The Price of Life - A Novella

Chapter Two :: Level Zero

"What if we use the cars", Simone asks. "Their lights are on so we can use them kinda like a flashlight."

"That.. actually isn't a bad idea."

Simone, 97, 45, and a few others start putting cars into neutral, attempting to steer them without power. The light moves, illuminating pieces of the room at a time. The metal continues to heat against their hands as they push, causing them to remove their shirts and use them as a shield against the broil.

"Wait", 97 says. She pushes the car back a bit until the headlights hit something in the corner that shines the light back at them, exposing more of the room.

45 searches the corner. "It's a mirror!"

"Before the collapse, there were underground parking structures. They had rounded mirrors to help avoid accidents." 90, a man in his sixties, finally speaks. He has a thoughtful finger on his chin as he looks around. "If there are more, we can use them to light up the room. Maybe that's how we find the door?"

"Shit." 97 gives a half-hearted laugh.

They start shifting the remaining two cars in an effort to locate any other mirrors. They reflect the headlights back after a few minutes of random turning. The room brightens just enough to take in the sweating cement floor, walls, and ceiling. 

"Where's the door?"

"It's hot!"

"There's only twelve minutes left!"

"Maybe that wasn't the puzzle," Simone answers. 

The younger boy in tears is now running his fingers along the rough edge of the weirdly shaped columns. "These look weird." He sniffs, wiping the salty water from his cheek.

"I've never seen columns like that, even in my day."

97 examines the column closest to her. She looks closer and can see what looks to be a seam. She puts both hands on the column and pushes it as hard as she can. It moves no more than a few inches. "Holy shit. Guys! The columns move!"

55 and 38 run to help her. They start pressing the sections into alignment.

Simone looks over the repeated symbol carved into it, creating a weird pattern. "I've seen this before." Her voice is just a whisper as she moves to look at the other columns. Over and over she racks her mind for the image stored in the non-systematic filing cabinet. She thinks back to orientation. "These are the shapes that were carved into the walls at the dome."

"What shapes? I ain't seen no damn shapes."

"I think each of these pillars represents one of those shapes."

"How does that help us?" 

"She's saying we need to solve it asshole who, by the way, has been no help."

They press the last piece of the column into place and the screen flashes red. "Incorrect sequence. Ten degrees is now being added to the current temperature of one-hundred and seven degrees." The column snaps back into its original rotated structure.

"What the fuck you do," 55 yells.

They start to argue as Simone continues to look over the other pillars, sweat running down her face in steady streams. She counts six in total, but two of them are not like the others. Oddly, beside one another with a car parked behind them against the wall. The column carvings are different. Unlike the other columns, these carvings not only aren't familiar but also aren't really shapes. They're closer to randomly drawn lines that make an attempt at a pattern. 

"Eight minutes remaining."

"Fuck, it's hot in here." 55 moans, letting himself drop to the floor. 

Simone realizes that four people now lay on the heated floor. Hoping she's got the right idea she starts to press against the pillar with her shoulder, groaning as the rock presses into her damp skin. 97 takes notice and joins her in turning the column. 

"I hope you know what you're doing."

She looks her in the eyes, hoping for the same thing. The pieces slowly move into place, finally finishing the column. Simultaneously, the screen lights up green, and 'one of four' reads under the timer which is now at just over six minutes. With the green light confirmation also comes the needed confidence boost in Simone's theory. 

"We need to do the other three. It should be," she pauses again, hoping she is correct and won't be what kills them with another ten degrees. "Next will be the one 55 is leaned against, then that one in the left corner, then the one in the right corner", she points behind her for that last column. 

"What's the point? We're not gonna make it in time", number three cries, still cradling his legs against his chest. 

"I'm so done with this. Anyone who wants to live, get the hell up and turn some damn stone! Otherwise lay down and bake! I'm tired of pep talks." 97 starts working on the column that is said to be next, while Simone wonders when 97 gave a pep talk. 

All but number three were able to push past the heat and idea of death to help. One after the other, they cut their hands on hot stone as they turn the sections until the correct pattern is revealed. Finally, the last one is pushed into place.

"Two minutes remaining." The feminine voice says as the screen flashes green and the word 'door' flashes between each second on the timer.

"Where's the door?"

There is a moment of silence as they look around until a section of wall behind the two pillars and car start to rumble and separate. As the stone pulls apart, silver doors become more exposed.

"It's an elevator!"

They all squeeze in behind the car and start to push, slowly moving it away from the exit. Once there is enough room, they crowd the silver doors. Prying at them until they separate and start to open. The contestant originally too weak or distraught to help were hit with a burst of life, shoving themselves through everyone and into the partial opening. They launch themselves over Simone and the other young boy, thrusting them to the ground. As the timer reaches the last few seconds, the two of them are dragged inside by the older man and 97, then the doors close the room is set ablaze. 

They ride quietly. Stunned by the fire and the fact that they made it at all. Simone is on the floor, beside the boy who's resumed crying. Then she realizes she's crying too. 97 helps her to her feet as she wipes away the tears with her sweaty arm.

Remembering her father's words, she closes her eyes and listens to her breathing as her heart slows. She opens her eyes. "There are six floors", she mutters. 

"What?"

Simone points to the numbers above the door, reading zero to five. Their eyes follow and widen as they all come to the same conclusion.

--- Thank you so much for reading! Don't forget to comment and vote! All notes are welcome ---

!We passed 2000 words!

Word Count :: 3635 of 8000