Page 34 of Blaze of Our Lives

“What the fuck?” Ezzanod muttered.

My sentiments exactly.

Heff ignored the comment and continued. “Most likely, none of you will survive that. However, if you do, you’ll find a combination at the end of the bridge. Use this combination to unlock the box that holds the puzzle.”

“Wait,” Brolrath shouted as he rematerialized right next to me. “I missed all that. Can you repeat it?”

I almost screamed when he appeared. Thankfully, I swallowed it. It was good information to know how fast someone regenerated after dying. If I bit it, I’d be back within five minutes. What I really wanted to do was talk to Pandora. Even though we were sworn enemies, I needed her. I’d have to hold off until I was away from the group.

“No,” Heff Brobst told Brolrath. “You’re shit out of luck.”

“I call bullshit,” I snapped. All eyes were on me. It didn’t feel good. Turning to Brolrath, I gave him a tight smile. “I’ll get you up to speed when Huffy is through.”

“It’s Heff,” the man who looked like Abaddon ground out through clenched teeth.

“My bad. Keep going, please,” I said with a wink. I wasn’t sure, but I think my insolence toward the asshole host gained me a few points with my competitors. I know it did with Brolrath. He bowed to me and smiled.

Heff Brobst wasn’t used to backtalk. Too bad. So sad. If he killed me, I’d come back. Having confirmation that I would survive a smiting if it came down to it lowered the threat level and made me braver.

“Fine,” Heff huffed. “Some of the puzzles are explosive. Some are not. If you’re fortunate enough to get to the puzzle, inside the box, you will find the directions.”

“To what?” Ezzanod asked warily.

Heff Brobst shrugged. “To whatever you’re seeking. The meaning of life. A map to all the riches in the Universe. The knowledge of the path that leads to redemption… whatever your heart desires will be in the box.”

I knew what I was searching for, and I planned to find it.

“Is that it?” Drogruzun inquired.

Heff smiled. It was terrifying. “Of course not, there’s a twist.”

Another one? Why didn’t that surprise me? Everyone waited. The tension was palpable. It made me wish I hadn’t eaten so much of the cookie house. I was ready to hurl.

Heff Brobst shook his tush, gyrating at the hips, as he skipped around in a tight circle before stopping. He leaned forward in our direction. His hands were clasped together, and his expression was maniacally gleeful. “The twist is that you are fully within your rights to kill the other contestants at any time during the challenge and in any way to stop them from completing the course. Be the first to the end and win. Lose and be stuck here until the next season begins.”

The dude was one sick mofo.

“How long before the next season?” Ezzanod asked.

“Could be a month,” Heff said. “Could be a thousand years.”

“Fuck,” Pandora whispered.

I stepped away from the group, did a few warm-up stretches and practiced my ventriloquist skills again. “We won’t really die,” I quietly reminded her.

“Maybe not,” she replied. “However, every time we die, we’ll have to start over. If we lose and get stuck in this absurd game, we might never leave the dream state.”

My mouth began to water. I was seconds away from losing my cookies. Literally. Pressing my lips together tightly, I willed myself to calm down. With confidence in my voice which was mostly bravado, I said, “Not a problem. I’ve got this.”

“You’re sure?” she asked skeptically.

“No, but I’m going with that.”

Stepping back into the group, I waited for more. There was always more…

“Are there any other rules?” Ezzanod asked.

“Rules are for wimpy-assed pussies,” Heff said with a derisive laugh while looking directly at me.

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