"Scare you? I scare you?" Daniel takes a step towards him.
"Well you are dead, you know like a ghost. But somethings wrong." Ross stops stepping back and cocks his head to the side and examines the apparition before him more closely.
"What is it?" Daniel looks around and then looks on his shirt as though he spilled some ketchup on himself.
"You're all glowy and Jedi looking." he scratches his head.
"Jedi looking?" Daniel again looks again at his clothes to make sure he's not in a long robe.
"Yeah, you know at the end of Jedi, when Luke sees Ben and Yoda and his dad. All glowy ghostly Jedi looking. Like that." Ross steps forward and makes a gesture as if he's going to poke Daniel.
"Hey, don't poke me, what're you doing? So do you see anyone else besides me? Any other Jedis?" He looks around him to see if he sees anyone else.
"Nope, just...AHHHH!" Ross jumps back again.
"Dude. Chill!" Dalton steps out from behind Daniel "Hey guys, sup?"
"Ahhhhh!" Daniel jumps back as well. "Oh wow, you're all glowy."
"Like at the end of Jedi? Sweet." Dalton looks at his arms to see if he sees the glowy "I don't see glowy."
"This is you, you're doing this. You brought us back." Daniel steps back towards Ross
"Yeah I think I am, eveyone in here seems to be hallucinating, I guess you guys are my thing."
"That sounds so gay." Dalton punches Ross in the shoulder.
"Please don't bring anyone else, it'll get weird." Daniel starts to look around the room.
"It's crazy right, how everyone's acting?" Ross looks around the room as well and nods.
"I don't see anyone but you actually. What day is it? Is everyone else gone?" Daniel seems worried wondering why Ross is the only one left.
"Its only day 63. You died yesterday."
"Yesterday? Its been one day? No way, thats not possible."
"How long have I been dead?" Dalton looks at the two of them.
"Ummm... a while back." Daniel and Ross get uncomfortable.
"Dude, you totally killed me. Ha! I'm just busting your balls. I remember what happened." Dalton starts laughing and pushes Daniel.
"You remember?!" Ross looks at him.
"Hell yeah, my mouth was super glued shut and this crazy guy here ends up beating the crap outta me."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know, its just that..." Daniel moves towards him
"Dude, I know, it doesn't even matter." Dalton and Daniel shake hands.
"Okay so more news, I'm Mr. 100 Days." Ross smiles awkwardly.
"You took my tag?"
"You took his tag?!"
"Yeah. Epic right?"
"I was thinking more stupid, but yeah sure epic." Daniel shakes his head.
"I had to, I have to beat him and if you two are going to be here, I think I can."
"Buddy, I think we're going to disappear by tomorrow, I'll be happy to impart any words of wisdom today to get you through this but I'm betting we're either figments of your imagination or a hallucination caused by whatever Cipher is doing to everyone." Daniel puts his hand on his shoulder. "All of this, the madness, the pain, it doesn't even matter, you'll walk out of this you have what it takes in you." Daniel looks over to Dalton.
"Ummm, the force will be with you... always. I don't know I got nothin." he joins the two, they look out and see an empty room. Ross looks out and sees madness all around him, his friends and fellow captives clawing at their own skin, running terrified, shrieking till their throats are raw.
He counts at least seven people knocked out unconscious, another five lying in pools of their own blood and vomit. Three lie motionless, most likely dead, their old hearts unable to take the pressures of today. He knows this is an entirely new chapter to Cipher's adventure, he can see that this is no longer about gore or grossness like it was in the beginning. This isn't about doubt and conspiracies like it seemed to evolve into, no this is a brand new page in which Cipher is not holding back, the rules of the game have changed. We've moved from rated PG to a very edgy rated R.
The next thirty seven days will test him beyond the capacity any human should be tested, surviving today was meant as an insult. Cipher wants him to see this, to watch this change and hear the volume of this noise get dialed up a notch.
But before he can begin to drown in self doubt, or fall to his knees in fear and desperation he instead clenches his fists, squeezes his eyes so tight it hurts his brow and silently says his new prayer that will get him through what lies ahead.
"It doesn't even matter."
End day 63 and begin the next chapter.
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