Globusz^® Publishing 

Box number one was a glass box that looked like a big fish tank. Only the content wasn’t fish. It was a bunch of angry looking snakes. Note attached to the box informed them that the snakes weren’t poisonous but that they did really like to bite. Somewhere in that box was a small piece of wood with the first number carved into it. Second box was full of equally angry looking scorpions, which were scrambling around on some sand. Buried somewhere in the sand was a piece of paper with the second number on. Third box was full of acid, at the bottom of the box was a coin shaped piece of metal that was attached to a chain that was hooked around a metal hoop. The number was on the under side of the coin. And someone had to dip a bare hand in to unhook the coin and pull it out to find the third number. Next to that box was a bottle of a neutralizing substance that would kill the pain when poured on the acid affected area. To get the fourth number somebody was going to have to empty a glass without touching the glass. They had to drink the contents through a straw. It’s content was three-quarters of a pint of human blood. Fourth number was written on the bottom of the glass. Attached note assured them that drinking this much human blood would not kill them.

“I’m really sorry guys but there is three of them that I really can see myself being able to make myself do. So although it’s the one that will probably cause the most pain. I’m going to have to do the acid one”– Shannon said, with signs of shaking at looking at the snakes. “I’m really sorry, it’s just that snakes and scorpions and things like that just really freak me out. Please don’t make me do that.”

“It’s okay”– Lori said and put an arm round Shannon. “I’m sure no one else was queuing up to dip their hand in acid. Actually snakes don’t bother me too much. So I’ll do that one”– she added and took a deep breath.

“Is that all right with you guys?” Lori checked with Ryan and Lee.

“Yeah, sure, if you’re happiest doing that one then go for it”– Ryan said.

“Whatever”– Lee added, still looking completely psyched out by the whole thing. “So that means I’m doing the Scorpions or the blood thing. I ain’t drinking human blood for anyone.”

“Guess it’s the Scorpions for you then”– Ryan said.

“Are you okay with drinking the blood Ryan?” Lori checked.

“Yeah sure, I grew up playing Rugby League. I’ve swallowed plenty of my own blood over the years. Besides I’ll just pretend it’s red wine. No! Wait! I don’t like red wine, maybe blackcurrant”– Ryan seemed to be somehow keeping his calm and his sense of humor.

“Well clock’s ticking. I guess I best get this thing started”– Lori said then made her way towards the snakes.

“Oh my God be careful Lori”– Shannon spoke and backed away with her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

Slowly lowered her right hand into the tank, trying to avoid the attention of as many snakes as possible. Writhing around on top of each other, hissing and baring their teeth, one or two of them started to notice Lori’s hand and lifted their heads up towards it.

“Ow!” Lori screamed and pulled her hand out of the tank as the first one bit her hand. “Sorry guys. I can do this. I promise.”

“Lori you are going to get bitten”– Lee said. “It’ll be best to go in there fast and rummage through as quick as you can. Ignore the bites and find the number.”

“Easier said than done. There must be twenty snakes in there”– Lori snapped back.

“I know, I’m sorry. Just that the clock is ticking”– Lee said more sympathetically.

“You’re right”– Lori said then forced her left hand into the tank and rummaged round as fast as she could. “Ow! Ah! Jesus! Aaaggh!” Breaking out in a sweat, could feel an asthma attack coming on. Heart was racing along then she found the piece of wood, pulled her hand out as quick as she could, even then she got two more bites after finding the piece of wood.

“Aaagh! Fucking Hell!” She screamed as she pulled her hand out, threw the bit of wood away and grabbed her left hand in a very vain attempt to ease the pain.

“That’s awesome Lori, fantastic effort mate”– Ryan went straight to her and hugged her. “Do you need your bag?” He asked as he heard her breathing become less controlled. Lori nodded and Ryan got the bag out of his pocket and she started breathing into it.

“My turn”– Lee said then started to breathe very deeply and powerfully as an intense stare came across his face, looking as if he was in a trance. Aggressively forced both his hands into the sand and moved them as quickly as he could around the scorpion tank. Never looked at what he was doing, stared straight ahead and tried to block out the pain of the many scorpion bites he was getting. Only took him a few seconds to find the piece of paper, he pull his hand out but dropped the paper.

