REBEL'S CRRY: House O' Slaughter

"Sarah, you've been doing that for like ten minutes," Linda said, concern etched on her face.

Sarah was still pressing her ear against the door, straining to hear any sound from the other side. But there was only silence, and the steady beat of her own heart. The door had slid shut with a hiss, sealing them off. The walls were too thick, soundproofed to prevent any noise from escaping.

Sarah slid down the wall, her back against the cold surface, and buried her face in her knees. Her mind was consumed by a haunting thought: "What if everything in there is dead?

But before she could dwell on it, Linda's reassuring voice cut through her worries. "Hey Sarah, they're probably fine," Linda said, her expression empathetic. She knew exactly what Sarah was thinking. "If I know Whisky, they're still in it," she added, raising her thumb in a thumbs-up gesture, her eyes closed in a warm smile.

Sarah lifted her head, her eyes wide with little tears streaming down her face. But as she rubbed away the tears, a faint smile appeared on her lips. "Yeah, you're right. They're probably fine."

Linda extended her hand, helping Sarah to her feet.

"What do we do now?" Fay asked, her voice laced with concern. The group of six, including Linda, Sarah, Fay, Kacey, and a girl with a pink emblem, huddled together, the only ones who had escaped being sucked into the other room.

"Ain't I just lucky," Kacey quipped, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"In what way?" Linda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm trapped with a trio of women," Kacey replied, a wry smile spreading across his face.

Just then, the intercom roared to life, making them all jump. "Ain't you the lucky ones?" a voice sneered. "Owk docky, this is just the beginning of the game."

A robotic voice took over, its tone cold and detached. "Countdown commencing... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

*

EPISODE 9: FIRE AND WATER

*

----

4 years earlier....

The distant wail of sirens pierced the night air, growing louder as a crowd converged on the blazing scene. Everyone knew the ambulance was on its way. Thirteen-year-old Whisky knelt down, his hands grasping the ground for support. Overwhelmed by despair, a torrent of tears streamed down his face, falling to the ground.

"What have I done?" he sobbed, his voice cracking with anguish.

He raised his head, his eyes fixed on the burning house. "This is all my fault," he whispered, his voice laced with guilt.

His father had rushed inside to rescue Kacey, who was trapped in the inferno. Whisky's gaze remained fixed on the house, watching in horror as its life slipped away with each passing second.

But then, a spark of determination ignited within him. "No, that's not it," he sobbed, his voice shaking with resolve. "I'm going to fix my mistakes. I'm going to make it right."

Whisky's mother grasped his hand, alarm etched on her face. "Whisky, where are you going?" she shouted as he tried to pull away.

"I'm going in there, to make things right," Whisky said, his voice resolute. "Please, Mom."

His mother's grip tightened. "No! If you step into those flames, you'll...you'll never come out." Her voice cracked with desperation.

Whisky's eyes widened, shocked by her words. "Mom," he whispered.

Tears streaming down her face, Whisky's mother spoke in a soft, trembling tone. "The thought of losing you, Whisky...it's unbearable. You're the one who makes my heart happy every day."

Whisky stood frozen, his eyes locked on his mother's anguished face. Then, abruptly, she hugged him tightly. "Whisky, please...don't," she begged, her tears falling silently.

Whisky's eyes remained wide for a moment before he closed them, returning the hug. "I love you, Mom...I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, son," she replied, her voice barely audible.

They shared a desperate, clinging hug, the house burning fiercely behind them.

"Look! Someone's walking out of the house!" a voice shouted.

Whisky and his mother turned towards the inferno, their hearts racing. A shadowy figure stood in the doorway, coughing weakly as it took slow steps forward.

The crowd surged towards the figure, with Whisky and his mother at the forefront. "What happened?!" "How are you feeling?" "Are you okay?" The questions poured in from all sides.

The figure let out several more coughs, its chest heaving. Whisky's mother quickly knelt beside the person, concern etched on her face. "Kacey, are you okay?" she asked, gently touching his cheeks.

Kacey locked eyes with Whisky's mother, a three-second stare-down that spoke volumes. Then, his face crumpled. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," he whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Whisky's mother enveloped Kacey in a warm hug, her hand cradling his head.

Whisky stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the two figures embracing in the distance. A wave of realization washed over him - he had lost someone precious.

The house behind them gave a final, defeated groan before collapsing to the ground, consumed by the raging inferno. The sound of shattering glass and crumbling wood filled the air.

The sirens in the night grew louder, their wail piercing the darkness as they drew closer, second by agonizing second.

