The speakers above crackled, snapping the moment in half.
Welcome, participants.
The voice sounded like a young female — but with an unnatural, inhumane edge.
Around me, everyone froze and turned towards the speakers.
Some stood up and pressed their way to the front; others still lay in bed, blinking at the sound. A few whispered. Some laughed nervously.
Sean lay next to me, looking around the room for something.
You will participate in a series of games. Players who complete all games will receive a substantial cash reward.
A few people clapped, half-believing. One kid in the same tracksuit as the rest of us, number 330 on his back, threw both hands up. "LET'S GOOOO, easy bag!" His voice cut through the room like a firecracker.
A tall, lean guy beside him — his friend, I guessed — tried to shush him but couldn't stop grinning either.
I felt my mouth go dry; I couldn't gather an inch of excitement for some reason. My eyes kept darting around, scanning for doors or windows.
Nothing but gray walls and a locked exit.
Sean nudged me. "Bro, imagine they got us playing tag next. You got your running shoes?"
I didn't answer. I didn't know what words to form.
Suddenly, the gate holding us all hostage opened. Everyone instinctively backed away as masked figures emerged, dressed in red jumpsuits.
They didn't have any visible weapons, but my instincts told me they were dangerous. The way they moved, all stiff and exact, made some danger warning in me go off.
They formed into multiple lines, with a guard wearing a black mask with a square stepped forward to speak.
Before he could speak a brave woman stepped forward, voice shaking.
"Why are we here? You can't just keep us!"
The guard looked at the woman for a few seconds before answering.
"All participants are here due to severe debt or urgent financial need. You have all chosen to enter of your own free will."
A hush fell over the room; the guard's words left everyone dumbfounded.
The boy from earlier, 330, spoke again, turning to face the guard. "Debt? So what, that gives you the right to drug us?"
The guard's voice cut in again, low and monotone. "Tylian Lopez. Wanted by Los Zetas. You currently owe 719 thousand USD and have a bounty of 500 thousand USD. You of all people need this money most."
The boy... Tylian went silent. Everyone did.
Another quiet voice rose from deeper in the crowd — a pale man in his twenties, hair matted, eyes sunken. "How much can we even win in the end? What's the final prize?"
The guard turned his head slowly.
"The final prize pool will be determined by the number of eliminated players. For each eliminated player, $75,000 will be added. The total will be displayed at the end of each game."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Heads turned, and the energy in the room instantly rose.
"Seventy-five grand per person? Damn, that's crazy!" someone near the front laughed.
"That's so much money... how many're gonna get eliminated?" another man asked, already calculating the end pay.
A woman with bright pink hair let out a shaky giggle. "Well, even if half of us go, that's millions. We could even split that!"
A tall, uncouth-looking guy in his bed started shouting random math, his voice slightly wavering.
"Five hundred people times seventy-five thousand, that's... that's thirty-seven million!"
My jaw dropped.
Thirty-seven million? No matter which way you twisted it, that number seemed far too insane.
Mouth still open, I felt a slap on my shoulder. "Yo... they're makin' this sound like some sorta game show. This must be a charity event or something!"
I didn't move. The guard's words churned in my head — Tylian Lopez... Wanted... eliminated players... money... prize pool.
Sean was right; it did sound like a game show pitch.
My gut kept twisting though.
My brother kept going. "Mannn, I've been broke my whole life. I'm tryna come out of this b*tch in a Lambo." He laughed; he seemed to have lost the little sense he had after hearing the large amount of money we could win.
I forced a thin breath through my nose.
"You really think it's that simple?" I asked quietly.
Sean turned to me, his grin twitching. "Prolly... stop overthinking it. Just play the game, win the money. That's all right?"
My eyes drifted back to the guard. His black mask looked down on us all.
I didn't know what "eliminated" truly meant — none of us did. But i still had a cold sweaty feeling about all of it.
A nervous-looking girl near the edge, wringing her hands together, shouted out, "Any clues on the games or how to win?"
The guard looked at her. "Follow all instructions precisely. No further advice will be given."
"Let me make this clear once more," the guard continued, voice echoing.
"Every person standing here in this room is living on the brink of financial ruin. You all have debts that you can't pay off. When we first met each of you, not a single one of you trusted us. But as you all know, we played a game, and as we promised, we gave you money when you won. And suddenly, everyone here trusted us. You called and volunteered to participate in this game of your own free will. So this is it. I'll give you one last chance to choose. Will you go back to living your old and depressing lives, being controlled by your financial situation? Or will you act and seize this last opportunity we're offering here?"
No one dared to speak after that.
________________________________________
The guards then moved forward, passing out forms and pens.
"Sign the clause if you wish to participate. Clause 1: A player is not allowed to stop playing. Clause 2: A player who refuses to play will be eliminated. Clause 3: Games may be terminated if the majority agrees."
A line began to form. Some hesitated. A few moved to the side, shaking their heads. They were led quietly out a different door — no threats, no force. Just gone. Silently.
I looked down at the form in my hands. My name stared back at me.
I didn't have much time to think as I watched Sean scribble his name on the paper.
