 7: B2 and F6

Team 8: G11 and I19

Team 9: H8 and J6

Team 10: P4 and O3

Team 11: E3 and F14

Team 12: E10 and J1

Team 13: M5 and M17

Team 14: G1 and C3

Team 15: Q4 and N17

Team 16: P9 and L8

Team 17: H16 and A3

Team 18: O7 and O11

Team 19: D2 and P2

Team 20: M8 and J12

Team 21: K3 and J16

Team 22: J18 and H20

Team 23: A12 and K20

Team 24: B16 and I17

Team 25: I19 and E11

Your time starts now. ' As soon as the timer started, the players could not see outside, and once again they were detached from the world and they have 50 minutes to prove their worth and survive or else this round will be the end of it.

----*----

' What the heck is this, man. We should have paired up with other people. It is not fair to fight with your friends. H8 must be lucky or he knew this was going to happen. Man, I hate him other than the fact that he saved your life. '

' Calm down, D18. Whatever his strategy is, it is not going to help us now. The question is what should we do now? I do not even want to discuss who gets to leave this shitty room. I want both of us to survive. The organizer sure knows how to mess up things that are going smoothly. '

' Whatever we decide, it must be done in under 50 minutes. We do not want both of us to be dead, right? I hate the fact that only one of us gets to live, but whoever that is they should take care of both of the families. It is a deal. '

' Yeah, man. I accept it and I wanted to say the same. Just give me a proper minute to get used to the situation we are in. This is messed up, even though it is not scary, it is messed up. It is me against you and I do not even understand how to proceed forward. '

The two strangers who formed a strong bond were now at the crossroads as they had to choose who is going to sacrifice their lives so that the other could live on. It is a kind of situation where no amount of time would be sufficient to make a decision. Fifty minutes is usually a long time to make a single decision, but at this moment, time was running faster than it usually does.

----*---- 

C15: What the f**k is this?

N19: Looks like only one of us gets to live.

C15: Obviously, I would like to live. So I am hoping you would vote for me too.

N19: Are you kidding? Why do you get to live? I deserve the same chance to live. 

C15: We will either play a game, and the winner gets to leave or we will share each other's story, and based on that we will decide whose survival is more important. What do you say?

N19: Sharing the story will not work. In my perspective, my problem would always look bigger and important than yours. Also, there is a possibility that we might add something that is not real to gain sympathy points.

C15: Fine then. Game it is. What game shall we play?

 N19: Do you want to keep it simple or do you have any other ideas? I was thinking rock paper scissors would be good as the probability of winning would be equal to both of us. What do you say?

C15: So, you want to bet our lives on rock paper scissors? Do you want your survival to depend on dumb luck? So pathetic.

N19: Neither of us is genius to play smart games. We could only play guessing games as we can not be good at them. It is all about predictability, not with certainty. If you want to choose a game in which I am not good at, then it would be unfair. Did you give that a thought?

C15: I understand what you are saying, but if I were to lose, I do not want that game to be as stupid as rock paper scissors. I want it to be something good.  

N19: Well, if you have a game in mind, then say and get it over with. I do not want to think. 

C15 did not like playing rock paper scissors as that game does not require any skill. It is all about luck and reading the opponent's mind. The latter skill is something neither of them possessed so it is purely based on luck. After giving a lot of thought, C15 remembered a game that they used to play in his childhood. 

C15: Alright, I know what game we will be playing. I do not know its name, but the game can be won if you have good reflexes. 

N19: How do we play that nameless game?

C15: It is simple. First, one of the players would keep their hands in the middle, while the other would be trying to slap those hands. The defender must dodge it, while the attacker must be able to slap it. Each player would get to play as offender and defender, and in each role, they get 5 chances. the one with the most number of hits wins the game and survives. Are you okay with the game?

N19: Alright. Let us play the game. I will be the defender first. 

C15 might have played the game long ago, but he did not play it in a while. So that gave both of them a fair chance to win the game. Both of them let out a deep sigh and they started the game. 

First, it was C15's turn to slap the hands of N19. C15 took his time before he made his first move, While N19 pulled back his hands many a time. After a while, C15 furiously swung his hands and it was a direct hit. He scored a point in his first attempt. 

C15 again took his time before he made his second move. the wait was making N19 impatient which was affecting his concentration. He swung again and N19 tried to pull back his hands but failed. C15 scored 2 out of 2 which scared N19. He requested a five-minute break and C15 agreed since he was on a winning spree. 

