Chapter 20: Bluff

“Oh, shit, fuck, holy hell,” the others said, while I stepped towards the ooze and said as loudly as possible, “Finally, food. I’m so hungry.”

The ooze paused. I took another step. I don’t really know what made me snap. Maybe the thought of Alice and Morgan in pieces, the images of Mary and Hank in pieces, or the memory of the destroyed Dirtans, or maybe just one last shout at death. Die standing tall and all that.

“Confused. Strange. Interesting. Your species can’t digest us. Nothing can digest us. Unsure. Confused. Curious,” the ooze roared in my mind. The orange circles on the front had extended and waved like stalks of grass in the wind. Deep cuts along the front and sides oozed blue blood.

The others stood behind me, Alice’s hand on my left shoulder, Morgan’s on my right.

“True, not sure if I can, but I’m hungry enough to try, and you have to taste better than those Rabbits or that Thing,” I said as I stepped towards the Ooze. Morgan and Alice stepped with me, while Sasha slinked up and now stood beside me.

We couldn’t outrun the thing, but maybe I could slow it down enough for Alice and Morgan to get away. Then I remembered that the administrators of the maze translated movement, so I made myself appear hungrier. Teeth showing, tongue slightly out, fingers wide as if to grab something. Sasha copied me, while behind me, Morgan said, “It looks tasty.”

My delay may have backfired. Morgan and Alice, while brave, needed to slowly slip away, instead of stepping forward into the ruse. Sasha, stupid soldier, of course needed to try to protect us. I wish he could understand that he had more value to the group alive, while I had the least value. Further, I had nothing at home. At least Lanka, Nate, and Shivam hadn’t moved forward and maybe could sneak away.

Eyes narrowed, I held my breath. My arms hurt, my legs hurt, my muscles too tense, my anger too raw. I wanted to throw up, to pee, but I didn’t dare show weakness.

The ooze quivered and said, “Undecided. Confused. Strange. Unknown. Alien. Possible. This one does not want to get eaten. Fearful. Retreat. Observe.” The orange stalks on the front and the sides retracted. Only the orange circles remained, and they closed to small dots. The whole thing quivered. Waves of plasticky, shiny skin undulated and pulsed. The forest green line for its mouth disappeared, hidden by green skin.