The Board Game

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My friends were playing with a deck of cards as I was struggling to decipher what my boyfriend was telling me over the phone. I locked myself in the bathroom to ask him to repeat his words, believing that perhaps I was hearing things. 

There was no way in hell he was breaking up with me over the phone. 

"Tasha? Did you hear me? I think we need some space."

I cleared my throat loudly, trying not to cry. 

"Why? I thought…I thought we were going strong…everything was going well…"

"Tasha. Listen to me. It's best if we do. You…haven't been the same. Not since your father went missing a couple of months ago. I don't think it's right for me to be with you during a time like this."

"Fuck you. That's so fucking selfish of you Chris."

"You got wasted at a college party, and while I was trying to calm you down, you told me to fuck off and berated me in front of everyone!"

"I don't remember that! I was wasted! And I said I was sorry!," I said through clenched teeth. 

"You did apologize to me. Then you decided to block me on social media for two weeks, and I heard from Daniel that I was the only one that you blocked."

I rubbed my fingers at my temples, feeling a headache coming on. 

"I didn't want - I was embarrassed. I felt bad about what I did. I couldn't face you. I wasn't trying to scare you or avoid you. I just thought you wouldn't want to talk to me for awhile."

"If you told me to leave you alone, I would have understood. You're going through a lot Tash."

Tash. How I loved that nickname. It sounded so cute, knowing that came from Chris, and no one else. Now I wouldn't even hear that adorable name just for me ever again. I hung up on Chris mid conversation. I know that was stupid, and it probably would seal the deal for a guarantee breakup, but I was too upset to care. 

If Chris really loved me, he would stick with me no matter what. My father was missing. Of course I was going to be losing my mind. 

"Asshole," I muttered. 

I studied my reflection in the mirror, making sure it didn't look like I was crying. I took a deep breathe, and then I walked out of the bathroom. When I arrived back to the living room, I almost tripped over my own feet when I saw the board game displayed on the kitchen table. 

Daniel and Janet were playing with the same board game that I had played with my father before he went missing. It was called the "Can You Escape from the 9 Layers of Hell?"

My father had discovered this board game at a garage sale, and we had played it that night, the two of us laughing over the absurdity of the game. I remember that my father had lost the game, and his character was sent to the ninth layer of Hell. We were dying of laughter when the game was over, and afterwards, we had started watching a movie together. 

I had fallen asleep, and when I woke up, my father was gone. I had assumed he had gone to work, but when his car was found on the side of the road, with strange long marks that resembled claw marks on the side of his vehicle, I knew that something awful had happened. 

"Tasha? Are you alright?," Daniel asked. 

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I was…thinking about my dad."

I grimaced. I didn't mean to bring it up. I didn't want my friends to worry about me, and the concern on their faces was already irritating me. It was bad enough I just got dumped over the phone in the bathroom. I couldn't let my friends know that I was going through absolute hell inside. 

"Tasha…we could call it a night. I don't think we should continue playing games like this. It's not right…" Janet said timidly. 

"Guys. I'm alright. Really. I kind of want to…not think about it, you know?"

Daniel offered me a sad smile. A small part of me wishes I had chosen him when I met Chris and Daniel in college. Daniel was wonderful, and I don't think he would have dumped me, or choose to abandon me like Chris just did. I sat across from Daniel at the kitchen table, offering a warm smile of my own. Perhaps now that I was single, I could still make that happen. 

"My dad and I played this game before…he went missing. It was pretty fun."

Janet studied the rules. "This game is definitely one of the strangest ones I have ever seen. The rules are pretty simple, but it looks so fun. The player has to avoid falling into any of the nine layers of Hell. Whoever is left on the board will automatically be sent to that specific layer of Hell they got stuck in. That's fucking cool. Where did your dad get this?"

"A garage sale."

Daniel put a hand underneath his chin, picking up one of the characters on the board. "Does it say what is in each layer of Hell?"

Janet smiled. "Oh yeah. And it's super messed up."

Daniel clapped his hands together. "Awesome. This is my kind of game. Let's play!"

We played for a couple of hours. I was the one who got stuck in the ninth layer of Hell, like my dad did before he went missing. Daniel and Janet both made fun of me when I lost, and I stuck out my tongue, and pretended I was becoming possessed by a demon. I proceeded to chase Janet around the kitchen, while Daniel laughed his ass off. 

It was exactly the kind of night that I needed. I said goodbye to Daniel and Janet, and went to bed that night. I pictured Daniel's laugh, as my eyes were slowly closing. He really was pretty cute. I fell asleep, hoping I wouldn't have nightmares about my dad going missing. 

I woke up to my room on fire. I screamed, and attempted to escape through the window. When I touched the glass, I pulled my hand back. It felt squishy, like touching skin. I ran toward my bedroom door, and pulled open the door. I froze. My father was standing in the doorway. 

"Tasha? Oh God. No. Did you play the game?"

"What? What are you…I'm dreaming. Right?"

My father touched my cheeks. "No. You're not dreaming, Tasha. You're in Hell. The ninth layer."

"What?"

My father had tears in his eyes. "We are stuck here forever. That game is cursed. It's a portal to Hell for people who lose the game. I've been trying so hard to escape, but it's impossible. We are now stuck here forever. In our house. That will forever burn."

My father hugged me. I could feel the heat of the flames tickle my skin. I shut my eyes, hoping that this was a dream. When I opened my eyes, the fire was still there. I didn't cry or scream. It wouldn't matter. No one would come to save us. 

At least I have my father back. I closed my eyes, wondering if the flames will become like home to me. 

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Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn