Frank rolled his head, then flexed his shoulder, and finally cracked his knuckles. A vengeful smile emerged across his face.

"That son of a b**** is going to pay." Frank muttered darkly. "I'm going to take the position of Correction Keel. This is going to feel good."

"As you wish Mr. Flynn. Based on how you are preparing, I would guess you would like to pummel the guy." inferred Keel.

"Oh, yeah. This guy is going to regret what he did that day."

"Understood. Oh, ad do not worry about Rebecca, I will let her go unharmed. Best wishes for your revenge Mr. Flynn. Once you are finished, please come back into this room and enter into the next through the door between the two windows."

A door opened to the far left of the red side's window. As Frank entered he saw a man with a black bag over his head and all white clothing. He walked around the table a few times before the man on the table spoke in his heavy Russian accent.

"Who are you?"

"The man that let you go."

"I knew leaving you alive would come to haunt me. How many years has it been?" asked the man.

"Eight years, two months, and ten days." answered Frank.

"Now you are here to get revenge for your partner."

"That I am."

As Frank rounds back to the front of the man he punches him in the gut causing him to step off the table. As the man hung there, Frank used him as a punching bag. The sounds of cracking ribs could be heard many times throughout the five minutes of mutilation.

"They say revenge is bitter-sweet, but damn that felt good." Frank said as he exited the red room.

He looks to the left to find that a door has opened. He enters as instructed earlier and examined the room. There are alternating white and red tiles on the walls and floor. In the middle of the room was a table with a chess board on top.

"As you can see, in this next game you will be solving a chess puzzle. You have one move and black needs to be in checkmate after it. You know what happens if you lose."

"Wait, what about the person that is going to die if I lose." asked Frank.

"I almost forgot about that. He will be above you during this game." responded Keel.

Frank looked up to see a man in a military uniform and pacing the room. I suppose it was only natural that his unit's captain would be involved. Keel seemed to get the people that have a past with him. The captain was one of the most involved people in Frank's life. A caring person and great leader. He was a man to put full trust into the men he commanded and always paced while he thought.

"Now that you know who is involved, please begin. You have five minutes."

(follow link) http://www.chesswizards.com/?page_id=15 (crusader, your puzzle is on page 1, puzzle 6) (Puzzles are numbered starting from the top)

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"I won't let Kate die so I can bring someone else in my life that does not love me back." Cnix said.

"That is quite disappointing Mr. Blank." replied the voice. "I would expect family ties to be stronger than that. You do not even want to help her overcome her addiction. That is quite sad, but hey, who am I to judge. I mean, I set up this whole game and all. Although I am disappointed in your decision, you have given me a twist I did not expect and I thank you for that. Which scenario do you wish to play out Mr. Blank?"

"Well, since I am allowed to choose from our last game, I would like to pick the scenario of pain."

"Are you serious!?" exclaimed the voice. "Yet another thing I did not expect from you Mr. Blank. Very exciting indeed. I knew you would not disappoint me. So, who would you like to kill in exchange for your finger?"

"My stepmother." answered Cnix. "The b**** will finally get what's coming to her after all these years. The poison in my family will be gone."

"I will do as you wish Mr. Blank."

As Cnix turned to look at his stepmother, her table collapsed. She tried to struggle when she fell, but he body was to week. Who knows how long she had been standing on the table. She did manage a attempts to free her hands, but it was all for nothing. After a few moments of her hanging motionlessly, Cnix spoke.

"It is a relief knowing that if I don't make it out of here that she will not be alive as well."

"Yes, but that relief comes at a painful cost." reminded the voice.

"The pain is nothing compared to what she could have done to my family." countered Cnix.

"We will see about that." said the voice with zeal. "I have randomly picked your left middle finger to be burnt off."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you 'randomly' picked that finger?"

"Good question." laughed the voice. "I suppose I could tell you. I put each finger name on a sheet of paper and mixed them up in a hat. Then I stuck my hand in and picked one out. One of my favorite ways to randomly pick something. Now that I have answered your question, let the scenario of pain commence."

Instant pain arose on Cnix's left middle finger. The pain was beyond what Cnix had originally thought. It was impossible for him to describe in words. Cnix fell to his knees and grabbed his left wrist. Tears appeared in his eyes and he screamed. It took four minutes for the ring to burn through his finger. He kneeled there panting after the ring and finger fell off. Tears were now streaming down his face and he now had a scab for a left middle finger.

"That pain was nothing compared to what that woman did to my family." wheezed Cnix.

"Well, since it is nothing, please continue to the next room. That is if you can." retorted the voice.

"Of course I can. It's not like my legs were affected."

Cnix raised from the floor and advanced to the door that had opened during the time his finger was being burnt off. The room had black and white tiles on the floor and walls. A chessboard was set up on a table in the middle of the room. Above was the similar blackness of the tinted windows.

"So who is on the possible dying end this time?"

"Excellent question. Your older sister Alexis (if you wish for a different name tell me) will be at risk this time.

"I see. Funny how I have to save someone that barely even noticed me at home. Whatever, what are the rules?"

"This game may require a little more thinking that the last two. You are white and need to have black in check after one move. The results are the same if you lose. You have five minutes. Begin."

(follow link) http://www.chesswizards.com/?page_id=15 (Cnix, your puzzle is on page 1, puzzle 7) (Puzzles are numbered starting from the top)

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"Well, I will never give up on smoking." said Javier. "I love smoking a cig too chill, but you don't have to give me one here. I guess I will go with the deal of knowledge then."

"Completely understandable Mr. Gonzaga." replied Keel. "It is impossible to quit smoking if you are not willing. What are your questions?"

"How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"

"What!? Are you serious?"

"I thought I was asking the questions Keel."

"That you are. I would have to guess that you never can because you would get bored or you tongue would be rubbed raw."

"Hahaha. Interesting way of thinking. If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?"

"That is some sense of humor you have there Mr. Gonzaga. I would have to guess that is the way that they wanted it."

"If a pig loses its voice, is it considered disgruntled?"

"I would assume so. Why exactly are you asking these annoying questions?"

"Hahaha! I needed a moral boost, and it did just that. I was being a little too serious and that is just not my styIe"

"I see. Well, if you would please move to the next room."

Javier walked into a room with white and gold tiles on the walls and a chess puzzle set up on a table in the center of the room. Above him was the familiar black tinted window.

"So who is the person above me?"

"I am glad you asked and noticed that the window was above you. The woman that you won in a poker game a few years back will be at stake today."

"Interesting. You sure did your research on me."

"That is the only way I would allow myself to bring someone in. It would not be as exciting if I did not know all I can about you. Ah, that reminds me. What did you mean it was skill when you were guessing the letters?"

As Keel said this, the window cleared and Javier could see the woman. She was laying on the floor asleep.

"It is simple. I just used the most common letters. Here is the order E, T, A, O, N, R, I, S, H, D, L, F, C, M, U, G, Y, P, W, B, V, K, X, J, Q, then Z.

"I see. That is rather interesting. Thank you for sharing that piece of information with me. Moving on. In this game you will be solving this chess puzzle. It is simple win or lose situation. You win and get your rewards, and if you lose, well, you know what happens. You are white and need to have black in checkmate by the end of your turn. You have five minutes. Begin!"

(follow link) http://www.chesswizards.com/?page_id=15 (CF, your puzzle is on page 1, puzzle 9) (Puzzles are numbered starting from the top)

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Greg walked through the door wheezing in pain and sweat ran down his face. Sweat drops fell to the white and black tiles. Greg could barely see the chess board that was in the center of the room.

"Damn I can't take this pain. I have never experienced anything this painful."

"Then I suggest that you do not lose again, because it will only get worse."

F*** off! I don't plan to lose anything else. I have motivation now, and once I am motivated, I never quit nor lose."

"We will see about that. You will now have to complete this chess puzzle angry and in pain. Let us see if you can do it."

"Bring it on!"

"The rules are same, as are the consequences. I suppose you do not care about the person above you?"

"Hell no! There is no way I can care about anyone in this kind of pain."

"Well then, you are white and need to checkmate black at the end of your turn. You have five minutes. Begin!"

(follow link) http://www.chesswizards.com/?page_id=15 (Sweakers, your puzzle is on page 2, puzzle 2) (Puzzles are numbered starting from the top)

Chapter 3: Chess

Brad looked at his navy blue rings and then at the kid in the room. His body trembled and his eyes were streams. There was no doubt in Brad's mind about what decision he wanted to make.

"I would like to keep my finger."

"What!? Wow! What a surprise Mr. Smith. I never thought you would actually sacrifice someone else in order to save yourself, well in this case your finger, but still, the concept is the same. It is truly shocking to me, but I am glad you make this unexpected move. It adds to the entertainment that I receive. Much obliged Mr. Smith. Here is my end of the deal."

The legs of the table begin to wobble making the entire table unstable. After a few moments of struggling to keep his balance, the kid misplaces his weight and caused the table to tip. The kid dropped to as far as the rope would reach, and then started to swing. The kid twitch for what seemed like hours. After a while, a lifeless body hung in the room swinging slightly.

"With that, would you please enter into the next room?"

A door opened up in the middle of the two colors between the windows. Blue, red, and hangman will never be the same again. He will have terrible memories every time he sees them.

"This is messed up." Brad murmured.

Before Brad walked into the next room, he stared at the kid for a while. He may not have deserved to die, but Brad was not willing to sacrifice anything for him to live. He did not see what he did as revenge, but as self preservation. Life just sucks that way. Brad entered into the next room to find a chess board that looks as if a game was left unfinished. It laid upon a small table that had no chairs around it. As Brad observed the table and chess board, the door silently shut. The room also had the same design as a chess board. The tiles were perfectly placed to line up even with the floors and walls, but the ceiling was solid black. Except that the there were navy blue tiles instead of black. Looking at the black ceiling gave Brad an eerie feeling.

"Again with that color." mumbled Brad. "It keeps popping up. I hate to admit, but this guy is good at using detail to trip someone out."

"As you can tell Mr. Smith, the next game involves chess. The rules are simple. You need to make one move to win the game. You have one chance, if you get it you win, if you do not you lose. This time around, your father will be on the dying end if you lose."

The black on the roof faded, showing Brad who stood above him. A man the resembled Brad quite well was sitting in a chair. He seemed relatively calm, but Brad knew his dad better than that. He always had little habits that would give away that he was worried or irritated. He always rubbed his mustache when he was worried about something. Brad chuckled at the site.

"Like always, your finger is also at risk. It is white's move. Move to checkmate in one move. You have five minutes. Start."

White's move. Move to checkmate in one.

(follow link) http://www.chesswizards.com/?page_id=15 (Al, your puzzle is on page 1, puzzle one) (Puzzles are numbered starting from the top)

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Shauny though about which reward would work the best in this situation. He could no longer pick the path that did not require a sacrifice of any kind. This guy was making the game extremely difficult by manipulating the rewards.

"It was interesting how he does not tell me what to pick, but still allows himself to entertain himself by telling me what I cannot pick." thought Shauny. "This guy is controlling me without actually pulling any of my strings. Damn this guy is pissing me off."

"I will take the path of food." announced Shauny deciding to cease his hunger. "By your own rules, you have to give…"

"I know what rules I set up." interrupted the voice rather annoyed. "I am not one to forget what I say and even if I did, I certainly do not need to be reminded by you. The preparations are completed; please enter into the next room."

Shauny watched as a door open between the color split. Before he walked into the next room, he watched to make sure his teacher and the other student left safely. The rope fell from the ceiling and both people cautiously got off their table. They both turned their heads to the right side of their room.

"So the bastard is talking to them as well." thought Shauny.

After a few moments, the student quickly jolted out of a door that opened. Shauny looked to the blue room to find that his Tai Chi teacher is staring at him. He slowly nods his head and exits the room. It was a relief knowing that he had the support of his teacher. Once his teacher left the room, Shauny strolled into the next room. There was a table with an incomplete chess game on top. Unlike the last room, no chair was given for comfort. The walls and floor had white and forest green tiles set up like a chess board. The only part of the room that did not have the pattern was the ceiling. It was a solid black. There was a plate with some pork sausage and next it a Diet Coke. He walked over to it and began eating.

"I am sure you are smart enough to conclude that the next game involves chess Mr. Takei. In this room, the person that may die will be above you."

Shauny looked up to find that the ceiling was no longer black. Above him was his fiend Jack. He was a complete jock in every way except his personality. He was on the wrestling team at the University that Shauny goes too and plays every other sport with his friends all the time, but he was never conceded like most jocks. He showed kindness and respect to everyone, even if he did not enjoy their company. Shauny did not know how the window was holding his weight. The ironic thing about this was that Jack is the one that likes to play chess. The remains of a burger, fires, and a milkshake sit near the right side of the wall. Shauny finishes his meal and walks over to the chess puzzle.

"The rules are very simple for this game. It is white's move. Black needs to be in checkmate after one move. If you cannot complete it, the consequences are the same as always. You have five minutes to complete this puzzle. Start."

(follow link) http://www.chesswizards.com/?page_id=15 (Shauny, your puzzle is on page 1, puzzle 3) (Puzzles are numbered starting from the top)

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"Wait! You found out who that bastard is!?" Arthur said in shock.

"That is correct. I am not such a bad guy now that I have brought that up, right?"

Arthur thought about what he could do. If he gave up on these two people, he could get closer than he ever had to the guy that killed his family, but could he live with the fact that he let two people die because of it.

"I just have one question. Will it be painless for them?"

"I wonder, I never really know until they die." replied the voice.

"Then I can't go along with it." Arthur said as he leans forward in his chair. "I would like to know who he was so I can kill him myself, but it's not like his name and face guarantee that I'll find him. If the reward included where he lived I might say yes, but I know you won't add that."

"You know I am a man that hates pain. I would never put anyone through anything that I would not want too. Trust me, I am a wimp when it comes to pain." laughed the voice. "This is your last change for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Also, if you do not take this offer, I will personally see to it that you never find this person."

"You bastard." said Arthur with malice. "It's not like you're giving me much of a choice. Looks like I'll have to take the deal, but don't you think your being greedy trading two lives for one?" asked Arthur.

"I am not trading anything. I am only giving you options and manipulating them. You are making the choice, or as you put it 'trading.' I personally hate revenge and think it is completely and utterly useless. It destroys all of what humanity is. This is the last time I will ask. After this, there is no turning back. Which outcome do you wish to see played out Mr. Douglas?" countered the voice.

Arthur bites down on his lower lip as he realizes that what the voice said was true. He has the choice to get revenge, but he does not have to. The voice knows what to use in order to control him. The voice never really pulls the strings, but he sure is making Arthur dance. This person is a master of manipulation.

"I need to find the man that killed my family." announced Arthur.

"I understand Mr. Douglas." said the voice.

Arthur watched as both tables fell apart and the two people were left swinging. The old lady did not move much. Most of it was the expected twitching and usual struggle. The man on the other hand thrashed. He was not going out without a fight. In the end, it was all in vain. Both hung motionless in their rooms before the voice spoke again.

"You will receive your reward once you finish this game. I do not want it to affect your mind during the game."

"I would expect nothing less from you. What do I do now?" asked Arthur.

"Well move on to the next room of course." answered the voice.

A door opened in between the two windows and Arthur entered. Square white and lime green tiles lined the walls and floor in alternating pattern. In the middle of the floor laid a chess board with is pieces already placed. Above him was another room. In it was his brother-in-law John Mason. He was a high school teacher and an honest man. It was typical that a good guy like him got dragged into this screwed up game.

"He has a baby on the way. That kid doesn't deserve to live without a father."

"Then I suggest that you do not lose this game. The future of that kid is in your hands."

"You are a twisted man." Arthur said. "You are ruining these people's lives."

"The way I see it, I am giving you a chance be the hero." replied the voice. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to show the world and your loved ones that you still care for them and willing to do anything to save them. Anyway, the rules for this game are simple. You are white have to move so that black is in checkmate. All the consequences are the same. The only difference is that you will not know who is at stake this time. I will give you five minutes to complete this puzzle. Start."

(follow link) http://www.chesswizards.com/?page_id=15 (DoD, your puzzle is on page 1, puzzle 5) (Puzzles are numbered starting from the top)

Frank grinned at the fact that he was given the honor of receiving the name of his captor. He now had a lead to work on when he got out of here.

"Well then, let's get started." said Frank. "I will start with the letter A."

"An accurate guess Mr. Flynn. Here is your puzzle with the letters."

_ _ A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A _ _ _

"Not much help, but that will have to do. May I ask a question before I continue?"

"Most certainly, but if it happens to be something to revealing about the game or myself, I will not answer."

"Of course. I would expect nothing less. What happens to the people once I guess a letter, since I cannot see them?"

"You know who it happens too when you guess right or wrong, but let me explain their situation. They are both standing on a table and have a noose around their necks, which of course is attached to the ceiling. For every right or wrong guess, a section of their table will crumble. After your seven, the table completely falls apart leaving the person hanging, hence the games name. Satisfied?"

"Completely. My next letter will be E."

"Again, another accurate guess. Well done."

_ E A _ _ E _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ A _ E _

"Interesting. I will go with I."

"That is incorrect Mr. Flynn."

"I believe I will go with two this time. D and L."

"Very good Mr. Flynn, both are correct. I believe you should know the answer now." answered Keel.

D E A D _ E _ _ E L L _ _ _ A L E _

"Although I know the answer, I want to continue to guess." Frank said with a smile.

"Please do not. Unnecessary guesses only waste my time and raise your chances of losing a finger."

"I am aware of that Keel, but revenge is a **** That terrorist bastard used kids as hostages to get away and killed one of my friends. I want him in as much fear as possible. I will guess Q, R, X, Y, and Z. That should leave one wrong answer left."

"I did not expect you to do that. You have not failed, well not yet, to entertain me Mr. Flynn. I believe he just wet his pants. Who would not after having your table almost completely crumble from under you? Do you have an answer Mr. Flynn?"

"I do. DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES."

"Well done. No real complications for you. Your rewards will stay the same, except I will be switching out your position of knowledge with the position of correction. With this position, you will be able to correct your mistake from many years ago as well as getting revenge for your dead friend. I will allow you, not the rope, to kill the terrorist in the red room, but in exchange I need a little favor done. If you happen to survive this place, I want you to use your connection, all of them if you need too, to prevent any investigation on what happened here or myself. Also, you cannot pursuit any leads you may have on me. If you do or fail to prevent an investigation, you will regret it. I will make sure of it. The details of your failure or betrayal will be given once and if it happens. Which position do you want to take Mr. Flynn?"

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Cnix began to shake his leg. He always did something like tapping or shaking a body part when he was under pressure. Instead of distracting himself by looking at the people in the windows, Cnix stared straight.

"I"

"That is an inaccurate guess."

A chunk Cnix's stepmother's table fell to the floor. She could be seen crying out. Maybe begging for God to help her, or that she is sorry for something that she did. Cnix could not here, nor did he care. He even felt a little excitement at the fact that she was terrified, but his finger was at stake and her death was not worth that.

"I will go with three letters this time. A, E, and O." said Cnix with a little smirk.

"Amazing Mr. Blank. They are all correct. I am quite surprised at your luck." replied the voice. "Let me show you the fruit of your labor."

A screen lowed from the floor revealing what Cnix's puzzle looked like.

_ O _ A _ E A _ O _ _ _ _ O _ _ _ _ O_ _

Three chunks of Kate's table fell off. She was crying, but still had a look as if she knew she was going to live. For some strange reason, Cnix had a feeling that she was looking at him. He shook of the feeling and guessed again.

"This time I will go with T, S, and R. That will at least leave me with one extra just in case."

"Again! All three are completely accurate. You talent at luck is astounding! I have never seen someone so lucky. That makes this more fun. I wonder how much longer your luck will last."

The screen now showed the added letters.

_ O _ A _ E A _ O _ _ S T O _ _ S _ O_ T

Another three chunks fell from Kate's table, but this time Cnix was smiling. He with the new letters in place, he knew the answer.

"TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT!"

"At least the last part of your puzzle was solved by skill. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be able to solve it with just your luck. Quite impressive luck Mr. Blank. Your rewards are exactly the same as before. This time around, I will replace scenario of knowledge with the scenario of redemption. This scenario can only happen this one time, if you pass it up, it will never be available again. Like I said before, I am willing to help your mother recover from her misguided ways and reestablish contact between the two of you. All you have to do is sacrifice these two people here. Are willing to do that Mr. Blank? I would be thrilled if I were in your position. So, which scenario will it be?"

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With the instructions given to him, Javier sat down in his beaten up chair and sighed.

"I wish I had my cigs with me right now."

"Maybe for a reward sometime Mr. Gonzaga. First, you need to complete your puzzle."

"May I take it two at a time?" asked Javier curiously.

"Sure, whatever floats your boat, but I do not want to hear any whining about it later." replied Keel.

"Like I would be someone to do that!" Javier shot back. "My first two letters will be E and A"

"You must have luck on your side to guess the first two accurately Mr. Gonzaga." said Keel rather annoyed. "Here are the results."

