THE TIRED AND TRIED THREESOME APPROACH THE CHEST FOR WHAT THEY HOPE MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME. A SINGLE BLACK ENVELOPE RESTS IN ITS DEPTHS. RELUCTANT TO LEARN OF A NEW CHALLENGE, JESSA CAUTIOUSLY UNWINDS THE BLACK STRING WRAPPED TIGHTLY AROUND ITS CLASP. LEANING OVER A JUMPSUIT SHOULDER, KELLY AND AARON TAKE IN THE NEWEST INSTRUCTIONS. BUT INSTEAD OF A RIDDLED “TO WIN IS TO CHOOSE” THERE ARE ONLY TWO WORDS PUNCTUATED BY A COLD AND CIRCULAR ENDING. LOOKING TO ONE ANOTHER, BEYOND THE WHITES AND CENTERS OF THEIR EYES, THEY HEED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND DISTRIBUTE THREE SHOVELS PRODUCED BY THE CHEST. THE BLACK CARD WITHIN THE ENVELOPE SILENTLY CALLS TO THEM - “BURY ME.” 

 

AS THEY DIG DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE HEAVY AND LONELY SAND, THOUGHTS OF ESCAPE OR RESOLVE SINK IN. OVERCOME WITH FEAR AND GRIEF, DARK FIGURES IN THE DISTANCE WATCH WHILE THEY PAINFULLY DIG AND LOWER THE CHEST INTO THE GROUND. 

 

VISIONS FROM THE MASKED FIGURES EXPLAIN MANIPULATION AND DECEIT. EVERYTHING IN THE CHEST WAS A PROP - THEY WERE ALL PAWNS IN AN ELABORATE GAME. GLOVED HANDS RETURN THE TALISMAN FROM THE CHEST TO THEIR WEARY PERCH. 

 

WHEN THE LAST GRAIN OF SAND IS PUT INTO PLACE AND THE GRAVITY OF THEIR UNLIKELY RETURN SINKS BELOW THE SURFACE, THEY REMEMBER THEIR CHOICES AND EMBRACE. NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES DURING AN UNFATHOMABLE TEST OF STRENGTH AND WILL, THEY HAD EACH OTHER. THEY SAVED EACH OTHER. 

 

IN THE DISTANCE THE HOODED FIGURES REMOVE THEIR GLOVES AND MASKS. AN ALTERNATIVE EXISTENCE OF THE BAND WAS BEHIND EVERYTHING, WAS THE VERY FORCE THAT TESTED AND DROVE THEIR OWN SELVES TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN. BUT NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE, DIMENSION, WINNING OR LOSING, THEY HELD ONE ANOTHER. THEY HAD EACH OTHER. THEY SAVED EACH OTHER.