Chapter 6: Adjustments
"Chosen?!" Fia asks as she looks at Kai. He realizes everything shifted when he touched her restraint. That was the choice he accidentally made.
Kisho worries what this will mean. He says gently to Tamaya, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you Maya." The thought of the walls telling him to hurt her cross his mind. If this is a death game he will kill anyone, even himself to protect her. Tamaya nods her head as she tries to stay strong hearing him use her childhood nickname for her.
Asher can hear mechanical whirs as he quickly pulls up the sheets and looks under the bed. Instead of seeing through to the other end there are now metal barriers. It takes a moment but he realizes the beds are slowly rising up from the ground. He decides to let everyone know to calm them, "Alright everyone let's not panic. The beds are adjusting."
Kai feels a bead of sweat drop down his forehead as he thinks about the trash compactors from Star Wars. Fia's bed stops moving first as they can all see the bottom of the beds now have metal going down to the floor for all of them, still no gaps. Tamaya's bed stops next and finally Evelyn's. All the beds seem to be lined up to be waist height to each man.
None of them like where this is going as the edges seem to close in shrinking the mattresses to the size of twin beds. However the four poster posts stay in place leaving a border around the beds that the sheer fabric's cover gives the illusion of separate rooms. Most of the men can't help but marvel at the tech of it all trying to distract themselves from the looming unknown. The men stand outside the posts where they were before. They all look at each other as the sound of Fia cussing, Tamaya whimpering and Evelyn letting out measured long breaths are heard. What will cause more to happen?
The humming adjustments stop as Kisho decides to speak up, "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Asher nods his head, "Walking in there will trigger what's next." Kai nods as he steps back a little. Evelyn glances at Asher nodding as he closes his eyes and lets out a sigh, "There's no going back anyways. Forward is our only choice." He steps through the curtains and takes Evelyn's hand holding it gently smiling down at her asking for only the two of them here, "Horror, SciFi, or Porno? What do you hope for?" She rolls her eyes before glancing over his form saying, "SciFi. Maybe we'll become part robot." He can't help but chuckle a little letting out some of that tension building.
Kisho is next to step through as he grasps Tamaya's hand whispering to her, "I-I'm so sorry for not taking that sick day you suggested." She looks up at him with watery eyes as she tries to crack a joke, "Ooh, this is much more interesting than being snowed in. I just hope your van still runs after this." She tries to sniff up some of the snot that's trying to drip out of her nose. Kisho smiles at her as he quickly takes off one of his softer scarves. He gently wipes at her eyes and dabs at her nose saying, "That it is." He looks around and notices that this fabric seems more opaque than it did before. He can just barely see over and into the other's areas.
Kai stands outside shaking his head saying, "Nonononono. I-I can't!" Fia looks at the others thinking she's gotten the short end of the partner stick. That is unless it comes to only one of each pair surviving then she's ahead. "Get in here Kai!" He looks back at her saying, "I don't like small spaces!" She grumbles back at him, "Do you think I like the position I'm in?! At least you get to move around! Let's get this over with!" Kai realizes she's right and ever so slowly he works his way over finally moving inside the sheer curtains. "You know you probably brought us closer to our deaths." He says as he glares down at her. "If that's the case then at least I'll be done looking at you." She frowns at him before lights distract them.