A Game Of Chance

by, Cassandra

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It’s a game of chance. Spin the wheel; let it go, and wherever it lands… well, that’s your fate. Few win, most lose. The odds aren’t good, everyone is doomed to fail. But still they flock to this game, ready to try their hand. They heed no warnings; they’re deafened by the screams of the ones who’ve lost.

I’ve tried to steer clear of this game, but I guess everyone is destined to play. The pull was strong, like a magnet. I couldn’t resist, no matter how hard I tried. The crowds pushed their way up, pulling me along. I tried to run, but it’s hard to go against the flow. I was pushed and shoved to this point, and I haven’t had any time to prepare. But there’s no time now, it’s far too late.

I stand, frozen by something, listening to the instructions for this deadly game. It’s a gamble; you never know what the out come is going to be. If you win, it could be big or small… and if you lose, you always lose big. You get one chance, that’s it. And whatever happens happens. No negotiations, no refunds, and most of all, no turning back once you get to this point.

From afar it seems so innocent, almost like a child’s game. But up close it’s easy to see that this is anything but innocent. The game master’s eyes burn, looking through your soul, insulting you without ever saying a word. It’s that stare that dares you to reach out your hand, to spin the wheel. Like some crotchety old man who no one could ever please, but there’s something in his eyes… you’d do anything to make it go away, including signing your own death certificate.

I want to look away, try to break this spell that his eyes are weaving. But I feel like I have ice water running through my veins, freezing any movement. All I can do is wait. Wait, hope and pray. Pray that this goes my way, and that I walk out of here today, no matter how scarred, wiser than when I went in.

Another fails before me, and I feel my heart pounding painfully in my chest. The line moves, as security drags the forever marked loser away. I come one step closer to my fate, whatever it may end up being. My mind spins, the excited mummers of the people behind me blurring. They have no idea what they’re walking into...

The line moves again, and I gasp. One more step to go, and my heart is getting colder by the second. I didn’t even hear the last victim scream. The thought brings searing tears to my eyes, in stark contrast to my skin. The fever is getting worse, yet I can’t stop the shiver that runs down my spine as the line moves again… it’s my turn to step up.

I’m frozen in fear, not wanting to move, but my feet move of their own accord, as if controlled by someone else. The master reaches out his weathered hand, holding it out to take mine. I stare in fear as he comes closer; unable to brace myself for the touch I know is coming. His hand is cold, but I can feel my flesh burning, almost like I touched my hand to a pile of dry ice. His eyes that taunted from afar are so cold and lifeless up close.

He pulls me to the platform, the wheel sitting in the center. The colors flash as the wheel turns, tempting its unassuming victims to its side. The prizes very, from life to love to money, each with the small print beneath it, stating the price for this ‘win’ of a lifetime.

I try to turn, try to scream, anything to warn these naïve people of the danger they’re willingly walking into. The master smiles and it’s as cold and terrifying as everything else about him. He gives me a gentle shove forward, so I’m standing in front of the wheel I was trying so hard to avoid.

My breath catches in my throat as I see the losses listed on the wheel… death being the one to capture my eye. My tears fall as my hand reaches out to grasp the wheel, oddly soothing my burning flesh. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and spin the wheel firmly.

"Around and round it goes. Where it stops, nobody knows…"