Three

The group gasped, in complete shock of what they had just witnessed. Fridge turned towards Spencer, looking up and down Dr. Bravestone's body.

"You better go get in there and save her!"

Spencer pointed at the creek, "I'm not getting in there!" He grabbed Fridge's arm, "You get in there!"

Fridge pulled his current body's arm back, "I'm not going in there. I got a backpack, you don't get in water with a backpack. Everybody knows that."

A loud clink echoed throughout the jingle. Tillie looked up, and noticed something appearing from the sky.

"There!"

Before anyone could respond to her, a body landed on its back on the ground. It slowly sat up letting out a high pitched, "Ow."

Tillie blinked, "What just happened?" She walked over to Professor Shelly Oberon, pushing long stands of grass out of her way. The others quickly followed behind.

Martha let out, "Bethany!"

Tillie cut her off, "Are you okay cuz?"

Bethany stared straight ahead, "That was so intense. I like, can't even with this place."

"What happened to you after it ate you? Cause one minute you were there, and the next minute you were gone. It just swallowed your whole body."

Bethany just continued to stare off into the distance, not answering her question.

"And then I just fell like 1000 feet out of the sky."

Martha spoke up, "Um guys?"

A loud growl sounded off in the greenery. Bethany, in Professor Shelly Oberon's body, quickly turned around.

Spencer and Tillie both looked at each other, having the same idea. They booked it, running in the opposite direction.

Fridge yelled, "Bethany get up, Bethany get up!"

Bethany quickly tried to get to her feet. All three squealed, as they followed after Spencer and Tillie. Tillie leading the path, got cut off by a hippopotamus. She didn't waste any time turning and heading in another direction. The others, realizing what happened, followed in the same direction she went.

Tillie yelled in surprised as a vehicle pulled up in front of her, honking its horn. A man yelled out the open window on the driver's side, "Botanist Rhodes Knight!"

The others stood behind her.

"Dr. Bravestone!"

Tillie gave a brief look in Spencer's direction.

The man continued, "Welcome to Jumanji!"

He opened the doors to the vehicle, "Don't just stand there, get in! In you go!"

Spencer yelled at everyone, "Go!"

Tillie not needing to be told twice, jumped into the backseat. Fridge quickly joined her, with Martha and Bethany on her other side. Spencer hopped into the passenger seat.

Once the doors were closed, the man began driving down the bumpy path.

The man looked at Spencer while driving, "Dr. Bravestone, famed archeologist and international explorer. You're known across the seven continents for your courageous exploits."

Spencer mumbled not knowing what else to say, "Is there a seatbelt?"

The man gave him a look, "I can't tell you how big of an honor it is to finally meet you." He continued, "And I'm not even embarrassed to say you're more dashing in person."

"Um, thanks?"

Tillie leaned forward, "Who is this guy?"

Martha continued on the same train of thought, "I was thinking the same thing. Who are you?"

He smiled, "Nigel Billingsley, at your service."

"Ruby Roundhouse, killer of men."

She got quiet.

"Welcome to Jumanji, I've been so anxious for your arrival." The vehicle continued to swerve all over. "As you know, Jumanji is in grave danger. We are counting on the five of you to lift the curse."

Fridge replied, "Curse?"

Spencer blurted out, "What curse?"

Bethany butted into the conversation, leaning Shelly Oberon's face in between them. "Excuse me, have you seen my phone anywhere?"

Nigel looked at her, "Professor Sheldon Oberon, welcome to Jumanji. Nigel Billingsley at your service." Nigel continued on.

Bethany whispered to Tillie, Fridge, and Martha.

"What is this guy's deal?"

Spencer looked at him in thought, "I think he's an NPC."

Bethany looked at him confused, "Uh what? In English please."

Tillie answered for Spencer, "A non-player character. He's part of the game. Anything we ask him, he only has a programmed number of things he could say."

Spencer looked back, "Yes exactly what Tillie said."

Fridge looked off annoyed, "Got it. It's all clear now."

Nigel interrupted, "Franklin 'Mouse' Finbar, welcome to Jumanji."