_ _ A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E

The man's table in the blue room began to sake a little, and then a little bit more for the second guess. He was already struggling to stay on the table.

"This is not guessing or luck Keel. I am using the most used letters in the English alphabet. This is skill. Next is O and N." replied Javier.

"Smartasses piss me off, but I am rather impressed Mr. Gonzaga. After you are finished, you will have to tell me about this. Your results have been updated."

_ _ A _ _ N _ O N _ _ _ N _ _ E

The table stopped shaking and began to spin. The man in the blue room had to keep moving his feet in order not to tighten the noose around his neck. It then began to spin faster.

"My next guesses will be I and T, not that I really need them."

"If you know the answer Mr. Gonzaga, please tell me."

"Whatever. It is SKATING ON THIN ICE. I kinda figured that you would have it something to do with my lifestyle. It also helps that I can plug the letters in my head."

The table in blue room stopped spinning. The man was panting and sweating.

"I will present you with the same deals as last time…"started Keel.

"I will go freedom again then." replied Javier instantly.

"If you would have let me finished, I would have let you know that you were not allowed to pick the same deal as last time. I do not like being bored, and that bores me."

"Then can we make a deal about killing the cop. He is always on my tail."

"Most certainly. I wanted to replace your deal of freedom with something else anyway. Let me see. How about sacrificing your best client and your addiction to cigarettes, and in return the cop will die? I detest smoking and I do not want any of my rooms to smell like it. How about calling this deal the deal of quitting? You will be quitting on your best customer and cigarettes. Sounds very fitting. Which deal would you like to make Mr. Gonzaga?"

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"My first choice will be E"

"That is correct. Do you just go with random letters too Mr. Guff, or would you prefer to see your results."

"Of course I want to see my results. What idiot wouldn't?" shouted Greg.

A screen on the left side of the room revealed itself showing the results of Greg's guess.

_ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"What a big help that was." said Greg angrily. "Next will be M."

"That is the wrong letter to guess."

Greg was now wondering who was behind the windows. Even if he had a hint of regret, the person behind all this would not let change the situation.

"Damnit all." Greg thought. "I let my anger get the better of me. I need to calm down. Damn I hate this game. I am disappointingly terrible at it."

"L is my next guess."

"Correct Mr. Guff. Here are the results."

_ E L _ _ _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ L _ _ _ _ _ L _ _ _

"At least that one gave me a few letters." Greg said a little calmer now. "Next will be D."

"Again, that is incorrect. Your next guess. You have five wrong and right guesses left."

"Crap. I am wasting my chances here. P is next."

"Wrong! Try again." said the voice happily.

"Well I am glad at least one of us is having fun. Piece of sh…"

"Your next letter please." interrupted the voice with a slight hint of amusement.

"Bastard. My next letter is O."

"And you finally got another one correct. It is about time."

"I only got two you **** shouted Greg.

"And that is enough to make me bored, especially when such a 'sophisticated' and 'high class' person like yourself is playing. Here is the updated puzzle"

_ E L _ _ _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ O L _ _ _ _ _ L _ _ _

"What hell is this **** raged Greg. "I am only getting a few letters for each right guess."

"Quit your whining and tell me your next letter."

Greg gritted his teeth at the fact that this person was toying with him. He was seriously pissing him off.

"A"

"Wow, another one correct. What a surprise."

_ E L A _ _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ O L A _ _ _ _ L A _ _

"Now the bastard is making fun of me." thought Greg. "He will pay for this. I swear it."

"I will go with T next."

"Now you are on a role. Well done."

_ E L A _ _ _ _ _ E _ T _ _ O L A _ _ _ _ L A _ T

"Remember, you only have 2 more right answers before the person in the blue room dies." warned the voice.

"I have been keeping track. No need to tell me." murmured Greg. "My next guess will be N."

"Well, that is the end of that role. Wrong. Next guess."

"B"

"You actually did not get two wrong in a row. I am surprised." laughed the voice.

"Would you shut up already!" shouted Greg.

"Here are the results." ignored the voice.

_ E L A _ _ _ _ B E _ T _ _ O L A _ _ _ _ L A _ T

"Another useless letter. I hate this game. It pisses me off and never has a point. AAAARRRRRRHHHH!! I will go with H now." Greg randomly picked

"It is funny Mr. Ruff; this 'stupid game' is apparently winning. What does that make the loser." stated the voice absentmindedly. "Anyway, that letter is correct, which means that the person in the blue room will die, and because of your previous actions, you will never know who it is. Here is your updated puzzle."

H E L A _ _ H _ B E _ T _ H O L A _ _ H _ L A _ T

Greg stared at the letters on the board for a while. For a moment, it looked as if he was going to burst into rage again, but a smirk appeared on his face and he started to laugh.

"Cute! Very cute! I like the way that you think. That is quite the humor you have there Mr…."

"You do not deserve my name Mr. Ruff, nor do I care whether you are impressed or what you think is cute. I only care for you answer."

"Fine then." Greg said rather offended. "The answer to your puzzle is HE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS LAST."

"That is correct." confirmed the voice. "I have randomly picked a finger to burn off by rolling a die. On the first role, evens indicated the right hand and odds indicated the left hand. After that, I numbered your fingers, thumb firsts, one through five and rolled again to determine the finger to burn off. In this case, it happens to be your right ring finger. Prepare yourself Mr. Ruff."

Greg could feel the increase in temperature on his right ring finger. It quickly became hotter than boiling water. Greg gridded his teeth in order to keep himself from screaming, but as soon as he started to smell burning flesh, he could no longer hold his voice. He roared in pain and anger. He was going to get revenge for this. After about five minutes of complete pain and agony, the ring finally burnt through Greg's finger. He stood there panting and sweating from the pain.

"Sonfab….tha….hurt!" managed Greg.

"Look on the bright side of things. At least you do not need to use disinfectant or anything. The burning took care of all that. You might want to bandage it with part of your clothing. I am sure it is quite sensitive. With that, please enter into the next room."

A door in between the two windows opened.

"My first letter will be 'A'" said Brad as he leaned back on his chair.

"That is correct Mr. Smith. Next letter?" replied the voice enthusiastically. A piece in the shape of a square falls from the center of the table. Brad's sister-in-law widens her stance. Brad cringes at the site of the woman struggling.

"Here is what your puzzle looks like."

A screen drops from the ceiling, and show the results of Brads guess.

_ _ _ _ _ _ A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"What is your next letter?"

"B"

"That is incorrect." replied the voice.

A square that was the same size as the square that fell from the woman's table fell from the man's. He could be seen screaming as the piece fell. He was shaking terribly. Brad took several more guesses. His other incorrect guesses were C and E, and his corrected guesses were S, T, H, I, and M resulting in his this puzzle.

_ _ _ M S T A _ T T _ _ I _ I S H

Brad's sister-in-law was standing on the narrow border of the table. The table was terribly unstable and Brad's sister-in-law was shaking. Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were telling Brad to save her. The boy's circumstances were not near as severe as Brad's sister-in-law, but he was crying just as much as she was. So much for his tough guy attitude. There was still about a foot and a half left of his table. Brad closed his eyes and tried to see the empty letters in the puzzle, but he could not. He was only decent at these kinds of games. With all else failing, he resorted to the thing he hated most, guessing.

"Take as long as you need Mr. Smith. The last thing that I want is to have you feel rushed. People's live are at stake." informed the voice.

"You think I don't know that." shouted Brad. "It is your fault that anyone is even here. What do you care if someone gets killed? You are only looking for entertainment!"

"Yes, I am looking of entertainment. It may be my fault that they are here, but who's fault will it be if they die?"

"Are you trying to put blame on me?" shouted Brad.

"Not in the slightest. I was just asking who's fault you think it would be." replied the with pleasure.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Just playing a game." laughed the voice.

"Stop messing with people's lives!"

"Then that would be no fun. What is your next guess?"

"Is that all you can thing about!?" Brad yelled as he stood up from his chair.

"As you stated yourself, all I am looking for is entertainment. Your letter please."

Frustrated Brad sat down. This has done what only a very few people have done. He has successfully pissed Brad off. Most of the time he could shrug it off, but this guy was something else.

"I will go with N."

"That letter is…" as the voice paused, Brad had a knot in his stomach. "correct."

Tears began to stream down Brad's face. He opened them to see his sister-in-law's table crumble. Her body seemed to fall in slow motion. When she reached the end of her rope, there was a sudden jolt and she jerked around for a few minutes, but after a while, her body swung lifelessly back and forth. Brad bowed his head and cried into his hands.

"I do not mean to cut short your mourning, but I need the next letter for your puzzle." said the voice. "You did the best you could Mr. Smith, there is nothing to be ashamed of. No reason to cry about trying your hardest."

Brad slowly looked up from his hands and stared at the window.

"I am not crying because I couldn't save her. I am crying because I know the answer right after she died." sobbed Brad.

"And that would be…"

"FROM START TO FINISH."

"That is correct. Well done. At least you saved one of the two. Neither you nor your brother will have to pay for any of the funeral arrangements. It will all be paid and full."

"You think that is going to make what you did ok?"

"Probably not, but it is the least I can do for creating this game. I am willing to make a little offer for you Mr. Smith. You may either decide to kill this boy in order to save the finger you are going to lose, or you can just lose the finger and things go on as if this deal never came up. What do you say?"

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Shauny realized that the chair was the one that his sister gave to him for his birthday several years back. He has been using it for the past four years. It was a little small for him now, but it was still a good chair. He sat down in order to relax a little. He always felt at ease when he sat in his chair. It allowed him to escape into his mind. Unfortunately, this time he could not do that. His frustration was getting the better of him.

"My first letter will be the letter E"

"Correct. Let see the result of your guess."

A rectangular piece of the table, about an inch in width, fell from the back of the table, leaving a hole about an inch and a half in from the back border. Shauny saw that his Tai Chi teacher did not even flinch. He was as calm as if he was having a cup of tea with a friend. Shauny realized that he needed to relax. He took a deep breath and exhaled, then sat up straight. A TV screen lowered from the ceiling and revealed what his puzzle currently looked like.

_ E _ E _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Thanks, I needed that. My next letter will be A."

"Again, that is correct. Very good Mr. Takei. Here are your results."

_ E _ E _ _ E A _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Sadly, it did not help very much."

"Every letter gained helps." replied Shauny.

Another board fell from the teacher's table, except this time, it fell from the front. Again, the teacher did not flinch; it almost looked as if he was humming. Shauny picked five more letters, three wrong and two right. Neither of the two people were in any significant danger.

