It was clear Vivienne was in no condition to further assist. Vontell had volunteered himself to be in charge of looking after
the circus lovers; while Valentina had dragged Vreg out to scavenge for any and all miscellaneous parts that could be engineered
into support items for everyone.
"You don't think that....'those two' are gonna wake up anytime soon, right? You're confident the others will be okay while we are gone?"
Turning to flash Velvet a comforting and confident smile, Smolkie presented his pearly whites that contagiously drew hers out as well.
"Even if the Snake Charmer and Strongman DO wake up,
I wouldn't worry your pretty little head Ms. Watson. Forgive me if I sound arrogant, but I am quite good at what I do!"
Smolkie's assurance to them certainly provided more hope than they started out with.
Setting out to search the rest of the fair grounds; their vision slightly obscured by a thickening haze of fog.
"Ah!! What the heck! Where did this thing pop outta?!"
Along the field with twists and turns, a series of mirrors suddenly stood before them.
Slowly, one dropped forward and one by one like domino's they collided with deafening thuds.
Turning back with a shrug Smolkie gestured toward the mirrored road.
"Illusion or not, this seems like a convenient way of communicating where we need to go next, wouldn't you two agree?"
Following the path lead them to a hill and it was there they made eyes on the attraction sign labeled "House of Mirrors".
The building was the only thing in plain sight as it colorfully stood out.
The doorway served to be an open mouth to the face of a clown. Cracking his knuckles, Vyc felt a surge of bravery come over him.
"Let's do this, guys."
Making their way down the hill, feeling satisfaction that it was just the right level of steep to help pick up speed without risk
of falling they jutted down. Then the sound of a tubular bell distressingly chimed off--- followed immediately by a mirror snapping
itself up from the ground in front of Vyc! "Whoa, whoa there!!” he shouted before being absorbed into the mirror that sank immediately
back down into a smoky and ravenous abyss.
Caught in a moment of shock, Velvet paused and her hands shook trying to comprehend what just happened. "Oh NO, Vyc!"
Remorse flooding through her. Smolkie tugged her forward into a run that spared her from the chime that just rang off.
A mirror sprouting up in the place where she had just stood.
"I trust Vyc can take care of himself!
I promise to find him as soon as we are out of this mess!"
She was barely able to make out what he said over
the now hundreds of bells blaring off in a corrupted melody of notes.
Rushing forth while dodging the mirrors, horror washed over their eyes as a giant construction drill slowly barreled out from
behind the attraction. It powered on and buzzed a threatening hum as the red and white stripes swirled like a menacing candy cane.
The vehicle slowly turning to face their general direction, flicked its headlights on and the engine revved as the thick tire treads tore up
the grass before darting straight at them with ferocious speed.
"We need to split up!" Velvet leapt to take a sharp left. Feeling dazed for but a moment too long, Smolkie was now
the drill's primary target. He rushed to the right so to divert it away from her.Frustration overwhelming him as the frequent
and abrupt interruptions hindered his direction and speed. None the less, he managed to somehow dodge with grace.
The candied vehicle still far outmatched Smolkie by all measurements. Left with no choice-after curving back around
he aimed straight for the entrance to the House of Mirrors. The point of the drill not even a foot away from piercing his
shoulder blades, he ducked down and immediately tumbled sideways into the building.
The vehicle came crashing into the entrance right along with him. It continued to menace the wood paneling and sparks flew
as the drill connected with varying wall mounted screws that shredded out at him. After a few more moments of the obnoxious
layering of noise, the drill finally had shorted out and powered down. Leaving Smolkie trapped inside .......
"Well....this is rather inconvenient!”
Smolkie brushed off and allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. Looking down the only hall he could go.
It was laced every inch including the ceiling, with tall pane mirrors that reflected into each other making it
seem as though there was a thousand copies of himself stumbling about.
"If I keep low and just look at the floor, I should be able to find my way out....I hope..."
Hunching over, he progressed forward keeping his hand to the floor so to feel for the turns.
Inevitably, after numerous hallways a much welcomed change of color peered out in a ray across
several of his reflections. Refracting off the mirrors, the red flickering glare of an exit sign offered promise.
Slowly coming to stand upright, eyes not wavering from his destination, Smolkie was suddenly shoved harshly back down
into the floor! Knocking the wind out of him, along with his tongue so to taste the thick dust with hints of mildew layered
over the hardwood that chilled his abdomen. Determined to act, he used full force to turn himself around against
the oppressive weight. Now facing upright, back pressing to the floor; Surprise hit him as he was faced with
a distorted imitation of himself. Only, his image seemed to be leaking out of the mirror and splattering around him,
singeing the floor. He kicks at the ground so to propel himself backwards and closer to the exit door .
"No I much really rather not confront you, fine sir! I have other matters to attend to.
I'm to assume you are an illusion soooo GOOD DAY TO YOU!”
Booking it out the exit door, a cyclone of emotions stir as he can finally see outside;
A large mirror stood floating, within it Vyc’s face lit up pleasantly surprised!
"Whoo-hoo! There’s the man of the hour! Took ya long enough gramps!” Tauntingly floating her way down from the drill
while humming a song, Constance remained levitating off the ground to stand a head higher than Smolkie.
Raising his hand to point up at her nose, his brows furrowed ready to lecture.
“You need to release Mr. Vyc at once, young missy! This is completely uncalled for!!”
She pursed her lips into a dramatized saddened expression as she rubbed her eyes and faked a whine.
"But, but...you wouldn't want TWO full grown men to fight ONE little girl! Taking advantage of lil ol' me and my poor, poor decapitated body.
Are you a sick person, Dr.McMoy? Dr. McToy?....hehehehe." She punched her own head off laughing, and caught it with the other hand.
Smolkie grimaced at the sight.
"Seems to me you are likely avoiding a battle of wits in FEAR of losing to a prematurely bald headed man and the tattooed
lacky who already beat one of your previous games!" Smolkie crossed his arms sternly as he peered at her eyes with a raised brow.
His statement and demeanor boiled an unexpected anger within her, as she clutched her own seething and chattering.
Her body pitched her head like a baseball against the mirror that imprisoned Vyc, causing her to stick flat to it.
She wiggled her head to peel itself off from the mirror causing her to bounce slightly off the ground, rolling towards Smolkie
like a bowling ball without a lane. "You're gonna join him gramps. I'm going to ROAST you, throw your charred body in the mirror
and hang you both on my wall as decoration for the new kingdom of Veles!"
Smolkie scoffed disapprovingly as he watched her roll pitifully back to her body. "I think not, child." Behind them,
cascades of paper plummet from the sky- the size of commercial billboards. She pulls a lower eyelid down and sticks
a tongue out while floating past them to perch herself upon the stack.
"Pay close attention, I won't say it twice.
Here is how to play, my dear sacrifice."
