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As soon as the judge announced the Money Game, the boy squeezed his stomach. The saliva in his mouth increased. He was about to throw up from the fear of what was coming.

But he was saved by the following announcement:

"Since this last game is a tough one, we'll give the contestants a little rest. See you all back in 15 minutes. And remember! This is your last chance to place your bet before we introduce the players."

Then the screens went blank.

The middle judge sat back, relaxed, but his eyes never left the boy's eyes. The boy felt a sickening feeling radiating from those evil eyes⁠—a sick sense of pleasure.

The guard girl stepped toward to boy and said, "Come on. You can take a seat over there." She pointed at a bench.

"But-" The boy's voice trembled as he stared at the platform beneath him. "But-but the explosives?"

"It's OK," the judge said. His eyes began to narrow as his grin grew wider. "I turned them off."

The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't breathe it out until he backed away from the platform. Then he opened his eyes and checked that his body was in one piece. Relieved, he almost laughed.

The guard girl walked the boy to the bench and she could hear his muffled whines.

He sat and gave her a pleading stare. His eyes brimmed with tears.

She ignored him and was about to walk away when a sweaty grip caught her hand.

"Help me, please. You gotta help me."

She didn't even look at him this time. She just pulled her hand away and left.

The boy thought about escaping, but a huge guard came and cuffed his leg to the bench. The boy finally cried with his face in his palms.

Fifteen minutes passed where the boy was given food, water, and a bottle to pee in. He needed that rest. His legs couldn't handle standing up all that time.

Finally, the bell rang and the screens started broadcasting again.

"Woohoo! This is it, folks. It's happening. Say hello to the players of the Money Game!"

The first player was a skinny man, wearing glasses. The second player was a bulky guy who almost looked like The Rock, but even bigger! The third player was an overweight woman with a really large belly. Then the teenage boy was introduced the last.

They were all nameless, better for the production of this illegal show.

The judges laughed at the boy, since he was too young and too small to handle any game, but his judge raised his finger and announced:

"Now, wait a minute. I see a lot of judges laughing at the kid, but I wouldn't laugh until I know what the last game is about."

The judge clapped once and said:

"Bring it on!"

The workers began installing two machines with a tube that has a hole big enough to fit a bowling ball in it. They placed one machine to the left of each player's platform and the other to the right. The holes were facing each other.

The players were dragged to their places. The boy pleaded and resisted for a while then gave up as soon as his feet touched the platform.

The buttons in front of the judge turned red, four of them only.

The guard girl showed up again. This time, she was holding a heavy, black bowling ball. She put it inside the hole of one of the machines.

"Oh, God. Oh, no no no. Please, no," the boy whimpered as he figured it out. "Please, I don't wanna play this game. Please."

The machines were similar to a baseball pitching machine, only it shoots a bowling ball instead of a baseball, then the other machines catch it and throws it back.

"Keep your shit together!" the woman said.

The judge praised the woman with a nod before she stood next to the judges' table. She crossed her arms and wore a cold expression like a soldier in a mission.

"The rules of this game are as follows: Don't step off of the platform, I think we made that pretty clear by now. Don't get knocked down by the bowling ball, and if you did then bounce back up as quickly as you can. This game is about endurance. The bowling ball will shoot faster and closer to the players' bodies as time passes, shredding some skin and breaking some bones. This could take hours, folks, so don't forget your popcorn."

He ended his speech with a laugh that spread like a disease to the other judges and the guards.

"Contestants! Are you ready?"

The large woman cried, "Please, don't." She shook her head down and let her tears fall. "Please, I-I'm begging you, don't-"

"Shut your piehole, you fat pig!" One of her judges lost his temper. "Or I'll shoot your dangling belly right now!"

The woman absorbed her cries with a whimper.

"That's better." The judge relaxed and sat back down.

Then the speaker announced:

"Alrighty, then. Let's get this show started! Shoot!"

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Who do you think will die first? The boy, the heavy lady, the skinny dude, or The Rock?

> PLACE YOUR BETS HERE <