The Slime King

The Slime King: Chapter 3 - Committed Courage

As the chaos erupted behind them, Max and James sprinted toward their cars, but Max hesitated, his heart tugging him in a different direction. “We have to see if they’re okay in there!” he exclaimed, pointing back at the building, anxiety bubbling within him.

“Umm, no, we don’t,” James replied, breath panting heavier with each word. “I owe them nothing, especially how they treated me.” He hesitated at the thought, torn between self-preservation and a distant sense of duty.

Max shook his head defiantly, clutching his box closer to his chest. “You’re absolutely right, but I can’t leave in good conscience knowing there are people inside!” Max hands James the final remnants of his work life back and makes a run to the office building. Moments later, James grumbled under his breath, reluctantly following as fast as a 77-year-old could manage.

The building stood eerily silent—but not for long. The faint sound of muffled screams and frantic footsteps filtered through the air. “Max! Wait!” James yelled, trying to catch up, his breath ragged, but Max was already inside.

The lobby was a scene from a nightmarish dream. Slime dripped from the ceiling, pooling on the floor, and tendrils of goo slithered between desks. He could hear colleagues calling for help as panic set in. Gritting his teeth, he moved swiftly toward the nearest stairwell, steadying himself and calling for any stragglers, “Everyone, exit this way! Quick!”

As they climbed the grated stairs, Max was already formulating a plan. Directing people as they scuttled past him, he instilled a sense of urgency in their voices, urging them to move quickly and carefully. James clung to the railing, grumbling about the state of affairs, but his determination didn’t wane even if his pace did.

When they reached the second floor, they found several coworkers frozen in shock, eyes wide and mouths agape—an odd mixture of disbelief and horror. “Over here! This way!” Max shouted, ushering them to the emergency exit with fervor.

“Step aside! Let me through,” James called, hoisting his box and shuffling about to help the others. He guided a few more coworkers down the steps, but just as they began to head back, splatters of slime fell dangerously closer to them.

“Careful!” one of them shouted, only to see the gloop cover a few escaping employees’ shoes, trapping them in place. “It’s everywhere!”

“Let’s keep going!” Max urged, trying to keep their spirits high. Soon, they were on the third floor, each step echoing like a drumbeat in the chaos. They passed office doors that were now barricaded with desks and equipment, remnants of what had once been a normal day.

Just as they reached the fourth floor, they heard a loud crash. “What was that?” James wheezed, fear creeping into his voice, but instead of backing away, they pressed on, weaving through the confusion in search of anyone who might need help.

Finally, they reached the top floor, where they expected to find a semblance of normalcy—the IT department. Instead, they stumbled into a truly bizarre scene: Big Bob, the imposing leader of the department sprawled on the floor, completely cocooned in slime, his face a mixture of anger and disbelief.

“Max! Get me out of this!” Bob shouted, his gruff voice muffled by the goo clinging to him. Max glanced at James, whose eyes widened.

“Let me help!” James declared, shuffling forward. He crouched down, fingers slipping against the viscous goo as he tried to peel it away from Bob. But the more he pulled, the more the slime seemed to cling to him. “This is absurd!” he exclaimed, unable to maintain his grip.

Just then, Claire, one of Max's brightest and prettiest coworkers rushed into the office. Her eyes sparkled with alarm, and she caught her breath as she scanned the chaos. “Max! Don’t touch the slime!” she cried, her voice full of urgency.

Max felt a warm flicker in his chest at the sight of her, but the alarm on her face brought him back to reality. “Claire! Help us!” he shouted.

“I’ll get something to help you guys!” she yelled back, just as the building began to rumble ominously beneath their feet.

The tremors intensified, sending waves of panic through the remaining coworkers, who began to feel the weight of impending doom resting upon them. Max glanced at James, who looked equally concerned, and then back at Claire.

“Claire, no time for hesitation! We need everyone out! We can deal with slime later, but first we have to—”

The ground vibrated violently, knocking everyone off balance. Claire stumbled, trying to regain her footing. “Max! We need to hurry, or we won’t make it out alive!”

In that moment, adrenaline surged through Max. He tightened his grip, taking a deep breath as he prepared to act—to be the leader that his coworkers needed amid the encroaching chaos.