"Where am I.."
"How did I..."
Waking up from a bed in a room that resembles a hospital room...yet posters on the wall and writings dictate of me being in what is a nursery room like in a school or so. As I stood up, I looked around to see precisely where I'm at: for this room didn't look familiar whatsoever.
No window either. Room was slightly dusty yet my bed area felt nicer and cleaner. No noises either from outside the room, but it didn't stop me from investigating.
Walked out of the room, through the empty corridor which has many backpacks, messy papers, and dirt marks everywhere. One would assume they're in an abandon school, though; however, despite the dirtiness, there's still a bit of cleanliness on the floor and ceiling.
As I walked down closer to the nearest door, a faint noise was heard: yelling.
"Yelling? There's people here??"
I got closer to the noises, and there was a door that looked unlocked. As I got closer to opening, I can hear my heartbeat go off...
Faster...and faster....and faster.
I opened the door, and what I saw...was unlike anything I could have imagined..
"HURRY UP AND MOVE IT!"
"Hey, watch out!"
"Wait for me!!!!"
The screaming, the fear, the atmosphere....what was I looking at?!
A gigantic room filled with many obstacles and students going through them as if their lives depend on it. Fear and panic rushing through my veins. How...no, why would anyone go through this...
Suddenly, a blinking arrow beneath my feet pointed in a direction of a podium with a device that seems to have some sort of typed information. I picked up and pressed a button: it beeps.
"GREETINGS! I AM G.R.8.T.R.! YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE THROUGH THE REALMS OF TWISTED PLAYHOUSE!
"I'm sorry...Twisted...Playhouse?"
"YOU ARE CORRECT! MY CREATOR DECIDED TO CONSTRUCT THIS ENTIRE PLAYHOUSE AS WELL AS CHOOSING WHO GETS TO PARTICIPATE!"
"Who's your creator? And how was I chosen?!"
G.R.8.T.R. started to beep multiple times and the screen transition to a loading screen. Then, it dinged.
"GREAT QUESTION! UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT SPEAK OF THE CREATOR ANYMORE THAN I HAD PREVIOUS MENTIONED. HOWEVER! I CAN SPEAK OF THE CHOSEN PARTICIPANTS."
"Fine...get it over with."
"THANK YOU! NOW THEN: AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THE CREATOR CHOOSES THE PARTICIPANTS AND SEE WHO COMES OUT A WINNER!"
A winner? Seeing as there's many students participating in these obstacles courses...How long have they been playing...And what exactly does the winner get...
"You mentioned a 'winner', so what exactly do they receive as a prize?"
"ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION! THE WINNER OF EACH GROUP WILL RECEIVE THE FANTASTIC PRIZE OF LEAVING THE PLAYHOUSE!"
"Wait, I'm sorry, 'of each group'?"
"CORRECT. EACH GROUP OR TEAM CONSIST OF 10 PLAYERS. THE CREATOR SPECIFICALLY CHOOSES THESE PLAYERS TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THE GAMES INTERESTING. WHAT'S BETTER: ALL THESE GAMES ARE *BROADCASTING LIVE*!"
"Broadcasting live?!"
The sheer thought of being watched by literal millions of people all over the world...And the fact the AI mentioned of 'winner' rather than 'winners' of each group which meant something must happened to the losers...
"What happens to the 'losers' of each group?"
"HMMM, WELL SADLY THE LOSERS WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATING UNTIL THEY BECOME THE WINNER!"
Imagine endlessly repeating these courses and trying to win. Seems it's also too good to be true that the winner would leave the playhouse and not be compensated for any or all the trials they've been through.
"I HOPE THAT ANSWERS ALL YOUR QUESTIONS! SHALL WE BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST OBSTACLES WITH YOUR TEAM?"
"Wait! One more question! You mentioned the losers would have to continue these obstacles until they win...Does that mean there's a form of living quarters as well for them to rest up their strengths for the next course?"
"VERY GOOD QUESTION. SINCE THIS IS BROADCASTING, THE CREATOR WISHES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS TO HAVE THEIR STRENGTHS AND ENERGY UP BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. DUE TO THIS, THE LONGER THE LOSERS STAY, THE BETTER COMPENSATION THEY SHALL RECEIVE ONCE THEY WIN."
