Away From Eden

Suck And Blow Card - 2

One was neon green, and the other was black. Where the players placed their glass after a shot would determine the course of their challenge.

The players who placed their glass on the green spot whined in fear and disappointment. The voice told them that they have to take part in an unbearable journey. 

When all the obstacle courses were laid off, everything looks easy to look at. Good thing because it wouldn't be a joke stepping on all those with their lips sucking an ID card from falling. They have to remember one important rule. The card has to fall up to three times only, and if it exceeds that, there's an awaiting surprise for each of them. 

" Sh**! This game used to make my heart flutter in high school...now, it's making me crazy!" Lizie whispered. 

Lizie remembers how this game in high school makes the crowd go wild whenever they heard that Lizie Ward is joining the suck-and-blow card. Of course, who wouldn't? She's the Queen B at Stanford High. She's the muse. Many has got a crush on her. And playing this game with her would mean getting a chance to accidentally kiss her. 

But now...damn! what you will got now is an accidental death instead of an accidental kiss on the lips with crush. 

Lizie flipped her hair and rolled her eyes. 

Anyway, whatever it is. I should be ready! She thinks. 

The players stepped on the courses alphabetically. The first set to move were those with last names starting letter A-E. Carsen Adams was called first. He sighed a relief. That means he won't be holding on this liquor for long inside his system. So, he needs to finish all the tasks quickly before he felt the effect of the liquor on his body. His only problem is the players ahead of him were slow, given that their bodies have weakened due to that tequilla shot. 

Damn! What will I do? Carsen asked himself.

He was now near the part where he have to step on floaters. It's difficult. To keep the ID sticking to their lips, they need to tilt their heads a little. Another thing is, they also need to sustain their breath. The advantage is, the tequila shot helped the players in that way that they can sustain their breath longer, although it's making them feel dizzy and weak, and disoriented. 

Carsen saw some players who already get to the floater part of the obstacle course. They were falling into the water. 

" Huh! Whaat?!" 

To their shock, those who choose the green spot on the tray a while ago were swallowed by a whirlpool upon falling. They know what that means. Those who choose green can be instantly eliminated once they made a mistake on these obstacle courses. Eliminated alive or dead. They don't know. 

Carsen stared at the whirlpool wide open in shock. He chooses green. 

I can't make a mistake or else. It's over. He reminded himself. 

" Gooo!!!" 

He heard somebody yelling at his back, asking him to move forward, so the players at the back could do so. 

Carsen hops to the next floaters, and to the next. He's still fine. The liquor isn't yet affecting that much. Sustaining breath on a normal body isn't a problem for him. He's been trained to submerge underwater for an hour during his police training. Also his uncle Briggs had been hard on him when it comes to physical training. 

Carsen leaped from one floater to an expert. He himself was surprised how it seems easy for him. 

Okay, I'm near. He whispered to himself. He's soaking in sweat. 

But then, his focus was disturbed when there was a sudden scream at his back. 

It was Janesi. 

She was swinging on that thin log. 

"Please help me!" she cried. 

The more Janesi panic when she saw pierced metal blades pop out below exactly on the spot where she would fall if ever she lost her grip on this thin slippy log. Perhaps, the floor below sensed some motion that activated the deadly trap. 

Jair pushed her. 

Janesi was able to hold on quickly that's why she didn't completely fall. 

" Hey...move forward dude!" 

" Leave her alone!" 

Some players at the back were screaming at Jair. 

Their IDs had already fallen twice. They only have two chances left before they could be eliminated in this round. And there's still half of the courses left. 

" This Jair guy is really a hassle huh!" whined one of the players. 

They were all threading, standing trembling and uncomfortable in these obstacle courses while Jair was there in front ahead, delaying them because of his revenge concern. 

Should I meddle? I only have a few seconds before the liquor takes effect. Carsen thinks. He looked at the finish spot ahead of him. Then he glanced at Janesi whose face is cringing in agony. 

Jair stepped on Janesi's fingers. 

" Will you hold on more huh?" Jair asked, smirking, pressing hard on Janesi's fingers. 

" Hey! Dude you play fair huh!" 

It was Jiggs. He gets closer to Jair. They were all standing on that thin log one more complicated move they might all fall unto that bladed floor below. 

Jair glared at Jiggs. 

" Mind your own business!" he blurted.

" Be a gentleman dude! That's a girl! You play fair!" Jiggs yelled. 

Jair's nostrils flared as he looked at Jiggs. He suddenly pushed him and everyone gets shocked at how fast the events turned. Even Carsen who was watching, quickly lose hold of his ID card in shock. 

Jiggs is falling! 

In a reflex reaction of his body system and an urge of concern on Jiggs, Carsen felt the need to help him, to save him. 

" Noooo!!! Stop!!!" he screamed as he unconsciously flexes a force out inside him. 

Jiggs froze just when his face was an inch away from the blade. 

Everyone holds their breath in shock watching at the commotion as if in aslow motion. 

Carsen swiftly runs to where Jair and Janesi are. 

" Let go!" 

He said to Jair in gritted teeth. Carsen's tone of voice isn't loud. Just authoritative enough to give him chills. Jair stepped back. 

And Carsen pulled up Janesi. 