"Well, all's well that starts well, right?" he said as he handed the form in.
"I'm not sure... I think we should leave now, we can get money another way—"
"C'mon bro, you should've said that earlier, dumbass. I already handed mine in."
My fist tightened around the thin pen.
Idiot...
I didn't have a choice now.
Releasing a heavy exhale, I spoke.
"True... let's just finish this together."
I signed. The pen scraped loudly against the thing sheet of paper, maybe just for me.
Attention, all players. The first game is about to begin. Please follow the staff's instructions. Please make your way towards the game hall.
We were all herded out by numbers, lowest to highest, into a large area of twisting stairways and disorienting colours. Like a funhouse, but the guards everywhere made it feel more like a prison.
The lines of people were tight, forced single file. It was crowded, but the line made it easier to see each person's number printed boldly on their back.
Before we reached the stairs, the line slowed to a halt at a bright pink wall.
Multiple screens with a smiley face stood with the words "Smile" underneath.
Please look into the camera. Smile.
The players in front slowly shuffled into a lane and took their picture.
When Sean's turn came, he threw up two fingers in a crooked peace sign and held a smug smile.
The shutter clicked twice.
When it was my turn, I silently looked at the smiling face. I had no problem smiling, but for some reason, I couldn't, so I stared straight into the lens.
Suddenly, Sean slipped in beside me, jamming his fingers into my cheeks and yanking them into a wide, fake grin just as the flash went off.
I jerked away too late.
The shutter clicked twice.
He had the balls to burst out laughing, and slapped my back. "Ayy, there he is! First smile of the day. Frame that one for ma!"
I just shook my head and ignored him, but his laughter stuck with him like glue as we moved forward.
Once again, climbing another spiral staircase, I noticed a woman a few steps ahead of us fidgeting with her glasses — big round ones, cracked and taped at the bridge.
Her eyes darted constantly, scanning the numbers on everyone's backs like she was memorizing them.
She turned abruptly toward us, eyes locking onto Sean's and mine.
"Hey," she blurted, voice lower than I expected. "You two... 117 and 118, right? You got good spots." She pushed her glasses up again, hands trembling slightly.
Sean blinked. "Good spots? What? We in a raffle or something?"
She gave a small, awkward snort. "No. Just... numbers usually matter in these types of things." Her words came out fast.
Sean shot her a crooked grin. "Appreciate the tip, lady. Were you a hall monitor in another life?"
Her face twitched. I saw something flicker behind her eyes — shame perhaps — before she glanced away quickly.
"No," she said, almost too soft to hear. "I taught high school once... before." Her fingers instinctively pushed her glasses up.
She stepped up the stairs quickly, retreating from the conversation she'd just started.
500...
After walking through the maze-like building, we ended up reaching a massive steel gate. It creaked open, revealing a wide yard under a huge dome.
Grass stretched out, bright and green. In the distance, a doll stood towering with brown, stiff pigtails and black eyes, staring.
Creepy..
That boy from earlier, Tylian, whooped. "Yooooo, they got a whole Fortnite map in here!"
The others spread out, eyes wide, some taking selfies with a camera from God knows where, some laughing nervously.
There were no guards inside, slightly easing the atmosphere; the place felt a little alive for once.
Attention, all players. After you enter the game hall… please stand behind the white line drawn on the field and await further instructions. Once again, will all players please stand behind the white line and await further instructions.
We all filed in, shuffling around trying to make space over the mushy grass. The place was quite bright and open, similar to a football field.
People started lining up behind the white line, eyes examining the towering doll ahead. A few still laughed, pointing at the cameras up above.
Here is the first game. You will be playing Red Light, Green Light. You are allowed to move forward when "it" shouts out, "Green Light," stop when "it" shouts, "Red Light."
Red Light, Green Light? That's it?
A wave of confused murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Red Light, Green Light?" a girl up front scoffed, hands on her hips. "Are we really getting millions for a kids' game? Hell, I'll be out of here in five minutes!"
A man with tattoos snorted and shoved past a few people.
"Move! I'm gettin' that money first. Ain't no way they're giving out millions for this baby shit."
With the two people drawing attention More people started pushing forward, eager to be up front.
"I'm goin' up front. We should get that money first." Sean's eyes lit up, he seemed confident.
I shook my head, keeping my arms crossed tight against my chest. "I'm going to stay back and watch... You should too."
"Tss, don't trip, I got this." Then he turned and jogged off, weaving through the crowd toward the front.
I stayed where I was, watching the chaos unfold.
Let me repeat the rule. You're allowed to move… when "it" shouts out, "Green Light." Stop when "it" shouts, "Red Light." If your movement is detected afterward, you will be eliminated.
A few people booed, and some waved off the instructions like it was a joke.
"Eliminated? Wonder what that means? Sent home? You think we get a cut if we lose?" someone questioned from the side.
I clenched my jaw. The word "eliminated" still stuck with me like glue.
But now wasn't the time to worry, I took a deep breath; my legs were still weak from that poison.
Without much notice, I heard a loud female voice.
Green light!
Sean was among the first to burst forward, nearly sprinting from what I could tell.