"I will finish your puzzle. SEVEN DEADLY SINS."

"That is correct answer. Congratulations on your win. Your rewards are the same as before, except you are not allowed to pick the path of knowledge again. I would really find myself bored if the same reward was picked. I think I will give you an extra path that can only be taken now. At the cost of the lives of the two people that have escaped death, you will have a one hundred percent chance of completing your dream of becoming a Cognitive Therapist. Let us call this the path of opportunity. Which is the path that you choose Mr. Takei?"

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Arthur leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes in order to think.

"Four words, thirteen letters, and I am involved." he thought. "This puzzle must have something to do with me. Maybe about my life, no, about my way of thinking. That is what this game is about anyway. They way I think and act."

"I will go with the letter T" Arthur said in calmly. He looked as if he was in a trance.

"That is correct Mr. Douglas. Here is the result of your guess." replied the voice as a screen descended showing the progress of the puzzle.

_ _ T _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Arthur opened his eye to about half way so he so he could see what would happen to the old lady. A rectangular shaped piece fell from the side behind the lady. Arthur sees that she is saying a prayer. It was nothing life threatening at the moment, so he closed his eyes again.

"I will choose E next."

"That is also correct." confirmed the voice. "Here is what your puzzle looks like now."

_ E T _ _ _E _ _ L E _ _

Arthur smiled. He only needed a few more letters to confirm what he suspected the answer to be. This time, Arthur did not open his eyes to see what had happened to the lady. He knew how many more right guessed he had before she died, and he would not need that many tries. In fact, he believed that he only need no more than three more guess.

"I will go with O now."

"You certainly are on a roll Mr. Douglas." said the voice excitedly. "I am very impressed. Here are the results."

_ E T _ _ _E O _ _ E _ _

Again, Arthur did not open his eyes.

"L will be next."

"Now I am beginning to that you know the answer to the puzzle." stated the voice. "If you know it, then please answer it. It is a waste of time anyway and will only end up hurting you.

"All right." answered Arthur. "The answer is 'LET MY PEOPLE GO'"

"That is correct. Well done Mr. Douglas. You conquered your anger and successfully solved the puzzle in four tries. That if very impressive. I did not expect that from you. An exciting game indeed. As for your rewards, they are the same as previously stated, except you will not be allowed to pick the outcome of knowledge. It would be very boring if all you picked was that reward. Nothing would ever happen. Instead, I will give you the outcome of revenge. In this outcome, you will have to sacrifice the two people that just escaped death because you were able to conquer you anger. The question now is whether or not they will be able to survive your revenge. In sacrificing these two people, I will give you the full name and pictures of the man that killed Jill, Sophia, and Elia Douglas. Ohohohoho! This is getting exceedingly exciting and fun. I love coming up with these rewards. Which is the next outcome you would like to have Mr. Douglas?"

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Everyone's Intercom

"Let me explain the environment to you. First, I would like to address the chairs. I once encountered a story named "Bokurano." In the story, several junior high kids are chosen to play a game, and the game is to protect the world from robotic invaders. They are given their own robot to defend their Earth. When they enter their robot, chair appear, one for each of the children. After a few moments, they realize that the chairs were ones that they used. Ironically enough, it resembled them in many ways. It is a brilliant idea, and I instantly fell in love with using objects that someone uses to describe them. It is truly a captivating story and should be looked into once you leave, that is, if you leave. My father got me hooked on researching the messages or references that pop up in a story. One project happened to be the series "Lost." There were many messages that he looked into to help understand the true meaning of the seri… I apologize for trailing off there and trivial things. I always bore people that way. It is a bad habit of mine, and I cannot seem to break it. Moving on to the second thing I would like to address, the color of your room. It resembles the cIassical game of Hangman; a very fitting game for the situation. There are a few changes for the previous game that I would like to bring to your attention. One change is the amount of people playing in this game. There will now be three participants. The next change will be the game of course. We have switch from the game of riddles to a game of hangman. Another change is the amount of tries you get. You will be allowed to guess fourteen letters. The last change is quite obvious. It is the chair in the middle of the room. Make yourself at home."

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Brad tried to ignore the pain, but it would not dissipate. Like the voice had said, it was not enough to burn through, but it sure was at the point where it would almost cause blisters.

"The worst it will do is cause something similar to severe sunburn. It is going to hurt for quite a while, but eventually it will subside." announced the voice.

"I'm not thinking about what will happen. All that matters right now is that it hurts like hell." shot back Brad.

"Wrong, the only thing that really matters right now is the game you are about to play. Look into the left window please."

Brad got up from his chair and walked over to the red side of the room. When he reached the window, the tint started to lighten. Brad realized that the window could now be seen through from both sides. On the other side of the window, Brad could see a neighborhood kid that always tries and be the crap out of him. He could see the kid mouth the words "Help me." He stood on medium table and had a noose around his neck and the remains of a meal could be seen on the floor.

"Why is he here?"

"No time for questions Mr. Smith. Look at the next window."

Irritated that he would not receive an answer, Brad moved to the blue side and gazed into the window. When the tint lightened, Brad could see his brother's wife in a similar situation as the kid from his neighborhood. Feeling helpless, he walked back to his chair and sat down.

"So, what are the rules?"

"As you know, you only have fourteen guesses. For every wrong letter, part of the table in the red room will fall off, but for every right answer, part of the table in the blue room will fall off. If someone dies, you lose a finger. The only way you can save both people and your finger is to solve the puzzle before you get seven right or wrong answers. I will allow you to have a hint. Your answer is a phrase. Let us begin, what is your first letter?"

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"Before you sit down, please move towards the window to the right. I apologize for offering you a seat and then I tell you to stop before you do." apologizes the voice.

"Whatever." mumbled Shauny. As he reached the window, the tint began to clear and Shauny's Tai Chi teacher is standing on a table with a noose around his neck. Shauny flinches, but keeps his cool.

"You think doing this will faze me again." said Shauny attempting to sound humors. "I have already seen someone in a bad situation."

"That is why I brought in a second guest." replied the voice. "Move to the next window and after the person is revealed, please sit down."

Shauny's fists began to shake as he made his way to the second window. When the tint disappears, a well know racist from his school is revealed, who was in the same situation as his teacher. Shauny could barely hold in his anger. Not only did this creep have to involve the ones he loved but also the ones he hates. Shauny returns to his chair as he was ordered.

"Here are the rules. Rule one: You only have a total of fourteen guesses. Rule two: You only have seven right and wrong answers. Rule three: For every wrong letter, the man in the red room will lose a fraction of his table. Rule four: For every right letter, the man in the blue room will lose a fraction of his table. Rule five: If anyone dies, you lose a finger."

"So if I get seven wrong letters, the punk in the red room will die and I will lose a finger, and the only way to save both of them is if I answer the puzzle before I get that many wrong or right answers." asked Shauny.

"Correct, so in reality, you truly only get twelve letters that you can guess at, which is two less than half the alphabet. Your hint: your answer is in the category of "things." Good luck Mr. Takei. What is your first letter?"

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Arthur sits down in his beat up chair and sighs. It was a relief to be able to sit and take a little breather.

"I might actually enjoy this if I had some pizza and whisky." Arthur said to no one in particular.

"You have chosen your reward already Mr. Douglas. It is against the rules to have two rewards for one game. Now, if you would please look at the two windows." the voice said casually. Almost as if he was talking to an annoying colleague at the office.

The tint began to reduce on both sides and two people were revealed. In the red room was the landlord that always gave him hell about paying his rent on time, and in the blue room was an elderly woman that he shared and talked about his origami with. Both were on a table with noose around their necks and crying.

"What the hell are you doing?" shouted Arthur. "They both have families. They don't need to be here."

"You have a family too Mr. Douglas, even if you do not notice it. I also have some sort of family. Everyone is in the same boat here. Just play the game and win, and they will be just fine."

Arthur clamped down his jaw in order to fight back cursing the guy out.

"Let me explain the parts of this case. Part one: You have fourteen guesses. Part two: You are allowed seven right and wrong answers. Part three: You have seven wrong guesses before the person in the red room dies. Part four: You have seven right guesses before you the person in the blue room dies. Part five: If any of the two die, you will lose a finger. You are allowed one hint. The answer to your puzzle is a quotation. Pick your first letter Mr. Douglas."

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Frank sat down at the desk. It felt like he was back in boot camp barely training to be a soldier. It was a very nostalgic feeling. How he had hated those days.

"I will present your game differently than before Mr. Flynn. You are going to have to trust me. Do you?" asked the voice.

"You do not seem like someone that lies or tries to trick people. Everything you have said before came as you said. I trust what you will say." answered Franck a little confused as to why he wanted to know.

"Well said. I am not going to reveal who is behind the windows. The two people are on a table and have a noose on. I have ordered them not to make a sound unless a piece of table falls off. The person in the red room is a convicted terrorist that you failed to kill during one of your earliest missions. In the blue room is your old high school sweetheart, Rebecca Johnson. Here are the restrictions on your game. You are allowed no more than fourteen guesses, seven wrong and seven right guesses. For every wrong guess, the man in the red room will lose a part of his table."

"Let me guess. For every right guess, Rebecca will lose part of her table, and I will end up losing a finger for each person that dies."

"Very impressive Mr. Flynn. I am glad that I picked you to play the game. But you are only partially correct. I will only allow a maximum of one finger to be lost and I will allow you to hear their voices."

"I see. An interesting twist Mr….."

"You may call me Keel. Consider this an honor Mr. Flynn. I did not plan on giving my name to you, but you have entertained me enough to change my mind. Here is the hint that I will give you for solving your puzzle. The answer to your puzzle is a phrase. What will your first letter be?"

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Cnix sat down in his chair and started to tap his fingers on the arm rests.

"How in the world are there seventy-seven people involved in this?" he thought to himself. "This thing is huge!"

"Mr. Blank, if you would draw your attention to the windows." ordered the voice.

Both windows began to reveal what was hidden. In the red room, Cnix's stepmother had a noose around her neck and stood on a table. On the blue side, Kate, one of his best friends, stood in the exact same condition as his stepmother.

"Why did you have to bring those two into the game?"

"Because the game would be boring with just you." stated the voice irritably. "I have already said this. I really do hate repeating myself. No more questions, rewards will be given if you win the game. Here are the pieces of information that you need to know. Piece one: You have only fourteen guesses. Piece two: Only seven right and wrong answers are allowed. Piece three: For every wrong letter, the person in the red room loses a piece of their table. Piece four: For every right letter, the person in the blue room loses a piece of their table. Piece five: If someone dies, you lose a finger."

