“Of course, it’s $800, sir!” said the manager.Billy was stunned when he heard that. He had just arranged the toys in the section, and he was sure it cost only $200. When he double-checked the price, he realized he was right.”I’m sorry, sir, but I think there’s been a mistake!” Billy approached the manager with concern. “The toy costs only $200, not $800.” The manager frowned and stared daggers at Billy. “He’s new here and still learning the ropes,” the manager told the customer. “The toy costs $800, sir. It’s from a limited edition collection.” Billy realized his manager was trying to deceive the customer. While he couldn’t oppose him openly, he couldn’t let an innocent customer pay extra too. So he told the customer that the manager must have confused the prices, dealing with a lot of items daily. And that 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 on the job! Get out! You’re fired!”The realization of what Billy had done going against his manager now dawned on him. He couldn’t afford to lose this job because his wife needed urgent treatment. So he pleaded with the manager not to fire him. 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. A heartbroken Billy left the store. He had no idea what to do next and how he would pay for his wife’s treatment. He trotted across the streets, trying his luck at stores and coffee shops with “We are hiring” signboards. But fate didn’t favor Billy. However, he held his hopes high that he would soon find something. The following day, Billy casually approached his mailbox to see if he’d gotten any mail. His curiosity was piqued when he pulled out a thick brown envelope. He wondered who sent it, but there was no return address on the envelope, just the words “To Billy” scribbled in bold.Billy carefully tore open the flap, and his eyes widened in horror when he casually peeked inside. A thick wad of cash was stashed inside. “Is this even real?” he gasped quietly. He looked inside again and noticed there was a note. “The $70,000 is for your wife’s treatment, and it’s all yours, Billy,” it said. “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. He finally had the money for her organ transplant surgery. But unpleasant news awaited him. “The market prices went up in the last few weeks, Billy,” said the doctor, “and 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.” Billy slumped onto the couch. Time was running out, and he knew he didn’t have a choice except to accept the invitation he had received.That night, Billy visited the deserted park. Everything was eerily quiet, and he couldn’t see a soul in close sight until a set of blinding headlights sliced through the darkness, startling him from behind. But before he could turn around to figure out what happened, a shadowy figure in a hoodie and mask emerged from behind and thrust a black sack bag over his head. “Let me go! Hey!” Billy screamed, trying to break free, but his cries went unheard. Two hands grabbed his arms and shoved him into a van. He heard the engine roaring to life and knew they were taking him somewhere. But Billy didn’t dare to speak when he felt something like a weapon near his hip. He was wedged between two men who remained quiet. After what seemed like an eternity, the vehicle stopped, and he was led into an abandoned building. As the bag around his head was untied and removed, Billy’s vision slowly adjusted to the surroundings, and he realized it was an old factory of some kind.The men departed, and the door closed. Billy looked around, and his eyes widened in astonishment as he took in the sight before him. Nine people were standing in the room. Ten neatly arranged beds lined one wall, each with an identical black uniform placed on top. Suddenly, a loud, grim voice resonated through the 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 and saw the same fear and confusion in their eyes. Nobody knew what time it was— their phones and watches were confiscated. A couple of hours went by until the metal door swung open. A man in a suit and a gas mask walked into the room.”Get up and follow him,” the voice on the speaker 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 nobody knew. Soon, they were all ushered into a dimly lit room where their right hand was cuffed to a chain 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!” As many as one thousand keys dangled from various hooks on the wooden board before them. And they only had ten minutes to find the right key and release themselves. Billy’s soldierly instincts kicked in as he saw the commotion in the room. “Take a key each and pass it around. If it doesn’t fit, toss it in the middle,” he addressed the group. “That way, we’ll be able to eliminate the wrong ones and find the right key.”They formed a circle and started passing the keys in a tense, terrifying fashion. The first five minutes passed. Four participants succeeded in finding their keys and freed themselves. The circle was disrupted, making the task even more challenging for those left behind. “Four minutes left! Faster!” the voice said. Three more contestants successfully unlocked their restraints and hurriedly exited the room. Billy was stranded with an older man and a woman who were still desperately searching for their keys. “Who