=HOOTERS=

Chapter06: Battle Grounds

JeTi

Jessica POV

“YA…” I felt someone poked me violently. “SICAAAA!!!”

I was slightly annoyed for I was sleeping silently.

“SICCAAA!!!” Tiffany shrieked as she splashed some water to my face.

I jolted up from my slumber. “What?!”

My eyes grew large the moment I saw what Tiffany wanted to tell me. “Omo…” The water level from the crystal clear pond or whatever it is you call, rose. Yesterday is was meters away from where we slept and now the water is rising to our level.

“I don’t want to die…” Tiffany panicked. She held on tight to my arm.

“Aiyoo Fany-ah!” I said. “Could you at least calm down?! I can’t think.”

The water is now rising so quick that my bum is now wet. “We have to move quickly!”

Tiffany and I stood up. “Gosh… what do we do… I got to think.”

“What if we swing by that vine??” Tiffany asked.

“Will it hold us both?” I searched the whole place again. “Oh! Do you see that hole? The one over there.” I pointed through the air with my index finger.

“I know. Let’s wait for the water to rise then we swim up to that hole…” Tiffany smiled evilly. “Let’s jump to the water.” Tiffany held me tight.

“Ah-nee… Ah-nee…” I shook my head.

“Why??”

“I don’t like swimming… I’m not good with swimming.” I said.

“I know, I’ll count 1 to 3 then we’ll jump together.” she said without even listening to me. She held me on the waist. “Ready?”

“No no no!” I struggled from me.

“1!” Then she dragged me with her and together we jumped.

“YA!” I said. Struggling to swim, I am not good with water.

The water level rose higher and higher to the point we were near the hole. “You go up first.” I said to Tiffany. The air pocket inside the cave is almost disappearing. The water was so high now that our heads reached the ceiling of the cave. “Quick!!”

Tiffany crawled up to the small hole, and then just in time she reached down for me. My fingers touched her hand and she managed to pull me up. Half of my body came out from the hole, but something grasped my leg and dragged me down below.

“Eeeekkk!!” I shrieked. I splashed back down to the deep waters.

“Jessica!” Tiffany shouted.

I started to struggle under water. I kicked hard, hoping that the thing dragged me would let go. But it was no use. I couldn’t even see well and the water is starting to hurt my eye.

I honestly don’t know what dragged me down but I am almost out of breath. There was little ray of light and it was coming from the hole, I wanted to swim up but the strange thing was more powerful.

The last air bubble of mine floated out of my breath

Dizziness came

And I fainted to oblivion…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=SooHyo=

Hyoyeon POV

“Sun rise…” Sooyoung said.

The three of us just woke up from slumber and here we are filled with awe as we look up and watch the sun rise break the dawn.

“It wasn’t a dream huh?” Luna (who is between Sooyoung and I) mumbled as she folds her legs and rested her chin against her knees.

Both Sooyoung and I looked at her. “She’s at peace now…”

Luna sighed. “I miss her…I thought it would always be Vic-omma and Luna… But I guess it’s just me now…”

“Never think that you’re all alone. Vic-omma left you with us. We’re here. We will never leave you.” I said to Luna.

*tit tit*

Numbers in our devices started disappearing…

Then it came back but some of it was gone.

“Omo…” Sooyoung said. “There are only seventeen of us left…and…”

I looked at my device and I couldn’t believe it. Four more numbers disappeared, and two of the numbers were blinking.

“Jessica unnie…” Luna whispered. Her eyes glued on to her device.

Sooyoung’s eyes didn’t blink. She looked hard into her device.

My heart started to crash the moment I realized it was really Jessica’s number that was blinking. I felt heavy and it was as if my world is shaking. Jessica was one of my closest friend, sibling, sister, unnie or whatever it is that we must call her. I hate the feeling of hopelessness and weak and we didn’t know what is happening and we are just sitting here, hoping that they would survive what they are currently facing. Two of our friends are fighting for life.

One was Hyuna and the other one is Jessica.

Jessica’s number was still blinking…

Blinking…

Blinking…

And blinking…

Until…

*tit tit*

Both of their numbers disappeared. Then our devices died.

“BO?!” I expressed. I couldn’t take my eyes off the device but one thing I know it wasn’t working anymore. I stood up and went to the tree to pound it. “BOYA?!!?!?!?!” I shouted. Tears rolled down to my cheeks. Jessica is not dead. It can’t be. Maybe the device broke or something.

Sooyoung who felt irritated, grabbed a rock and lightly beat it. “YA!” She shouted over the device. “What happened?! Jessica…”

“What is happening?” Luna asked. She pointed towards the sky and dark smoke clouds were swarming above.

I started to feel nervous.

“Oh gosh…Unnie… Forest fire!” Luna said aloud. “We have to run!! Before it gets us!”

Behind us was a huge fire merging through the trees. It was like a red flame ocean eating the whole lot of trees.

The three of us started running.

The fire swiftly spread and not a moment so soon it was almost inches behind us like it was chasing us. “What is going on?!” Sooyoung asked angrily. “Our coaches can’t contact us. What do we do?”

“There’s nowhere to go but to the main grounds!” Luna said. “My coach said the main ground is the strongest point of the mods. Game mods are always present in there. So maybe that’s our chance.”

We ran and ran until my legs started to sore but I have no choice. Either we run or we die. I am almost out of breath, my heart is burning and I wanted to faint. “Hyoyeon!” Sooyoung pulled me with all her strength. “Come on, just a little more.”

My legs and my chest are burning in pain. It was okay to run if the ground was flat and polished but unfortunately we were running “slash” hopping in an escalated degree and rocks and roots of trees were everywhere.

We were almost there; I could see the open space that Luna was talking about.

“Hyoyeon!” Sooyoung shouted. “Look out!”

Something crashed from behind and it pressed me flat to the ground. It was like a spatula pressing a patty on a pan. It was so painful that I couldn’t move.

Luna and Sooyoung ran towards me. “Hang on in there!” Luna said.

The two of them tried to carry a medium sized trunk of tree that was pressing me down. I couldn’t say a word or even move. I was lying flat on the ground, I can’t move and the fire was getting thicker and it was hot as hell.

*Cough, cough* Sooyoung and Luna were slightly choking from the smoke.

“G-…oo…” I tried to say. “G-ooo…..”

“Bo?? Go?” Sooyoung said aloud. “Are you crazy?! NO!”

They were trying their best to carry the trunk but it was too heavy. Sooyoung and Luna were now choking hard. Luna landed on her knees and she coughed none stop. I was hopeless. They should run now and just leave me here.

I couldn’t move and I was in severe pain. I felt that my bones must have crushed or some are broken or maybe shattered into pieces.

Sooyoung reached for my hand. Both of them lay low on to the ground. “Hang on, don’t shut your eyes.

“Sooyoung!” A familiar voice called from afar.

Through the thick smoke, I couldn’t see who it was. But I saw five silhouettes of girls running to our direction. I wanted to fight but I couldn’t, not any longer, my strength drained, my breath started to shorten and excruciating pain filled my body especially my back.

Just like that my eyes closed to darkness...

->Chapter06: HOOTERS<-

“Game Over, BOOM!”

Who brilliantly destroyed the game's system??

What do you think happened to Jessica and Hyoyeon?

Find it out in the next chapter of Hooters.