My god, this damn crazy guy!

“Matthew. Matthew!” John was calling out to me.

“John, we need to hurry and head west to the intersection of Soto and Hill.”

Fortunately, John parked his car nearby. We got in the car and it sped off very quickly, just like my heartbeat.

“Matthew, where is the bomb this time?” Mike asked me.

“On the train tracks.”

“What?! On the train tracks?!” Mike exclaimed.

“This crazy guy is frightening!” John chipped in.

The car weaved around the cars. We were lucky there was no heavy traffic. But at every red light we couldn’t sit still and was very impatient. Also when the car in front is slow, John would show off his racing skills. This caused Mike and I to be terrified, but knew this is needed.

About fifteen minutes later, we finally arrived at the train tracks. We got out of the car and ran to where the bomb should be. I soon saw something on the tracks. As we neared, I saw a box on the tracks and when I removed the lid, I saw a very strange looking bomb. The outside looked like a music box that was actually producing music. How is this a bomb? I’ve never seen it before.

“Matthew, is this the bomb?” Mike asked.

“I was just asking myself that.”

“I’ll look up some info on my phone to try to help,” John stated.

“I don’t think I can neutralize this bomb. You guys should step back a few feet since it’s dangerous.”

“Although I interested in my life, I’m more interested in this bomb right now. Stop wasting time, we need to research this bomb,” Mike said while patting my shoulder.

John stood some ways away looking at his phone. Mike and I laid on the ground, staring at the bomb. It’s designed as a normal looking music box. There’s a little girl standing on a spinning platform. A timer was placed on the lid of the box and it read three minutes and seventeen seconds. If this isn’t a bomb, then it’s a really pretty music box. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen such a bomb before. What do I do now?

“Matthew, can I remove the spinning girl?” Mike asked me.

“We can’t. I’m afraid something will happen if we do. Let’s think about this some more.”

There are three sections in the box, the middle had the dancing girl while the other two sections were closed. I gently lifted up the right lid and saw three wires: red, yellow, and orange.

“Do you know which one?” Mike asked.

“What’s your lucky color?” I questioned back.

“The color of your face right now, white.” We chuckled after his answer.

I opened the other lid and saw a pretty thick black wire and the red, yellow, and orange wires as well. Time passed by really quickly, one minute has already passed and now the timer read two minutes and eight seconds. Although we still have two minutes but I really have no idea what to do. Would Lady Luck still be with me? Oh God, can you let me be selfish and ask for good luck once more? God bless me.

“Matthew, I still haven’t found anything yet. But I’ll keep looking,” John told me quietly.

After I thanked him, I looked at the dancing girl again. The girl seems to be spinning slower than before.

“Mike, do you thinking the doll is spinning slower than before?”

“Oh! You’re right. She does seem to be spinning slower. What does this mean?”

“I don’t know. But I’m sure the bomb will explode if I move it, I’m almost a hundred percent sure this is a trap made by the crazy guy.”

“I really wish you are that crazy guy right now. Than you’d know all of his traps,” Mike sighed.

“I think you are more qualified to be the crazy than me,” I joked.

“I’m very proud that you can be so calm right now!” Mike joked back.

A slight breeze swept over us and blew away our short moment of happiness. We returned to the horrible reality. Only one minute and twenty-three seconds left.

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I stared worriedly at the beautiful and cruel music box. The music box was producing soothing music, as if trying to make us forget the danger of it. But it’s not succeeding because I’m terrified and cannot forget the danger I’m in. I never want to hear this music again.

“Mike, I need to begin.”

“That’s great! You’ve figured out how to disable it?” Mike happily asked.

“Nope. I’m not sure but I don’t have time to think about it. You should get away now.”

“Of course not! I’m very confident in your expertise. If we unluckily died, then we will head to Heaven and be happy angels together.”

“Mike,” I said, full of emotion. I’m so happy I have such amazing friends.

John walked over and said, “I hate to break it to you but I’m not ready to die yet so you guys can head to Heaven without me.” After that, he walked away again.

“Mike, it turns out you are my only best friend,” I said sorrowfully.

After our little joke to lighten up the mood, I took the black wire. Based on my experience, I decided to cut the black wire and the yellow wire from the left section. Of course my decision may not be right but I still have to try. As I was about to cut the wires, I sneaked a looked at Mike. His allergies made his nose red, and his eyes were wide open as is his mouth. He kinda look like a goldfish, very funny. If I wasn’t in a life or death situation I would definitely take a picture of him. We only have fifty seconds left.

SNAP! The snapping noise came again. It scared Mike and I so much that it felt like we were snapped out of our fear as well.

“Yes!! We succeeded!” Mike happily screamed like a little kid.

I sighed, “We only half succeeded.”

“I don’t think I will die by a bomb but by you.”

“Sorry.”

There was only thirty-seven seconds left. I looked at the right section and wondered if I should cut only one or two. I thought about it in the crazy guy’s point of view and based on my experience. I decided to cut the red and orange wires. I asked Mike for his opinion, and he nodded his head slightly. I look at the sky, thinking, this sky that is so close yet so far away, is it a good place or a bad place? There is only seventeen seconds left. There comes the snapping sound again followed by our wide-opened eyes shutting. Our heartbeat rate could set the world record. About two seconds later, we opened our eyes as our bodily functions began to work properly again. We looked at each other then the corner of our mouths lifted up a bit. This small smile is much more moving than Mona Lisa’s smile to me.

“Hurry and run! The train’s almost here!” John yelled at us.

At this time we heard the hooting sound of the train. That was when we remembered the timer on the bomb not only signaled the time it will explode but also when the train would arrive. Mike and I immediately jumped backwards and in less than five seconds, the train passed by right in front of us, with me on one side and Mike on the other. After who knows how long, the train finally finished passing us by. We woke up from our mindless state as we watched the train leave. I saw Mike sitting on the ground, staring at me. We started laughing together and then made the victory sign.

Unfortunately happiness doesn’t last long. The dreaded sound of my phone ringing came.

“God truly loves you guys,” the crazy guy said.

“God favors the good so you will definitely fail,” I responded.

He gave a short laugh, “Then I hope God will keep favoring you, good guy.”

“Enough. Now tell me where the next bomb is,” I bluntly told him.

“Okay, okay. I also hope you will hurry to Heaven. Drive to 900 Goldenwest Street, the bomb is inside,” as soon as he finished speaking, he hung up.