---

"Whisky!... Whiskyyy!..." Travis's voice echoed through the air as he shook Whisky's shoulders. Whisky's eyelids fluttered open and closed several times, adjusting to the brightness. Finally, they remained open, locking onto Travis's relieved face.

"Bro, I'm glad you're awake," Travis said, helping Whisky sit up.

Whisky rubbed the back of his head, trying to recall what had happened. "How long was I out?" he asked, his voice groggy.

"Like thirty minutes," Crystal replied.

Mike chimed in, "Ahh, I thought you were dead!"

Whisky's gaze swept the area, his vision still blurry. Others were resting against the walls, mourning the loss of fellow members. Whisky's thoughts shifted to Sarah, and he wondered what had happened to her.

---

To the other side..(30 minutes earlier)

The intercom roared to life, making them all jump. "Ain't you the lucky ones?" a voice sneered. "Owk docky, this is just the beginning of the game."

A robotic voice took over, its tone cold and detached. "Countdown commencing... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

Sarah, Fay, Linda, Kacey and another girl with blonde hair who appeared to be Emily,....all exchanged glances with concern. "What will happen next," a question which raised in their minds.

They looked around the room, it had been ten seconds since the countdown had reached zero.

The floor was made of polished concrete, and there were no windows, no furniture, and no visible doors.

As they stood in the cold, dimly lit room, the air was thick with tension.

"He just reached zero, but nothing has—," Kacey's words were caught in air.

Suddenly, a section of the floor dropped beneath the Emily's feet. She let out a terrified scream as she fell through the opening, disappearing from sight. Kacey and others rushed to the edge of the newly formed hole, peering down into the darkness.

"Hey!" Kacey shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "Are you okay?"

A faint reply drifted up from below. "Y-yes... I think so."

Their relief was short-lived, as a glass floor slid shut over the opening, trapping the girl beneath.

"What!" Linda shouted.

Water began to flood the underground space, rising rapidly. The girl's terrified face appeared on the other side of the glass, her eyes wide with fear.

"Help me!" she screamed, her voice muffled by the glass.

As Emily rose from 3m down, her swimming skills proved to be a lifesaver. "What do we do now?" Fay asked, fear etched on her face.

Kacey rushed to a corner, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and hurried back. "Haaaa!" he shouted, lifting the extinguisher to break the glass.

But Linda intervened, her voice firm. "Wait!"

Kacey hesitated, confusion etched on his face. "What's wrong,..Linda."

Linda's gaze locked onto Kacey's, her expression resolute. "Please... trust me," she said calmly.

Sarah chimed in, her voice laced with concern. "Linda... what?"

She gazed at Linda's face, etched with a serious expression, and instinctively knew that Linda was deeply concerned about the situation. With that, she placed her complete trust in Linda.

The moments ticked by as Emmie reached the glass, her eyes wide with fear. She slammed her palms against the glass, her voice muffled. "Help!"

The water continued to rise, now lapping at her neck. Linda remained still, her gaze fixed on the scene.

Kacey's patience wore thin. "Lindaaaa! If we wait, she's going to die!"

Linda's voice remained calm. "Just a few...more seconds!"

Time seemed to slow as the water filled the shaft engulfing Emmie. Her face contorted in terror, her mind racing with desperate thoughts. "Am I... really going to die?"

Just as all hope seemed lost, Linda shouted, "Now, Kacey!"

Kacey raised the fire extinguisher, his face set in determination. "Haaaa!" he shouted, slamming the extinguisher into the glass.

The sound of the fire extinguisher slamming into the glass was a loud, sharp "CRASH!" followed by a splintering "SHATTER" as the glass gave way, echoing through the air.

Linda plunged her hand into the icy water, stretching to reach Emily's desperate grasp. Their fingers intertwined, and for a fleeting moment, they locked eyes. Emily's pupils were dilated with terror, her face contorted in a silent scream.

"Ahhhh!" Emily's cry was abruptly cut off as the water surged, sucking her down with incredible force. Linda's grip was mercilessly torn apart, her fingers slipping from Emily's as the water closed over her head like a tomb.

Linda's arm was yanked downward, her shoulder nearly dislocating as she desperately tried to maintain her grip. But it was too late. Emily was gone, dragged down into the dark, churning depths. The water's surface closed over her, a murky, unforgiving veil that concealed the horrors beneath.

Linda was left stunned....

*________

"NEXT TIME: UP FOR THE CHALLENGE"