N19 sat back and thought. ' Am I going to die because I lost in this stupid game? Of all the rounds that I had played so far, this one appears to be the easiest and a silly one. I need to be patient, my entire focus should be on his movements and only then I will have a chance to win. '

N19 started to get a hang of this game. Even though he lost in the first two rounds, his confidence was not damaged. Surprisingly, he was cool which scared C15 more. 

It was now time for the third round and something was different about N19 this time. C15 did not want to think about him as it was affecting his focus. Instead, he focussed on slapping the hands for a third as a third successful hit would increase his chances of winning to a great extent. His excitement began to rise even before he managed the third hit. With that enthusiasm, C15 swayed his hand, but N19 retrieved his hands just in time, successfully dodging the third attack. N19 remained in his position unflinching. He remained calm despite successfully managed not giving a point. C15 started to panic. He still had two chances, so he motivated himself and resumed his position. 

N19's confidence began to rise after the fortunate save. He was now completely ready to play the game. 

C15 pivoted his hands again, but N19 was fast enough to evade it. He became good at the game in such a short time. C15 had used four chances and managed to score only two points. If he fails to get another point then it would be very challenging for him to defend that score.

C15 took a minute to focus his thoughts and actions as this was his last attempt. He was really nervous now as he lost two rounds back to back. He tried to maintain a poker face but failed. It was evident from the expressions on his face that he was scared. 

N19 neither provoked nor smiled wickedly to induce more confusion and fear in C15. Instead, he remained calm as if everything was under his control and things were going as he planned. 

C15 brushed off all the negative emotions and he was now ready to make his final move. He did not want to bluff anymore, he just wanted to wait for the right time and swoop in like a hawk and catch his prey. One perfect timing was all he required to gain an upper hand in the game. With that thought in mind, he let out a deep sigh and then swung his hand faster than before. It felt like he would definitely land a hit, but surprisingly N19 was way faster than he was. He retrieved his hands and dodged the attack of C15. He successfully defended himself for the third time and with that C15 scored only two points. C15 wondered if he had taken the wrong decision by choosing this game. If he would have just accepted to play rock paper scissors, then it might have performed well. Anyways, it was too late for that. He will have to face N19 at the game that he chose. 

Now it was N19's turn to attack, and C15's turn to defend. Even though it had been a long time since C15 had played the game, he used to be good at defending than attacking. If he would be able to play just in the way he used to then this would be an easy win. All he needed was three successful defenses to draw the game and four to win the game. He still did not know how N19 is going to perform as an attacker, so aiming for 4 can be far-fetched. So, he decided to set the target after the first round. 

Despite being calm, N19 was worried inside as this was his first time. He soon got adapted to the defense side, but he can not be sure about the attacker side before he attempt and see for himself. Both of them assumed their positions and were ready to play the first round of the second half. 

N19 swayed his hands just a little to see the reaction of C15, but C15 stood his ground and did not move even an inch. N19 could see the confidence in his opponent which was not there the other time. He felt intimidated. Finally, N19 decided to make a blow and moved his hand, but C15 dodged it with ease as if he was a professional in the game. It was very easy for C15 to defend himself in the first round. N19 was so slow. His attack was not as strong as his defense and N19 realized that too. 

He again asked C15 for a break. C15 recalled the earlier time when he asked for a break and then post the break, his performance was astounding. He wanted to deny it, but since defense is his stronger suit, he thought a little break would not hurt anyone. So he accepted it. 

The source of N19's strength was a strong desire to go home safely. It was the source of strength for many others too. He thought about all the things that gave him strength. He reminded himself of all the reasons for which his survival is necessary. He opened his eyes and was now ready to resume the game. He was projecting the same level of confidence which he did before. 

No matter how much confident he is, he can not beat me now, said C15 to himself. 

N19 again bluffed a few times to check for the reaction of C15 and this time, he flinched once. And immediately after the bluff, he went for the point. C15 was least expecting the attack immediately after a bluff. His mind knew that he had to pull back his hands, but before it could give instructions to his hands, N19 hit them. In two chances, N19 was able to score a point. C15 underestimated his opponent and that cost him a point.

N19 was ready for his attempt. Confusing C15 with bluff hits became his strength. N19 kept bluffing for a long time and both of their patience was running out. They must have kept a time limit and the players should attack in the given time, but since they did not do that, the attacker is free to take his time and that is what N19 was doing. He was making sure that C15 would lose his focus with time. After a few minutes, N19 went for the point and he was successful in scoring a point yet again. Out of three attempts, he scored two points and things were not looking good C15. 

He needed to up his game. He can not lose his life just because he ran out of patience. He said to himself that whatever happens, he needs to defend this round. Otherwise, things will not go in his favor. 

