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Flotsam_in_S_Texas t1_j9kl204 wrote

           Mini woke but remained as still as she could. She fought to keep from panicking and took small measured breaths. On high alert and listening for any small sound. Her shoulder hurt but she ignored it. Can't move. Can't move. Don't move. If he thinks I am still out of it he won't hit me anymore. Minutes passed with silence all around her. She looked thru slitted eyelids and saw a bright, white room. First thing she did was take a grateful breath she was alone, but then wait. Where was she? Chancing a full look see, Mini sat up. She was alone alright. No entrance or exit, no furniture, no nothing greeted her sight. Grateful at first, then scared and now mad.
          Shaking her fist at the ceiling, "What have you done now Jimmy?" Mini yelled. "Why can't you just leave me alone? Why do you have to do things like this to me?"
          Mini stood, "Where are you? Say something!" she said, angry tears rolling down her face.
          There was no answer.
          Frustrated she let out a big sigh and looked down, there was a piece of paper at her feet. She had been sitting on it. Mini picked it up.
          "Touch the Wall." There was a logo , beneath the request. The letters "JA-R-US" were set in a half circle, like a smile.
          "Is this another one of your sick jokes, Jimmy? Is it? Just because you have money doesn't mean you can do anything you want to me."
          Not knowing what else to do Mini touched the wall closest to her. It became translucent and tall words scrolled down.
          "Greetings. Welcome to JA-R-US."
          A large keyboard floated up on bottom of the screen.
          The next line was, "You are facing your front door."
          Mini was stunned. But this all looked familiar. Her little brother had played a game sorta like this. She had to type directions and stuff.
          She tried, "Open front door."
          "Front door is open."
          "Exit front door." She answered.
          "You are in the hallway."
          Remembering the floor plan of her apartment she continued.
          Just as she reached the elevator a red warning flashed across the screen.
          "Jack Ass Alert. Jack Ass Alert. Jack Ass has been detected in the room ahead."
          Mini froze. It was Jimmy, he loved to corner her in the elevator. She couldn't go down the stairs either because his goons would have that exit covered. Now what? But wait, this was a game right?
          "Look through door." She typed one letter at a time, not knowing what would happen.
          A section of the door to the elevator became clear as glass.
          It was Jimmy. There were fresh red welts on his face where she had dug in with her nails. "That little bitch." He muttered smearing the blood drips across his cheek. "This is the last time I will let her get away from me. I will make her love me. She is mine and mine alone."
          Mini yelped out and stepped back in horror. "Oh my god. Oh my god. What do I do?"
          The screen responded with a "?"
          Mini typed ,"?" in reply.
          "Help Menu: When Jackass has been detected select an exile level by entering 'roll dice'. This will create an appropriate resolution for your Jackass."
          Mini looked around not really believing any of this.
          She shrugged her shoulders, winced and typed, "Roll Dice."
          "7. You have selected the Seventh Level of Hell."
          "Roll for duration."        
          "Roll Dice." She typed.
          "Double 6. The duration selected will be Eternity."
          She watched, half in horror, half in amazement as the elevator floor beneath Jimmy began to burn.
          "WHAT THE HELL!! HELP! HELP! GET ME OUTTA HERE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
          Mini was shrieking and shaking as she watched him fall from view, his yells becoming distant then stopping.
          All was quiet.
          "Thank you for playing JA-R-US."
          The wall went back to being a plain wall.
          Mini fainted.
          A loud banging at her door woke her up.
          "Mini. This is Cleo, let me in. Mini! Let me in. Are you alright?!"
          Mini sat up groggy and looked around. Her bed, her apartment. "What?"
          Stumbling to her front door, she let her best friend Cleo in. "What is it?"
          Acting like aliens had come to earth Cleo challenged her, "Mini, haven't you seen the news?"
          Mini blinked at her friend, she looked down and noticed she was still wearing the clothes she'd worn on last night.
          "Watch this." Cleo turned on the T.V.
          "Infamous software genius and crypto wizard Jimmy Glens has committed suicide. He was filmed jumping off the top of his penthouse. He fell into a construction hole in the street. His body has not been found. Film tonight."
          Mini sat back. Jimmy gone?
          No. It can't be. No. Digging in her pocket she pulled out a crumpled paper. As she smoothed it out the words on it were fading fast, "....JA-R-US..........."
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