𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 - squid game

chapter 2: "c'mon man, it was a red light!"

2 ----------------------------------- ◯ △ ▢

The glass shards spread throughout the kitchen floor, cutting my bare feet. I froze, tears streamed down my sweaty face. I picked up the glass pieces, one by one so that my mother wouldn't have to worry about it later if she would even come out of her room. Working with my dad at this job could seriously help my mom's health which was most important to me.

"You should make up your mind before it's too late." A sinister grin spread across his face.

He slid a cryptic-looking card and smirked, looking very accomplished with himself. He quickly walked out and slammed the door shut leaving me gaping at the door, pondering the last thirty minutes.

I slowly picked up the card and saw a phone number on the other side. I examined the small card very closely, trying to put my head to which company it could be. I've never heard of or seen any type of job like it but if it makes us money then I might as well give it a go. I took my cell phone out of my pocket and carefully dialed the number. Interestingly enough, someone answered with a raspy tone.

"Hello, who's calling?"

"Hi! I got a business card just now and I was interested in..."

"Do you wish to participate in the game?" The man on the other line cut me off. "If you wish to participate, please state your name and birthdate."

My eyes widened. A game? I didn't expect something like this, probably just a super late April fools thing or some crap.

"Seo-jun, born June 5, 2002." I lied. The legal age for working full time is 19. A 17-year-old, like me, who is desperate for money, would have to lie their way into things.

"Please stand by your nearest bus stop at 11 pm for your arrival. The password is red light, green light. Thank you for joining." I heard the dial tone and quickly put my phone down on the couch.

I went back to my mom's room, just to make sure everything had been okay. I took one glance at her and I could tell she barely touched the oatmeal I gave her, which is okay if she didn't have the appetite right now. If I was going to leave for a bit for my job, she's going to have to maintain her hunger. I grabbed her cold bowl and tossed it in the sink that still had a ton of dishes piled on one another.

I lay down and fiddled with a pen that my dad left on the table. I figured my mom would be okay, it's only going to be a couple of hours. I dropped the pen and I felt my eyes getting heavier and heavier with every blink. My eyes shut, nothing but stress circling my mind.

I woke up nearly 4 minutes late. It had been 11:03 and I wanted to be there at least 5 minutes early. I grabbed my jacket and rushed out of the apartment, forgetting my socks and my scarf. A large silver van was approaching the bus stop, but I was still too far away. I waved my hands like some maniac who missed their school bus, only hoping that the man in the van would see me. The driver must've seen me since he slowed down and pulled through further. He rolled down his window to reveal his weird costume. He had a big red suit and a black mask that covered his entire face. The mask had a distinct triangle on it, just like the weird business card.

"Password?" He said in a hoarse voice.

My mind blanked as I tried remembering what the man on the phone said. I tried thinking back to when I was with my dad and if there could've been any clues that would make me remember somehow. The traffic light changed from red to green, with more and more cars passing by me and the guy in the van. He started tapping his steering wheel with his fingers, impatient with the fact that I wasn't answering. The light quickly changed from green to red and a car zoomed past, almost ignoring the fact that it was a red light.

"C'mon man! It was a red light." A guy in a car nearby said.

That's when it hit me.

"Yellow light, green light," I declared.

The man sighed and shifted his gear to "drive" and began turning the wheel when I stopped him.

"Wait, it's red light, green light," I yelled loud enough for him to hear through his engine.

He stopped and unlocked the back door, signaling for me to open it. I opened the rusty door, surprised to see other people there. They were all sleeping but it was probably just the lack of sleep and the long car ride. I sat down in the leather seat, reaching for my phone in my pocket.

"So how far is the place from here?" I began.

The person in the red suit turned their head to me and touched a small button in the car. The car started to get a warm feeling and a sour smell, a cold feeling tingled my back. Fog surrounded me and filled my nostrils with the cold air that came out of the car vents. My eyelids sank and my head began pounding which felt weird since I took a nap, almost ten minutes ago. I tried moving my arm to signal to the guard that I wasn't feeling so good but my arm wouldn't move. My head laid back and rested on the side, leaving me and my thoughts in an uncomfortable position that I wouldn't be able to move from. It felt like a fever dream that I couldn't escape.