The God Contest Regina

“It is always good to make new friends.”

Jose Feliciano

“To the end of Eternity.”

The hidden Gods’ conversation echoed in Bethany’s mind as she opened her eyes, ending the dream.

“Was it a dream?” Bethany asked herself. “Were any of them dreams? The morgue? The cards? The hilltop? What is happening to me?”

The early morning rays warmed the tip of Bethany's nose and she wiped the sleep from her eyes. “And where am I?”

She was lying on a comfortable couch, its dark leather cracked from heavy use. Her head rested on a decorative pillow, and a small blanket had been draped over her. She was in a large office, with the couch positioned beneath large, east-facing windows. An executive-style desk made of deep brown oak rested against the far wall, its surface covered with abandoned papers, a half-finished coffee, and a photograph of a middled-aged woman with two children. Across the room, a set of matching bookshelves were filled with business texts, binders, and cookie-cutter souvenirs for half a dozen countries. There was a black mini fridge tucked away in the corner, supporting a haphazard tower of binders that appeared like they could topple at any moment.

Her hammer lay on a glass coffee table in front of the couch within easy reach.

"My hammer...," Bethany mumbled, trying to clear her head.

She suddenly sat up as she remembered the events of the previous night. She recalled the golden disc and the knowledge that had flooded into her mind. Her hammer of light had shattered the bull, but then exhaustion had overwhelmed her.

"Then... how did I get here?"

The office door crashed open. Startled, Bethany grabbed for her hammer as Rocky stumbled in, carrying a plate of bacon and eggs on a plastic lunchroom tray. His right hand was wrapped tightly in a white bandage.

Bethany quickly shoved her hammer beneath the pillow, out of sight but within easy reach. She still did not know if she could trust them. The memory of Daniel and Becka still sat raw in her mind.

Rocky set the tray down on the coffee table with an indelicate thud. He looked pleased that he had made it this far without spilling its contents across the beige carpet.

“Sorry about that,” apologized Rocky, holding up his bandaged hand. “It’s hard to hold stuff with busted fingers. It took a while to get you and Emily into the truck after you took care of that bull.”

“Your friend… is she okay?” Bethany asked.

“She’s resting,” Rocky replied, trying to hide his concern. “She’s got a nasty bump on her head, and I’m worried that she may have a cracked rib. It hurts when she tries to breathe deep. But she’s alive, thanks to you.”

Bethany blushed, not used to feeling appreciated.

“I don’t know about that,” Bethany said, reluctantly. “It was your punch that gave us the opportunity.”

“My fingers are a small price to pay for our safety, I guess,” Rocky said with a shy smile.

An awkward silence fell between them. Rocky was shifting on the balls of his feet and there was a tension in the air. She reached under the pillow and gripped her hammer, uncertain what would happen next.

What if he attacks me? He is so much larger than I am. What if he…

Rocky suddenly broke the silence. “How did you do that? With the hammer? I mean…” he stammered, his words erupting clumsily into the air. “You were amazing. You don’t have to tell me, of course, but how…? What was that?”

Rocky’s eyes were filled with curiosity, kindness, and awe. He was so animated in his excitement that it made Bethany laugh despite her instincts screaming at her to flee from this stranger.

“I… I don’t really know,” answered Bethany. She wanted to trust Rocky. She did not want to be alone anymore. But the specters of Daniel and Becka loomed large in her thoughts and held her back.

Rocky seemed disappointed by her answer but did not push her. Suddenly, his face lit up and he dug around in his pockets. He withdrew a silver coin.

“Here, I found this in the remains of the orb. It has your name on it.”

Rocky extended his meaty hand towards her, the coin resting in the middle of his palm. Bethany picked it up delicately. It was the same as the silver coin she had received from the orb in the park, only the image on this coin was of a bull charging across an open plain.

“Bethany Fox. Attribute token. Redeemable at Mr. Mercury’s Emporium,” Rocky read aloud. “It had your name on it, so I guess it is yours. I have no idea what it is for, though.”

Bethany stared at the coin. Yesterday, Becka and Daniel hadn't been able to touch her first silver coin.

So why can Rocky touch this one?

“Is… is something wrong?” asked Rocky, sounding concerned. “Should I have left it there?”

Bethany did not answer. She fiddled with the coin, trying to understand why there was a difference. It felt important. She looked up at Rocky, and then let the coin drop to the floor, pretending it was an accident.

Rocky picked up the coin and handed it back to her without hesitation.

“Why did you give it to me?” Bethany asked.

