Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 74
“Got one, Moonstone Petal!” Tessa’s voice rang out from ahead.
“Alright, one Moonstone Petal,” Bennett called back, flipping open his notebook, scribbling a “6” under the tally. “That’s six for Moonstone Petal.”
Tessa exhaled, relieved by his confirmation, and gently plucked the flower.
“Over here, Emberfall Bloom, one!” Hazel chimed in.
“Got it, one Emberfall Bloom.” Bennett’s pen scratched again. “Seven for Emberfall Bloom now.”
“Twilight Mothwing, one,” Oliver shouted.
“Good, that’s five for Twilight Mothwing,” Bennett noted.
Another voice, breathless, cut through. “Twilight Mothwing, one more!” Wesley panted.
“Confirmed, six for Twilight Mothwing,” Bennett said, updating the count.
...
Bennett’s method was clunky, no question, but it worked. He didn’t just track the numbers; he handled the haul, tucking each flower into the basket only after logging it.
His mind churned: what if this task, like chopping the Darkgold Tree yesterday, was rigged with traps? What could the catch be?
Maybe a flower that looked like one but counted as two, or a sneaky lookalike to trip them up.
So he scrutinized every bloom that passed through his hands, matching it to the envelope’s descriptions—color, petal count, bud shape, leaves, stems, the works.
Only when he was certain did he add to the tally.
Time ticked on, and the job was nearly done.
Ten Moonstone Petals, ten Emberfall Blooms, nine Twilight Mothwings.
Just one more Twilight Mothwing, and they could call it quits.
The closer they got, the tighter Bennett’s guard. He recounted the basket’s contents, double-checking, before joining the hunt for that final flower.
Wesley, meanwhile, slogged through Everspring Meadow, sweat-soaked and bone-tired. He wasn’t built for this—lazy by nature, always hunting for shortcuts in the real world.
But here, with life on the line, banking on others was a death wish.
He envied the Blessed, their powers a shield when things went south. He’d overheard their whispers: shine in Dreamplay, and the animals might pick you for a Blessing.
So, despite his exhaustion, he kept at it, driven by a need to prove himself, to seize that chance.
But tagging along with the group? No way to stand out.
He needed a new angle, yet his mind stayed blank. In this Dreamplay, he was clueless about what to do.
“Goddamn it, how do I score a Blessing?” he muttered, frustration bubbling.
Then, a glint caught his eye.
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