My finger slides my eyelid down a little as I stare at myself in the mirror. I look like absolute shit, my hair is a complete disaster and my eyes are bloodshot. It is currently eight-o-clock at night and I have nothing better to do. Making my way out of my filth-covered washroom, I slide down onto my drab brown couch and cup my hands together over my lap. My situation was bleak, but it had been for a long time now. I have no job, no income of any sort other than what the government gives me out of pity. I scratch my temple and search around my living space with my eyes. The room was dreary and acrid. It felt like living in a prison, one I couldn't escape no matter how hard I tried. I had nowhere else to go, no one to turn to, no way out. My stomach gurgled at the thought of actual food, but I knew what was left in the fridge was nothing but processed garbage. I stand up and wiggle my toes within my dirty socks, my body was working relatively fine despite my current situation.
My stomach continues to communicate with me and I finally give it, aggressively spinning the refrigerator door open, I rip open a packaged breakfast biscuit from a nearby convenience store. Well, actually I had no idea where it was from, but I could assume it was from one due to the logo stationed atop the packaging. My teeth sink into the cold, somewhat rough bread. My tongue is met with the sensation of nothing, what filth. Before the "incident" I ate much more luxuriously. My living place was much tidier and wider, and I even had a family and friends to lean on for support. Back than I was mostly doing the supporting however. I swallow down the last of my pitiful meal and turn on the tap soon after. Droplets of mildly murky water form on the sink as the tap starts up. After a moment of waiting the murky water is clear and safe to drink. I bring my mouth under the tap and start drinking, washing down some pieces of bread stuck in my mouth. The back of my hand meets my mouth as I wipe liquid away. The tap is shut off now, and I hear it.
Knock, Knock, Knock. Someones here, is this my chance? I immediately drop toe the floor, as quietly as I can. I begin crawling, and the knocking subsides. I halt, body still touching the floor. "I know you are in there, open up. I wont hurt you." A calm voice resonates through the door, I can tell its a woman too. I don't know if I can trust whoever it is, however based on their voice alone they sound warm and inviting. I breath in and out, quietly still, before continuing to crawl towards the door. Moments pass, and it appears whomever was attempting to communicate with me is now silent, but potentially still there behind the door. "Prove you wont hurt me." I speak up finally, taken a back slightly by the sound of my voice. I hadn't heard it in quite a while it had seemed. "Okay, but how?" The lady speaks back, she was still there after all. I realize I have no reason to crawl anymore so I get onto my knees and than finally back onto my feet, easing myself towards the door. "Its just us, and I have proof." My eyes widen as I hear this statement, my hand instinctively forming around my chin as I stroke it. "Seriously? Just the two of us?" The surprise in my voice is impossible not to hear.
"Yep, just me and you. Took a while to find you though." The lady continues to sound calm. I couldn't really tell her age based on the sound of her voice alone, but I could assume she was in her early 20's like me. "Okay, I'm opening the door now." I blurt out as my hand slowly cranes the knob to its side, than around again. I open the door with the carefulness of a needle piercing a thread. The woman is in front of me now. She has long chestnut brown hair, green-emerald eyes, and a fairly clean looking outfit all things considered. "Proof." The woman's lips move as she holds up a few sheets of paper. It takes me a moment to take in what I was being shown. "Oh wow, seriously?" The sheets revealed the participants who had either been eliminated or who had forfeited the contest so far. It wasn't much of a contest though, when I think of a contest I think of fun. This was anything but. We were taken from our homes (willingly mind you) and offered a massive lump sum of money, as long as we participated. You were allowed to give up midway, but there was no telling what would happen to those that did.
I had entered in the hopes of raising my mountains of cash even higher, but I had regretted it all the way up until this very moment. "So that means we both win right?" My mouth forms a grin as I speak. The Woman smiles back. "Yep, the rules clearly state the final two participants win. The names Daria by the way." We shake hands. "Phil. Alright Daria, wheres the exit?" she folds up the papers and shoves them into her pocket, turning her back to me, she begins walking. "Follow me. Theirs only one problem but you will figure it out yourself pretty quickly here." I follow Daria's back, and voice. I do ponder what sort of problem she could be talking about, but I suddenly trust her, so I don't worry for too long. After a bit of walking through a few hallways we make it to what I presume is the exit. A complicated alarm system appears to be setup directly above the door leading us to our freedom. "Wait, but why. Shouldn't it be turned off since theirs only two of us left?" I scratch my head in question as I peer at Daria for an answer.
"Beats me. I know where all of the prize money is though too. There was originally something stopping any one from running in and grabbing it, but now I think because theirs just the two of us, its safe." Daria's eyes appear to wander as she says this. "Alright, than why don't we start by grabbing as much of the prize money as we can?" I spit this statement out as if it was common sense. Daria nods and begins to walk again. "We can certainly try, follow me." I follow Daria through but one hallway before we reach the room containing all of the prize money. I could see what she meant. The "thing" stopping people from just grabbing the prize money was a mounted machine gun, perched upon the wall directly in front of the room. It appeared to be off. "Ah, yeah that would definitely stop someone." I nervously chuckle and enter the room, admiring the amount of pure green in front of us. Daria follows after me and begins to scoop wads of money up, filling up empty bags left nearby. "You would think they would at least fill the bags for us." I try to make light of the situation and get a little humor out of it, but Daria doesent even flinch. "Sorry." I say sarcastically. I must have mistaken this Woman for being nice. Daria shakes her head. "Its not you, I'm just still thinking about the alarm. The one above the exit. I don't know why it still appears to be on, and I'm worried about what might happen to us if we try to leave." Goddammit. I jumped the gun. I shouldint have assumed Daria was a bad person just because she ignored my shitty joke. She was just concerned, as any sane person would be, including myself.
"That sounds completely fair." I reply, still filling my own bags. I feel satisfied as we clear out the whole room, at least three bags in each of our hands, and a few lose wads of cash stuffed within our pockets. "We wont know unless we try though, right?" Daria raises a brow and firmly nods, following me this time. "I guess you are right, and at this point we don't have much to lose. Lets go." Our footsteps echo across the boring white tiles as we arrive at the exit again. Daria stares at me, waiting for me to make the move. "Alright alright, I'll open it." I bend over slightly and begin to turn the knob, the knob revealing our freedom. as I open the door, the alarms begin to sound. "SHIT! What the hell?!" I start yelling out of fear. I begin to panic. I turn to Daria immediately. Pain strikes my left cheek as my head slams against the wall beside me. I see blood, my cheek now numb and my head blank. I drop to the floor. I had no idea money could carry this much weight. I begin to feel dizzy but attempt to keep my eyes open, I even manage to speak. "W-Why...I thought we could both win..." Slowly leaves my lips as my eyelids flutter. I pass out.
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I thrust the door open with all of my might using my hip, my long dark brown hair flinging itself onto my face, I have to ignore it for now as my hands are preoccupied. The bags of money are firmly within my grasp. I feel bad for leaving Phil behind, but it was just some guy I just met. Even if the rules stated there could be two winners, I wanted a head start just to make sure. I make my way down a spiral staircase and out into the open. No sign of anyone, but I know where I have to be to escape. I hear a pinging sound from within my right pocket. Dropping a bag of cash for a moment I pull out my phone and examine it. Alert. Rule Change: There can be only one winner. Well, shit. I think to myself. If that is the case, than one of us will have to die before we escape. But how was I allowed to already leave? Before I can ponder this question, an angry, bloody Phil is hightailing me.
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The Alarms are blaring and wads of money are flying out of the bags. I'm gasping for air and alarmed at the fact I was able to come to so quickly, despite the blow to my face. I'm running out the exit as fast as I can. I'm almost there! Ive almost made it! I spot Daria below me and chase down after her. "Daria its okay, I forgive you!" I call out as to not alarm her. Why she struck me I have no idea, but with this kind of money I don't really need to worry about something like that in the long run. Daria picks up the pace and launches herself away from me as I finally get close.
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Hes either tricking me or he actually doesent know that the rules have changed. I question the fact that hes already conscious. Maybe I should have hit him harder. I begin to lose breathe but run with all my might, Phil still fairly close behind. I slip, losing my footing as I skid to a halt. The helicopter to come pick us up is right in front of me. "Only one passenger allowed I'm afraid. End it now." The voice of the man behind this game resonates from within. I crane my head back and Phil is directly beside me. "H-e-y." He says a single word between breathes, spelling out. "Let's go." He says, bags of money at his sides as he catches his breathe. Did this idiot really not hear the words coming from the helicopter? He must have just missed them. I could tell now he still had no idea the rules had changed. Only one of us was getting out of here alive. I think of a way to get rid of Phil. Huh, that's weird, did Phil always have that hanging out of his pocket? Oh-
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Daria's brains spew themselves along with a hefty amount of blood across the side of the helicopter. I grin and toss my bags of money into the helicopter, along with her bags for good measure. I kick her corpse to the side, stepping past it as I take a comfortable seat within the copter. I had done it, I had won. Time to go home. I thought to myself as I closed my eyes, ready for a nap. My Glock 17 takes a rest too, warm within my pocket.
FIN
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