The House that Swallows Kids

Chapter 21. Game II

The twin door banged shut, and they found themselves overwhelmed in dusty air once again. The air clung together over their heads and then dissipated the next minute. They're now in a smaller place this time, giving them less space to wander, and more confined air to inhale.

The quartet stood side by side, trying to assess the area. They could feel the heaviness around beginning to fill them. It was like the previous temple, only smaller and less archaic. Think of the previous place as the temple hall, and this the king's room.

Clifford's backpack had sucked in a great deal of dry sand and powdered bones, as he banged it hard repeatedly. And his peach lips had become dry, as he slightly chewed on them.

Claire was busy forking her long brown hair, she spluttered the bits of them in disgust.

Alfred only shrugged. He very much cared less of how he looked at the moment. Their safety was all that mattered.

Then they kept moving along, watching their steps as they took them. The whole place was too surreal for them to take in at once, which made them give off little gasps of amazement and shock as they proceeded.

"So there's some usefulness to those toys you play with, after all." Claire thought out loud.

"What toys?" Clifford figured she was referring to him. "You mean my jigsaw puzzles, and the Rubik's cube?"

"Yes, those." She quickly confirmed. "Those things are like, impossible to solve."

Clifford scoffed, and he noticed a short smile on Alfred's face. "I could teach you... you know?" He offered, for what seemed to be about the third time or so.

"You know I'm not interested in stuffs like that." Claire replied plainly. "I'd rather learn how the Instagram algorithm works, so the likes come rolling in fast." She added with much seriousness. "It's called... an algorithm... right?"

"Yes, it is." Clifford broke a short laugh.

"I guess... we're about to race the cheetah for our next game!" Alfred spilled with a line of humor in his tone as he remembered Gary's warning.

"Ha-ha!," Claire scoffed. "That's physically impossible."

"Yeah! That's if it doesn't eat you up the first chance it gets," Clifford replied as they all treaded carefully side by side onwards.

Gentle rumbles began filling the air, as they could hear the walls giving off low grumbles. There were nothing on the walls except soil that seemed to lose grains of sand every minute. They were all craning their heads in every direction as they walked.

"If we do run into one, I'm turning my back the opposite way first thing!" Jordan confessed, his face very blunt.

They all chuckled. They would have done the same. Right?

"Wow. Seriously? You're like... the amplest amongst us. You should be the first to go head on," Alfred replied, the smirk still hanging on his face.

"Not with cats. Nuh huh! I hate cats!" Jordan sighed. "The fuck does amplest mean?" The word just registered.

"Oh. It's the superlative of ample. Meaning great in size." Alfred explained.

Others eyeing in a mixture or awe and surprise.

I bet he reads the dictionary for dinner, Jordan rolled his eyes, and Alfred scoffed lightly.

Claire burst into a light laughter. Her hands across her lips as she eyed Jordan.

Jordan pretended as if he didn't see, and kept on moving.

"Ooouuh... big guy afraid of a little kitty!" Clifford dramatized with his hands almost touching Jordan's face while he made funny faces.