A trade off...the winner leaves this hell while the losers stay but reap better rewards than just leaving...And it wouldn't surprise me that these obstacles courses become more difficult as time passes, meaning...a person can be greedy and meet their end here or win and never know what they could have gotten...
So far, this entire playhouse reeks of vile greed determination and the creator behind this manipulates that nature and plays with it as if dangling a treat to a puppy. For sure I have no choice but to participate...but the moment I win, I'm getting the heck out and nothing else!
"RIGHT THIS WAY PLAYER."
It took me down a corridor and it lit up towards the end to what seems to be a large elevating platform, and there..standing were 9 other students. Each roaring with such aura and yet...this sensation felt familiar...almost too familiar.
"Well well, look what the bot dragged in: the last player of the night."
"Actually: there's a chance of it being day. Feels a bit warm even if there's a heater nearby."
"Don't flatter yourself. Obviously since we've been here for awhile, our body does heat up eventually, especially when there's little to no cooling."
Mannerism seems to be similar...Very snobbish yet observant. Analyzing the situation and then speak afterwards as if they're confirming facts. No doubt about it...when the AI spoke of the Creator choosing participants for a live broadcast game, it wasn't by coincident to be paired with at least 9 other players in a group...Far worse than that...
All ten players of each group has similar personality and possibly very same wits.
"IF ALL PLAYERS ARE READY, WE CAN BEGIN THE FIRST GAME!"
"Any other observations? No? Good. Let's go."
Everyone else got together and we all lined up from left to right: 1st person who was here to me the last. As the platform rises, so did my adrenaline. My heartbeat sounded louder and louder, and my thoughts grew more tiresome: what obstacles will we have to do?
It's clear that all 10 of us are smart and observant, but to what extent? Nobody here felt like an athlete or seemed fit. Just...a bunch of nerds with attitudes.
As we got near to the top, an announcement was played.
"GREETINGS TO THE NEW PLAYERS. YOUR FIRST TRIAL OF THIS SEASON OF PLAYHOUSE SHALL COMMENCE. REMEMBER: WIN OR LOSE, YOU'RE STILL OUTSTANDING!"
As if it wasn't tension enough, now it feels all eyes are on us and how we get through this.
What wasn't clear to me at the beginning when the AI was explaining things...how does a person become a winner. If the Creator expects players in groups to work together, yet only one winner comes out...What exactly causes the win...
"You're having the same thought as I did, judging by your eyes."
"Oh, me?"
Tall guy by the name of Juan. Slacks and comfy attire with such bushy hair and strong stare.
"Sorry, didn't get to introduce myself: My name is Juan. 3rd year."
"My name is Skye[1], eh..2nd year."
"Youngling, eh? Guess any age can play these games."
"You mentioned of having the same thoughts as you a bit ago, care to explain?"
"Oh yea. Sorry, sometimes my mind kind of drifts. You were thinking of how one of us will win, right?"
"Yea..That's right."
"That was my first question after knowing about the winners and such. What I got as an answer, well..it may not be a pleasant one."
"Oh..?"
"In order for one to win, they must be the first to pass the obstacles. However, just because they've won, doesn't automatically makes them a winner. Through varies obstacles, if they are able to consistently be first, then it becomes obvious that they should become winners. However; ultimately, there's a voting system giving to the audiences watching us. If they feel that person who's been first qualifies to be a winner, then they'll vote them out of the game which then they become winners."[2]
"Wait...you mean essentially the people chooses the winner if they feel like it?!"
"Pretty much. In a sense, it's based on each individual's performance rather than the teamwork that gets the crowd riled and going. Safe to say, everyone here are playing for themselves to leave."
"Wow...So...Is there a chance of nobody being voted as a winner?"
"Hmm...Haven't asked that question, but I should have."
The room finally lit slowly and the obstacles was shown.
"THE FIRST OBSTACLE COURSE:
THE CALENDAR MURDERER."
[1] Pretty much every name will just be first name bases for easier narrative as well as just remembering characters better.
[2] Words in Bold are meant for remembrance usually within its "chapter" rather than something to flip back 20 pages ago to remember XD Normally, it's meant as a form of "finalizing" what it's being said and therefore it'll be on *me* to look back and not contradict.