Chapter Text
Palpers was down on his luck. He got paid minimum wage working at a shitty diner, had thousands of dollars in student loans, and constantly spent his paychecks paying off everyone he owed money to - which was somehow literally everyone he knew. His dream of becoming a film director was rapidly turning into a dream to not live paycheck to paycheck and moving of his tiny basement apartment in Texas. So when he saw the flyer, waving in the breeze like a sign from God himself, he knew he had to do whatever it took to get the money promised on that little piece of paper.
Looking for brave, willing volunteers. If you can complete the trials set out before you, you win a cash prize of $100,000. Only one capable player will be able to reach the end and win the prize. Simply call the number attached to enter.
He quickly dialed in the 10 digit phone number, but before pressing enter, he took another look at the other number displayed on the flyer. One hundred thousand dollars. It had to be a scam, right? It’s a random sheet of paper stapled to a beaten down hunk of wood on a public university campus. But when even the slightest chance for a better life calls to you, you have to answer the phone. Or in this case, dial the phone. So, he hit enter.
“Hello. Have you called to enter the competition?”
“Hello, yes, I have. But I need proof that this is a real event and not just a scam. How can you prove that the prize is real?”
“You will find out shortly what is and isn’t real. For now, go to the old student union building at dusk. You will find me there, and I will explain everything to you and the other contestants. This could be your chance to turn your life around. Do not give it up.”
Palpers heard the call end, listening to the static as he thought about what the man said. A chance to turn my life around. It all sounded fishy as hell, but he had nothing to lose - except his life - but there was no way this little event, if it even truly existed, would be that dangerous. If they tried to scam him or rob him, they would quickly realize he had nothing but the clothes on his back and a mounting pile of debt on his shoulders. And if the competition was somehow real, he would never forgive himself for being too much of a wimp to go. So he went to his dorm, grabbed a few essentials (snacks, a flashlight, a knife just in case) and waited until the sun began to set. He felt the seeds of anxiety bloom in his stomach, but he tried to ignore the feeling. What's the worst that could happen?
It was cold and painfully silent outside. Each crunch of his feet in the snow sounded like a cannon going off in the crisp winter air. Each shivering exhale was as loud as a gunshot. It was early for dusk - only around 4:30pm - but it was close to the winter solstice and the days were getting shorter and shorter. There were still students wandering around at this time, going to classes or building unnecessarily elaborate snowmen on the quad. He wondered if any of them had seen the flyers, but dismissed them as the scam they likely were. None of them had gotten as desperate as he had.
Finally, he found his way to the old student union building. What had once been a hub for student activity was now a run down, ivy covered artifact; overshadowed by the new presidential headquarters the university had deemed more important. It felt wrong to knock on the rusted down doors, so he just pushed them open and cringed as the creaking hinges echoed throughout the building. To his surprise, a number of faces turned to watch him enter - more than he was expecting. He felt a surge of relief; surely if this many people saw the flyer and came here for the event too, there was some credibility to it. At the very least, it would be hard for anyone to try to mug him with this many students nearby. He sat down with everyone else, listening to their quiet murmurs as they discussed what they thought the event would be.
“It’s probably some sort of intelligence test, run by rich psychology kids trying to boost their resumes.”
“I heard it’s an obstacle course set up by a kinesiology professor looking to get private funding for a new research area.”
“Guys, obviously it’s going to be like Squid Game and we’re all gonna have to murder each other.”
The students chuckled and the tension started to dissipate as more theories and jokes were thrown around. Palpers had even started talking to the girl next to him, a brunette third year named Georgia, when the crowd suddenly hushed and a new figure joined their mix.
“Hello everyone, and welcome to the competition! My name is Robin Here and I used to be a student at this very university. I am studying a new version of reality - a reality never seen before and incomprehensible to many - in order to understand the great mysteries of our universe. For this competition, you will be required to enter into this new reality and complete the trials laid out before you. If this all sounds crazy to you, don’t worry. It will all make sense once you see it for yourself. Be warned, however, that it could be very dangerous. If any of you wish to leave and avoid any risk, please take this opportunity to do so.” There was a quiet shuffling as a few students, looking bewildered, grabbed their bags and left. Palpers understood how they felt - the things the man talked about made absolutely no sense to him - but he needed this money. If he had to play into this man’s weird matrix fantasy, so be it. He wasn’t about to give up now.
“Great. As for the rest of you, please follow me.”
Palpers grabbed his bag and set off behind the rest of the students. Georgia was still there in front of him, glancing around the building as if mapping out the escape routes but following the crowd nonetheless. He undoubtedly felt the same way. As they approached a closed door, he thought he saw a murky green light pooling out from under the doorframe. It was hard to see with everyone walking in front of him though, so he figured it was just some weird trick of the light. Robin got to the door and glanced behind him, a look in his eyes Palpers couldn’t quite place. Curiosity? Determination? … Guilt? Lost in his own head, Palpers barely noticed as Robin pulled the door open. The screams of students in front of him quickly snapped him back into reality and the sudden and the intense pull of gravity dragged him towards the now blinding green light. He cried out, partially in shock but mostly in fear, desperately clawing onto the doorframe as the force became stronger and stronger. He locked eyes with Georgia as she came flying towards him, knocking him away from the doorframe and into the green abyss below.