"So now I have to guess letters and play the game of hangman?" asked Cnix.

"Yes, but first you need to receive your hint. The answer to your puzzle is a phrase. Enjoy. What is your first guess?"

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"Oh, before you sit Mr. Gonzaga, could you please come over to the blue side window, and after that, the red side window?" the voice asked politely.

"Sure. Since you asked so nicely."

Javier walked over to the right window to see that the tint had vanished and in its place was one of Javier's best clients. He laughed at the fact that he appeared in this situation. The guy could never get enough substance to satisfy his urges. The man stood on a table and was crying because of the noose that he had on. Javier then proceeded to the red side window. In the room was a cop that was always on Javier's case. He never stopped his tailing, but was too stupid to know that was executing a deal. His conditions were the same as the man in the other room. Javier gave an evil smile towards the cop then went to sit down.

"I really do like your whole attitude to all this Mr. Gonzaga." declared the voice.

"I am glad you enjoy my presence. May I ask for your name?"

"I think you have earned it. Please, call me Keel from now on. No more distractions. Let me present the rules to you. . Rule one: You only have a total of fourteen guesses. Rule two: You only have seven right and wrong answers. Rule three: For every wrong letter, the man in the red room will lose a fraction of his table. Rule four: For every right letter, the man in the blue room will lose a fraction of his table. Rule five: If anyone dies, you lose a finger. The hint for your puzzle is that your answer is a phrase. What is your first choice?"

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Greg sat in his chair in a rage. He was shaking his leg to calm himself down.

"Mr. Ruff, would you please walk over to the red side windo…" began the voice.

"No!" interrupted Greg. "I don't care who is in there. Just tell me the rules and let me start the game."

"I will allow this disobedience only once, but since you seem extremely irritated, I will allow you to remain sitting. You are only allowed fourteen guesses. Seven wrong ones and seven right ones before someone dies. If someone dies, you will lose a finger. Here is a hint to solving your puzzle. Your answer is a quotation. Chose your first letter."

"What kind of rewards are those!!??" shouted Brad. "You have to pay something to get them!!!"

"I never said that the rewards were going to be something you enjoyed. The rewards are there to make the game more exciting and for me to see what kind of decision you will make. It helps me understand you as a person."

Brad started to feel the anger rise in his chest, but before it began to consume is thinking, he released it with a deep breath. Anger was not something that controlled Brad very often. Even though he was barely becoming an adult, he was quite good at controlling his emotions.

"I have to stay calm. I need to be able to think about the situation and what the best option to take is." A slight look of shock appeared on Brads face.

"Why did I use the word option? Was it because he said while telling me the possible rewards or…"

"Sorry to interrupt your thinking, but I need you to decide what option you are going to chose." interrupted the voice. Brad was brought back from the world of his thinking. He always did this. He would get so wrapped up in what he was thinking; he did not even realize what was going on around him.

"Sorry. It is a bad habit of mine." Brad smirked. "I think I will go with the option of food."

"Interesting. Interesting indeed. Well then, proceed to the next room and your meal will be waiting for you. The rest of the people playing in your game will also receive their meals." A door on the opposite side of the room that Brad had entered opened. He gradually made his way towards the door. He looked at his hands expecting the heat or a change of color, but nothing happened. As he entered, he looked up to see that this room was quite different than the previous one. The left side was a bright red with a tinted window in the middle of the opposite side of the room, while the right side was a bright blue with a tinted window in the middle of the opposite side of the room. The only think that was similar to the other room was the intercom in the upper-right corner of the room. In the middle of the room, there was a video game chair with the Nintendo™ logo on the back of it. That was the chair he used for studying, playing video games, and everything thing else that involved sitting for a period of time. Next to it laid a plate with six vegetarian sushi pieces and a bottle of water.

"Please enjoy your meal Mr. Smith. It took quite a bit of research to figure out what I should you if you asked for the meal. The rest are receiving their meals as we speak."

Brad hurries to the plate and starts eating. As Brad is eating, the door quietly shuts. After a few moments, there were barely any traces of food or water left.

"Ah! That was refreshing." exclaimed Brad. "But why have my rings not heated up?"

"I prefer to give the rewards before the requirements. Like paying after you eat at a restaurant." replied the voice. Soon after the voice finished talking, Brad could feel the heat from the rings. It continued until if felt like his knuckles were in hot bath water. Brad gridded his teeth and took the pain.

"With your meal finished, we will now proceed to the development of your next game."

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"A difficult choice." Shauny thought. "Pain for food, and I am getting quite hungry. I wonder how long I've been here. I could save her in exchange for one of my fingers. The fourth path isn't an option. But the second one........"

"I will choose the path of knowledge, but I need to think of my questions first." declared Shauny.

"That is perfectly fine. Take your time and truly consider your question." replied the voice. Shauny stood for a long moment before asking his questions.

"Ok. I have my questions. First, what did you nearly let slip? It has been bugging me ever since it happened."

"Let me try to remember what I was saying. A lot has happened since then. Ah yes. I almost said something about another participant's information. It is not for me to speak about, so I cannot tell you exactly what I was going to say."

"Second, what is the reason for this 'game'?"

"That one is quite simple. I was bored with the everyday life so I decided to play a game with people, and I am sure a good story will come out of it. Also, people tend to take their life for granted and I am tired of it happening. Once you have finished, that is if you finish, I truly hope that you can understand how great your life really is."

Shauny carefully considered his last question. In the end, he decided to go with the emotional question.

"Third, where is my sister now?"

"She is safely on her way back home. The question you need to ask yourself now is whether or not you are going to be able to go back as well. Now that you have had your fill of your reward, could you please enter into the next room?"

A door to Shauny's left opened. Feeling a little disappointed at the answers to the questions, Shauny entered into the next room. After Shauny had entered, the door automatically shut. It seemed quite strange compared to the last room. The rooms color was split down the middle with bright read on the left side and blue on the right, and two tinted windows. One was in the middle of the red wall on the opposite side of the room and the other window was parallel to it on the blue side. There was also a small, but comfy looking, chair in the middle of the room that was facing towards the tinted windows. Of course, there was the intercom in the upper-left of the room. Shauny walks over to the chair to realize that it was the one that he had in his room back home.

"You better get comfortable Mr. Takei because we are about to go over the profile of your next game." announced the voice.

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"Those are not even rewards for a game, more like punishment." shouted Arthur.

"They are here for me to see what kind of person you are and what decisions you will make, not for your enjoyment. A game is only important when the people watching your turn are thrilled." replied the voice with a chuckle.

"What is the outcome you wish for?"

Arthur stood there in a rage, but after a few moments, he calmed down enough to reply to the voice's question.

"Since you probably won't tell me who is here, how many people do I know do you have here?"

"Well, subtracting the person that just left, nine left." replied the voice in an annoyed tone.

"Why have you picked me and people related to me for this game?" asked Arthur.

"You seemed a better candidate than an average person. Something has happened in your life to make it do a one-eighty. Having an average person would be boring. You add excitement." said the voice enthusiastically.

"Will I ever come face to face with you?"

"Most likely not. Once you are through with this game, you will never have to hear from me again. Since that was your final question, please proceed to the next room."

Feeling frustrated that he was never going to be able to beat the instigator of this game to a pulp, Arthur walked to the door that had opened opposite the side he had entered. When he entered he realized that the room was significantly different. Not only had the room switched from white to being bright red and blue with two tinted windows in center of each half of the opposite wall. The left side of the room was red, with the right side was blue. Both were in the middle of each colored side. There was also a rugged looking chair in the middle of the room.

"I brought a chair from your house so that the environment will seem a little bit homier. Take a seat Mr. Douglas, because this next case may give you quite the shock.

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"I figured that the rewards would be something as twisted as they are. It is the only thing that was missing so far." stated Frank.

"I am delighted that you expected as much. It seems that th…There I go again, mentioning things that are not needed yet. I apologize for my absentmindedness. Which topic would you like to take Mr. Flynn?"

"I choose the position of knowledge," Frank replied instantly. He had no wish to endure any pain, nor sacrifice others. Food was a necessity, but he could get to that later.

"First question: What do you want with me?"

"I merely want to play a game with someone that I see fit to play a game with. That is all." replied the voice.

"Ok then. Second question: Why include anybody in this sick game of yours?"

"I was feeling bored with the way things were going. Everyone is so caught up in their supposed 'misery,' that they cannot see the wonderful and elegant life in front of them. Either too caught up in work or tragedy to actually live life. I will show the world what they really need to care about. Life."

"That is quite the mouthful there. Third Question: Is there anybody else here?"

"There are many people here. Now that you question limit has been reached, would you mind proceeding to the next room."

As a door on the opposing side that Frank had entered opened, he turned away from the window and nodded to himself. Satisfied with the information that he had acquired, Frank walked towards the door and entered. As he was examining his surroundings, the door silently closed behind him. It was oddly colorful after only being in white rooms. The left half was a bright red with a tinted window in the middle of the opposite end, whereas the right side was bright blue with a tinted window in the middle of the opposite end. A metal desk that is used in cramped cIassooms at a cheap school could be seen in the middle of the room.

"Sit down Mr. Flynn, the briefing of the next game will begin shortly."

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Cnix remained quiet after he received his list of rewards. He absorbs the silence, an experience he know quite well, and looks round the room on the other side of the window.

"Well I guess that is the last time I will see her..."

"I have many ways of getting information on finding people. If I am satisfied with your performance in the game, I may be willing to help you contact her again, aaaannndd help her with her addiction." replied the voice.

"WHAT!? How and why would you do that!!??" exclaimed Cnix in udder shock.

"If you are asking a question, I am guessing you are going to go with the scenario of knowledge, and I do not allow you to change your reward once you have picked. Are you using that as one of your questions?" Cnix flinched at that he fact that he picked a reward by accident.

"I can figure out how he can do that later, right now I need to ask meaningful questions." he thought.

"No, I will not use that as one of my questions. My first question will be about what you let slip. I have guessed that what you let slip what that there were other people involved in this game. How many are there?"

"If you are asking how many there were to begin with, and not including myself. Seventy-seven people are here." A look of horror appeared across Cnix's face.

"That is insane! How could you gather that…" but Cnix stops himself before he made another mistake and asked a useless question.

"Next, you seem to be interested in my favorite color favorite color. What's yours?" asked Cnix as he took another glance at his ebony rings.

"I would have to say the darker shade of teal. I am not sure why, it just always caught my eye."

"Final question, what happens once I run out of rings? Whether they burn off a finger or are released, it does not matter."