A few others took off too, some cautiously jogging, some going into a full sprint.
Red light.
The doll's head whirred, clicking to a stop.
Everyone froze.
The doll's head mechanically spun around. I held my breath.
Then — crack.
A sharp, splitting pop.
I watched as a young boy's head exploded from the inside. A pink mist sprayed into the air, while a mass of flesh flew from his skull into the green grass.
His body crumpled mid-step, knees folding inwards.
My mind couldn't register exactly what was happening. He just died... But why? He was killed?
Was this the elimination they spoke of?
Then I heard it, a loud female scream.
POP
Another loud bang had awoken all the players who still couldn't comprehend what was happening.
And like a wave, everything began to move.
The ground beneath me shook slightly as a stampede of people surged backwards towards the gates. My first instinct was to move out of the way, but I couldn't.
However, fate didn't seem to care much for my opinion. The sheer mass and force of the crowd swallowed me whole.
A body slammed into my side, and another crashed into my back. I felt my feet slip out from under me, and then I felt my back hit the ground.
I could feel boots stepping on my chest and arms. Someone's heel smashed my shoulder. My body was getting pressed deeper and deeper into the grass.
I managed to curl my arms in tighter against my chest, barely beating the suffocating weight of the stacking bodies.
Somewhere above, I could hear bullets cracking and many people's screams, men and women echoing throughout the room.
I dug my fingers into the grass. My limited vision was already beginning to blur; I didn't plan to die under this pile.
I managed to flip a body over from side, then an arm, then the legs of another. After pushing for so long, I felt the somewhat fresh air hit me from my right.
I pushed my hand in that direction and slowly began to drag myself out.
Green light!
I escaped from the hole and forced myself up to my knees, shoving a limp arm off my shoulder. My head jerked up. I looked at the large digital clock on the wall. The timer had ticked down to 3:48.
Damn. I had been under that pile for over a minute... I could even see a few players who were far ahead from the rest of us, including Sean.
Around me, the field had turned into a graveyard. Bodies littered the grass in heaps. Some were still alive, twitching weakly; others lay perfectly still, their blood already sustaining the earth.
I have to keep going—
"Help… please…!"
I turned, my eyes looking toward the sound.
Near the edge of the pile I had just crawled out of, a girl struggled, half-buried under multiple dead players. One hand clutched her shoulder; blood gushed between her fingers. Her eyes locked on me with a desperate look.
I hesitated for a heartbeat. I saw Sean already nearing the finish, other survivors stumbling toward safety. If I go now, I'd definitely survive.
But it wasn't something I could do.
I waited until the next green light and dropped to her, shoving the dead weight aside.
Her good arm linked around mine, soaked in blood. I hooked my other hand under her armpit and heaved.
Red light!
A scream tore from her lips as I pulled her, only to stop right away.
Green light!
Lifting again, I pulled her from the pile and examined her.
I could see her wound clearly — a bullet had torn through her shoulder, shredding muscle. Her arm hung limp, and her whole body was shaking like she was going into shock. I honestly didn't know if I could even take her like that.
"Come on," I hissed, hooking her arm around my neck. Her weight sagged against me, hot blood soaking into my jacket and down my side.
I took one stumbling step forward. My legs felt like they were moving underwater. The white line still looked impossibly far.
I looked back towards the clock.
2:47
"Cmon, you gotta help me out here too!" I don't know what it was, maybe the pressure or even the poison from before, but this little girl felt like a 200-pound bag of mulch on a hot summer's day.
Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps pounding back toward us. I turned, it was my brother.
He had already passed the halfway mark, but he was running back. His face twisted in fury and fear, eyes darting from place to place.
"What are you doing?" I yelled at him. "Get to the end! Don't come back!"
He ignored me completely, skidding to my side. He hooked the girl's other arm over his shoulder.
"Just shut up and move," he snarled, "We finish this together."
Green light!
We pushed forward, the girl sagging heavily between us. Every step made my knees creak. The white line grew closer, but the timer above the doll continued to tick down.
Red light!
We froze. The girl whimpered, her face pressed into my side. Blood dripped steadily from her fingers, soaking the front of Sean's jumpsuit as well.
My heart slammed in my head. I still couldn't believe what was happening, but I just needed to survive right now.
Green light!
We moved again. The line didn't seem so far anymore.
Red light!
We froze just meters away from the line. A man behind us had his fear overcome by greed and attempted to reach the finish line regardless.
POP
His scream cut short, a red spray shooting past us. The warmth hit the back of my neck. I couldn't look back.
Green light
We lunged. The girl crumpled in my hold, but Sean shoved her forward. I threw my shoulder under her arm as we stumbled across the line together. My knees hit the grass first, my chest crashing down hard.
I rolled onto my back, chest heaving, the blue sky and the dry Californian summer weather had never felt so amazing before.
Sean dropped beside us, his chest rising high and low.
For a moment, there was only the sound of our ragged breathing and my heart pounding in my chest.
Sean's voice finally came, low and ragged. "We finish this together… see?"
I couldn't answer.
I just stared at him, we were alive.