Fridge spoke, "It's Moose, not Mouse."

"No good sir, I'm quite sure it's Mouse."

"Mouse?"

Nigel continued, "A nickname given for your short stature, and adorable manner."

Bethany looked him, obviously thinking it was cute what Nigel just said.

"I knew you would be here, Dr. Bravestone doesn't go anywhere without his trusty sidekick."

Fridge started to get upset, "Sidekick?"

"Ever since Dr. Bravestone rescued you from the clutches of a warlord in the jungles of Peru, you've never left his side."

"Uh huh, right."

Spencer butter into the conversation, "Can we go back to the curse thing?"

"It's all documented in a letter I sent you Dr. Bravestone. Maybe you should read it out loud?"

Spencer was confused, he didn't have a letter.

He looked down, noticing a letter that appeared in his hand. He held it up.

"Woah."

Spencer opened the letter, and began reading it.

"Dr. Bravestone, I am writing to you regarding the desperate situation in Jumanji. We need your help at once!"

"Woah guys, what's happening?"

"What the hell is going on?"

"I think it's a cut scene. A lot of video games have them, it's like a little movie to tell you the backstory."

Nigel's voice continues on, "My name is Nigel Billingsley, Jumanji field guide. I was hired by your former partner now nemesis, Professor Russell Van Pelt. He hired me to lead a fateful expedition. You see, Professor Van Pelt had come in search of the infamous Jaguar shrine. It's the resting place of the sacred jewel of Jumanji. As you know better than anyone, the jewel was his greatest obsession. After years of research, he believed that he had discovered its whereabouts. Van Pelt had told me that he had wanted to find the jewel, in order to document it in his writings. What I did not know, what his true intentions. He intended to take the jewel for himself.ย  Legend has it, that the jaguar watches over Jumanji. That anyone who dares to blind him, will be consumed by a dark power. Van Pelt assumed dominion over all of Jumanji's creatures, controlling and possessing all of them. A terrible curse befell this once wonderful land. I begged him to put the jewel back. But once he had it, he could never let it go. So I waited until they all went to sleep that night, and I made my move."

The cut scene ended, popping back to everyone in the vehicle. Nigel smiled handing Spencer the jewel, "Alright here you go then."

Spencer held the jewel to his chest.

Nigel spoke, "Well the help of your associates, you must use your complementary skills to return the jewel to the jaguar's eye and lift the curse."

Spencer went to speak, "Actually I.."

Nigel smiled, automatically opening all the doors.

"Good luck, and remember the goal. I'll recite in verse, return the jewel and lift the curse. If you wish to leave the game, you must save Jumanji and call out it's name."

Everyone in the vehicle looked at him.

"The fate of Jumanji is in your hands. Remember.." He began repeating what he had just said.

Fridge began getting out, "He's saying the same thing over."

Tillie got out after him. Spencer, Martha, and Bethany got out of the vehicle on the other side.

All five stood on the grassy plain, staring at the mountains in the distance.

Bethany looked around panicking, "It's okay, you can handle this. In real life, people love you. You can hook up with whoever you want."

Martha replied, "Is that what you tell yourself when you're scared?"

Bethany turned towards her angry, "Can you not judge me for like two seconds? I split up with Noah, I turned into a guy, and I cannot my phone. I am allowed to be upset!" She waved her hands angrily.

Tillie walked over to the two, adjusting the hat on Rhodes' head. "Guys, now isn't the time okay? You are allowed to be upset though cuz." She patted Bethany's current body on the back.

Nigel stuck his hand out the window, in it a piece of paper.

"Dr. Bravestone, here's a map of Jumanji. You must go to the bazaar and find the missing piece."

Spencer grabbed the map out of his hand.

Spencer nodded, "The bazaar.."

"Missing piece of what?"

Fridge groaned, "You can't just give us a ride to the statue?"

Nigel drove off, leaving them on the grass plain.

Tillie yelled, "Dang it."

In the distance, the players could hear Nigel faintly reciting the verse once more.

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