Game of the dead

The room grew colder, and the walls seemed to pulsate with malicious glee. Nathan's screams turned into strangled gasps, his body convulsing as the tendrils squeezed tighter around him. Jessie, now only inches from the pulsating crimson circle, clawed weakly at the ground, her strength fading.

Alex slammed the book shut in frustration, the cryptic words echoing in his mind. Sacrifice of light? What does that even mean? He scanned the room desperately, searching for something, anything, that could serve as a clue.

Then it hit him. His flashlight.

Alex fumbled at his belt, yanking the flashlight free and holding it up. Its beam cut through the oppressive darkness, illuminating the room in a stark, unnatural contrast. The tendrils recoiled slightly from the light, hissing like snakes.

"It's working!" Alex shouted, a flicker of hope sparking in his chest.

Oliver turned, his face streaked with sweat. "Then do something! Hurry!"

Without hesitation, Alex sprinted to Jessie's side, shining the light directly onto the tendrils holding her. They writhed and hissed, loosening their grip slightly, but they didn't let go. Jessie looked up at Alex, her tear-streaked face a mask of fear and gratitude.

"Get me out of here," she whispered hoarsely.

Alex gritted his teeth, directing the light closer to the base of the tendrils. "Come on," he muttered, his voice a mix of desperation and determination. The light seemed to burn them, and with a final hiss, the tendrils released Jessie, retreating back into the floor.

Jessie collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. "Thank you," she rasped, clutching Alex's arm for support.

"No time for thanks," Alex said, pulling her to her feet. "We've still got Nathan."

Oliver was struggling now, his strength nearly spent. "I can't… hold him much longer!" he cried, his voice cracking under the strain.

"Help him!" Jessie urged, her voice stronger now.

Alex nodded, shining the flashlight toward Nathan. The tendrils reacted instantly, writhing and hissing as the beam struck them. But this time, they didn't let go. Instead, they tightened their grip, as though realizing they were losing their prey.

"It's not enough!" Alex shouted, panic creeping into his voice. He turned to Isabella, who was still kneeling in the corner, clutching her rosary. "Isabella, we need you! Pray louder, do something!"

Isabella looked up, her eyes wide and filled with tears. "I—I don't know what to do!"

"Just try!" Alex yelled, his voice cracking.

Isabella took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she gripped the rosary tighter. She began to pray again, her voice rising above the chaos. This time, her words seemed to carry weight, resonating through the room.

The symbols on the floor pulsed erratically, their crimson glow flickering like a dying heartbeat. The tendrils hissed louder, their movements growing frantic.

"It's working!" Oliver shouted, his grip on Nathan firming as he felt the tendrils begin to weaken.

But then the voice returned, colder and more menacing than before. "Foolish children," it sneered. "Do you think your light and prayers can defy me? You are in my domain."

The television screen shattered, the sound like a gunshot, and the pieces fell to the floor in slow motion. From the broken screen emerged a dark, shadowy figure, its form indistinct but terrifying. It loomed over the group, its presence suffocating.

The tendrils, invigorated by the figure's arrival, surged forward, wrapping around Nathan and Oliver both. Nathan let out a choked scream as he was lifted higher into the air, his body jerking violently.

"No!" Alex shouted, shining the flashlight directly at the figure. The beam struck it, but the light seemed to dissolve against its dark form, leaving it untouched.

The figure laughed, a deep, guttural sound that made the room vibrate. "Your light is but a flicker in my eternal darkness," it said, its voice dripping with malice.

Alex's heart sank as the flashlight dimmed, its batteries draining rapidly. "No, no, no," he muttered, shaking it desperately. The beam flickered and went out, plunging the room into total darkness.

For a moment, there was silence, broken only by Nathan's ragged breathing and the faint sound of Isabella's whispered prayers. Then the figure spoke again, its voice echoing from all directions.

"The game is over," it said, its tone final and absolute.

Alex clenched his fists, his mind racing. There had to be a way out. There had to be something they could do. A sacrifice of light… The words echoed in his mind, taunting him.

And then he realized.

"It's not the flashlight," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Jessie turned to him, her eyes wide. "What?"

Alex took a deep breath, his hands trembling. "The sacrifice of light… it's us. Our hope, our strength, our willingness to fight. That's the light it wants."

Oliver, still struggling against the tendrils, looked at Alex with a mix of confusion and fear. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we don't give it what it wants," Alex said, his voice growing stronger. "We don't give up. We don't let it take Nathan. We fight, together."

The others looked at him, their faces a mix of fear and determination. Slowly, they nodded, forming a circle around Nathan.

Isabella stood, her prayers growing louder and more fervent. Jessie grabbed a broken piece of wood from the shattered chair, wielding it like a weapon. Oliver tightened his grip on Nathan, his muscles straining. And Alex stood at the front, his fists clenched, ready to face whatever came next, also the twins sisters.

The shadowy figure let out a low growl, its form shifting and twisting. "You dare to defy me?" it hissed.

Alex stepped forward, his voice steady. "We're not afraid of you."

The figure roared, the room shaking violently as the tendrils lashed out. But the players held their ground, their unity a beacon of light in the darkness.

And as they stood together, the symbols on the floor began to fade, their crimson glow dimming until they disappeared entirely. The tendrils writhed and hissed, retreating back into the ground.

Nathan fell to the floor with a thud, gasping for air as Oliver and Alex rushed to his side. The shadowy figure let out one final, furious roar before dissolving into nothingness, leaving the room eerily silent.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Jessie let out a shaky laugh, her voice tinged with relief. "We did it," she said, her eyes wide with disbelief. "We actually did it."

Alex nodded, his breathing heavy. "Yeah," he said softly. "We did."

But as they helped Nathan to his feet and looked around the room, they knew one thing for certain.

Their terror must have tripled now that they defied the darkness itself and now the consequences was lethal.