You decide to take the elevator to the surface. As you arrive on the main level, however, you see nothing but the back of a wall panel. Apparently, the elevator has been sealed shut from the other side.

Yet when you look closely, you can see light peeking in from the seams. You reason that it might not be sealed as tightly as it first appeared. You begin pushing your body against the thin decorative panel and feel it give. After a few well-placed kicks, the panel board collapses onto the ground.

As you suspected, the elevator did indeed once exit on the back side of the building, into a small hallway containing a door to an apartment, and a door to the outside. You step over the fallen paneling and quickly make your way to freedom.

It occurs to you that you can now run a few blocks north undetected, get to your car, and escape without fighting the dragon. Since you didn’t even bring the sword up from the basement, and the rest of the items are still in the vacant space anyway, this seems the only logical course of action.

Besides, you’re no hero. You just want to go home.

The strategy works, and within an hour you’re back in your own living room, exhausted but safe.

You turn on your television to see what’s happening. Apparently, the dragon continued to wreak havoc on the city for another thirty minutes, until another individual had discovered the items in the vacant storefront, found the sword in the basement, put everything together, and vanquished the beast. He was being praised a hero, and rightfully so—no one else had figured everything out and had the bravery to take charge.

You know you’ll always wonder what might have happened had you tried to be the hero instead.

T H E  E N D

 

You survived, but were not victorious.

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