#Homebound: A Fateful Deal

With the rather heavy bag in hand, you make your way deeper into the left corridor. “How large is this house?!” you exclaim to your partner.

There’s an eerie silence in the air. The only sound you hear is the wood beneath your feet creaking, the rest almost feels like a vacuum. Well into the corridor, you see an opening on the left. “Finally! I see a room,” your partner informs you.

It was bold of you to assume that the first room in the mansion was a bedroom. With multiple tables covered in once-white sheets and cobwebs that extend from the cracked windows to a ceiling that might fall any time, you think to yourself, “Where have I gotten myself?”

“Nope. Let’s leave this room right now. Something isn’t right,” you say to your partner.

“Come on! There’s so much more of the house to see. Look, there’s an old game right here. Let’s at least see what that’s all about.”

With an evident hint of frustration you give in, “Fine, but if I win, I’m leaving straight away and if I lose, we can go around the house. Deal?”

“Deal!”

You sit across your partner, with a rather questionable board game between you. The dust from its wooden box is everywhere and your allergies are certainly not happy. Behind the veil of dirt, you realise it’s a simple game of snakes and ladders, except you pick up cards that signify the number of boxes you progress!

“You know I’m the luckier one, I’m definitely winning this. Still want to play?” you tease.

Your partner lays out the cards without hesitation. 20 minutes into the game, there are only two cards left and it’s your turn. You need a 5 to win, anything else - you lose.

Your urgency to leave that room is accelerated by a loud thud as the curtain rod behind you falls - what moved it?!

In all your fluster, you reach out and quickly pick up a card.

If you picked the first card, click here.

If you picked the second card, click here.