DTTF Contest-- Calvin Wright: Desperation

Calvin Wright in the Labyrinths of Lunacy

He awoke in the cold, in the dark, with nothing but the clothes on his back. His leather coat offered some protection from the environment, but none from the knot of fear that settled in his chest.

He didn't know this place. He sat up; looked around. There was no way out. Around him, were several others in varying states of wakefulness. Who had done this to them? Why were they here?

To die... he thought. We've been brought here to die.

He lay back down and closed his eyes. It never ended. Would it really be so bad to stop fighting? To let death come without a struggle? He was tired; he was so tired...

The vision came to him again. The world torn to pieces. Joāo. As far as he knew, he was the only one who had seen it. As far as he knew, he was the only one who believed it. Once again, he strengthened his resolve:

I promise you, Joāo, I will return to you...

He stood.

I love playing Calvin. He starts off with so little, and requires a certain recklessness in play. So I thought, "what if I took even more away from him?"

In the Labyrinths of Lunacy, Calvin awakes with nothing. No items (except the leather coat he's wearing), no allies. All he has to make it through the labyrinth comes from inside him--his heart and soul--even as the labyrinth's challenges tear his mind and body apart.

And it's that heart I wanted to channel; that hope in the midst of despair. Even the names of Survivor cards like: "Not Without a Fight!" and Will to Survive speak to the human desire to keep fighting; to Rise to the Occasion, even if one has to stand Against all Odds.

Calvin's Perseverance keeps him going in the face of disaster, for he is at his strongest on the brink of utter ruin. Sometimes the end is not the end.

But when the worst happens, if he can't make it, and he knows he is bound to fail, he can at least give the others with him their best chance. "Let Me Handle This!" or even, as a last resort, "I'll See You in Hell!" show the extent of his strength.

The labyrinth is a cruel place. But even in the darkness, he can Take Heart and keep moving forward.