The Blob

"Where am I?" he thought. "What had just happened?" he asked himself as he felt like floating in muddy water. He tried to look around but he can only see darkness beyond him.

"Can you hear me?" A distant voice came to his ears.

"I felt so cold. The air, no, the place seemed nostalgic, a place that seemed so familiar." he sighed. A few moments passed, and he tried to move his body and to his surprise it felt so light, like he's flying, floating like a thin sheet of paper in a vast nothingness.

"Ehh, I can't see a thing. It's all so dark," he muttered.

"Ne?! can you hear me?!" a voice asked again, now, he can hear it louder.

"There it is again. I cannot even tell if it's from somewhere or it's just my head screaming." he said.

"Help! Somebody help me!" a voice cried from nowhere.

He lift his head to the direction of the voice. Is there anyone aside form me here in this place?" He shouted. "I can hear you!"

He now heard a weird ticking sound.

"Ne?! please, I hate the dark!!" the voice cried again, now with disdain.

"Can you here me?!" a familiar voice of a man called, now much clearer than before.

He looked around to see the direction and called out to the familiar voice, "Who are you? Where am I?" but his voice did not came out.

The voice kept calling and saying "Jayson, we…"

"JAYSON!" Sandra slapped his face and he regained his consciousness.

"Ouch…" Jayson muttered. He lift his hand and reached his cheek where Sandra slapped him.

"Thank God you're alive!" Sandra cried and gave him a hug. "I thought we'd lost you, idiot. Don't ever do that crazy thing again."

"I never thought you'd call me an idiot.." Jayson fondled her hair. "But, I'm glad to see you're fine."

"Not just you, you know.." Yuri stepped forward with a glaring look. "You've gambled far enough, Jayson Smart."

Jayson looked Yuri in the eyes and scanned the surrounding. He saw Mike at the edge of the field and Tori hiding behind his brother's back. "I'm glad you're okay, Tori." He said with concerned eyes.

"You too." Tori stepped forward and faced Jayson. "For a moment, I really thought you died." She took a deep breath and slapped him on his cheek.

"What was that for?!" he cried out.

"That's for gambling without us knowing. I never expected that would happen, you know...If Sandra didn't told us about your plan, I would have…" Tori's voice shake in frustration.

"I know, I'm sorry. I promise I'll never risk anyone's life from now on." Jayson said. "Not even mine."

"You better stick to your words, leader." Sandra poked his chest and walked away.

Jayson stood up and sighed. He looked around to see that everyone is fine and a thought came to his mind. "That's right!" he exclaimed. "So, what happened after I disappeared?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"I guess they have the right to know…" Sandra said.

...…

"Checkmate!" Sandra screamed to the giant baboon with a blood red crown wearing a smug face.

"This can't be happening!" the baboon cried. "You cheated!" he added.

"No one cheated. It's a fair fight and you lost!" Andra shouted.

"I can't believe I lost in the likes of you, you maggots!" The baboon king's expression changed with malice. "I don't accept defeat…"

The ground tremble in the sound of big things coming towards the center field.

"Behold, my ARMY." The baboon said with open arms, filled with oozing confidence.

"This is bad.." Sandra muttered.

Every baboon wielding a weapon rushed towards them and they fought tremendously against the monstrous baboons attacking them from every direction.

They panicked for a second. They lost sight on what to do in the middle of the commotion. The pawns are the easy targets. They were attacked by a group of baboons holding bats with thorns, swinging like a pendulum. They ran towards the officials, trying to get refuge from the experts in fighting.

"Please save us.." a pawn asked.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this…" Sandra replied. She took a deep breath and shouted her command. "Secure the pawns! Defend them with everything you got. They are our only way to revive the others, so please…" she breathe again. "Don't die!"

Everyone heard her plea. They all wanted to live and leave the site with few casualties. They have lost their friends and the only way to get them back is through a gamble they've only thought a while ago. They don't want the lower hand, and that urged them to move forward and raise their arms.

Yuri stood firm and swing his sword like a samurai on the east. Three baboons fell on the field and were reduced to ashes.