The next round started and both of them were keen on winning the game. N19 did not take much time this round and he went for the attack soon, and luckily he did score a point for the third time and now it was a draw. But N19 had another chance to win this game. If he loses, then they should probably think of another game to play, but if he wins, then as agreed both of them should vote in his favor.

The last round would decide the fate of C15. N19 was confident enough to score another point, while C15 was not able to understand why he was failing in his won game. Maybe N19 is naturally good at the game and he can do nothing about it. Win or lose, C15 has to give his best in the final round as he is just one point away from losing his life. Both of them were ready, but not really ready. N19 let out a sigh and then resumed his position. The last round also made him anxious and it was evident on his face. But still, he was in the safe zone, so he was not as scared as C15. 

N19 tightened his eyebrows and then went into attacking mode. He was so fast this time, and his hand moved as if it was teleporting. He won the game. C15 fell down in his place and was trying to understand what was going on. He can not digest the fact that he was defeated and now he has to sacrifice his life. 

N19 did not express his happiness and that would be like applying salt to a wound. Instead, he placed his hand on his shoulder and tried to console him. After a while, N19 asked C15 regarding the vote and he nodded.

----*----

I1: Hello.

C1: Hi?

I1: What should we do now? 

C1: I guess, talk to each other and then decide on who gets to get out of here.

I1: Ok, then. Would you like to start?

C1: Alright. I am not happy in sharing my problems, but I am sharing since I have to. I am a single mother. I cannot tell you my name and where I stay as you are a total stranger to me. I have three children. One is 7 years old, the other one is 5 years old and the smallest one is 2 years old. You might be thinking that I am an inappropriate woman. I was, in teenage, but I am not now, but it is too late. I got pregnant in high school with one of the most popular guys. I used to feel it like an achievement. Even carrying the baby of the popular guy made me popular in school. Many of my friends have tried to tell me that raising a baby at this young age would destroy my life, but I was too naive to see the truth in their concern. I even thought that they were jealous of me being with one of the most popular guys, whom they can never be with. 

As time passed, I was successful in driving away from my few friends who wanted what was best for me. 

But when my parents knew about it, they wanted me to have an abortion or else they would kick me out of the house. Even though I was fascinated to be a mother of a popular hunk, I was not ready to leave my house, yet. I considered that abortion would be a good choice for me.

But things did not go as I thought they would. That i***t even convinced me to raise the child. I went against my parent's choice and dropped out of school. Since he was very rich, he was able to provide for me and our baby. He kept our relationship secret from his parents and said that it was better for us this way. We lived like that for years and I kept getting pregnant. I was beautiful too, but after three pregnancies, I became like this. Just when I was becoming fed up with this relationship, he used to take me on a fancy vacation, and that would be enough for me to think about for a while. Things took a drastic turn when his parents found out about us. They were furious, and for a second, I thought they might even kill me. His parents gave him a choice that he can choose me and leave the property or leave me and inherit his father's empire. I think that the choice he made is obvious. I was left with three babies and nothing. No father, no money, and no skill to take up a job. My life became a joke. The first people who I can think of were my parents.

I went to my parent's house, and when they looked at me, holding my three kids, they were devastated. They could picture what must have happened, and you know what they did? They shut the door on my face. This reaction was something I expected deep down, but I thought they would take me in no matter what. 

My mother sneaked through the backdoor and gave me some money. At that instant, my children's hunger was more important to me than my self-respect. So I took the money and left. But that money would only last for a few weeks. What am I supposed to do afterward? I am not skilled enough to land a job as I dropped out of my school. I did not know what to do and then I got this call. I thought it was some creep in the beginning who is prank-calling me after knowing about my current situation. But I am glad that I accepted the offer. If I get my hands on this money, I can take care of my little children. And my survival depends on your decision. So, please help me get back to my children. I do not want them to end up as orphans.

I1: Where are your children now?

C1: It turns out that one of the students who studied along with me in high school had a crush on me. When he came to know about my situation, he offered to help me out. I do not even remember him properly in the highschool, and now I cannot take his help just like that. But when this opportunity knocked on my door, I requested him to take care of my children for a few days. He is married, so I thought his wife would not allow this, but surprisingly she did. They are good people, but if I do not go soon, then they will end up in an orphanage for sure.

I1: That was really sad. I am sorry to say this but you are kind of stupid and you are totally responsible for the situation you are in. But I can not let your children face the consequences for the actions that you did. Now, I can tell my story, but I think your survival matters more than mine. I am surprised that I am even saying this, I want you to survive. I have made some good friends so far and they taught me to be selfless and this may be foolish, but I like it.