Liz's Experience During The Game: Part 3

“The Game,” Liz’s experience Part 3 Behind the door lay a long corridor with no doors on either side. As the trio walked and chatted about their individual paths, Susan was assigned to the map room. A microphone allowed her to narrate what she saw, though without a speaker, she couldn’t hear who—or if anyone—was listening. While speaking, a red dot appeared. When she instructed it to move, it went astray, prompting a shout; the dot halted and reversed course. Eventually, Susan managed to guide it as desired, unaware that Liz was controlling it.

Karen followed with her own account… Upon entering her room, Karen saw only a joystick, a dial, and four buttons. She pressed various buttons in vain. A quick twist of the dial yielded no result either. Several movements of the joystick finally triggered a voice from nowhere, startling her. Initially unfamiliar to her, she soon realized it was Susan. Karen attempted to respond but received no reply; instead, Susan continued rambling about navigating a maze and tracking a moving red dot. After some time, Karen deduced that when she moved the joystick, Susan described the corresponding movement of the dot, though buttons sometimes needed pressing for a response. However, the purpose of the dial remained unclear.

At the far end of the hall stood another door. When Susan pushed it open, the door collapsed inward, taking her down with it. “Well done, girl! You’ve broken it! We’re going to get blamed for this one,” Karen remarked. “But I didn’t push that hard! It’s not my fault!” “Ah… Both of you might want to pause and look at what I see. We could all be in trouble now…” Karen peered into the room Liz was describing, then spun around only to collide with the wall behind them. “What the hell!? Where did our hallway go?” Liz turned to follow Karen but found herself face-to-face with the same solid wall. She pressed against it to confirm its reality. “If we came this way, where did this wall come from?” Susan struggled back up to her feet, heard Karen’s comment, and examined Liz’s view more closely. At first glance, they had stumbled upon a party, but closer inspection revealed no movement. It seemed everyone froze the moment Susan knocked down the door.

Venturing deeper into the room to inspect the guests, Susan noted that all were dressed formally for an occasion where someone suddenly turned them into statues. Each held drinks; being somewhat thirsty, she sipped from one of the straws. “Wow! This is a great margarita! Hey, come over here and check this out!”

By then, Liz and Karen had finished inspecting the wall and rejoined Susan at the party.

Being naked before two strangers was manageable, but being bare amidst fully dressed guests proved more than Liz could bear. She realized she spent her time trying to cover herself—an impossible task with hands bound behind her back—or hiding behind others, which worked just as well.

Karen tried several drinks and shared her findings: “Rum and coke, not bad; seven-and-seven, not my favorite; Blaww… a teetotaler’s delight. Ahh, refreshing! I like this one. Need to find out what it is!…”

Liz had never really drunk alcohol before—graduation spiked punch didn’t count since she only had two glasses before finishing them and the new batch wasn’t spiced. She trailed behind the other two, sampling their choices. However, she did finish her coke, finding it tasted better to her.

To the right, Liz spotted the buffet table. The food sparked some hunger, but she needed to choose wisely since not much could be eaten without hands. “Hey, I found the food!” Liz sampled a few items, mostly from the fresh fruit section: strawberries with whipped cream, kiwi, melon balls…

Susan was the first to notice and started laughing immediately, prompting Karen’s quick arrival and her own burst of laughter. Liz tried to include herself in their joke but got no response. Feeling slightly slighted, she left the table searching for another drink (at least that was her excuse). Meanwhile, the other two continued chuckling behind her back. Suddenly, Liz felt a drop on her chest and looked down at something white there. Looking up to trace its source, she felt another one land. A second appeared next to the first. Whipped cream!? Where did it come from…? A sudden smack to her rear made Liz realize she was sitting on the floor laughing herself silly. Whipped cream! Her face must be covered in it! She probably looked like a toddler who wears more of their food than they eat…

Around this time, Susan and Karen composed themselves enough to find Liz and ensure they hadn’t hurt her feelings too much while laughing at her. Seeing her on the floor enjoying herself made them feel better. With the initial shock wearing off, they explained it to her. “Sorry about that earlier, but with your face covered in all that whipped cream, acting like you didn’t notice or care, reminded me so much of my younger sister when we were kids. I had totally forgotten…” “Yeah, me too. Would eating some strawberries help?” Karen asked.

Liz looked up. “Thanks. If only I knew what I looked like, I wouldn’t have called you over without cleaning up first. And, any idea where I can get cleaned up? It’s kind of hard to wipe your mouth with no hands.” “Look around! I don’t think anyone here minds being used as a towel. So, Karen, ready to try those strawberries now?”

Susan and Karen returned to the table while Liz got back on her feet and tried wiping her face against the nearest mannequin, only to knock him over. “Okay, next time don’t rub so hard.” Her next attempt was more successful, and she felt confident that at least some of her face was clean again. Liz went back to the table to find something else to eat, keeping a close eye out for more whipped cream.

(…) The Game, Liz’s experience continues in part 4