"Hopefully nothing, well, unless you step on them when and if one of them is still hot. I would assume you would go on living unless you have some sort of deep connection with your fingers and you commit suicide. Now that your questions have been answered, continue to the next room."

Cnix felt that this game was bigger that what he had originally thought and knew that it growing even larger. Cnix turned to see a door on the wall left of the window had opened which he walked over to and entered. The first thing that he noticed as he invaded the silent room was his rolling chair that he always used at home. The next thing that was different about the room was its color. The room was divided by bright colors of red and blue. The left side was dominated by the red and the right side by blue.

"What game do you have planned now?" demanded Cnix.

"The time for questions has ended. A new game is about to be presented so you better get in a familiar spot. The summary of your next game will begin shortly."

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"You're joking right? Do you really not know what I am going to pick?" laughed Javier.

"I like to have the contestant say what they choose. If I choose for you, it would not really be your reward, but turn into something that I wish to happen. I want the player to feel like he actually has a choice." replied the voice.

"I choose freedom. Like I give a f*** about the person who is going to die. Everyone dies eventually, I just sped his up."

"I expected nothing less from you Mr. Gonzaga. I will remove a ring now."

Javier could feel a little bit of pressure being removed from his right thumb. He used his left had to remove the ring and looked into the inside of the ring. There was nothing special about it. Smooth as can be.

"Why don't I have to watch first?"

"You should be able to enjoy your reward before you suffer the consequences, not that you are going to suffer anyway. Speaking of which, here is your friend Mark now."

Mark entered the room again through one of the side walls. A surprised look manifested on his face as the two door close. His voice could not be heard, but he speaking, and was not pleased at the fact that he ended up in the same room as before. Probes begin to extend from the wall. Javier can see that the probes are electrified and that Mark was frightened. He backed up into the center of the room and started to spin around to find an escape. Unfortunately for him, there was none. The probes reached Mark and began to shock him. After a few long moments of Mark thrashing, the probes retraced and Mark went limp. Only a look of pleasure could be seen on Javier's face.

"That was not as near as exciting as I would have hoped. A little anticlimactic even. I suppose that is to be expected from you Mr. Gonzaga. Now that the requirement for your deal is complete, please proceed to the next room."

"I don't even think that counts as a requirement." stated Javier as he made his way to the door that had just opened. When he entered the room, he examined the room. The color for the left side was bright red and the right side was a bright blue. An old, beaten chair rested in the middle of the room, the one from his rundown apartment room.

"The chair is there if you want to sit Mr. Gonzaga, the information on your next game will be given briefly."

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Greg could not stop his laughing. He had doubled over and had tears in his eyes.

"This is too easy. I thought I was going to be challenged." Greg chuckled as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Now, back to business. It looks like my finger will be saved. Ian is insignificant and a disgrace to the world as we know it. I prefer to have my right index finger to be saved; I use it to test the temperature of a meal before eating it."

"The flavor of freedom it is."

The ring on Greg's left pinky relieved some pressure. Shocked, Greg pulled it off.

"But I asked for my right index finger to be saved."

"First, I never said you get to choose. Second, I would not let someone as pompous and annoying as you get what you want. You do that with your normal life, not this one. Your friend Ian's death will be presented shortly. Watch."

Ian reentered the room a door right next to the one he had exited. Confused he turns around and sees the two doors shut. Panicked, he begins to pound on the spot where the door had closed. Concealed barrels reveal themselves. Ian slowly backs up and as he reaches the center of the room, the barrels fire. Hundreds of bullets pierce his body and his blood sprays all over the room. Ian falls to the floor and a pool of blood begins to collect.

"Since you have taken the time to finally shut up, continue to the next room." ordered the voice.

Furious, Greg stormed to the door that had opened. When he entered, his irritation caused him not to notice the change of color in the room. The left side's color changed to a bright red, and the right side's color changed to a bright blue. He dashed to the large, leather chair and sat down. He propped his elbows onto his knees and his chin on his crossed hands.

"Let's get this next game over with." Greg ordered. "I am already bored of this annoying venture that you have created.

"What happened to the joy that you were showing me just a few moments ago? Not very funny or pleasing once you cannot control what happens, is it? Anyway, your next game will begin.

Brad took a few steps back from the window and turned around. He crouched monkey style and put a fist under his chin to think. After a while of think and mumbling to himself, he turned back towards the window, then he turned to where the intercom was and gave his answer.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure you want that to be your answer?" asked the voice.

"Yes. Nothing is the answer to your riddle."

"…I see…Congratulations; you correctly answered the riddle Mr. Smith." A door opens in the room that Brad's mother is in. Brad can see his mother's head turn towards the ceiling as if someone was talking to her. Tears can be seen streaming down her face. After a few moments, she walks through the door and the door closes.

"Well now, we have a few options we can do now." said the voice. "As I have previously said, you get a little prize. One option is the option of pain. You are allowed to save someone that may or may not be involved in this game, but there is a cost for this prize. After your request, you will lose one of your fingers. Again, this person may or may not be involved. Another option is the option of freedom. You can save one of your fingers. I will release the hold that the ring has on your finger, but the person that just left the other room will have to die and you will have to watch their death. It is only appropriate to watch someone's demise that you caused. The next option is the option of knowledge. Questions can be asked about my game and me. Of course there is a limit to what you can ask. Let me see, I think I will limit you to three questions. I will generously make this free of cost. The last option is the option of food. You will be allowed to eat a meal that will calm you down and allow you to feel a little bit more comfortable. With this, it will also allow all of the people involved in your game to also enjoy a meal. This will come at the cost though. Every single ring on your finger will heat up, not enough to burn through, but enough to cause a slight but constant pain. Which option will you choose Mr. Smith?"

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"A riddle game." Shauny thought to himself. "Interesting. And what did he almost let slip… No, there is no time to worry about that right now. I need to figure this out, for my sister's sake as well as mine."

Shauny started to pace back and forth while mumbling the riddle to himself. "Hmm... touched by fire, I am bright........magnesium? No, that's too simple. It doesn't fit with the rest anyway. Come on, think, THINK!"

Shauny was beginning to feel panicked. He had constant thoughts that he needed to hurry and say his answer. He felt rushed and could not think clearly. After a few moments of pacing, he could not stand the tension any longer so he said the best answer he could come up with.

"Touched by fire......alive at night.....use me too much...........What about an old medieval torch?" Shauny crossed his fingers as he waited for the reply.

"Hummmm. In a sense, I suppose that could be the right answer. I am feeling generous at the moment. I think I will allow that answer." answered the voice. A door in the room opens and Shauny's sister is hesitant to go throw, but after a while of what looked like her listening to someone, she entered.

"The answer I was looking for was "candle," but in that time period you are talking about, a torch could be considered a candle. So I will have to say that you got the correct answer. There are few paths that can be taken now. The first path is the path of food. Every person involved in your game will receive a meal, but at the cost of raising the heat of all of your rings. It will not be enough to burn through, but just the right amount to cause constant pain. The second path is the path of knowledge. You can ask me a maximum of three questions about my game and me. This path will be free of charge. The third path is that of pain. You are allowed to save one person from this game. The person that you choose to save may or may not be involved. It does not matter if the person is playing or not, the cost for this path is that you have one of your fingers burned off. The fourth and last path is the path of freedom. You will be allowed to free one of your fingers from one of my rings. The cost for this path is the death of the person that just left. That and you have to watch the fate you have placed the person in. Which path will you walk Mr. Takei?"

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Arthur was left in silence to contemplate the riddle he was given. He walked over to the wall and leaned against it. He crossed his right leg over is left and started to shake his right leg.

"If I solve this riddle of yours, you'll let my brother go?" Arthur yelled at the intercom.

"Those are the rules." replied the voice from the intercom.

"Fine. Not like anything bad could come out of this."

He walked back to the window and put his hand on the window and started to think. "Hmmm. Insect, band....." Arthur then lowered his face and answered, "It's a Beetle. It's strangely simple for this kind of situation."

"A simple riddle for a simple man." shot back the voice.

"What are you trying…" but he stopped as a door opened up in the room his brother was in. His brother hesitated a moment, but after a few moment of what looked like listening, he entered.

"I believe that an individual picks his destiny, not the other way around. Here are the outcomes that you can pick. One outcome ends in a little freedom. I will detach one of your rings, but you will have to watch the man that just left the other room die. Take into mind that there will be consequences if you refuse to watch. A different outcome is one that ends in a meal. You and the people playing in your game will all be allowed to receive a meal, allowing everyone to calm down a bit and look at how they can survive this situation a little better. This outcome will activate every ring on your fingers to heat up. Not enough to burn through your fingers, but adequate enough to cause ongoing pain. The next outcome ends with a little bit more knowledge than you started with. Three questions may be asked about my game and me. I will allow the outcome to come without a price. The last possible outcome is one that ends in pain. You will be permitted to save someone, who may or may not be involved, from your game. This will come at the cost of one of your fingers though, so think carefully. Now, Mr. Douglas, which outcome would you like to pick?"

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Frank stared at his mother for a long, furious moment. Then he sighed and turning away to clear his head. He went over the question for a while. But then he saw the trick and he smiled to himself.

"No dirt at all. It's a hole."

Inside, Frank was praying that he got it right. It was going to take more than cockiness and sarcasm to get him out of this 'game'.

"It took you a little longer than I expected you to take, but I am pleased to tell you that you have correctly answered my riddle." A door opened in the room with Frank's mother. She looked up at a one of the room's corners and then nodded her head. She then proceed throw the door.

"Now…there a few positions you can take. Position one will allow for you know more about my game and me. Let us call this the position of knowledge. This position allows you to ask me three questions with nothing at stake. Position two will allow you to save someone's life, which may be playing, but then again, they may not. Unfortunately, this will need something else to be sacrificed. That something will have to be one of your fingers. We will call this the position of pain. Position three will allow you and everyone involved in your game to receive a meal. This one also has a sacrifice, but not as terrible as position two's. Every single one of your rings will heat up to a point where it will cause constant pain, but not so much to actually burn off your fingers. The name of this position will be food. Position four will allow you to save one of your fingers. I will release one of the rings that have a hold of one of your fingers. The price of this is watching the death, which you will cause, of the woman that just left the other room. So Mr. Flynn, which position will you set up in?"

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Cnix sits on the ground cross-legged to think. He begins to tap his fingers on the floor to create some noise so that it will drown out the nerve-racking silence. After a while of thinking throw the riddle, he finds out that that answer to the riddle is at the beginning of it.

"The third child's name is Billy."

"That is correct Mr. Blank. Here is the fruit of your labors." As soon as the door in the room opens, the woman dashes through. Funny think that there was no hesitation given the situation she was in.

