Flash Fiction Frenzy

Wheel of Misfortune

"Turn on the TV, Maria, Mommy's show is about to come on!"

Maria crept over to the boxy old TV and pressed the power button underneath. She wished her mother would buy one of those new fancy flat-screens, but she didn't dare say anything of the sort.

Maria's mother scowled as she sat in her ragged old recliner, blue fabric slowly peeling. "Turn up the volume, girl, I can't hear shit!" She stuffed another potato chip in her mouth with a loud crunch.

Expressionless, Maria pressed the volume button several times and returned to her spot on the floor next to a badly-sewn doll that was her only toy. She picked up the doll and made it walk.

"Wheel! Of! Misfortune!" The TV blared. Maria's head snapped to the TV. That didn't sound like the normal show. The last word was different than usual, and the way it was spoken sounded almost... scary.

Alarmed, Maria studied her mother for a moment. The hag seemed completely unfazed. On the TV, three contestants stood before a wheel with a tiled board in the distance. Okay, that was normal. Maria picked up her doll and began to play once more.

The first man spun the wheel. He was dressed in a burgundy polo shirt, hair slicked back and piercing dark eyes emanating dangerous vibes. Maria tried to mind her own business, but was somehow so drawn in that she couldn't look away.

"Give me an S," he called.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Simon," the host said with evident fake sympathy, "there are no S's." Less than three seconds later, the man disappeared from the screen, having fallen straight through the floor. Two contestants remained. Maria glanced at her mother again. She didn't look surprised.

"Maria, go get Mommy's bottle from the kitchen," she suddenly demanded. Reluctantly, the nine-year-old rose and tiptoed into the kitchen to look for the requested item. She didn't like when Mommy drank from this bottle. It made her even meaner, and sometimes Maria would have to cook her own dinner if the old woman drank too much.

Maria returned to the living room and handed her mother the bottle. The woman immediately chugged a fourth of the liquid like water. On the TV, the man that disappeared had been clearly replaced with another individual with a similar outfit and overall appearance. Maria wasn't certain, but it looked like another contestant had been replaced as well. What had she missed? The girl could tell easily that something was amiss.

"Give me an L" a contestant called. She began to clap when the board lit up with four L's. "I'd like to solve," she requested. "All will die tonight!"

"You got it!" The host grinned and the audience erupted in applause. The sound grew louder and louder. People began to cheer. The camera focused on the host as he smirked and made a swift motion with his hand. At once, the clapping and shouting ceased. Maria froze, eyes glued to the screen. The camera whipped around to reveal that the entire audience had disappeared. Two of the contestants were also MIA. All that remained was the creepy host and the woman who had solved the puzzle.

"Congratulations, you have won Wheel of Misfortune!" the host beamed, "You have won big, Cindy!"

"What did I win?" she jumped up and down excitedly.

"You have won the right to live!" he announced.

Cindy let out an excited screech and waved her hands about. "Oh my god I can't believe it! AHH!" she danced.

Maria looked over to her mother. Most of the liquid in her bottle was gone, and it sat half tipped over between her leg and the chair arm. Her eyes were barely open, but she didn't appear conscious.

Maria dashed to the TV and pressed the power button. She had seen about enough. To her surprise, the screen didn't fall blank. She pressed it again. Nothing.

The creepy host turned and looked straight at the camera, as if looking Maria right in the eyes. There they remained for a few seconds until the screen finally went dark. The startled nine-year-old stumbled backward and fell on her butt. As she fell, she noticed the old, blue recliner out of the corner of her eye. On the seat, a bottle of alcohol laying on its side slowly spilled clear liquid into the cushion. There was no sign of the old woman.

Silently, Maria got up and went to the kitchen to make dinner.