“And all for the sum of £13,000,” the announcer said, the audience whooping and cheering as he extended the words. He suddenly turned back to Rosa with the biggest grin on his face. She smiled back, feeling a little giddy. She didn’t know what her friend, Natasha, meant when she said that this type of thing wouldn’t be for her. What was she talking about? Sure, the audience was a little smaller than she was expecting and the announcer was a little creepy, but all-in-all, it wasn’t as bad as she had said.

​

“These people are bad,” Natasha had said. “They prey on young, pretty things like you.”

 

“What do you mean, prey?” she had asked back. “I've had Todd look over the contract they're making me sign and he said that there wasn’t anything in there that would put me at risk. It’ll be fine.”

 

“Rosa…”

 

“Nat,” Rosa cut in, still smiling at her. “I’ll be fine. There will be cameras and security. It’s a professional thing, not some back-alley setup by a madman.” After a little more convincing, Natasha had let her go, seeing her off as the black limousine pulled away from her apartment. So far, she had been proven very wrong. Rosa had arrived at the studio, or what they called the studio, and was escorted inside and told to stand on a small podium. The room she stood in was black with one spotlight directly over the podium. The studio’s exterior didn’t seem like a building that would house a TV company’s studio, but the letter had mentioned that they had fallen on hard times and that they couldn’t afford a large, good-looking building. She brushed the look aside. It wasn’t long until a voice boomed through the room.

 

“Are you ready to play?” Instantly, the room was flooded with light and the announcer appeared. He was wearing a red shirt and black jacket and white trousers. The look both worked and didn’t simultaneously. But she didn’t have time to look at the announcer before behind her, an audience was lit up and started shouting. Rosa spun and faced them, eyes wide and slightly fearful. They seemed a little too excited. Gradually, they calmed as the announcer walked towards Rosa, his grin too wide for his face.

 

“And hello to you, my beautiful contestant,” he said, winking. Rosa chuckled and looked back at the audience. They were staring at her intently.

 

“Hi,” she said shyly. The announcer laughed and turned to the audience and began speaking to them, so quickly that Rosa couldn’t keep up. After a moment, he turned back to her.

 

“Are you ready to play?” he repeated. Cautiously, Rosa nodded. Clapping his hands together, the announcer spun and ran to the other end of the stage and pointed at the wall. Instantly, four cards fell, eventually hanging from the ceiling. Frowning, Rosa looked at the announcer. “These are the categories you must choose from, my beautiful contestant,” he said. She looked back at the cards. “You will play all four eventually, but you get to choose the order.” Rosa nodded and read the cards carefully. After a moment of deliberation, she looked back at the announcer.

 

“I think I’ll go with Hangman, Pub Quiz, Counters, and then Would You Rather?” she said confidently. An ‘ooh’ echoed across the audience. The announcer laughed and waved the reaction aside.

 

“Perfect!” he said. “Now, grip the banister there tightly and we’ll begin.”

 

She couldn’t keep track of how much time passed, but she was convinced it must have been at least a few hours. The first three went by quickly and she racked up her money quickly. The audience gasped with nearly every decision and whooped and cheered every time she won anything. The atmosphere was electric. And then, once the game of Counters had ended, the announcer turned to her and smiled. Rosa smiled back at him.

 

“You just have to win this next game,” he said softly, the sudden change of tone a big shift from his flamboyant actions and tone before. “And all for the sum of £13,000.” The audience whooped and cheered again as he extended the words. He suddenly turned back to Rosa with the biggest grin on his face. She smiled back, feeling a little giddy. Exhaling lightly, and calming her nerves, she stepped forward and nodded towards the announcer. Somehow, his grin widened. “That’s good,” he muttered. Then, in a flash, he turned to the wall behind him, that was illuminated with bright, white lights, and pointed at it. The category ‘Would You Rather?’ appeared. Rosa’s smile grew again. If the previous games were as fun and easy as this one, she would leave here a little richer.

 

“I'm ready,” she said and the announcer’s smile grew once again. He turned to the audience.

 

“She’s ready!” he called and the audience clapped. But no one said a word. Instead, they reached down beside them and pulled out a piece of card and held it in their lap. Rosa narrowed her eyes at them but they didn’t look at her, their eyes turning and landing on the wall behind the announcer. They were silent, like she had gone deaf.

 

“Rosa?” the announcer said softly. Rosa turned her head towards him and jumped back in surprise. He was standing right beside her. She hadn't heard him move. “Are you ready to play?” he asked, unflinching to her movements. Rosa’s eyes darted to the audience and back to him. Cautiously, she nodded her head. The announcer then leapt from her side and landed back on the stage, his feet echoing surprisingly loudly across the floor. Behind him, the card vanished into the ceiling and a white screen appeared. The stage lights went out and an image was projected onto it. Rosa narrowed her eyes. She turned and looked behind the audience, trying to see the projector but she couldn’t. Behind them was just a black void. She looked back at the image as it began to move.