“Shit!” Quick as a flash he put his hand back in and whipped out the piece of paper. Lee paced around the room and let out the screams he had been holding back on.

“Okay Shannon, I know this is going to hurt so much but I suggest you make sure you keep your hand in there until you unhook the number. Because putting your hand in for a second time would be unbelievably hard. I’m going to stay right next to you the whole time. And I’ll be ready to pour the neutralizing stuff over your hand the second you get out of there. Okay honey?” Ryan did his best to motivate an increasingly nervous looking Shannon.

Shannon stood, still shaking a little and nodded again and again, as much to convince herself that she could do it, as it was to agree with Ryan. Walked over to the container and lowered her hand until it was just above the acid, then held it there for a moment or two. Plunged it in as fast as she could and let out horrifying screams and screams of pain. Instinctively closed her eyes as a response to the pain. But quickly she realized she needed her eyes open to unhook the number.

“You’re doing great”– Ryan continued the cajoling. “Almost done honey! Then I’ll be pouring this stuff over you and the pain will go.”

Shannon got to the hook quickly but fumbled the unhooking a few times.

“Shit, aaagh, Fuck!” Shannon screamed her way through it and managed to pull out the number. She whipped out her hand as fast as she could. And Ryan immediately poured the neutralizing liquid all up and down the hand and arm that was cut up and burned. And she was undoubtedly scarred for a very long time.

Shannon staggered over to a corner of the room, sat down on the floor and cried. Lori still in the midst of her asthma attack sat next to Shannon, trying to be of some comfort. Still trying to block out his out personal trauma Lee was standing in the opposite corner with his head leaning against the wall. Knowing it was now down to him to get the final number, the exact nature of Ryan’s task suddenly hit him. He’d been focusing on getting everybody else through their own challenges. He hadn’t really given any real thought to what he was going to have to do. Now he was faced with the time to do it. He panicked into a state of complete stillness, just staring at the glass of blood. He started to feel very nauseous and feverish just at the thought of drinking so much human blood.

“Thirty seconds left man you have got to do it”– Lee said.

Ryan closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths and thought about blackcurrant juice as much as he could then went straight over to the straw and sucked as hard and as fast as he could. He managed to get over half way through still convincing himself he was drinking blackcurrant juice. As soon as the taste of blood became over powering the last few moments and mouthfuls were nothing short of sheer unabated, extreme vulgarity. As soon as the last mouthful was drunk and the number became visible Ryan staggered away from the glass and doubled over as started to cough and splutter.

“Okay that’s number four, what have you got ladies?” Lee asked panic stricken as the clock was ticking into the last ten seconds.

Lori held up a number one.

“I’ve got a eight”– Shannon said amongst the tears.

“Mine was a nine, so that’s one, nine, eight four”– Lee said as he quickly typed in the numbers, which diffused the bomb with a few seconds to go.

Lee lay back out on the floor, with a mix of relief, fatigue and horror. Lori focused on getting her asthma attack under control whilst holding Shannon’s hand that wasn't scarred. Ryan vomited, wiped his mouth and said:

“This guy has thought about this way too much. He is definitely crazy but not stupid.”

“Why you say that, man?” Lee asked from his laid out position.

“Nineteen eighty four the code to diffuse a bomb in what can and already has been described as Room 101? Don’t tell me that’s a coincidence.”

“1984 was the book with room 101 in it?” Lee checked.

“Yeah”– Ryan confirmed.

“Well read and crazy then”– Lee said.

“You guys!” Rachel shouted from upstairs. “I don’t know what you are doing down there. But something seems to have set off the release of some gas into my room.”

“Oh you have got to be shitting me!” Ryan muttered.

“This has got to end soon”– Lee added.

Lori and Shannon pulled themselves up of the floor and followed Ryan and Lee up the stair’s door to the room with Rachel in had, a piece of paper stuck to it and a combination lock on the door.