The crash from the remedy felt sudden and abrupt. The world grew obscure again, as feelings of uncertainty and fear darkened my resolve faster than dusk on a late winter’s day. I could hardly remember the ideas and plots that I strung together. What was the knotted rope for? Why did I try to pelt the creatures with bricks?


    I couldn’t help but look up. The Physma frogs were coming down now, presenting us with twelve ways to die. None were as big as the one that killed Jason, but they were still scary as shit.


    “Let’s see what happens!” Tako shouted, revealing his strength sphere, surveillance sphere, and construction sphere cradled in his hands. I looked at him, reeling from the loss of my remedy. I should tell him. I should warn him.“Jason died before he could fight. I won’t do the same. Protect them Madison.”


    Tako dashed the spheres on the bricks of the tiny tower. The spheres, once broken, released spinning thick funnels of smoke. The blue, yellow, and green smoke snaked through the air. The spinning smoke dancing through the rain, undeterred by the storm as the tore into Tako’s nose, mouth, eyes, until the boy glowed with power.


    <hr>


    Tako considered that perhaps his memory would have been something from his childhood or his raging twenties even. It wasn’t. Tako looked over the scene that happened just a week ago lamenting the moment. The scent of antiseptic cleaner was the first thing he noticed. Dakota placed her little hand in his as he laid in the hospital, a cluster of beeps around them.


    “What’s wrong, Uncle Tako?” the five-year old asked. “Your eyes are so yellow.” Her big smile, normally filled with a brightness, life and happiness, had deflated at the sight of him. He tried to lift himself up from the bed, but he couldn’t move. He was too weak.


    “I’m sick, Little One,” Tako said, glancing at his sister, who glared at him in the corner of the room with her arms crossed. She was pissed. Of course she was. He had lied to her for ten years. How could he have told her that he never stopped drinking? Dakota had her mother’s smile. Aiyana adored her big brother just as much as Dakota did when she was little. Big-bro-Tako. And he was almost successful. Almost the change their American Indian family needed after their father died from this bitter drink as well. Life had just taken a bad turn. “Mommy has so many pictures of me around,” He said, sniffling, “I’ll always be there with you guys.”


    Reluctantly, he experienced the deep concern within Dakota’s perspective, his niece was filled with immense love and compassion for his illness. That was what moved him to Kat’s side during this phase. Tako also visited his sister Aiyana’s perspective as well. Tako saw shame and hatred in her eyes when he looked from where he lay in the bed. He was wrong. It wasn’t that Aiyana felt angry toward him, Tako learned. It was anguished frustration in the face of powerlessness. She was strong, relentless even, in the midst of her broken heart.


    He drew from each of his loved ones perspective, as he made his last stand.


    <hr>


    Tako detonated, exploding with astounding energy. The tower blasted upward beneath our feet as bricks fell into place by their own nature, sending us shooting in the air. It felt like I was flying up a drop tower without the seat. “Grab Kat!” I shouted as I fell atop Judith who pulled the catatonic boy in at the last moment. I held them beneath my weight and outstretched arms as the momentum held us down. Judith and I wailed at the top of our lungs. My voice fell out from under my scream turning to silence. I could see Tako, still standing, pulling endless bricks from his inventory,  flinging them with immense force in the direction of the Physmas. The only physma I could glimpse, exploded at the impact of the brick, gore spilling from it like candy in a pinata. Or perhaps it was water. We were above the other frogs now. I could feel their tongues slamming into the tower causing it to rumble as we continued to explode upward. My ears popped from the pressure until we began to slow. Eventually the rumbling stopped as the rapid building ceased.


    “Shit…shit…shit,” Judith winced from under me. “That was…whew.”  We were so high in the sky the air felt thin and crisp. We were above the rain clouds, somehow, and I considered if this was a glitch in Perspective. I could see Tako was shaking now, his arms still aiming below as he rapidly exhaled.


    “I think you did it, Tako,” I said, sitting up. “I think we’re safe,” Kat sat up on his own as Judith lifted herself too.


    “Wait, something’s not right, grab him,” Judith said, as the boy toppled over the edge. “No Tako!” Judith screamed.


    “Tako!” I shouted, pulling my rope from my inventory as fast as I could. I leaned over the tower and with a quick aim I threw the rope. I missed. “No!” I watched as his body plummeted down and further down beneath the clouds. I leaned back, taking deep breaths in the thin air. I felt myself growing dizzy with a strange grief over the boy I barely knew.


    “Oh my God,” Judith said, her voice almost a whisper. “Why does this keep happening.”


    “It’s not your fault Judith,” I said, trying to recall the final moments, “I think it’s my fault.”


    “I’m starting to think you’re bad luck.” She said, pulling her legs into a hug. I shook my head, toying with the idea of telling the girl to fuck off. Would be quite the drop if she did. I took a deep breath as I thought about Tako. The kid smashed his spheres to help us. He’d given his life just for us to survive.


    I glanced at the now seven minute timer that sat in view. I was hopeful that the Cure of Xenophobia would save us from this. No, I needed to think for myself. I considered the ladder, no, that’s impossible. Perhaps the rope in my inventory. Maybe we could shimmy down…no that’s stupid.


    I needed the remedy.


    We sat in silence, the three of us, as I awaited the timer to drop to zero. A part of me felt pathetic, relying on this borrowed power. I trusted it more than I trusted myself. What good am I? Really? Fuck.


    “Hey,” Judith said suddenly. “You’re not bad luck Madison, I shouldn’t have said that. We’re all stuck in this shit.”


    I looked at her warily.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    “I’ve been kind of bitchy…since you picked me up from over there, I’m sorry. First it was Jason, now Tako,” She glanced at Kat who stared off in the distance then took a deep breath. “This is bullshit.” I was slightly taken aback by the second apology, then again, I was glad I didn’t have to ask for it.


    “Thanks for saying that Judith,” I said, “I know this is stressful,”


    “No, I’ve just been pissed about how I got here is all,” She shook her head. “Into Perspective”


    “What happened?”


    “I was—”


    “Well, look who we have here.” A voice said behind me. “Good to see you again Madison,”


    I turned to see Irene, floating there. Ah, yes. She had the remedy for fear of falling.


    “Oh my goodness, I am so glad to see you,” Judith said.


    “Well I came flying over when the Physma left and this tower sprouted up in the sky.”


    “Did you see a boy falling from here?” I asked, hope rising. There was a chance. A chance Tako could be alive.


    “Yes I did. I grabbed him right from the air and flew him to safety. He was unconscious, but alive. Figured I would make sure noone else was up here.”


    Judith and I both breathed a sigh of relief.


    “Okay so let’s get you three down. I constructed this makeshift device. You’ll all have to grab on to me.”


    From her inventory, she pulled out a parasail looking device, made from tarp.


    “That’s pretty crafty,” Judith said, “have you already tested it?”


    “Used it to help the ladies get down from the Living Steps,” I assumed that was what they called that structure they built.


    “You think I can fit?” I asked, examining the stable looking thing. “It looks good but it will be dangerous if we all go at once.”


    “Well I do have two strength spheres,” Irene said, “but okay, I’ll take you two first,” Irene said, pointing at Judith and Kat. I motioned to pick them both up when Irene said, “wait what’s going on?”


    “Oh, he’s catatonic and she’s paraplegic,” I said. “Perspective really screwed us over.”


    Irene nodded, with an uncomfortable smile, as I lifted Kat over Judith’s arms, then they put them over her shoulders.


    “I’ll be right back for you,” Irene said as she walked off the edge and flew down.


    A long tongue shot from the brick tower below.


    “Fuck!” I yelled, as I could hear them screaming as well. Bastard must have been climbing for us. The lurking Physma missed, but its tongue lashed out again with incredible speed. It attached to Irene’s leg and ripped the small limb from her body, sending the parasail spiraling with guttural screams. I grabbed a brick from my feet and slung it down at the creature. It pelted against its head, but somehow didn’t seem to do much. It seemed satisfied chewing on the leg of Irene before it turned it attention back to the parasail. Shit. He was going attack them again.


    I needed a better idea. I slammed my cure of Xenophobia, which was finally off the cooldown. The rush of ideas and enthusiasm made me feel invigorated and invincible. I glanced at my Physma problem with new eyes.


    “That’s really crazy,” I said aloud, but I had to try it. “Perspective, don’t let us die,” I pulled one of strength spheres from my slot. “Mazel tov,” I said, smashing the glass orb on the ground. The green smoke spiraled up, forcing itself in my lungs. It reminded me of that one time I tried pot in my only semester of college. I almost fell into a coughing fit until I felt a surge of power. My arms and legs tingled as a wave of energy coursed through my veins filling me with immense strength.


    [ Beginner Class + Morbidly Obese ]


    [ Team : 1 of 3]


    [ Remedies : 1 ]


    [ Inventory : 4]


    [m. str. sphere] [m.surv. sphere] [m. const. sphere] [empty]


    [ Memories : 0 ]


    [ Missions : 1 ]


    [ Connect with the Idle Clients - 8 / 10 ]


    [ Time until Phase One completion: 38:02 ]


    [bonus - m. str. sphere x 5 : 20 seconds]


    Times five! But 20 seconds wasn’t much.  I pulled the rope from my inventory and made it taut, as I jumped off the edge of the tower, angling my massive body toward the creature. I hope this works. The wind rushed around me, making it hard to breathe. It wouldn’t be much longer now.


    Wham!


    I slammed into the Physma, my weight causing the creature to recoil. Its body was thick and slimy, I nearly skidded off the damn thing. I pulled my taut rope and slid it into the huge creatures open mouth. It’s sticky spit created an adhesion as jerked myself up with a core strength I never had before to mount the motherfucker. I kicked off the tower with all my might, causing the me and frog to free fall. We toppled through the air, falling back into the storm below, water pelting me all around. I hope this works. In a resounding spash, we landed on the ground as the Physma’s slimy soft body absorbed the shock of the fall. The frog creature exploded into an array of watery gore, covering me in disgusting muck.


    (Cure of Aquaphobia: has been added to your remedies.)


    (Minor Destruction Sphere progress: Complete!)


    (A Minor Destruction Sphere has been added to your inventory.)


    I stood in the pool of water, now up to my hips. Around me, two smaller frogs awaited. They were sentries, paying me no mind. I guess I couldn’t become a target to the creatures. Fear only attacks if it’s present. Let’s see what this remedy can do. I slammed the prompt for Cure of Aquaphobia.


    (Cure of Aquaphobia: 50 gallons remaining)


    My hands felt uncomfortably moist as it clicked in my mind what this remedy could do. I lifted my arms, and simultaneously blasted the creatures with unending geysers. They ballooned and burst from the attack. I glanced up to see the parasail still gingerly gliding down, as rain stormed around it. I still had a few seconds left before my bonus strength expired. I pushed through the water with ease as I stood near where Judith, Kat, and the one legged Irene would land. I glanced up again, to see the parasail was empty, floating along currents of wind in the storm as it landed to a float.