The Game

Chapter 8: Dark Past/Painful Present

As Mr. Beaufort led Shawna down the hall, the others watched in silence, their eyes following the pair until they arrived to a door labeled "The Shadow's Chamber."

Shawna's voice quivered as she spoke softly to Mr. Beaufort. "Is there any way I could ask what to expect from this game?" she inquired, her eyes wide with apprehension.

Mr. Beaufort's smile was chillingly reassuring as he replied, his tone dripping with intrigue. "You know, I'm in a good mood today," he said his voice silky smooth "I think I could share a bit about what you have to expect, After all, I set up two traps specifically for you."

Shawna's blood ran cold at the mention of two traps, her heart pounding in her chest as fear gripped her tightly, The realization that her fate now rested in Mr. Beaufort's hands filled her with a sense of dread unlike anything she had ever felt before.

the other contestants exchanged shocked glances at the revelation of two traps awaiting Shawna, Lexa quick to speak her mind voiced her concern "Two traps?! Is that even fair?" she demanded, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Mr. Beaufort's grin widened at Lexa's question, his eyes gleaming with amusement "Yes, two traps imdeed" he confirmed, his tone casual "But don't fear, only one will be used, The beauty of this game lies in the player's choice, I'm a fair host after all."

Gary while holding his stomach spoke
"Okay, two traps, you told her you'd give her details, let's hear it."

Mr. Beaufort spoke calmly
"Very well, This game is in The Shadow's Chamber, Shawna is going to find herself in the Chamber with two doors, each labeled with a different aspect of her life."

"One door represents her dark secrets, while The other door symbolizes her commitment to supporting her two sons as a single mother and the strength she wills every day"

Shawna visibly scared asks
"What does those mean?"

Mr. Beaufort smiled and continued
"Well Shawna if you choose the door representing your past secrets, you must confront the consequences of your actions and navigate through challenges that threaten to expose your darkest moments to the world and potentially send you back down the dark path again,"

"However if you choose the door representing your commitment to your sons, you must endure pain and suffering in great ways but with each injury you get, I personally guarantee financial support for your sons, I will ensure they're set up nicely for a long time."

Shawna nodded knowing the terms as she entered the room.

Mr. Beaufort spoke to the rest of the group
"Everyone may enter this room, I promise the only traps are behind the two choice doors."

Gary spoke up while still being sore from the last trap
"Why this scenario, why put her at danger to support her family?"

Mr. Beaufort replied
"This trap forces Shawna to either confront her past mistakes and not ignore them anymore or highlights the sacrifices she must make to ensure a better future for her sons, It tests her resolve to protect them at any cost and challenges her to reconcile with her past while striving for redemption in the present, it's quite beautiful and poetic if I say so myself."

Shawna thinks over both options debating if she wants to risk going down her dark past of secrets, and remembers times of her infidelity to her ex husband, her struggles with drug addiction, and her past failures as a mother and then she looks at the other door debating how much pain and injury she could handle, but she knows also that if she does then her two teen sons might be financially secured for life.

Shawna makes her decision and enters the commitment room choosing not to dive into her past and risking whatever it might be, Mr. Beaufort then exits the room and head to his microphone.

The other contestants exchange worried glances, each grappling with their own fears and uncertainties about what lies ahead for themselves.

As they wait for Shawna to emerge from the room, their thoughts race with questions and doubts, Some wonder about the true intentions behind Mr. Beaufort's games, while others contemplate their own chances of survival.

Lexa breaks the silence with a skeptical tone. "Do you really think Mr. Beaufort will keep his word about the traps being behind those doors and this room being safe? Especially since he isn't here now since she's entered." she questions, her voice tinged with suspicion.

Rachel scoffs at the idea "Yeah, like we should just trust the guy who set up a game where we have to choose between killing someone or getting stabbed" she retorts, her eyes rolling.

Joe trying to be the voice of reason, tries to calm the group's nerves "We need to stay calm and focused and not let him get into our heads if we're going to get through this."

Dimitri, still nursing a hangover from his earlier intoxication, grumbles in frustration. "I just want this whole nightmare to be over," he mutters, his voice laced with agitation.

Shawna stood in the room staring at the screen in front of her, her heart pounding in her chest as Mr. Beaufort's voice echoed through the speakers, She glanced around, taking in the sight of the walls adorned with ominous contraptions and mini traps, each one a potential source of pain and suffering.

"Okay Shawna, your test begins now" Mr. Beaufort's voice crackled over the speaker, Shawna's breath caught in her throat as she listened intently "If you look around, you will see many contraptions and mini traps, The rules, well they're quite simple in this, you inflict pain to yourself to sacrifice for those you love, and the more pain you inflict read by the meter, the more money appears on the screen in front of you that will go towards your sons, You can stop whenever you want, but I can't tell you what the traps do, as that's the surprise of the game"

Shawna's eyes widened as the weight of Mr. Beaufort's words sank in, She knew she had to do whatever it took to provide for her sons, but the thought of willingly subjecting herself to pain was almost unbearable. Yet, the image of her boys, their faces filled with hope and need, spurred her on.

The others outside were listening in
Gary speaking up on the situation with anger in his voice
"This is just sick, she's going to mutilate herself just to take care of her sons."

Lexa nodded in agreement looking kind of sad
"Yeah, it's really sad, you never really realize how good you have it until you see things like this, I regret a lot of things."

Brian meanwhile added in
"Well, you could have it even better if you gave me a chance" with a wink.

Kelsey spat out at Brian
"How dare you even think like that during a time like this?!"

Meanwhile inside the room Shawna was about to experience the first trap of her game.