My System has a Glitch

"We have to go now," William said. They could all feel the urgency in his voice and they knew that it could only mean an immense danger was up ahead.

"What is it William?" Ingrid asked.

"It's a snake, a big snake, a really big snake."

"Really how big?" Nod asked.

"Wasn't I clear? It's huge? Like the size of a train."

"A train!?"

William saw the mist getting closer and closer to them. "We have to go. If this fog sets in we might get split up again just like back when we left the ship."

"To be fair it left us," Nod said.

"The snake did that?" The old man asked.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but that screech, I can't forget it, it chased me down here when I got lost in the fog."

"Maybe it uses the fog to hunts its prey," the old man said. "since it's a big snake, it won't move around too much. That interesting, it must be setting be traps and the fog may just one of it."

"Then we have to move," Ingrid said." And we have to move fast."

"Yeah let's go already," Nod said and they were all about to move when Ingrid remembered something.

"Wait!"She said. "We have a much bigger problem?"

"Huh? What are you talking about Ingrid?" William asked.

"Oh no, don't mind her, she gets like this sometimes, is it that time again sister?"

"Shut up Nod!"

"But what could be more pressing than the snake," the old man asked.

"You all seem to forget William is running out of time!"

"Oooooohh," Nod and the old man said.

"The fog is right there," William said. "That doesn't matter now, we've got to survive first."

"No, she's got a point," nod said.

"No, don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

"No, that's impossible, William, you can't be," the old man said. "Unless something changes you'll die before daybreak."

"Let's just get to safety first then we can figure it out."

William grew more anxious as he was the only one among them with a first hand experience of snakes. He constantly checked on the fog as it got close and closer.

"What if we get split up again?" Ingrid said.

"She got a point, again," nod said. "You won't survive the night without us, so we'll give you some time."

"Come guys you've already done so much for me already."

"Look at this guy, he thinks we're doing it for him, old man. Hey we're Just protecting our investments okay, we'll be expecting great returns, I want double my capital okay!"

William dropped his head and squinted his eyes, he felt a bit like he would cry but he held back the tears.

He figured he had been reckless enough to let some steal his time when he was unconscious but in reality it was the cost of the glitch being activated but either way his friends were picking up his tab and he didn't know how to feel about it.

"Alright let's do it," Nod said. He stretched out his hand to touch William then suddenly they heard a loud cry and then another scream and another.

"It's here," William said.

They saw a single red star in the distance and felt an ominous presence. More and more screams came with very little silence in between them.

Then they heard another screeching hiss and a great gust of wind washed over them, stirring the trees in a frenzy.

They all knew they were witnessing an immense power, a twisted force of nature far beyond anything they'd seen in their previous lives and they all shuddered in fear.

"We have to go, those things very fast!"

"I thought you said it wasn't pops?" Nod cried.

"No, I said it was too big to move around too much, not that it didn't move fast."

"Wow, I wonder how I could have misunderstood that."

"Wait, we haven't given you the time William."

"Oh god, get it over with already, we're all in grave danger."

"Kids these days," nod said. "Always in a hurry." He placed his hand on William and before he knew it something caught his eye.

They all stood in awe of it, even William, it took him a while to recognize it was but when he did he almost jumped out of his skin.

What they saw illuminated the jungle and the snake reveled in it while all else scurried away. It was moving really fast and seemed to let out its own light.

It was nothing like he had remembered it, it wasn't luminous back then but maybe it's because it's dark now or maybe it's far more deadlier now?

"That's poison!" William cried and another screeching hiss followed his words like the snake wholeheartedly agreed with him.

William pulled the nearest person beside him and took off. He pulled Ingrid along as he ran on the branch while the others followed behind them.

They hopped from tree to tree but the old man was lagging behind. Someone his age couldn't keep up with the sort of athleticism the youth could easily pull off so he knew he had to make the most of the little time he had and think of a better way out of this.

His hip had begun to ache him and the gaps in between him and the others was silently growing, while his body was slowly fading to a hush.

He saw the vines beside him and he remembered something, a vital information he knew could save them but the gasses were already on his tail so he knew he had to catch up to the others.

He ran as fast as his legs could take him, even using a boost which would seem unnecessary for such a short distance but by his calculations the gases were picking up speed as well.

He caught up with them and said, "the gas is picking up speed we have to find another way out of this"

"Any ideas pops?"

"The vines!" the old man said.

"Huh?" They were all equally confused.

"The man eaters!" the old man said.

"Oh no he's losing his mind, did you inhale the gas old man?" Nod asked.

"No, we have to get eaten."

"So it is the gas talking."

"You've gotta explain it so we'll understand,"William said.

"I've been eaten twice," the old man said.

"Weird brag but okay."

"Well it was more like swallowed. The first time was a mistake. I was trying to swing away then it pulled me up but the second time I did so intentionally."

"You mean you got pulled up by accident intentionally," Nod said and William laughed.

"You've gotta be serious guys," Ingrid cried. "Now is not the time for jokes."

"Yes right boys but that still was pretty funny. I did it because I was trying to hide away from a couple people. The first time I almost drowned in its digestive acids until I reached down its gut and stopped it."

"But wouldn't that just make it open?" William asked.

"Were you eaten too?" The old man asked.

"That was the first thing I did when I got here, sight seeing, you know."

"Yes it would open by the second time I did it, but it refused to open."

"Really?"

"Yeah I think it's because I killed it before the acid came out. If we could do that, it could shelter us from the poison gas."

They looked around, from their left to their right and all they could see were the red gases drowning the trees in itself.

"It's air tight, so the gases won't get in." the old man said.

"Alright let's do it!" Willam said.

They decided to stay in pairs, William insisted on staying with the old man but Nod insisted on not being with his sister.

They found the man eater vines and got swallowed up in pairs. Immediately they got inside, William and the old man, the two of the four more experienced at this, stuck their hand down the man eaters guts and killed it and just as the old man had said, the plant stayed shut.

They were all crammed in together in a small air tight cacoon. "Won't we run out of oxygen!" Nod screamed.

"Quiet down," the old man said. "you didn't think I'd consider that? There's more than enough oxygen to go around and beside the plant is still alive, it's just disabled but it'll still produce oxygen."

"Then why did you keep saying kill, kill, kill."

"I just thought that sounded a lot more hip."

"Never say hip again."

"I just hope we get through this."

What's this talk about hope? I thought you were certain? Who needs hope when they're certain?

"Shut up," the old man said. "You're using up all the oxygen!"

"I thought you said there was enough to go around!?"

******

Ingrid's cheeks were redder and only grew redder with William's eyes trained on them. They could feel each other's breath on their skin and the air around them only grew hotter.

They had very little freedom of movement and could barely move their arms as the space was far too crammed.

"Thank you," William said.

"For what?"

"For everything."

*****

"Shit!" Nod said. "I forgot to give him the time."

*****

"Shit," William said. "He forgot."

William laid his head on the body of the plant and looked a bit solemn as he wondered how he'd live through the night.

'No I couldn't ask her, she's already given me so much. I'll just have to figure something out.'

"Hey," ingrid said. "I can't move my arms,I can't touch you"

William raised his eyebrows as he wondered what she was talking about.

"Come closer," she said.

'Isn't this close enough?' William thought.

"Closer,"she said.

William leaned in and she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

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