“What do you mean?” Rocky asked, confused. “It is your coin. Why wouldn’t I give it to you?”

“It’s just… I encountered some… untrustworthy people… in Wascana Park yesterday. After the Contest started.” She pulled her first coin from her pocket, placing it in her palm alongside the second. “They couldn’t touch it. Their fingers passed through it as if it were a hologram.”

Rocky heard the crack in her voice when she spoke of Daniel and Becka. “It doesn’t sound like you had a good time with them.”

Bethany shook her head and felt tears trying to escape.

“Bethany, Emily and I aren’t going to harm you,” Rocky said, seating himself on the floor next to the couch with an indelicate thump that made the breakfast plate on the coffee table rattle. He gave an awkward laugh. “And with that hammer of yours, I wouldn’t even think about trying. I’d like my head to remain in one piece, thank you very much.”

Bethany felt herself smile. She looked at the coin in her palm, and then glanced over at Rocky. The mammoth of a man gave her a broad, goofy grin, and she laughed.

How long had it been since I have laughed with someone else?

It felt strange. It felt wonderful.

She decided to take a chance. She decided to trust him.

“Perhaps you could touch it because you had my best interests at heart, and Becka and Daniel did not,” she mused aloud. It felt right. Rocky shrugged in response, but his smile remained.

Bethany placed the two silver coins in her pocket and grabbed a piece of bacon from the breakfast plate. It tasted divine.

Forget laughter – how long has it been since I had bacon?

Bethany glanced around the room as she shoveled a second piece into her mouth.

“Where are we?” Bethany asked, suddenly feeling much lighter.

“We're at the oil refinery in the northeast corner of the city,” Rocky replied proudly. “I work security here and Emily is a technician. When the contest started, everyone went home to protect their families. But Emily and I don’t have family in Regina. We've only got each other. I thought the refinery was the best place to hole up until we are rescued.”

Rocky looked out the window towards the massive stone walls that now surrounded the city. Bethany grabbed another piece of bacon and leaned over the couch to stare with him. The refinery complex was spread across nearly a thousand acres, a twisted maze of pipes, outbuildings, processors, and towers. The entire complex was surrounded by a ten-foot-tall metal fence, with one security-controlled gate.

“If we get rescued,” he added somberly. “This whole thing is insane.”

Through the window, Bethany could see the tall mountains to the north and the ocean to the east. Winged eyes streaked across the sky in search of action in the city below. Jitters, her personal winged eye, floated outside the window and bobbled excitedly when she saw it. She gave it a slight smile and a polite wave.

A light snow fell to the north, and the snow changed to a warm Mediterranean rain at the diagonal intersection of north and east where the two climates collided.

“It will end, Rocky,” Bethany said with conviction. “It must.”

“I hope you are right, Bethany. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in this nightmare world, wondering when my supper might decide to eat me instead.”

Rocky wandered over to the desk, absentmindedly stacking loose papers. “Anyway, since we are the only ones who stayed in the complex, we decided to bunk down in the executive offices. This one is Mr. Calloway’s office. He’s the vice president. He keeps a collection of protein bars in the lower left drawer, if you like that kind of thing. And he has a bunch of diet sodas in the mini fridge. I put Emily in the president’s corner office last night, and I am just across the hall, in Phil’s office.”

Bethany sunk her back into the cushions of the comfortable couch. “Well, it’s certainly better than living in my…”

Bethany jumped up with a start. “My car! It’s still back at the supermarket. My whole life is in there.” She clasped her hand over her mouth, realizing what she had just said. Rocky now knew she was homeless. Bethany could hear Becka's voice in her mind, calling her crazy.

Would Rocky think the same?

Rocky looked at her curiously, then realization dawned on him as her words sunk in. He gave her a kind smile. “It’s not safe to live in a car at a time like this. You can stay here with us.”

There was no judgment or hesitation in Rocky’s voice. He did not assume she was crazy. He just wanted her to know she was safe.

The last of her doubts about Rocky crumbled away.

“Let’s go check on Emily, and you can tell us your story,” Rocky said, opening the office door. “And we can figure out how to retrieve your car.”

Rocky headed down the hallway towards the corner office. Bethany looked back through the window, at the chaos beyond, and wondered what lay in story for her in the days ahead.

Whatever lay ahead, perhaps she did not have to face it alone.

Name: Bethany Fox

Job: Player

Attributes:

Strength: 3

Agility: 3

Toughness: 6

Magic: 5

Unspent Attribute Coins: 2

Talents:

Oracle Eye (#error#)

Hammer of Light (Rare)