"Hit their navel!" Yuri exclaimed. He found their weakness.

The others aimed for the navels and more and more baboons kept falling to the ground.

"Keep up the pace, guys!" Sandra exclaimed. "We're slowly---"

"I wont let you win!" the baboon king said again. As if cued, dark clouds form above their heads and started to rain lightnings.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" the baboon laughed maniacally. "You've got nowhere to run!"

The team dodged for their lives and kept on fighting the remaining baboons on the field.

"Their number doesn't seem to reduce!" Andra complained.

Everyone gathered at the center: the officials in front and the pawns at their back.

"So, what's the plan? We need one, right?" Andi exclaimed.

"Calm down, Andi.." Sandra said.

"He's right, we need a plan. We can't just fight recklessly and waste our remaining strength fighting the baboons blindly." Yuri said. "We can at least finish this in one blow, with whatever we have left, right?"

"I agree…" Alex said.

"You do?" Yuri asked, surprised.

"Shut up, Yuri." Alex muttered. "We need to end this as soon as possible. With the risk of having a nervous breakdown inside this city, we really need to hurry. The stress level of fighting hastens the risk of having that syndrome."

"Once in a while you know how to speak with sense, huh.." Yuri commented and brushed the words that Alex wanted to say. "Okay, it's the best strategy in any games.." he sighed. "Let's get the king."

They all shouted and dashed towards the king standing near the edge on the field.

"Acting like a real king, huh?!" Alex mumbled. He ran fast and brushed every baboon that come his way. He did not create any detour and ran in a straight line towards the king. Thoughts of Jayson vanishing in the field came fogging his mind. He cannot hear the noise around him. he can only hear his breathing, left by the thought of his lost friend. "I have to save him…" he muttered. "He's always done the saving, but now…now is the chance I get to pay my debt." He swing his lance once again. "Just wait a little while, Jay…"

Sandra kept on shooting arrows to the enemies. She's providing support from a range for his companions attacking in front. Jayson left her with the end battle. He knew that Sandra will get to take advantage on Yuri's tactics and make stuffs for her own benefit that is why Jayson sacrificed himself. She cannot erase that thought that made her aim curve once in a while.

Andra and Andi kept the baboons away from Sandra. The cousins fought hand in hand, synchronically fighting without any word uttered.

"Keep going!" Sandra shouted.

Yuri ran faster. He's now a few meters ahead of Alex. "Tori.." he thought. He's not the perfect brother but he still worries at times like this. She is the only family he had left, so no matter how much their misunderstanding, he still tries to make bridges. "Yuri's coming.." his friend is also gone. And the only way to get them back is to try Jayson's idea regarding the pawns. He sees Jayson as a rival not because of his skills in computing nor because of his fame but because of his attachment to Tori. He cannot accept the fact that Tori's nicer to Jayson and was more open to him than to her own brother. He wanted to clear that misunderstanding that is why, he tried to challenge Jayson every time they see each other. "You two just wait for me.."

They reached the opponents area and gathered around the king with his kinsmen lying unconscious on the field behind.

"You've got no where else to go, King." Yuri said, raising his sword.

The king shouted and everyone aimed at his navel.

"No!!!!!" the king shouted and he immediately turned into nothingness.

The dark clouds vanish and everything fell silent in an instant.

"Is it done?" Andi asked.

"I hope so.." Andra replied.

They catch their breaths and sat on the floor, exhausted.

"We don't have time to relax." Yuri exclaimed. "We need to get them back!"

"You're right.." Sandra stood on his cozy footing and gathered the pawns on row 1.

"What should we do? Are we going to just stand here?" a pawn asked.

"I don't really know, but in real chess. Once the pawn reaches the other side's territory, an official takes over his place." Sandra explained.

"But nothing's happening. We've been standing here for a while now…"

"That can't be!" Yuri stepped forward and grabbed the collar of the pawn's shirt. "Don't be ridiculous. My sister's somewhere and this is our only hope to get her back.."

"Calm down, Yuri… we also have Jay inside and Tori's our friend. We have to think this through." Sandra insisted.

