Chereads / GateKeeper / Chapter 6 - The Final Question

Chapter 6 - The Final Question

"I don't want to bore you with the specifics or the amount of stupidity I had to deal with the past thirty minutes. So I've decided to skip it, we are on the last question of this pointless game," said Griffin. Griffin won't admit it, but he has been absolutely useless. Every idea he had, every suggestion was completely wrong. Griffin would be long dead if it wasn't for the rest of the team. He is embarrassed of himself and the rest of the team has lost respect for him. They don't even listen to him or even acknowledge his presence.

"Y'all ever feel like a poop inside a shower that is slowly being drained away? The poop deteriorated away by the water raining down hard. The lumps clogging the drain, to be rinsed away with the water, slowly fading away. Not being able to handle the damage and pain, to run and hide. Please tell me you guys understand?" Griffin looks around the room to find any comrade in arms. To find anyone that has felt the same feeling. Nothing, the rest of them completely ignored him. They were discussing the current and final question to the game show. Griffin puts his head down in disgust.

"Hey shithead could you be quiet, we are discussing and we can't focus with your distractions," said Tyler. The kid's name is Tyler, due to Griffin's incompetence, he has decided to learn and remember their names while they have reduced him to shit head. Ironic. The roles have been reversed.

"I haven't taken a shit in a very long time," said Clifford while staring off into the air like a crazy old man.

"Irrelevant, the question is why did the tiger not eat the hare?" said Xane the apparently extremely smart fish head thing. He was just messing with Griffin earlier because he was bored sitting in a chair for so long.

"Ok, I am leaning towards because the tiger was vegetarian," said Tyler

"Yeaaa, that's a great idea. A tiger that is vegetarian, I mean I have heard and seen crazier things," Griffin said this sarcastically. He didn't believe that was the correct answer, he was being petty because he wanted the kid to be wrong for the last question to laugh in his face. It was Griffin's turn to answer the last question to the game show. The skeletons are still on fire and its still as hot as a witches cooch.

"Time is running out. Please submit an answer soon," said Darry

Why did the tiger not eat the hare?

A. Because the tiger was lazy

B. Because the tiger hates hares

C. Because the tiger is vegetarian

D. Because the tiger was sleeping

The television displayed the question and answers in disturbing flashing lights. A rainbow of different random colors that does not correlate to anything.

"I do not care anymore, these questions are ridiculous and have make no sense whatsoever," said Griffin

"Nothing ever really makes sense, do us being here make sense?" Clifford the old man is offering his older and unwanted wisdom. Clifford begins to scratch his own butt and picks his nose. The old guy has no filter at all.

"Ok since you don't care, pick an answer you would say then do the complete opposite cause that's gonna be the correct answer," Tyler says while laughing at him.

"These questions only matter to you regardless. You are the only one really taking the quiz," said Xane.

"Huh," said Griffin. (What the hell does that mean)

"Fine, then the answer is C. Because the tiger was vegetarian. I went with my gut and I'm proud of my answer," said Griffin with too much confidence. He has been reduced to minerals and can still give an answer with integrity. Well given the fact that his decision wasn't his own answer.

"Is that your final answer? Darry asks Griffin with as serious a face a duck can possibly make. If Griffin could not take a talking duck serious.

"Yes, that is my final answer."

"The answer to why did the tiger not eat the hare is..... C. Because the tiger was vegetarian!" Darry shouts, confetti is fired into the air from who knows where. The skeletons dance for joy, one skeleton even begins to somehow cry even though it's a skeleton with no eye-sockets or eyes for that matter.

"Well that is all folks, you have seen it here live on dungeon television, Questions in Heat. Congratulations on passing the quiz and being able to move on to challenge the master, if that is what you desire. I have held onto the fact that if you answer all of the questions correctly you may leave the dungeon completely." said Darry while looking into the vacuum of flames. The bars released all of the contestants. They were finally free.

"Who the hell is he even talking to?" Griffin said out loud, not talking to anyone in particular. Griffin who frequently talks to himself is unaware of his own actions.

"That duck kind of reminds me of you Griffin," said Tyler.

"I don't have it in me to feel any type of way about your comment. I am going to ignore it," replied Griffin

"Well anyways it was nice meeting an interesting and overly energetic fellow like yourself," said Clifford. Acknowledging Griffin like they're time together is over.

"What do you mean? Don't we have to clear the dungeon together? Or now we separate then meet up at the end? Wait a second, how the hell am I like the duck? Do you agree with him?" Griffin couldn't ignore Tyler's previous comment.

"I guess this part is always confusing," said Xane who turns his head around in the same owl-like manner. Griffin has seen him do it many times, it still sends shivers down his spine. (Please stop doing that)

"What do you mean "this part?" Griffin asks back to Xane.

"We are all dead." Tyler screams, he wanted to cry but nothing came. Reality settled in, there was nothing he could do.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's like he says Griffin, we are dead," Clifford says with perfect speech. Almost could have forgotten that he was a crazy old man that was picking his nose not too long ago.

"We are people trapped inside the game show, whenever a new challenger enters the dungeon we are here to help or distract the person taking the quiz, just extras in the background. But we subconsciously realized that you are completely hopeless so we decided to help you out. When we are first brought into the classroom, memories of this place are wiped clean. Our memories of our lives before the dungeon remain. That's why the kid was crying before, he left home and fell into a gate without realizing it. When the game show is successfully complete, we regain memory of why we are here. Even our names are kept from us. We have been stuck in this vicious cycle for hundreds of years," explained Xane.

This sudden revelation shocked Griffin only a little. You never know what can happen inside a dungeon. He began to reflect on his actions. He felt like shit, for the way he was behaving. Then he didn't care anymore. He just held his head down not knowing what to say next.

"Don't be sad about it young pup, I am glad we have met. You remind me of my grandson, even though he has probably been dead for a long time now," said Clifford. Even though he wasn't even sure if that was his name or not. Even despite all of that he was still able to bring himself to smile. The room suddenly became quiet.

"So, Griffin, are you strong? Do you think you can defeat the boss?" Tyler talking in a whimper, with an expressionless face.

"Yeah, I'm strong,"

"Then please defeat the boss for us, please. I am tired of this endless cycle of remembering and forgetting. It's too painful, I did not do anything to deserve this. I bad mouth my parents one time, one time! Please do something about this prison.I wanna go and meet my parents in the afterlife. If that is even possible," Tyler pleaded with all his might. Griffin not making eye contact with him, just staring aimlessly up into the non existent sky. A blue sky that is not there.

"I don't necessarily care if you succeed or not, I am in clear mind of my decisions in the past and able to accept my fate, so don't challenge the boss for my sake," said Xane.

A massive castle-like gate appeared at the back of the classroom. It gave off an ominous feeling to it, like every boss room does. Another blue oval shape gate appeared at the front of the room, that must be the exit. A ticket back home.

"I was a fighter in my prime days, I was strong. Proud of my strength, but even I failed to defeat the boss. I suffered a decisive blow, no longer being able to fight. I was able to live inside this dungeon for as long as possible. I was able to live off of flaming rats and snakes for sixty years before I finally died from the snake venom. I don't even care about my life anymore. Just kill that damn boss for me," said Clifford. He was bearing hatred in his eyes. Anger that Griffin himself could feel at his back as the older fighter stared at him.

"You are weak gramps, even in your so-called "prime"," said Griffin as he casually walks to the red and black entrance to the chambers of the boss. He puts his right hand on the door and opens it.

Griffin enters the boss room.