[FE10] The Near-Death Expirience

May 27, 2009 00:43

Challenge: 21 - "In encircled ground, devise stratagems."
Title: The Near-Death Experience
Word Count: 656
Game: FE10
Notes: Okay, this is 156 words over the limit, but I would hate shaving it down any further and I certainly don't expect this to count as a contending entry! But it was made for the prompt (though doesn't follow it extremely closely) so up it goes! As for the content - this was seriously a near 100% true story that happened to someone I know. Good stuff. There's some mild description of narcotics, but otherwise, pretty gen humor.



Almedha had introduced Pelleas to a variety of expensive sports at a young age, which turned out to be a good decision because though he had time to learn, he was extraordinarily clumsy and managed to sustain near-fatal injuries while playing even the most leisurely ones. Skiing should have been out of the question, but his mother insisted and he couldn't really say no to her. After several rounds of one-on-one classes, he managed to turn out halfway competent, though it was rather embarrassing to see children half and even a third of his age whizzing by him as he slowly, slowly made his way down the beginner slope.

Pelleas was accustomed to the cold of Daein and found himself missing it when he went to college. Soren, ever helpful, told him that the smartest thing that had ever come out of his mouth wasn’t even a penis. However, Soren's roommate handed Pelleas a flyer for the Ski and Snowboarding Club's next trip to the mountainous region near the northern border of Crimea. Soren's glare helpfully told him that if he didn't make use of his roommate's kindness, he'd eviscerate him. Odd, that, but Pelleas was too busy sprinting away in fear to think about it much.

The skiing part went surprisingly well.

Same as the trip there, the way to get back was to carpool with members of the club. Pelleas couldn't find his original group, so he overcame his shyness and contacted another. They looked kind of shady, but who was he to judge people by their looks?

After introductions, they piled their equipment in the back of the car before clambering in.

"Hey man, you mind if we smoke weed?" The pink-haired person to his right asked him. Pelleas jumped but managed to nod - who was he to refuse anyway?

A snowstorm brewed outside as the bong got passed around the car.

"Hey, light me." The busty blond driving said. Lucia, from the passenger seat, grabbed the wheel as she let go and quickly turned back to take a drag from the bong, then darted back to grab the wheel just in time to make a sharp turn around an outcropping. Tires squealed as they skidded along the icy road.

Oh my god I am going to die, Pelleas thought, gripping his seat until his knuckles turned white, I'm never going to make it out of this alive oh my god-

Another couple of rounds of that, and he was hyperventilating. His eyes darted from the unattended wheel to the rather steep cliff they were making their way along the side of. Makalov looked lazily at him.

"Hey, ya want some too?"

Pelleas' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, but his mind, delirious from fear, told him, What the hell. You're going to die anyway. So with a shaky hand, he gripped the mouthpiece from the proffered bong and inhaled.

The snowstorm was getting worse and worse outside. He took another drag, and another... his mind dimly registered that they had passed the checkpoint to put chains in their tires, but he didn't care much. Kieran drowned out his previous protests anyway.

He slumped back in the seat, his mind hazing over until there was a sharp rapping on the passenger window. Lucia rolled it down and smoke poured out from the inside of the car.

"Hey, you guys realize you've been spinning your wheels for an hour and not going anywhere?"

There was silence. Pelleas looked outside. Oh... He thought that that outcropping looked familiar.

"Wait... are you guys smoking weed? It's the worst storm in a decade and you're smoking weed?!"

After that, they somehow managed to get the chains on their tires and drove back home. Afterwards, Pelleas swore to himself to never leave his apartment unchaperoned again. He ended up breaking this vow for a pretty silver-haired girl a few days later, but it was worth it.

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