will make it out?” The voice continued its live commentary as the hearts of the three participants pounded with anxiety. With just a minute remaining, Billy finally found the key and unlocked himself. However, he decided to stay behind and assist the other two. Finally, the older man was freed. He and Billy frantically searched for the woman’s key when a sharp siren echoed in the room.The supervisor reappeared, and the voice on the speaker ordered Billy and the other man to leave the task room immediately. The metal door slammed shut behind them as they left. Suddenly, a jarring gunshot echoed through the corridor. “What was that?” one of the captives shouted in terror. “They sh-shot her!” a contestant stammered in shock, and chaos erupted. The contestants screamed and protested to be let go. They even ran around frantically, hoping to find an escape route, but in vain. Soon, they were herded back into their room and locked up. A supervisor stayed back to watch over. At that point, none of them knew that their fates were sealed in a sinister game of survival and that out of the nine remaining contestants, only one would make it alive. Billy suddenly rose from his bed and marched across the room, but a guard blocked his path. “Where are you going?” he barked.”I want to use the restroom,” Billy replied, but the guard followed him. Billy knew this was his chance. As he stepped into the narrow bathroom, he turned on the faucet to make some noise. Then he removed his shoes, leaving them neatly arranged in his stall, and crawled into the adjacent stall. ”Hurry it up, old man,” the guard outside said, growing impatient, and he began banging on the door. Billy remained silent. A few minutes passed, and the guard’s frustration reached its peak. He crouched down and peeked under the stall door. When he noticed only a pair of shoes, he grew suspicious. He barged inside. In a flash, Billy emerged from the adjacent stall and charged at the unsuspecting guard. He grabbed him and slammed his head against the wall with a sickening thud, using all the strength he could muster. Soon, the guard fell to the floor, unconscious but alive.Wasting no time, Billy quickly changed into the guard’s uniform and secured the unconscious guy with his own restraints. Then he wore the gas mask and emerged from the bathroom. He stealthily made his way to the metal door and opened it using the guard’s access card. He was wandering down the hallway in search of the exit when he ran into a guard on duty. “Hey, hold on, man. Where do you think you’re going?” the guy asked Billy. Fear gripped Billy as he scrambled for a quick lie. “I–I’m just following the boss’s instructions. He ordered me to check the building and report anomalies, if any,” Billy stammered nervously. “Anomalies? What kind of anomalies? Did he say anything specific?” the guard asked. “Not sure, man. But the orders are important,” Billy replied, trying his best to sound convincing. Finally, the man relented. Billy couldn’t believe his luck, and he continued down the corridor. He stumbled upon a dimly lit office and walked inside, only to gasp in horror.Video feeds from surveillance cameras showed that the other guards had found the tied-up guard in the contestants’ bathroom, and they were all looking for Billy now. Billy’s heart raced as his eyes darted around the room for a phone. Finally, he spotted an old telephone on the cluttered desk. He had just dialed the cops when the door burst open. Billy gasped in shock when he recognized the man who entered. It was the customer with poor vision 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! Well, let me educate you. We are nothing but pawns in a game of survival…orchestrated by the wealthy elite, individuals who have seen and experienced everything the world has to offer. But they hunger for more…for the thrill of human desperation and survival. “The contestants were carefully picked…desperate souls like you…You want money for your wife’s treatment, don’t you? It’s a game of the survival of the fittest, Billy. And only one emerges as the winner…alive…in the end! Leave that phone, Billy, and you’ll get another $250,000, and you’ll get to go home,” he added. “There’s no way you can outsmart us! Guards!”As the men nabbed Billy, he was worried they would kill him. But minutes later, the sound of police sirens filled the air. The cops were on the telephone line, listening to everything. The police and K-9 units surrounded the factory, freeing the captives and collecting evidence and data about the game’s organizers. “Can you tell me how you ended up here, sir?” An officer approached Billy, startling him. Billy narrated the deadly incident, never expecting to see the officer again. But a few days later, while Billy awaited the news about his wife’s condition outside the hospital, the officer approached him. “We have good news, Billy,” he said and explained how the police had tracked down the game’s organizers. “And you risked your own life to save those eight people. Good reaps good, Billy, so I’ll take care of your wife’s surgery for you.”Billy couldn’t believe it. His eyes glistened with tears, and he thanked the officer with all his heart.Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.