Part 52: Jumanji

_{content warning: car accident}

[BGM: No Escape from Here]


Car chase time! That said, similar to the key puzzle, there's not many other options, so let's not waste any time.



There's one more Bad ending for Jimmy, and you can probably guess what that entails...



In my wildest dreams I had never thought that I would be involved in a car chase with some policemen.
I definitely had not imagined that I would be driving an old piece of junk that might just fall apart at any time.
But reality was different from video games.

I couldn't make myself rush through the light like a real outlaw when it turned yellow.
The sirens were still behind me.
When I remembered the consequence of being caught, I bit my lip and kept driving up to the crossing where the light had just turned red.

A blinding beam of light pierced the driver's side window, along with the deafening scream of a car horn.
I could vaguely see the shadow of a cargo truck behind the light.
I heard screeching brakes; then the thud of a collision.
The impact had knocked me into oblivion. The entire world had turned into a bloody red before my eyes.

Pi, I swear I will haunt you for eternity...



And that's that. That's also the only other ending we could've gotten, so now let's get to the S outcome! (Regallion's guess results in this ending.)



[BGM: Escape]


The light turned red just as I drove past the crossing, and a couple of cargo trucks rushed out from the other direction.
The police had to stop before the crossing.
Yes!

I drove into another alley and finally lost them.
I rushed the rest of the way as fast as I could, trying my best to not attract unnecessary attention.

It had turned from a flat road to a zig-zag uphill climb. There were fewer and fewer lights, too.
Finally, I had reached the end of the road.

It was the destination marked on the map.
It had taken me an hour and a half.



There was nothing else beyond the road but some woods.
Would Pi be waiting in the woods?

I got out of the car. Just as I was hesitating about whether or not I should call him, the theme song of my favorite game suddenly started playing in a nearby bush.



…

[BGM: Lost Memories]






NEW MESSAGE: A Wise Choice



…

[BGM: Silence]


A Wise Choice

I was targeted by a psychopathic serial killer.
I knew it sounded ridiculous.
But it was true.

I was even forced to play a stupid Jumanji game with him.
And I had to clear it with one life! My real life!

Standing in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of night, with a cellphone hidden in the tall bushes, ringing persistently like it was calling for my life.
All I could think was...

Fuck, I wish I could just turn it off!

“Yes?”
I had no choice but to answer the phone.



“You finally came.”
It was the same chilling voice from the other night. Even though it had been modulated, the casual mocking tone in the voice was unmistakeable.

I walked around half of the hill. After another five minutes I finally arrived at the gate to the Manor, which Pi had directed me to by phone.

Under the lamppost the red brick wall seemed to be oozing with blood.
There was a nameplate next to a magnificent wrought iron gate. The plate was covered with dust.
I could see these words written on the plate: “Apple Manor”.

I reached my hand out and pushed the gate. It wasn't locked, and it opened with a squeak.
The path to the house was covered with fallen leaves. I could hear them rustling with every step I took. The thick foliage beneath my feet indicated that they must have been piling up for a long time.

[BGM: No Escape from Here]


I took a deep breath and walked through the front door of the house, which was also unlocked.
It was much bigger inside than I had imagined.
The exquisite decorations in the hall were bathed in a faint and warm yellow from the lights.
Lots of paintings were hung on the walls, each one of which looked like it could be worth a fortune.

At the end of the hall there were two closed doors, one on each side.
A table was placed in between the two doors, and a giant screen hung on the wall above the table.
I saw Pi on the screen, wearing a cap and a hospital mask, covered head to toe in full black. Then he opened his arms towards me.

”Welcome! Welcome to Apple Manor.”

I leaned against a wall, looking nervously around the hall.
“Antidote, where is the antidote?”



There was something extraordinary about Pi.
Even though I was only “seeing” him through a screen, I still couldn't help but shudder.

”Well, that's rude.”
Pi pointed a finger down on the screen, pointing to the table underneath.
I could see a metal box in the center of the table.

”This is your final test. And I, being the generous man that I am, have left you hints underneath the box. Once you make your decision, we can officially meet each other. Good luck~”

“Wait! I...”

Before I could explain to Pi about the misunderstanding over molesting young kids, the signal cut off.

Meanwhile, I heard a click behind me.
I ran back to the front door and grabbed the handle... It was locked. Damn it!



I went up to the table.
An open metal box was placed on top of a white tablecloth.
Five syringes filled with liquid of five different colors were lying on a cushion inside the box.

A pile of handwritten notes had been left underneath the box.
The first one said,

Wise Man's Choice

Encountering something this fantastical and strange in real life had left me speechless.

The second one said,

The antidote will save you. The poison will kill you. In these five syringes ------
1. The blue one is the antidote;

Heh. There was no way he would just tell me the truth. It must be a trick.



2. The purple one is the poison;
3. The blue one and the yellow one are different;
4. The green one and the purple one are different;
5. The red one is the antidote;
PS: Only one of these statements is true~

Shit!
I wasn't sure if it was because of my frustration or because of the poison inside of me, but I was beginning to feel lightheaded. Still, I managed to read through the last note.

PPS: There are fewer antidotes than poisons in the syringes. That is the God's honest truth, Big Brother. ッ

I needed to calm down.



I stared at the five syringes, took a deep breath, and began to think carefully...

Red...
Blue...
Purple...
Green...

I made a decision and picked up the syringe in this color ------
Yellow...

Could it be this one?

Maybe the hints were too complicated, or the poison was hindering my thoughts, but I felt like my brain had almost completely stopped functioning.



It must be this one. I picked up the syringe and stabbed it into my arm...

…
…
Hmm, why was the tablecloth turning red?
Oh no. It was me, bleeding... from my nose, and my mouth...
I, I couldn't...
Some... somebody, help me please...

Jimmy



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