Escape the Night (S1): "It All Comes Crashing Down"

All Out War Part 3

"Okay!" barks Lele, who's joined Eva at the window.

 "They're coming out!"

I smile at Tim. See? It's fine. They're okay. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I was getting worried. Oli's out first. Joey's right on his heels, clutching a giant box to his chest, gasping.

"We got something..." as if they hadn't already noticed. He places the box on the ground.

"Let's open it."

"Oh ok," is all Oli has to say. They open the box and are immediately confronted with a barrage of steam, I hand the gun back to Colin and go up to hug Oli. He hugs back and i pat his back.

"Glad your alive." 

"Thank i am too." he smiles at me, and i look to Joey, who's brushing dirt off his coat.

I go up and tap his shoulder, he turns to look at me like i've startled him. I smile and hols out my arms, we embrace and I tear up, this night is freaking frustrating. 

"I'm glad you're ok, really i am." His grip tightens, i chuckle.

"I heard you kicked ass." we let go of the hug and smile at each other.

"I hope i did." he laughs and we join the group where i see Tim frown. 

"What is this?"

"It's dry ice," Eva explains. Oh. Okay.

 "Don't touch it!" she'd snap. 

"It's dangerous. It'll burn your skin clean off. And I'd rather not pay anyone's hospital bills." Lele—crazy Lele—grabs Colin's shovel and starts whacking the ice like a goddamn lumberjack. Eva screams. Joey jumps back. Once she's smashed the dry ice away, there is a key and a note. Lele reads the letter aloud to the group.

"It's going to be a brutal war to get the gold. The two best soldiers must be selected by the vote of the group to go inside the east side guest house and battle for glory. Good luck."

Colin's mouth bursts into an almost scary smile. 

"That's it!" he cheers. 

"That's where the gold is! It's in the house!" he points like a child at a gift. 

"What are you talking about?" asks Joey.

"My gold. It's in the east side guest house." So it's come to this. Of course it has. Two of us innocents will be "sent into battle," whatever the hell that means.

"Oh, no," moans Joey, his posture drooping, an overtone of panicked desperation in his voice. 

"Guys...I don't wanna do this anymore!" he looks at me as Eva sighs. 

"Colin. Listen. Six of us are already dead. Can't we just—" she tries to plead, key word, tries.

"No." he's stern.

Look on the bright side, I tell myself, trying not to think about everyone we've lost. 

At least we'll be one step closer to 2016.

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Voting Time....

"We are going to vote on the two people who are going to fight in the Great War." Arthur speaks to us hesitantly. Eva takes the seat next to Lele and I. 

"Timothy and Oli have gone up against each other," she hisses, "and Oli... well that image of Oli being dunked into the dunk tank keeps crossing my mind, an- No. Not again. He's going to live."