"A few scenarios are possible at this moment. The scenario for food is first. Every player involved in your game, including yourself, will be given a meal to calm the nerves and fill the stomach. However, you must first pay the price of heating up your rings. The will not burn through your fingers, but cause a significant amount of constant pain. The scenario for knowledge will be second. I will allow you to ask me three questions about the game you are playing or about me, your choice. This scenario will not have a price on it. The scenario of freedom shall be third. This scenario will allow for one of your rings to be detached from a finger. This scenario's price is quite more expensive then scenario one's. You will have to watch the demise of the woman that just left the room beyond the window. The scenario of pain will be fourth. This scenario will save one person, who may or may not be involved, from your game. Although the price is not as high as scenario three's, it is still a heavy price. You will have to suffer the pain of having one of the rings burn through one of your fingers. Which scenario would you like to see played out Mr. Blank?"

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Javier continued to smile, but in truth, he was a little bit of a dilemma. He remembers someone telling him this riddle before, but he never really cared for the answer so he did not really listen to the answer. Normally he would have just let his friend die, but in this case, he would end up losing a finger. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what the person asked him the question. After a few moment of remembering, he chuckled.

"The answer to your riddle sh!t bag is really simple." Javier turned to face the intercom.

If you were the other spirit and I asked you where heaven is, where will you point me? Simple really. The truthful one will point to hell and the liar will also point to hell too cause he is lying about where his brother will point, which is heave, so he too will point to hell. You then go to the opposite door they point to." He then turned back towards the window to observe his friend.

"I deal with liars every day so I know how to work the truth out of them without them knowing."

"I am truly impressed Mr. Gonzaga. You have just answered what is considered the hardest riddle in the world. I really am going to enjoy playing with you. I cannot wait to see what you choose for your reward." A door in Javier's friend's room opens up. At first he was reluctant to go through, but he could be seen looking around the room. After a few moments, the man slowly enters the door.

"Now then, we have a few deals that we can make. We can make the deal of freedom, which I think you will enjoy, but that is just me. This deal releases one of the rings on one of your fingers. The only price you have to pay, which may not seem much to you, is the life of the man that just exited the other room. We can also make the deal of pain. I do not think I should present this one to you, but I follow the rules I set up. This deal saves the life of one person who may or may not be playing in your game, but your sacrifice will have to be one of your precious fingers. Like I said, I do not think you will pick this one. There is also the deal of knowledge. This deal will allow you to ask a maximum of three questions about my game and me, and I will charitably make this deal free of charge. The last deal we can make is the deal of food. Every person participating in your game will be given a meal to calm the nerves. The only price for this deal is increasing the temperature of all your rings, to a heat that will cause constant pain. Which deal would you like to make Mr. Gonzaga?"

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Greg tapped his chin lightly while thinking of the riddle.

"I know the answer to this simple riddle, is Ian worth it? He is always kind of annoying. Well, I have to answer the riddle correctly because I don't want to lose a finger. Even if the answer is illogical." Greg thought as he looked into the room that held Ian, one of his closest friends. He sighed and turned towards the intercom.

"Your riddle is simple and mindless. The woman is a minister."

"Please refrain from being a critic outside of work. It is quite annoying and unnecessary. Anyway, it seems that you have answered the riddle correctly." A door in the room with Greg's supposed friend in it opened. The man collected himself and calmly walked through the door.

"A few flavors can be tasted as a result of your answer. The flavors of food, freedom, knowledge, and pain are available, but only one can be tasted. The flavor of food gives the people playing your game, counting yourself, a delicious and calming meal. The only requirement that needs to be met is the increased temperature of your rings so that they cause a constant pain. The flavor of freedom removes one of your rings. The requirement need to receive this flavor is the death of the man that just exited the room you are currently gazing into. Of course you will have to watch the death of the man you chose to kill over a finger. The flavor of knowledge, which happens to be free of a requirement, allows you to ask me three questions about my game and me. The flavor of pain, which does not seem to suit your tastes, saves the life of one individual that may or may not be participating in your game. The requirement for this flavor is one of your tasteless fingers. Which flavor would you like to taste? The choice is yours Mr. Ruff."

A college student of about twenty-two or so was lying on the ground staring at the clean, white roof. He had blond hair, which needed to be died again because the original black hair was beginning to show. He had dark blue eyes and was average height and weight. He wore black and blue shoes, black, baggy jeans, with a black shirt with blue many blue skulls scattered across it. His black hoodie and RE5 messenger back, which he always had with/on him, were missing. He lifted his right hand to his face in order to examine the rings around his fingers. They were deep ebony. It was as if you were staring into eternal darkness. He let his hand fall to the floor and sighed. He showed no signs of moving from the spot.

"Could you please continue to the next room? I would like to continue." ordered the voice from the intercom.

"Why? You are going to kill me anyways."

"Only if you do not do as I ask or fail to complete a task I give you."

With a sigh, the man reluctantly got up and slowly moved to the door. He opened and entered it. As it automatically closed behind him, he looked around at the room. Only a tinted window and an intercom in the upper-left of the room were visible.

"It is really annoying that I have to ask you to continue Mr. Cnix Blank. You are the sec…Ah! I did it again. I really need to stop thinking out loud. Sorry for my slight deviation. Your life has not been too pleasant has it Mr. Blank? A druggy for a mother, who happened to leave you and your family when you were five, a vicarious father who favors your bother and has him live the life he wanted, a step-mother who seems to hate you, an older sister who thinks she is the center of the universe, and younger brother who seems to be everything that you are not. You found two friends in high school and left your father's house as soon as you could. You are now a second year student at Yale. Your natural eye color is brown, but for some reason you wear contacts that are dark blue. Natural eye and hair color are always the best. I do not know why people constantly wish to change it. You do not really have much of a social life, which I do not understand why; you would be quite the lady killer."

"Why are you doing all this?" asked Cnix.

"Ah yes. I got caught up in reading your profile. I apologize for my absentmindedness. It is just that I have d…*sigh* Again, saying things I do not need to say yet. Getting back to why you are here, we need to start your game. I need you to answer this riddle."

Billy's mom had a quarter, a nickel, and a dime. Her first kid is named quarter, her second kid is named nickel, what is the name of her third kid?

"And like I said when I introduced myself, this game would be no fun if there was only one player. So, to make it more exciting, I found someone for you to play with. Look at the window please."

A woman with short, straight, black hair is lying on the floor. She covers her eyes when the lights turn on. There is a visible birth mark on her right wrist that is in the shape of a perfect circle. A look of shock spread across Cnix's face.

"Where in the world did find you get my mom!!??" Cnix shouted. " And why is she here?"

"She was in New York City. I admit, she was a hard person to find, but everyone leaves a trace. For the reason she is here, it is to play the game with you of course."

"She shouldn't be invol…" started Cnix.

"I hate to interrupt, but I need your answer. I am a little behind my schedule. Your answer please."

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A kid of about eighteen was calmly sitting against the wall. He looked as if he was in deep thinking. He wore white sneakers with "Death" written, in black, on both sides, black jeans with many tears in them, a white shirt with a black grim reaper printed on it, and a black, studded leather jacket. It was the appearance of someone very shady and someone you do not want to get involved with, unless there was a certain substance that you wanted to get a hold of. He had brown eyes with spiky black hair. He looked at the rings on his fingers. They were awing gold. He smirked at the irony of them being his favorite color. He then picked himself off the ground and started towards the door. He stood about six feet tall and looked around one-hundred ninety pounds, and from the tightness of his shirt, he looked greatly ripped as well. He opened the door and continued to the next room. He examined the room as the door automatically shut behind him. There was a tinted window to the right and a intercom in the upper-left corner of the room.

"Hmmmmm. Mr. Javier Gonzaga. You are quite the criminal. You dropped out of school in Jr. High after your parents died, and started selling drugs in order to earn money, which introduced your sister to Cocaine and getting addicted to it, and then it only goes downhill from there. You have murdered many people, only use people in order to get what you need, live in a rundown apartment, and use any means necessary to get what you want. You really do not care about anyone but yourself. It is going to be interesting seeing your progression."

"Are we going to start this game or what?" said Javier as he absentmindedly dusted off his jacket. "You have put me behind my schedule. I need to go make the money you lost me."

"Hahahaha! I think I am going to enjoy playing with you Mr. Gonzaga. As you wish, I will present your riddle to you, but I shall make it quite hard since you interrupted me and wish to proceed so fast."

You die and find yourself in an all white room. In this room there are two closed doors. One door leads you to heaven and the other to hell. There are two spirits in the room with you, one can never lie and the other can never tell the truth. You need to find the door which leads you to heaven. The rules are you are only allowed to ask one question which both spirits will answer. Then you must walk through a door. What question will you ask?

"This game seems pretty boring to me." said Javier sarcastically.

"That is because you are alone right now and why I took the liberty to get to know you and your life style. Now, if you would take a look at the window." A man of about twenty-five jumped and covered his eyes from the sudden exposure to light. As soon as Javier saw the man he smiled.

"You think this is going to faze me?" asked Javier. "Just because he is my best friend, does not mean it is going to psyche me out or anything."

"And that is why I am going to like you Mr. Gonzaga. Playing for you and not worrying about anyone else. The question now is whether or not you want to lose a finger, which I am going to guess is a no. Now if you would, your answer."

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A man of around twenty-five was standing and wiping off his business suit. It was a typical everyday businessman suit. Black jacket, slacks, and dress shoes with a white under shirt and a black tie. He had blond hair that was slicked back and wend to the nape of his neck and had elegant blue eyes. He was of average build, height, and weight. The man picked looked at his hand to see majestic white rings.

"A color for magnificence." said the man to himself. He smiled to himself and walked to the door and opened it. When he entered, he examined the room. It was almost an exact replica of the last room except for the tinted window to the left and an intercom in the upper-left corner of the room.

"What bland rooms this person has." said the man to no one.

"I apologize for not having it to your liking, but I like to present my players with a clean beginning Mr. Greg Ruff. You seem to be a man of high tastes. You go around the world and critique food from a variety of sources and write articles about them for the New York Times. Ever since you were little you have been critiquing food, giving more bad reviews than good ones. Your family is rather large and with your snobby and pompous attitude you have not gained many friends, but the ones that are your friends, are rather loyal and trustworthy. Savannah Tomas seems to be the…"

"What do you want with me?" interrupted Greg.

"Please do not interrupt me while I am talking. As I was saying, Savannah Tomas seems to be the woman that you have a crush on and ironically, your favorite food and drink are "Cup of Noodles" and water. You have also gathered quite the bit of enemies with your career. You want to be the most renowned critic and own a five star restaurant. And to answer your previous question, all I want is to play a game with you."