 

Sitting in a deckchair was a woman. She wore a red bathing suit and had her eyes covered with sunglasses. She looked like she was asleep. She was laying by a pool that was glistening turquoise with the water gently lapping against the tiles. The garden around her looked pruned and the lawn freshly mowed, but it was difficult to see more from where the camera sat. The angle was strange, as if filmed over the edge of a garden fence. The video continued as the announcer turned to Rosa, grinning madly.

 

“So, my beautiful contestant,” he said slowly, much slower than she had been expecting. “Would you rather…?” he trailed off as two cards appeared on either side of the screen, one in blue and one in red. “Dump a bucket of cold water onto her?” the announcer read from the cards. “Or have her sprinklers get turned on?” Rosa smiled and glanced at the audience, expecting a laugh. They were silent, their eyes staring and blank. Her smile dropped as she looked back at the announcer. At least he still had his smile, but now it felt a little unnerving. Natasha’s words came back into her head.

 

“Which one you going for?” he asked. Rosa’s eyes flicked to the different options, weighing them carefully. Both ended with the same result. Sighing and shrugging, Rosa pointed towards the blue option, the sprinklers.

 

“OK then,” he called, gesturing wildly and enthusiastically to the screen. “Let’s see what happens!” Frowning, Rosa looked back at the screen and watched as the mayhem unfolded. Just as the card said so, the sprinklers came on and the woman screeched, jumping from the deckchair and running off-screen. And just before the video ended, the camera was pulled violently to one side and the beginnings of muttered hurries began. But before she could hear anything, the audio stopped and the screen turned back. With nothing left to watch, the announcer looked at Rosa.

 

“What a choice!” he shouted. Again, the audience didn’t say a word, but this time, Rosa heard scribbling as they noted something. Rosa faked her laugh and glanced at the audience again. Their eyes were attached to the blank screen again. “Well done, Rosa,” the announcer continued, seemingly oblivious to the audience’s silence. “But now you know how the game works, let’s see how to go.” The screen lit up again, this time of a living room. In the room was a man, sitting in a red armchair with a cigarette in one hand. His face was old and looked melted. She could see the reflection of the TV in his eyes and against the wall behind him. The same odd camera angle was visible. The two cards lit up again, this time with two different suggestions.

 

“Would you rather,” the announcer said, “break his window, or let a dog loose in through his back door.” Rosa laughed and the announcer’s smile flickered. Gradually, her laugh faded. “Something funny?” the announcer said.

 

“Well,” Rosa started, “you don’t expect me to allow you to break a man’s property for a game show, do you? Can't I go to prison?”

 

“Any of your actions cannot be held against you,” the announcer said back, as if reading from the contract she signed. “But, you are liable if you do not complete the game.”

 

“What?” she asked. The announcer stepped forward, his smile now completely gone.

 

“If you do not give us an answer, or you leave before the end of the game, or you break or disobey any rules that you agreed to in order to be here, then you are liable for those actions and any consequences to those actions.” He continued to get closer. Rosa started to push herself against the back of the railing of the podium. “But, also in that agreement, was the right for us to do what we want. We can show you anything, make you do anything, and if you do not comply with any of it, we can decide on how you should be treated.” He stepped closer still. “And that’s all up to you.” Rosa felt a bead of sweat drip down her forehead, wiping past her eyebrow.

 

“You’re going to kill me?” she whispered. The announcer shrugged and leaned away from her, allowing her to breathe a little easier.

 

“Legally, no,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you're safe.” A shiver ran across her body. Natasha had been right. With a wink, the announcer’s smile was back and he looked at the audience. Silent words were exchanged. Then, he looked back at Rosa. “Please, my beautiful contestant. Make a decision.” Rosa looked back at the screen and gestured to the red card. The announcer reread the card and grinned further. “Interesting choice,” he said slowly, a sinister sneer weaved through the words. Feeling another shiver rush over her, Rosa looked up at the screen, her eyes fixed on the man in the chair. Almost instantly, a brick flew past the camera and smashed through the window. The brick landed on the man’s knee and he cried out in pain. The camera was pulled away from the window and the video cut out, leaving the screen blank again. Horrified, Rosa looked back at the announcer, who was still smiling.

 

“Wasn’t that exhilarating?” he said. Rosa kept staring at him. Her hand was over her mouth and a tear had fallen down her face. She had done that. That was her decision. “Time for the next round,” the announcer continued. “Would you rather…” The cards changed again. Rosa didn’t look at them.

 

“Please,” she said, stopping the announcer. “Just one last one. I’ll complete the game with one last one. Make it as fucked up as you like. Just, please, only one more.” The announcer was frozen, his arm in the air and mouth hung open. With a sigh, he turned and slumped himself over, glancing at the audience. Rosa didn’t bother turning to see what they did. After a long blink, the announcer looked back at her and sighed again.

 

“One more,” he said. “Then you can leave.” He turned from her and began walking towards a marked point on the stage floor. “But this won't be a perfect round. We haven’t had time to understand your decision making. The options will be imperfect.” Rosa didn’t listen to him. She just turned her eyes to the screen. She could see that this frustrated the announcer. He grunted and looked back at the audience. “So,” he said with much less enthusiasm, “ladies and gentlemen here in our studio and all over the world. The final decision. Which will she choose? Submit your bets quickly, or you may not win.” Rosa frowned and turned to him.

