The Fountain of Truth

Christmas Log (Part 2)

Peter

Because he was used to spending his days alone, Peter did not see a problem here. In fact, he already saw himself at an advantage over the others because they were likely to go crazy from isolation if this project were to take them too long, a condition that he was already well practiced with. And that was also an advantage for him because he could see this as a project and not as a competition. Any project worth its salt required time to perfect, and this was something he could see taking time. The trick, of course, was to figure out what his vision was, both for the tree log, and for the goal of getting out. Because art took time, the idea of just ripping the log into pieces, grabbing the key, and racing out of here first was practically barbaric. He would not do the project justice. And, because as an artist he was conditioned to expect very little pay for his effort, he had already gotten the illusion out of his head that he would be the winner of a million dollars. He figured he could settle for the twenty thousand, or even the free dinner, which was a fair price for designing an art project made of wood.

Douglas

As a former killer in the business world, Douglas knew the value of money and the power it held sway over anyone's motivation to succeed at his goals. But his job was to convince others to buy stuff they didn't need, to trust lawyers who might screw them later, and it was a job that he had lost due to a change in the market's expectations of him. If he could lose his position so easily, then he wasn't sure he even deserved the money. He wanted it, sure. The same ingredient that had convinced him to give the business world a try was the same ingredient that had gotten him to call the radio station and join this silly contest in the first place. But life was passing him by so quickly. Other competitors, younger, faster, stronger, were coming up the line behind him and outshining him at every turn. He figured the same would happen here. No matter how hard he'd fight to get to that key, his three rivals would undoubtedly get to it first. They'd be faster, smarter, or even luckier than he. He'd be the big loser in this contest no matter how hard he tried, and he knew it. So, he kept to his chair and stared at the log, trying to decide just how much effort he should put into this, if any.

Harvey

Criminals feared no one in the police force as much as they feared Harvey, for he was a veteran at using his surroundings to his advantage. He'd take the bad guys down by throwing trashcan lids at their heads or rolling bowling balls at their feet. He'd draw his firearm on an old lady jaywalking if he thought it would scare her out of ever breaking the law again. He also had his fair share of suspensions over the years, thanks to his occasional need to shoot someone in the knee for a lack of cooperation. All in the name of justice, of course. Even though he pissed off everyone he'd come in contact with at some point or another, he did so because it got the job done. And getting the job done was the most important thing in life to him, no matter what ends he'd have to meet to accomplish it. It was important in life, important in business, and it was important here in this cell full of Christmas trees. And to get the job done meant getting to that key before anyone else could even catch a whiff of it. So, he would have to use his resources to the best of his ability. That much he knew for certain.

Peter

The number one job of an artist is to create a masterpiece, and no masterpiece can be completed without the right tools. Because he had explored the room prior to the psychologist's announcement, Peter already had an idea about what he needed to get the job done. So, he went to the table at the far end to get a drink of water and a quick snack of crackers. He knew he had a long night ahead of him, so he decided to get his fill now so he could concentrate on the project without further distraction from things like hunger or thirst later.