"Ja, what should we do?" Yuri exclaimed.

"Maybe if we gather the pawns in one tile, that might open the glitch," Sandra said.

"Open the glitch?"

Sandra gathered the pawns in a circle form to one tile, the king's tile. Slowly, a blinding light shined in front of them. When the light was distinguished, they found the other members gathered with the pawns.

"Look!" Andra shouted. "They're back!"

Their faces can't be drawn with all the excitement and relief.

"Thank God they're alive!" Yuri said, relieved. His tears fell from his eyes and ran to his sister, giving her a hug.

"Jay!" Alex raised his hand, gesturing a high five, but he didn't get a response.

"Jay?" Andra asked. "Wait, it can't be. He's unconscious.."

"Wait, what?!" Sandra exclaimed. She stepped towards Jayson and slowly slapped his face. "Jayson!" she kept on calling.

Yuri felt the tension and he panicked once again. "Tori! Mike!" he kept on calling.

A few minutes later, Jayson and the others regained their consciousness.

...…

"That was hard, huh?" Jayson asked.

"You don't have to mention it.." Sandra said. "You've done a nice job as well…"

"I lost the game, you know…" Jayson replied.

"I now understood why you gave me the position of the king, Jayson." Yuri said.

"I thought you'd realize sooner, but.." Jayson said. "Anyway, you've done a great job, Yuri. Thanks for protecting my friends and for saving our ass back there." He added.

"Don't mention it." Yuri replied. "You can't have another chance." He turned his back and went to Mike, leaving Tori with them.

"So.." Sandra said. "Where did you go? What have you seen there? Why are you unconscious when you came back?"

"What, wait.." Jayson muttered. "Throw your questions one by one.."

"Oh, I'm sorry I was just—"

"Worried. I know that and I will keep on apologizing for that."

"Just don't do it again.."

"Hai, hai.." Jayson replied. "Well, it was a dark place. Nothing's in there except the voice I've heard."

"Voices?" Andra asked.

"Yeah, I've heard voices. It's cozy though but, most of it, I just realized, it was Sandra calling me." Jayson replied.

"I've heard voices too… he's calling Jay's name." Tori said.

"You did?"

"Yeah, and it sounded so familiar. Like I've been nagged with that voice a few dozen times." Tori said.

"I felt the same. Could it be—"

"Him? No, they can't access the city, right?"

"What if they found a way?"

"That could be nice. Help is near at hand, then.."

"What are you two talking all about?" Sandra asked.

"Nothing, I still have to confirm it before I'll let you know. I promise I'll keep you updated." Jayson said.

Everyone fell silent and a cold wind of the evening touched their skins.

"It's getting dark, we need to get back to the port," Jayson said.

"Yeah, I felt tired as well.." Sandra muttered. "I want a bed.."

"I wonder if you can find that back in the port, Sandy.." Andra muttered.

"I hope so.." Sandra giggled and the two girls laughed.

"Wait a minute, are we forgetting something?" Andi raise his hand.

"Like what?" Alex mumbled.

"Like the reason why we fought the giant baboon?"

"You're right! I almost forgot!" Jayson threw his hand in the air. "The key! Where's the key?!"

"You're right! I haven't seen it since we defeated the baboon king." Sandra said.

"Yuri. Where's Yuri? It might be with him."

Yuri heard his name and turned towards Jayson and the others. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Have you seen the key?" Jayson said.

"You mean this?"

He lifted a golden key with a weird Waikiki design on the base and the tip looked like an infinity sign twisted to make an eight-looped tip.

"3, huh?" Jayson muttered.

"So you noticed.." Yuri said. "It's weird in many sense but I guess we have to complete all the keys to decipher the code that might lead us outside.

"Just as I thought," Jayson replied. "Now that I remember.."

"Remember what?" Yuri asked.

"I guess there is really something that voice I heard in the nothingness is trying to say," Jayson said. "But I still have to decipher his code. I guess it's a message from the outside."

"You mean help?"

"I hope so… I really do."

"Ja, please, Hurry up, Jayson."

"I will. But we have to get back to the camp. We have to tend to the wounded."