And he quickly dismantled some ropes in the previous courses they've gone through. He throw it down to Jiggs. 

" Hold tight!" he yelled. 

Carsen groaned as he pulled Jiggs up. 

"Never thought your bulging belly would be this heavy huh?!" he chuckled. 

Carsen looked around. His gaze was asking for help. But no one can help him pull up the ropes. 

F** this liquor thing! I think I'm the only one who's got strength in here! Carsen thinks. 

" Arrggghh!!!

 He groaned. A little more and Jiggs is up. 

" Thanks, dude!" 

Jiggs was teary-eyed. 

Just when they were still panting for their breath, the buzzer sounded again. 

And the voice reverberated in the area, telling them that because of that incident the flow and rules for this round has been ruined and so as consequence, time is up in just few seconds. And unless at least three IDs were transferred on the board all of them won't have a meal and bed tonight. The players know how bad it will be. They can't continue in the next game tomorrow with an empty stomach and tequila shot side effects. But getting to the board was all too impossible for most of them. What Jair did took all their time. 

" Because I'm merciful... now I'm giving you little freedom to have your IDs on that empty board, according to your own strategy. It's up to you how you will do it! As long as there will be at least 3 IDs placed on the board within 60 seconds!" said the voice. 

Carsen hurriedly looked at who was near the board aside from him. 

Lizie...and before Jair pushed Jiggs, he was already next to me...He thinks. 

Carsen saw other players fainting on the courses. Those who can't take the effect of liquor anymore. 

Sh**! This round must end quickly! He thinks. 

" Lizie? Jiggs...let's do this!" Carsen muttered urgently. 

They nodded. 

" Like how we played this in high school?" he said. 

Lizie and Jiggs understand what he means. 

And Carsen run quickly unto the last set obstacle course he had to finish, with his ID card stuck on his lips, Lizie and Jiggs moved too. 

Carsen finishes ahead of them. 

Now he had to help them transfer theirs. Their time is running. 

" Lizie!" Carsen yelled demonstrating Lizie to stick her card on his lips. Lizie do so. And Carsen placed it quickly on the board. 

" Okay, one more!" he yelled. 

Jiggs transferred his card to Lizie. With few runs and holds, Lizie was again able to transfer the card to Carsen. 

They heard the timer ticking loud. The sound of it makes their heart raced nervously.

Carsen runs fast as he could, with his head tilting, surpassing the narrow obstacle course left. 

Three!

Two!

Jiggs and Lizie yelled.

Carsen placed the last ID on the board one second before the time. 

"Yesss!" 

The players sighed a relief. At least they can eat well tonight. 

" Thank you, dude!" Jiggs bump a fist with him with a teary expression on his face. 

If not for Jiggs's story about his mom, Carsen wouldn't be saving him. 

Meanwhile

" Replay that again!" 

Jimmie's eyebrows were creasing while he was watching footage of the game. This Carsen guy is really picking his interest. His informant told him that this guy got a high IQ, and it's evident now in how he's playing the game. Jimmie observes that Carsen already knows what to do in just a second of looking at the task ahead of him. He calculates risks and possibilities that fast. 

"And wait...what is this? Can you close this up?" Jimmie ordered the operator. He's pointing at Carsen's face. 

" He stuck the tequila in his mouth for long?" Jimmie exclaimed. 

He looked at the time stamp of the video. 

" Now, he swallowed it...but wait...," his eyes focused on the time numbers below the screen. 

" It had taken a long time before it had an effect on him?" 

Jimmie wondered. 

" It's not just, sir. Look at this!" the operator showed Jimmie the video where Jiggs froze from falling. 

" I didn't place a freezing device on that area. How the hell he didn't fall?" Jimmie exclaimed. 

" Uhm.. sir...maybe I'm just crazy thinking but... Does Carsen Adams have something to do with this? Look at this..." the operator said, showing Jimmie another footage clip where Carsen shouted stop. 

" He's completely human, right?" the operator asked. 

Jimmie burst a laugh, " of course, he's just a police officer," he said. 

" What do you mean he has powers?" 

" But sir... there is also an unusual footage of him with his encounter with the Terminus, if you look---" 

" But look at this footage!" Jimmie butted in. 

" If he has powers, he wouldn't be throwing rope unto this player. He would just lift him with a move of his hand or something!" Jimmie insisted. 

" There's no way that lowly police guy is somebody special!"  

And the operator was quiet. 

He didn't insist anymore. He tried to convince himself that what he was thinking was impossible. 

Meanwhile

" So, the one who possesses the mark was already awakened?" the human-like creature asked. 

" Yes," 

" But why his ability isn't in full force yet?" 

" Oh...that voice manipulation ability of his?"  

The other watcher knows his sibling was asking about Carsen stopping Jiggs from falling by just a command of his voice, but then using a rope, in the end, to pull the Jiggs out from that bladed floor. 

" It's better for the marked human to be like that first in the meantime...for his safety until he's fully ready," explained the watcher. 

The world can't know that Carsen Adams is special until everything was in its place until the timing is right. 

" For the meantime, I'll be taking care of some things in human affairs," said one watcher. 

As he said that, his physical form instantly changed into a human. 

" Orin, my brother...wait..."  

" Lucas Wyatt...I am he now. I'm in his form and his identity..." the watcher said.