Love Is Always Write Volume 4

Snyder said. "And also when you make a wrong turn, get hit by a foe, or pause too long in one place. Now, tell him to walk."
    Bob opened his mouth to protest, but the thought of a repeat of bad command was fresh in his mind. "Walk," he said reluctantly. The avatar moved down the white hallway.
    "When you reach the end of the hallway, say 'right'," said Snyder.
    Bob clenched his teeth. He wanted to scream. What sort of sadistic asshole hooked up electrodes to a video game? He tried not to think about karmic revenge for underestimating Snyder as he rotated his wrists in his bonds. There was some slack, but not much. "Right," he said when the avatar reached the end of the hallway. The burly character turned right and continued down another long hallway, this one lined with windows on the left and doors on the right.
    A door burst open, and Bob nearly shrieked when a shambling creature emerged. Its rotted, peeling skin was dotted with suppurating green sores.
    "Back!" Bob yelled. To his relief, the avatar backtracked. The creature advanced with a growling moan, hands outstretched and fingers curled into claws. Its fingernails were talons. Bob definitely did not want it touching him.
    A second jolt of electricity slammed through him, and the chair legs jerked on the floor. "Ouch! Damn it !"
    "Got hit by the one sneaking up behind you, didn't you?" he heard Snyder ask. Bob turned his head, and the viewpoint swung dizzily to reveal a close-up of a second terrifying creature.
    "Back!" he barked and then swung his head around. The first one was closer. " How do I kill them ?"
    Bad command . Another jolt drew a sobbing gasp from him, and his muscles strained against his bonds.
    "You're a smart guy. You'll figure it out."
    "Shoot!" Bob said.
    You are unarmed , replied the female voice. The zombie-creature moved closer. Bob dared not move his avatar backward.
    "Hit! Kick! Punch!" Bob cried frantically.
    The last one seemed to do the trick. The avatar's fist lashed forward and smashed into the face of the creature with a meaty sound. It fell away.
    "Forward! Run!"
    The avatar bolted down the hallway as more creatures spilled from the doorways, reaching scabrous, skeletal hands out to grasp at him. Bob bellowed commands to strike the monsters, cringing each time an electrified jolt announced contact from one of the foe's claws.
    "Open door! Down!" he yelled when he reached another stairwell. The screen froze when the avatar reached a landing. It wasn't until the noise ceased that Bob realized dramatic theme music had been playing, adding to his heart rate by increasing the tension.
    "Having fun?" Snyder asked. "Maybe you want to tell me where Takara is now or better yet where he hid the game code."
    "I don't know!" Bob replied frantically, almost wishing he knew. He liked to think he wouldn't have sold out Jory, but in reality, he might have done anything to avoid being subjected to more of the game.
    "You're stronger than I expected, Bobby. Back to the fight."
    The music returned, and Bob swore. He moved his avatar down the steps, hearing shuffling and moaning sounds from above. His mind whirled. Obviously there was a pause function, and if the game was voice-controlled…
    "Pause!" he said.
    Nothing happened, and he heard Snyder's amused tone. "Nice try."
    "Reset! Reboot!" Bob tried as the stairwell door ahead opened to disclose a glut of monsters.
    Snyder laughed. "Surely you don't think it will be that easy?"
    "Restart!" Bob yelled. The screen shifted and went black. After a dozen of Bob's pounding heartbeats, the opening scene appeared. Bob's avatar was back at the beginning.
    "Son of a bitch," Snyder said just as his phone rang.
    Bob tried to control his breathing, knowing he only had a few moments before the door opened, and he would have to deal with the first creature again. He wondered how many times he could restart before Snyder found a way to override it, or thought up a new method of torture.
    "I was beginning to think you didn't care about your new boytoy, Takara. You have fifteen minutes, and you'd better have the code. Try anything stupid and I'll mess Bobby up so badly he won't be able to think about you without screaming. Got it?"
    A moment later the VR helmet was removed. Bob glared at Snyder and clenched his teeth as the electrodes were torn from his chest.
    "Lucky you, Bobby. Takara has decided to trade the code for you. Isn't it touching?"
    Bob held his breath to avoid speaking. While he was glad to be free