The Game

Chapter 9: Pick Your Pain

Mr. Beaufort spoke up to the contestants
"Well I know you all must be wondering about the self-infliction traps that Shawna is about to face."

Lexa with a snarky remark replied
"Yeah wondering is one word."

Mr. Beaufort smirked and continued
"Well we have The Pin Prick Panel, she will encounter a wall with numerous small buttons, Each button when pressed activates a mechanism that delivers a sharp but non-lethal prick causing discomfort or minor pain but low reward."

Brian chimed in confidently. "That doesn't sound too bad, we might be overthinking this all." he remarked his cocky demeanor showing through.

Mr. Beaufort interrupts
"But there's more," he continues calmly "There's also The Shocking Floor Tiles, she steps onto a floor with tiles that deliver electric shocks when pressure is applied, She must navigate across the room area where they're laid, enduring the shocks with each step, this also gives small reward."

"And then we have The Weighted Chain, Shawna must pull on a chain attached to a heavy weight, With each pull, the weight swings back and strikes her, causing bruises and minor injuries, but mostly non lethal these won't kill her unless she herself overdoes it."

Gary speaks in
"How many of these traps are there?" he asked, his worry palpable.

Mr. Beaufort smiles
"Just two more to explain."

"The Ice Water Basin, She is required to immerse her hands in a basin of ice-cold water for an extended period, The chilling cold numbs her hand and causes frostbite-like symptoms, but the damage is temporary and not life-threatening, I assure none of these traps are non survivable, and she can quit at any point."

Joe voiced his doubts "And what about the last one? I don't know if I would say these are all non-lethal."
he questioned, his skepticism evident.

Mr. Beaufort chuckled in response.
"Rest assure my dear Joe, my game is fair, lastly is The Poisonous Gas Chamber Shawna enters a small chamber filled with toxic gas that slowly fills the room, she does a puzzle that when solved stops the gas before it damages her breathing."

Gary speaks in
"but without proper protection or ventilation, prolonged exposure to a poisonous gas can lead to suffocation and death."

Mr. Beaufort replies
"And that's why the trap doesn't take long to solve, ensuring the players safety."

Shawna, her heart pounded in her chest, her palms sweaty with nerves as she surveyed the daunting sight before her, traps all around, each one a potential source of pain and suffering.

Her gaze fell upon the Pin Prick Panel, a wall filled with numerous small buttons, each one promising a sharp but non-lethal prick, With a deep breath, Shawna approached the panel, her hands trembling as she reached out to press the first button.

As her finger made contact with the button, a sharp sensation shot through her hand, causing her to wince in discomfort, Blood test-like needles pierced her skin, leaving behind tiny pinpricks that stung with each press, she yelled "Fuck!" As she felt the pain from it.

With determination in her eyes, Shawna continued to press the buttons, each prick adding a small amount of money to the screen in front of her, $3-5 per prick, Despite the pain, she focused on the image of her sons, their faces filled with hope and need, urging her to endure the discomfort for their sake, but how much blood loss from this tiny gain could she really handle, after a while she was not even at $100 on screen as her hands were hurting from the needles.

As she pressed button after button, the pain intensified, but Shawna refused to falter, With each prick, she knew she was one step closer to providing a better future for her boys, and that thought gave her the strength to persevere.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Shawna gave up the Pin Prick Panel, her hands throbbing with pain as she stepped back to survey her handiwork, On the screen in front of her, a total amount of $600 had accumulated, each prick contributing to a sum of money that would go towards securing her sons future.

Despite the physical toll it had taken on her, Shawna couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment as she looked at the screen. She had endured the pain for the ones she loved, and in that moment, she knew it had been worth it.

Gary decided to voice his concern
"Shawna! You've done enough! You should quit while you're ahead!" he yelled, hoping she would hear him over the noise of the chamber.

Mr. Beaufort's chuckle echoed through the room, his amusement palpable "Now Garold, why would she want to stop so soon? Her sons need more money than that now."

Joe and Kelsey, unable to bear seeing Shawna endure any more pain, added their voices to Gary's plea. "Shawna, you should stop! Your sons need you more than the money!" they called out, their words filled with genuine concern.

But Shawna, lost in her own world of determination and sacrifice, unable to hear them, remained focused on her tasks and began to prepare for her next game.

As Shawna moved on to the Weighted Chain, started to swing the chain back and forth damaging herself, with each pull, the weight swung back, striking her with force, The first hit alone added a substantial amount to her earnings, a whopping $93, bringing her total to $693 from the previous game, But the pain she felt was far greater than she anticipated, it felt like a bowling ball being tossed into her shoulder, the impact sending waves of agony through her body.

Undeterred by the pain, Shawna pulled on the chain again, this time with more force, As the weight swung back, she gritted her teeth against the pain, earning another $145 but getting knocked to the floor in the process, The impact left her breathless, her shoulder throbbing with agony, Despite the larger payout, the toll it took on her body was immense.

Summoning all her strength, Shawna pulled on the chain once more earning $123, but the pain was too much to bear, With tears in her eyes, she realized she couldn't continue with this game, Her hands were bloody and marked with needle pricks, her shoulder ached with every movement shooting down her arms and torso.

Meanwhile, the other contestants watched in silence, their hearts heavy with concern for Shawna.

Lexa shook her head, her expression filled with sympathy. "She's pushing herself too hard," she murmured.

Joe nodded in agreement, his brow furrowed with worry "She needs to stop before she seriously hurts herself" he said, his voice tinged with concern.

Dimitri, softened by Shawna's plight, spoke up. "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope she realizes when enough is enough," he spoke, his tone filled with genuine concern.

Rachel scoffed at Shawna's decision to continue despite the pain. "Some people never learn when to quit with anything." she muttered, her voice tinged with criticism.

As Shawna made her decision to stop the game, the room fell silent until Shawna made her way to yet another game, refusing to stop until she was satisfied.