Phantasmagoria
And I'm Back In The Game!

Whatthe...

Ohyeah. I'm back on the ship. I nearly lost my bearings after that 2hour break. I nearly forget where I was in the game. I see that we'resailing again. And Cara's moving too. That's good.

''We'renearly approaching the fifth level,'' Cara yells back to me as shehoists the sails. Nearly there? Wow, I just got back in the game andI'm already approaching the fifth level? Time doesn't slow down anymore, does it? Well, then again, I did spend a lot of time before thebreak sailing endlessly on the waters.

''Hey,Cara, can you tell me what she's like? The fifth level keeper?'' Iask Cara.

''Hmm,she's...nice, but only when she wants to be. Oh, and she's the oldestout of all the level keepers,'' Cara replies. Oh, she's the oldest,huh?

''Isthat why she's the Information keeper?'' I ask Cara.

''Wisdomcomes with age,'' she responds. Wisdom does come with age. Andsometimes losing your marbles too.

''Sinceshe's the last one, she's going to be the most difficult, right? Imean, she's not going to make it easy for me to get to Diana, isshe?'' I say to her as we float down a waterfall.

''No,I don't think she will. Usually she wipes out the remainingparticipant, or participants, if there are more,'' Cara answers.

''Howmany...usually reach her level?'' I ask another question.

''Usually?None,'' Cara replies.

None?

Absolutelyno one?

''That'snot very many,'' I say. Not very many at all. Now I think I am goingto dread this level keeper the most. God knows what she will do tome.

''Butthis is the first time we've had 3 participants survive and come tothe fifth level. That's a good achievement. But, she hates too many.She usually whittles it down to one,'' Cara says nonchalantly. Oh,that's good to hear. I might be gone in the next level. And ifVaughan's still around, it definitely won't be a 'fun' level.

''Oi,Mr Williams! Have you seen the weather forecast for today?'' Caraasks me as she looks toward the sky. What on earth is she on about?What weather forecast would I watch in a virtual reality game? On animaginary television? Any way, what is she looking up at...

''Ohmy...,'' I say as I see the clouds beginning to form a dark greycircle above us. I hear thunder reverberate through them, and flashesof light brighten up the sky. The wind begins to blow more harshly,and the waters around us begin to turn into a-

''MAELSTROM!''Cara shouts at the top of her voice as she laughs.

What...?

Maelstrom?

Awhirlpool?

Why?

Andwhy is she laughing?

''Preparefor a shipwreck, Mr Williams! It's going to be a rough landing in thefifth level!'' Cara screams as she lifts her self up on the mast andswings on it as if she is swinging on a pole.

I haveno doubt that this is her doing.

Nodoubt whatsoever.

''Areyou crazy?'' I say to her.

''No;just insane!'' she yells back.

That'sthe same thing...

Ithought this girl was calmer than Dimple, but she's worse. What onearth is wrong with the people in this world? Can't anyone be normalfor once? But the outside world...gets crazy sometimes.

Maybethis world...isn't so bad after all.

Ibegin to smile as I look at how carefree Cara is. This is...fun toher. This isn't crazy. We always hide the craziness of life away fromkids, but here, the kids are...embracing it. Loving it.

Thisis their world.

Andthis is normal for them.

Whyshouldn't I be...just like them?

As therain pours, I close my eyes and accept it. Accept the rules of thiscrazy world without rules. Accept the unexpected. I take my hand offthe wheel, and spread my arms out.

Iwelcome you, crazy world. I welcome your strange kindness.

''Holdonto something! We're going to be in the tornado!'' I hear Cara'svoice bellowing above the din.

Tornado?

Didshe just say tornado?

I openmy eyes and I see that the sky has formed a funnel cloud, which I seeis developing into a full-blown twister. I see the wheel going crazy,and I can't get any control of it. I decide to go over to where Carais while I battle the windy tempest and deluge of water coming at mein all directions. I hold onto the mast and look at Cara. She'sgrinning at me, not caring what could happen. I guess I should do thesame, if it helps. I smile back at her, and hold on tightly to themast.

''Hereit comes!'' Cara says as I hear the Andromeda Dreadnought moan andwail under the vicious thrashing of the wind and rain. I hear itcreaking under the pressure of the twister, and then I feel it...

Turn.

Andspin.

Spinning.

We'respinning around in circles!

We arepulled upwards into the twister, going round and round as we hold onfor dear life onto the mast. I close my eyes, as I can no longer keepthem open in the wind. When I close my eyes, it feels like aneternity. It feels like we have been in this storm for a long time.I'm not sure when it is going to end. But that's up to Cara, ofcourse.

''Notlong now, Mr Williams!'' I hear Cara shout. Yeah, you said that like10 minutes ago. Now look where we are. I wait to feel if the wind andrain will dissipate. When will this end?

When?

Pleasestop.

Juststop.

I justwant this all to...

STOP!

Itstopped.

Itstopped?

''Ah,finally!'' I hear Cara say. I slowly open my eyes and see that...wehave stopped. But...we're not on the water. We're in the air. It'slike the ship...is suspended in the air.

''Finallyyou ended it,'' I say as I come away from the mast and look around.

''No,I didn't. She did,'' Cara reveals. She did?

Who's'she'?

''Well,hello, Mr Williams,'' an American-voiced girl greets me on the shipbehind me. I turn around and see a white girl with dark hair,coloured with pink, purple and blue streaks in it wearing a redhooded jumper, ripped up denim baggy shorts that reach past her kneesand stripy coloured socks with off-white sneakers.

''Hello,''I say back to her.

''Youalready know who I am, so I'll cut to the chase,'' she replies in abored manner.

Wow,she really is nice when she wants to be.

''Cutto the chase?'' I repeat. She wants to get down to business already?Her and Vaughan should get along just fine, then,

''Yeah,the chase. If you want to get to Diana, you have to chase me first,''the fifth level keeper says.

Hoho,a challenge from the get go? Guess she likes to get things done, noquestions asked. But I do have one question for her, though.

''Who...isWraith?'' I ask her. She gives me a strange look. Hope I've piquedher interest, then.

''Whydo you ask?'' she asks me back.

''Well,you're the Information keeper. You hold all the information in thisgame,'' I reply back to her. She wants to play literal word games.I'll play with her.

''Well,I do just that. I keepinformation.What makes you think I would give it away?'' she answers back. Wow,this girl's a tough nut to crack. I may have met my match.

''So,are you going to tell me?'' I question her.

''Youneed to chase me first,'' she replies. And before I can say anythingelse, she disappears without a trace.

''Whereon earth did she go?'' I say aloud.

''Goafter her and you will replace out,'' Cara says as she goes to the edgeof the Andromeda Dreadnought.

''You'regoing already?'' I say to her.

''Yep.Your challenge has started,'' Cara says as she points past me. I turnto see where she is pointing at, and get a good view of a timerflashing up. Mathilde gets straight to business, doesn't she?

''Havefun,'' Cara says before she jumps off.

Fun.

Idon't think I will if I have to deal with a level keeper who clearlyseems to be on her period.

Fun.

Ithink this game has given that word a new definition.

Idon't think I have the luxury of 'fun' in this challenge.

Chaseher. I have to chase her.

How amI supposed to chase someone who is invisible?