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Chapter 2 - Awkward Introductions
In my sleepy daze, I hear muffled voices in the distance.
Did I leave the TV on again..? And whatever I’m laying on doesn’t feel like my couch… It’s cold, uninviting, and the air feels tense. It sounds like people are arguing..?
I gather the strength to open my eyes, observing my surroundings in my groggy state. I’m laying on the floor… and…
“Geez, I just got here! What the hell is your problem?!”
“My problem is that NONE OF US know where we are, and you’re the only other person who happens to be awake.”
“Wh– I don’t know what’s going on either! Why are you mad at ME? Be mad at… I don’t know, whoever put us here!”
“You’re the one in a prisoner’s outfit. Whoever’s the most suspicious out of us, it’s obviously you. Honestly, why would a criminal be here? Who knows what crimes you’ve done? How did you even escape?”
“Okay. Look. Mind your own damn business. I have a major headache right now and listening to some stuck-up rich guy yell at me is not helping.”
“Oh, really? Stuck-up? You’re so immature it’s no wonder you were thrown in prison in the first place!”
“Keep talking and I’ll show you immature.”
“Try me. I dare you. You’re so weak and frail there’s no WAY you could do some actual damaOWWWW!!!!”
“Oops! Sorry, I missed. I meant to punch open that locked door over there. My bad. What were you saying again?”
“S- stop fighting!!”
I quickly stand up and shout at the two people in front of me. They immediately turn to stare at me, and I’m met with a sudden wave of embarrassment. After a moment of confusion, the girl in the prisoner outfit speaks up.
“Oh– Sorry, I didn’t realize that anyone else was awake yet… Or even alive. I’m Charlotte, the asshole behind me that you should ignore is Benedict.”
“HEY!!”
“Anyways, what’s your name?”
“I’m Nyah. Nice to meet you..?”
Charlotte stays silent for a moment, fidgeting with a strand of her hair, quietly thinking.
“Soo… I’m just gonna guess that you have no idea how you ended up here either?”
“No… But, before I blacked out, I heard some weird voice talking to me, and…”
“You heard it too? The deal or whatever it was?”
“Yeah. I assume that’s why we’re here, then..? But, I don’t know how-”
“Hey, idiots. The others are starting to wake up. Maybe start paying attention for once.”
The other two contestants start to shift before opening their eyes, and taking in their surroundings with confusion. Charlotte seems eager to introduce everyone and try to make things a little less awkward.
“Hi..! So, before you say anything, none of us know how we got here either. I assume you heard some weird voice or whatever it was from your nearest TV, and then you passed out and woke up here?”
They both slowly nod.
“Okay! Noted. I’m Charlotte, this is Nyah and over there in the corner is Benedict.”
“I’m Sage. Um… nice to meet you!”
“...Naomi.”
“Um… now that we’re all awake… how do we get out of here?”
“Not sure. I tried kicking that door down a few times, but it won’t budge.”
I decide to look around for a minute. There’s empty boxes and VCR tapes scattered across the floor. The floor is dusty, and there’s not any other openings in the room besides the vent in the corner, which seems to be screwed tight.
“...Well, that vent up there looks too small for anyone to crawl through...”
“Maybe Benedict could fit through, he’s the shortest.
“Don’t even.”
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble, and it felt like the floor was rising.
“H- hey, look! There’s elevator buttons hidden behind these shelves! And it looks like we’re going up!”
Benedict shoves Sage to the side, rapidly pushing each button in an attempt to get the elevator to move faster.
“Wh– Ow!!”
“Come on, come on- I’ve gotta get the hell out of here-”
Suddenly, a loud ding is heard, and the ceiling and the walls fall to the side, revealing all 5 of us to a large, cheering audience. It seems the strange room we woke up in was nothing but a set..?
“W- what the hell..?”
Panicking, all of us look at each other in confusion.
“EVERYONE GIVE A LONG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO TONIGHT’S LUCKY CONTESTANTS!”
An enthusiastic voice booms throughout the stadium, the audience cheering even louder than before. Live footage of our confused faces light up numerous screens overhead, and a man with strange, staticky hair and a fancy outfit jumps down from above, making each of us step back in surprise.
People in the audience throw roses and all kinds of valuables on stage, seemingly entranced by his presence.
“Thank you, thank you!”
Once the applause and cheers die down, he smiles and proudly turns to us. One of his eyes is covered by strange purple static, replaced with a familiar strange, floating eye that seems like it’s staring straight into my mind…
“Welcome, my wonderful contestants…”
Confetti rains down from above and colored podiums with each contestant’s name on it rise from the stage.
“To Zenith’s Wonderful, Wacky, Whimsical, Wrathful, Wide-Eyeing, We’re Running Out Of Adjectives That Start With ‘W’, GAMESHOW!!”