 

“Bets?” she asked. The announcer looked at her and narrowed his eyes.

 

“Yes,” he said. “Bets. How else will they do it?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“The game?”

 

“What game?” The announcer groaned and walked over to her. This time, she wasn’t scared.

 

“This. All of it. This game you're playing right now.” She could tell he was getting frustrated. She tried to follow the man’s words.

 

“So, others are playing with me?” she asked. He sighed again and stepped away.

 

“We don’t have time to talk about this,” he said. “We’ve got people in Japan than want to go to bed and win themselves some money. Maybe after this is done, you can ask someone else.” He then turned back to the audience. “And with no time to spare,” he glared at her, “let’s reveal what she must decide.” He turned and gestured to the screen. He had lost all enthusiasm, his arm half-drooping. Rosa followed his arm and her eyes landed on the screen.

 

On the screen sat someone in a chair. They were dressed in black clothing. Above them sat a deep crimson bulb that created more shadow than light. Their head was covered in a black sack but she could see them sobbing. Rosa felt dread wash over her as her eyes landed on the rope tied around the person’s wrists and ankles. She slowly turned and looked at the announcer. His smile was gone and his eyes cold and unblinking.

 

“Would you rather,” he said stonily, “have their kneecaps broken, or have a hand cut off?” A murmur ran across the audience and Rosa could feel their eyes on her. She began to shake, feeling each cell in her body telling her to run. But she wouldn’t make it to the exit. She looked back up at the screen. They were still sobbing. She glanced at the announcer, who was staring at her, arms folded. He was getting bored. “Time is ticking,” he said. “Hurry and decide.”

 

“I…I,” she stammered. “I don’t know…” She couldn’t find the words.

 

“Hurry,” he repeated.

 

“I don’t know!” she shouted.

 

“If you can't choose, they’ll be disposed of.”

 

“Disposed of?”

 

“Ten.”

 

“What do you mean disposed of?”

 

“Nine.”

 

“What do you mean by that.”

 

“I mean what I mean. Eight.”

 

“Will you kill them?”

 

“I won't, no. Seven.”

 

“So they’ll be okay?”

 

“I said I wouldn’t kill them. Six.” Rosa felt regret fill the growing pit in her stomach. If she hadn’t come here, this person may not have even been here. “Five.”

 

“If I choose, do they live?”

 

“Yes. Four.”

 

“Will they get medical care?”

 

“You're running out of time. Three.”

 

“Will they be cared for?”

 

“Did you even read the contract we gave you? Two.”

 

“Will they live?”

 

“Yes. One.”

 

“Blue!” The announcer was paused over his ear. He was about to give the order. He cracked a smile and lowered his arm and looked at the audience. Rosa was too scared to.

 

“Interesting decision,” the announcer said slowly. Locked eyes with her, he gestured to the screen. Fearful, Rosa closed her eyes. There was some shuffling, then a slam. This time, there was a scream. Rosa clenched her eyes closed further and pulled her head from the screen. The scream was silenced and the announcer’s enthusiastic voice returned.

 

“Well, thank you for playing Rosa,” he said. “You have won £13,000! Congratulations! We will see you next week for more fun decision making.” Her eyes snapped open. “And for you at home, I hope you had a profitable evening.” A bell rang out and Rosa listened to shuffling and murmured voices. She looked up and caught the announcer’s attention. Rolling his eyes, he walked over to her, leaning against the podium. “What?” he asked, voice a little gruffer.

 

“Next week?” Rosa asked, wiping the tears from her eyes, trying to get the sounds out of her head. “I am not doing this again.”

 

“Did you really not read that contract?” he said with a sneer. He leaned a little closer, his smile now evil. “You're in this for a series. Fourteen sessions. By the end, you’ll be so numb to this, you’ll sign up for another because you're bored. You’ll see no point in your life. You'll keep coming back because secretly, deep down, you like it. Seeing these people do these things, seeing them suffer and scream. You know you like it so you come back. To get your fix. So you feel normal for one moment. Even if it's brief.” His smile grew as Rosa’s horror spread across her face. “Or, we make you.” Then, he stepped away and vanished into the shadows around the stage. It was then that Rosa realised she was alone on the stage. The audience had left quickly; the show was over. Now, it was just her, mind flashing through what had happened. It had happened too quickly. She felt her cheeks soaked and her legs shaking. Slowly, the lights around her began to go out, shutting off one by one. She couldn’t tell Natasha, she didn’t know what they would do. She couldn’t tell anyone. For anyone to know would be a danger. She would have to come back. He had said so.

 

Eventually, the spotlight over her was the last light remaining. Her shadow shook and her mind whirled. No one was coming to remove her. Maybe they enjoyed this part too. Then, tears streaming down her face, Rosa collapsed to the floor and cradled herself in her arms as the spotlight went out, her sobs echoing across the empty stage. This would have to be her secret. And the worst part of it? She knew he was right.