"And what game would that be?" asked Greg.

"Well, it is more of a collection of… Oh! Almost let something slip again. Right now you are to answer this little riddle."

A woman from a city marries 10 guys. She's not breaking any laws, how is this possible?

"And to add a little to the flavor to the situation, I have added another participant. Look into the window please."

When the light turns on, a slightly chunky, man with blond, curly hair, also wearing a suit, can be seen defending his eyes for the shower of light he just received. Greg did not even flinch at the sight of his friend, just stared blankly into the window.

"I will assume that he will die if I answer incorrectly?"

"Quite right, well, that and you will lose a finger. Very perceptive of you Mr. Ruff. Now, if you would so kindly give me your answer."

Greg looked as if he was debating whether or not he should answer correctly or not.

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Chapter 1: Riddles

"Since boredom advances and boredom is the root of all evil, no wonder, then, that the world goes backwards, that evil spreads. This can be traced back to the very beginning of the world. The gods were bored; therefore they created human beings.

----Soren Kierkegaard

A boy of around sixteen or seventeen got up from the ground and dusted himself off. He wore jeans, what a plain T-shirt, and for some reason, no sock. He was about six and a half feet, and about 185lbs. He shielded his eyes from the sudden burst of light. His white sneakers squeaked against the strangely clean floor.

"Man, this joke ain't funny." When he reached for the door he extended his hand to turn the door knob, but stopped when he saw the rings. They were Navy Blue. "What the hell was this!? Why are they my favorite color?" The boy began to realize that this was not a joke. The only person he had ever told his favorite color to was best friend, Brad. This was getting creepy. The boy then opens the door to find a room similar to the one before it, except for the darkly tinted wind to the left side of the room. He walked in and the door automatically shut.*

"Ah yes, Mr. Brad Smith." said the voice. "You are a very interesting character. A very comedic person I see. You seem to be more on the justice side of things and would rather have yourself in danger than family and friends. You have a crush on a girl named Marsha, but you do not have the courage to say anything about it. Home schooled in New York, Long Island, and some of the local punks hate the fact that you stay at home all day, so you have to watch your back when you go out, and you wish to work for Nintendo. There is more, but that would just be beating a dead horse. I am glad that you can join me as a player of this game."

Brad looks around to see if anyone is around but only sees the intercom in the top, right side corner of the room. "This is not funny!!! Let me out of here."

"When you play with an attitude like that, of course it will not be funny. It all depends on your point of view. Besides, this is supposed to be a thrilling game, not a funny game. Now, here is the first part of your game. Solve this riddle."

What is greater than God and more evil than the devil? The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die. What is it?

"Oh, and like I said before, this would not be too much fun if it was only you at stake. Take a look at the window to the left." Brad turns and faces the window. A light from inside turns on and reveals what is hidden. There was a woman with mid-back length brown hair wearing a pair of plain jeans and shirt protecting her eyes from the light.

"Mom!!!" Brad runs towards the window and starts to pound on it. "What have you done to her?"

"Nothing…yet. It all depends on you and your answer. If you get it right, nothing happens to her and she is free to leave and you get to get a little prize, but if you get it wrong, the hidden guns will end her life. Now please your answer."

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Another boy, about seventeen or eighteen, is in a similar situation. His room is exactly the same as Brad's. He gets up off the ground and checks to make sure he is alright. His red, shoulder length, hair dangled in front of his green eyes as he moved around. He had a black shirt with Batman's logo on the front. His dark grey jeans were held up with a black belt, which had a lion-shaped belt buckle, and had a chain with a FMA pendant attached to it. His black trainers with green writing on the side stood out against the squeaky clean floor.

"Man, I do not have time for this. What kind of game is this?" The boy runs a hand through is hair and then examines the rings on his fingers. They were a forest green. With a sigh, the boy walks over to the door and turns the handle. After he walks into the next room, the door automatically closes behind him.

"Well hello Mr. Shauny Takei. Yet an….Oops. Almost let something that you do not need to know yet slip. How absent minded of me. You are quite the thinker Mr. Takei, trying to become a Cognitive Therapist at seventeen? You even got accepted into Empire State University. Very Impressive! You are willing to sacrifice yourself for those close to you and only really get into a conversation if you are interested in it. Your father has passed away, I am sorry to hear. You in enjoy drawing, video games, and…OH, creative writing. I am glad to meet another person who enjoys the art. Well now, it is a pleasure to have you participate in this game with me. I do hope you enjoy it."

Shauny looks around for the person that speaking to him, but only finds an intercom in the top-left corner of the room and on the opposite side, there is a darkly tinted window. "Who and where are you?"

"This is not the time to be asking questions." replied the voice. "This is the time for answers. Here is a little riddle for you to think about, but…before you answer, be sure to remember that if you get it wrong, one of those ring will heat up and burn through your finger."

Touched by fire, I am bright.
Constant use changes my height.
Alive at night, out all day,
Use me too much and I will disappear. What am I?

"Let us not forget what I said earlier. This would be boring if it was only you playing, right? Please, look to your right at the tinted window please." A light turns on inside to expose a girl, a few years younger than Shauny, with waist length red hair, green eyes, and wearing a dress with many vibrant colors covering her eyes from the sudden rupture of light. A look of shock appears on Shauny's face.

"Why is my sister here?" With a sigh, the voice answered very disappointedly.

"Because, this game would not be fun if it was only you. Every game if a lot better with more people. If you only have one or two, the game ends way too quickly. Now, your answer please."

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A man in his later thirties picked himself off the floor. He wore black shoes and fabric pants with a belt, a white button up shirt with a gray trench coat. A shoulder gun holster could be seen as he got up, but the gun was now missing, and a watch peeked out of his right sleeve. He examined the rings on his fingers. A pain shot through his body as he saw the elegant green rings, the color of his wife's eyes. Tears began to build up in his eyes. He slumped against the wall and slid down.

"Mr. Arthur Douglas, please continue to the next room." said the voice from the intercom. Arthur considered ignoring the order, but after a moment he got back up and slowly moved to the door. He turned the knob and entered into the next room. As the door automatically closed behind him, he examined the room. There was an intercom in the top-left corner and a tinted window to the right.

"I am glad you have decided to precede Mr. Douglas. I did not want to have to activate one of the rings so soon. Moving on, you have quite a sad story Mr. Douglas. Your wife and two were murdered while you were away investigating another case…"

"Don't you dare talk about my family as if you know them!!!" shouted Arthur.

"Please, do not interrupt while someone is talking. Now where was I? Ah yes, your occupation. You were quite the private detective, until the unfortunate tragedy with your family. Since then, you have shut yourself away from the world and drown yourself in alcohol. Quite disappointing really."

"Shut up! You do not know anything!" roared Arthur.

"And I said not to interrupt someone while they are talking. If you do so again, I may accidently activate one of those lovely colored rings of yours. Continuing, the only people that actually have a role in your life now are Jessica Neil, an ex-student of yours that is now taking care of you, and your landlord that constantly annoys you for rent that you fail to pay. In your spare time, which you seem to have a lot of, you drink, quite a lot I might add, read, complete brain teasers, and origami. Very strange hobbies for a person like you. Your brother, Steve Douglas, and sister, Sister Mary Mason, constantly worry about your health and try to stay in contact with you. If it was not for Ms. Neil, they would never know how you were doing. You are ambidextrous, but prefer your right hand. A very interesting person. It is now time for the game to start. Please answer the following riddle."

I am an insect, & the first half of my name reveals another insect. Some famous musicians had a name similar to mine. What am I?

"And as I have said before, this game would be very boring if it was played by you alone. So in order to make this more interesting, I have brought someone you know along for the ride. Look at the window please." Arthur moves to the window and a light turns on inside. A man a few years younger than Arthur is sitting in the middle of the room with his eyes closed because of the light. A raged and surprised look appeared on Arthur's face.

"Steve!! What have you done to him you sonofa…"

"Enough! I will not tolerate any more of your delays Mr. Douglas! Give me your answer or I will activate not only one of your rings, but the wires that will slice your brother into cubes! Your answer please."

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A man of about 28 is leaning against the wall in deep thought. He had short, spiky black hair with rough stubble for a beard. He wore black hiking boots, tattered jeans, with an empty gun holster on the side, and a black skin tight shirt. His usual Kevlar vest, black, steal reinforced gloves, and gun were missing from his body. His sharp blue eyes scanned the room he was in. It was nothing special. It was white and extremely clean. He then examined the rings around his fingers. They were swirling colors of blue, gold and red. He stared at them for a while as if remembering something. He then got off the ground and calmly walked to the door and opened it. He walked into a room very similar to the previous room. Everything was the same except the tinted window to the right and an intercom in the upper-left corner of the room. The door shut behind him as he entered.

"Hello Mr. Frank Flynn. It is a pleasure to have someone of your caliber participating in the game. You are quite the character. A US Military Sniper at twenty-eight. You were nearly beat to death by Butch Brando, who is currently on the run from the police because of a murder. You have seen much death throughout your journeys and faced many other life threatening situations. Being a sniper, it is expected. You are in touch with reality and are very cynical towards other people who talk dreams and fantasies, and despise cowards. You are quite an admirable role model and I thank for the service you have provided to the United States."

"What do you want?" asked Frank as he scanned the room. "Where is the rest of my stuff?"

"Only a game Mr. Flynn, only a game. As for your stuff, it will be returned to you if you complete the game. Speaking of which, I need to give you your riddle. Let us see, which to use? Ah, I like this one."

How much dirt is in a hole 5-feet deep and 3-feet wide?

"But, like I said before, this game would be no fun with only you playing. Games are always better with more people. Please, take a look into the window." As Frank walks up to the window, a light turns on in the room behind the window. A woman with long black hair and slender figure was shielding her eyes from the sudden burst of light. Frank clenched his hands into fists, but kept his mind clear and alert.

"I suppose you will let my mother live if I answer the riddle correctly?"

"Quite right. I am impressed you were able to grasp the idea of the situation so quickly. I suppose it should be expected from someone of your background and I am sure you know what is going to happen if you get the riddle wrong as well. I am beginning to take a liking to you Mr. Flynn. I wonder how you will react to the other rooms. Oops! There I go again, talking about stuff that does not need to be said yet. So, what will your answer be Mr. Flynn?"

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I will be doing a blog for my RPG that I am doing at the World of Horror. For each update that I do, I will post one for my blog. I will be starting this tomorrow and how everyone enjoys it.

Ax, I would like you to read what I have.