Mastim's Curse

Chapter 35

 Night comes and the interviews are done. Bryan moves closer to me and stands solemnly, waiting. After long tense moments, he speaks and now his voice can be heard over loudspeakers. "Welcome to the Mad House. This is a group event that will shock, and perhaps terrify everyone that watches. I should warn you that this event is not for the frail of heart or those with weak constitutions. In the Mad House, there will be screams, there will be rending of flesh, and there will be death. That's because we have placed five weapon's and martial arts experts inside and offered them a twenty thousand dollar bounty for every contestant they kill during this event."

What! A bounty? They obviously intend this to be a slaughter. That strangles the last bit of hope out of me and I paw at the binding that is holding my right wrist to the chain. I've got to have both hands free. I have too. Fuck, this buckle is made of the same hard leather as the ones in the rooms. I can't get it off, and I don't have anything to pick the lock with.

Bryan breaks the silence. "Now, I know what you're thinking... What if everyone dies? Who are we going to watch tomorrow if all the contestants are dead? Not-to-worry, as I've said before, right at this very moment, new contestants are being flown in to fill in for our fallen heroes. And that includes one very special guest that will surprise everyone." His eyes flicker to me before he continues. "Also, to give our daring contestants a fighting chance, each bounty hunter is restricted to only a small area they can roam in. That way, it is possible to navigate a path through the maze which avoids them and emerge on the other side safely."

That part is good to hear. Only, I doubt my instincts for trouble will let me pass so great an opportunity for mayhem and danger. Dark fate didn't bring me here to avoid trouble. No, my being here is no accident, and tonight is sure to be proof of that.

Bryan gestures dramatically at the wooden structure that awaits us invitingly like the Bates Motel. "The time is near. Once I give the word, our contestants will have three minutes to enter the maze. Those that refuse... well, as we saw just moments ago when Tim Gerber tried to escape, no resistance will be tolerated."

Almost on cue, a group of workers pick up Tim's body and load it into the back of a pickup truck. And so, we're to be herded into the killing zone like cattle under the guise that there is a small chance of avoiding the killers. How powerful hope is that the slimmest amount will bind us to another's will.

Bryan takes a quick drink of water before continuing. "The goal is simple. All a contestant needs to do is make it out the other side alive. There are no rules, no guidelines, and no boundaries. Everything is fair game in the Mad House. And, just in case we get some people with cold feet or people that try to hide out in a secluded spot, once four hours have passed, the bounty hunters will be let loose to travel throughout the Mad House killing those that remain inside."

"Now, I need to cover some administrative issues. To start with, the points to be given out for this event work the same as a race. That means that the first team out wins the most points and each team after that earns a reduced amount. Also, as we discussed in the pre-event show, we are down to three celebrities to vie for: the radiant and talented, Aleale; the sexy, Taylor Faste, and the lady's favorite, John Bacon." Anyone with points for Justin have had their points redistributed to one of these stars.

"This event is sure to shake up the rankings on the leader board so don't forget to place your bets now before time runs out, because once the event starts, no further bets will be accepted." He pauses, apparently listening to someone on his earpiece. "I've received word that we are ready to begin, and I can't express how excited everyone here is. We are about to start what promises to be one of the most exciting events ever broadcast and the number of viewers watching right now is staggering as, once again, we have broken the fifty million mark. That's' simply amazing. Over a hundred million people are logged into our sites around the world to see our brave fans fight for the right to be with the star of their dreams."