Billy’s first day on the job started with a smile from the 70-year-old veteran who shuffled through the aisles, arranging new stock. Everything seemed normal until a sharply dressed customer approached the checkout counter. “Excuse me. Can you please tell me how much this toy costs?” the man asked the manager, pointing to a box marked ‘limited edition.’ “I left my glasses in the office, so I can’t see clearly.”

“Of course, it’s $800, sir!” said the manager.

Billy was stunned. He had just arranged the toys in the section and knew it was priced at $200. After confirming his suspicion, Billy approached the manager with concern. “I’m sorry, sir, but I think there’s been a mistake. The toy costs only $200, not $800.”

The manager frowned and glared at Billy. “He’s new here and still learning the ropes,” the manager said to the customer. “The toy costs $800. It’s from a limited edition collection.” Billy realized the manager was trying to deceive the customer. Though he couldn’t oppose openly, he couldn’t let the innocent customer pay extra either. So, he told the customer that the manager must have confused the prices, dealing with a lot of items daily. This did not sit well with the manager.

“Is this the gratitude you show me for giving you a job when nobody did? I can’t believe you undermined me in front of our customers on your first day! Get out! You’re fired!” the manager roared.

Billy’s heart sank. He couldn’t afford to lose this job, especially with his wife needing urgent treatment. He pleaded with the manager, but all his pleas fell on deaf ears. “Out before I have to call the guards and have you thrown out!” the manager hissed, pointing to the exit.

Heartbroken, Billy left the store. With no idea what to do next or how to pay for his wife’s treatment, he wandered the streets, trying his luck at stores and coffee shops with “We are hiring” signs. Fate wasn’t on his side. He held onto hope that he would find something soon.

The next day, Billy approached his mailbox to find a thick brown envelope. There was no return address, only “To Billy” scribbled in bold. Curiosity piqued, Billy tore open the envelope. His eyes widened in disbelief as he peered inside. A thick wad of cash was stashed inside. “Is this even real?” he gasped. Along with the money was a note: “The $70,000 is for your wife’s treatment, and it’s all yours, Billy. But it’s just a part of what you can actually get. You have the golden chance to get $500,000 more. Come to the park tonight at 12 sharp. Alone.”

Billy hurried home with the money and counted it. It was indeed a whopping $70,000. He immediately called his wife’s doctor, relieved he finally had enough for her organ transplant surgery. But the news was grim. “The market prices went up in the last few weeks, Billy,” the doctor said. “You’ll need another $30,000. We don’t have much time. I wish I could do something to help you, but…I’m sorry.”

Desperate and running out of options, Billy accepted the invitation. That night, he arrived at the deserted park. Everything was eerily quiet. A set of blinding headlights startled him from behind. Before he could react, a shadowy figure in a hoodie and mask thrust a black sack over his head. “Let me go! Hey!” Billy screamed, but his cries went unheard. He was shoved into a van and felt something cold and metallic near his hip.

After what seemed like an eternity, the van stopped, and he was led into an abandoned building. The bag was removed from his head, revealing an old factory. Nine other people stood in the room, and ten neatly arranged beds lined one wall, each with an identical black uniform on top. A loud, grim voice came from a speaker mounted on the wall: “You all find yourself in a dire situation and need money. Our goal is to see the lengths you’re willing to go for it! Put on your uniforms and be ready. The first task begins soon!”

Billy’s mind raced. He knew he couldn’t leave because the door was locked, and there were no windows. He looked at his fellow captives, seeing the same fear and confusion in their eyes. No one knew the time—phones and watches were confiscated. After a couple of hours, the metal door swung open. A man in a suit and gas mask entered the room.

“Get up and follow him,” the voice instructed. Billy realized the masked man was just a supervisor, not the organizer. “Where are they taking us?” Billy whispered to a fellow captive, but no one knew. They were ushered into a dimly lit room where their right hands were cuffed to chains dangling from the wall.

“Welcome to your first task!” the chilling voice spoke. “Find your key and set yourselves free within ten minutes or face the consequences. Your time starts in three…two…one, and go!”

One thousand keys dangled from various hooks on the wooden board. They had ten minutes to find the right key and free themselves. Billy’s instincts kicked in. “Take a key each and pass it around. If it doesn’t fit, toss it in the middle,” he advised. They formed a circle, passing keys rapidly.

Five minutes passed. Four participants managed to find their keys and freed themselves. The circle was disrupted, making the task harder for those left behind. “Four minutes left! Faster!” the voice urged. Three more contestants found their keys and exited. Billy was left with an older man and a woman, desperately searching.

With just a minute remaining, Billy found his key and unlocked himself. He decided to stay behind and help the other two. Finally, the older man was freed. As they frantically searched for the woman’s key, a sharp siren echoed. The supervisor returned, and the voice ordered Billy and the other man to leave the task room. The door slammed shut behind them.

Moments later, a jarring gunshot echoed through the corridor. “What was that?” a captive shouted in terror. “They sh-shot her!” someone stammered. Chaos erupted. The remaining contestants screamed and protested, but their attempts to escape were in vain. They were herded back into their room and locked up, with a supervisor left to watch over them.

Billy saw an opportunity. He rose and marched across the room, but a guard blocked his path. “Where are you going?” the guard barked.

“I want to use the restroom,” Billy replied. The guard followed him. Once in the narrow bathroom, Billy turned on the faucet to create noise. He removed his shoes and crawled into the adjacent stall. The guard, growing impatient, began banging on the door. Billy remained silent.

A few minutes later, the guard’s frustration peaked. He crouched and peeked under the stall door. Noticing only a pair of shoes, he grew suspicious and barged inside. Billy quickly emerged from the adjacent stall and tackled the unsuspecting guard, slamming his head against the wall with a sickening thud. The guard fell, unconscious but alive.

Billy changed into the guard’s uniform and restrained the unconscious guard. Wearing the gas mask, he emerged and used the guard’s access card to open the metal door. He wandered down the hallway, searching for an exit when he encountered another guard.

“Hey, hold on, man. Where do you think you’re going?” the guard asked.

“I’m just following the boss’s instructions. He ordered me to check the building and report anomalies,” Billy stammered.

“Anomalies? What kind of anomalies?” the guard asked.

“Not sure, but the orders are important,” Billy replied, trying to sound convincing. The guard relented, allowing Billy to continue.

Billy stumbled upon a dimly lit office and found surveillance video feeds showing that other guards had discovered the restrained guard in the contestants’ bathroom. They were now searching for Billy. Billy’s heart raced as he spotted an old telephone. He dialed the cops just as the door burst open.

The man who entered was the customer from the store. “Why are you doing this? What do you want?” Billy asked nervously.

The man smirked. “You’re a man of questions, Billy! Let me educate you. We are nothing but pawns in a survival game orchestrated by the wealthy elite, individuals who crave the thrill of human desperation. The contestants were carefully picked—desperate souls like you. Only one survives in the end.”

“There’s no way you can outsmart us! Guards!” the man ordered.

As the guards closed in, police sirens filled the air. The police and K-9 units surrounded the factory, freeing the captives and gathering evidence.

A few days later, while Billy awaited news about his wife outside the hospital, an officer approached him. “We have good news, Billy,” the officer said. “We tracked down the game’s organizers. You risked your life to save those eight people. Good reaps good, so I’ll take care of your wife’s surgery.”

Billy couldn’t believe it. Tears filled his eyes as he thanked the officer with all his heart.