Yeah,” Matthew said, ending with a smile.
“What about you?” Liam asked, looking down at Jamie.
“Well, my husband and I don’t have any kids, but we’re still young, so you never know. I work in the government, ironically enough, but nothing big, just a secretary. If I did win with one of you and got the wish, I’d probably ask for a year off with pay and my job not going away after the year is up. I know it sounds weird, but imagine being paid for a year without ever having to go in to work. I could just relax, lie back, and watch the clouds go by as the hectic world rushed by outside my window,” Jamie said.
“You wouldn’t wish for a bigger and better house? That has value!” Matthew said.
“Nah, that’s not for us. We have a modest place, but it’s our place, my husband’s father’s apartment he inherited years ago when he was a kid. We aren’t fancy people,” Jamie said.
“What about you, kid? Have a special lady in your life you’d spoil with that wish?” Matthew asked, looking down at Liam.
“Who, me? No, no special lady to talk about. I think I’d wish for my mom to have a better job. I know that it wouldn’t be too fun, but it’d be secure, and she needs that. She’s had the same one since I was a kid, and it isn’t that great of a job. It causes her too much stress, and I know she’d like to work closer to home and have more hours off to spend with all of us. My youngest brother is four, and I don’t want her to feel like she’s missing out on time with him because of a dead-end job,” Liam said.
“You’d sacrifice your wish on your mother?” Jamie asked, stunned.
“Yeah, I would. She’s sacrificed everything for me. I think I should repay the favor,” Liam said, looking at me and smiling.
I felt my stomach tumble before I looked down at the floor, holding back my smile. It was sweet, hearing him say that his mother would gain everything even though he went through absolute hell to get it. You don’t find that kind of self-sacrifice much anymore, especially with my generation.
The doors that Christian had exited through reopened, though a different person walked through this time, a woman with jet-black hair and perfectly manicured straight-cut bangs that covered her forehead. Her glittery high heels tapped on the tiled floor with every confident step. She had a small mole above her lip. Her face and expression were straight, her eyes as cold as the deepest, darkest abyss of space. I wanted Christian back.
“My name is Tatiana. Christian was called to work so I am here to talk to you and introduce you to the people that you will be working with during this two-week excursion,” she said with a thick accent. “I know Christian has talked to you all a little, but I need to go over some rules that you might not like, but that are necessary to keep you mentally ready for this competition. We expect nothing but the best from all of you.”
A man in a tight black sweater handed her a digiboard. She flicked around it, humming and nodding her head a little when she came across different points, though I wasn’t sure whether they were nods of approval or not.
“Firstly, you will not leave this premises. You shall stay here, twenty-four-seven, until the competition begins. Even then, you will log on to WorldNet from this building, and if you should be eliminated, either by death inside or by failing to find or connect the talismans, you will be immediately transported from this building to your new home, the labor camp. Secondly, you will not have any communication with the outside world, including your families, unless we, your most gracious hosts, give you permission. It is possible that you will not talk to your families until either you win or your three-year work period ends, but if you all are good, there may be a chance you will get to speak briefly with them before you enter the competition. This is to keep your mind in the competition, where it should always
“What about you?” Liam asked, looking down at Jamie.
“Well, my husband and I don’t have any kids, but we’re still young, so you never know. I work in the government, ironically enough, but nothing big, just a secretary. If I did win with one of you and got the wish, I’d probably ask for a year off with pay and my job not going away after the year is up. I know it sounds weird, but imagine being paid for a year without ever having to go in to work. I could just relax, lie back, and watch the clouds go by as the hectic world rushed by outside my window,” Jamie said.
“You wouldn’t wish for a bigger and better house? That has value!” Matthew said.
“Nah, that’s not for us. We have a modest place, but it’s our place, my husband’s father’s apartment he inherited years ago when he was a kid. We aren’t fancy people,” Jamie said.
“What about you, kid? Have a special lady in your life you’d spoil with that wish?” Matthew asked, looking down at Liam.
“Who, me? No, no special lady to talk about. I think I’d wish for my mom to have a better job. I know that it wouldn’t be too fun, but it’d be secure, and she needs that. She’s had the same one since I was a kid, and it isn’t that great of a job. It causes her too much stress, and I know she’d like to work closer to home and have more hours off to spend with all of us. My youngest brother is four, and I don’t want her to feel like she’s missing out on time with him because of a dead-end job,” Liam said.
“You’d sacrifice your wish on your mother?” Jamie asked, stunned.
“Yeah, I would. She’s sacrificed everything for me. I think I should repay the favor,” Liam said, looking at me and smiling.
I felt my stomach tumble before I looked down at the floor, holding back my smile. It was sweet, hearing him say that his mother would gain everything even though he went through absolute hell to get it. You don’t find that kind of self-sacrifice much anymore, especially with my generation.
The doors that Christian had exited through reopened, though a different person walked through this time, a woman with jet-black hair and perfectly manicured straight-cut bangs that covered her forehead. Her glittery high heels tapped on the tiled floor with every confident step. She had a small mole above her lip. Her face and expression were straight, her eyes as cold as the deepest, darkest abyss of space. I wanted Christian back.
“My name is Tatiana. Christian was called to work so I am here to talk to you and introduce you to the people that you will be working with during this two-week excursion,” she said with a thick accent. “I know Christian has talked to you all a little, but I need to go over some rules that you might not like, but that are necessary to keep you mentally ready for this competition. We expect nothing but the best from all of you.”
A man in a tight black sweater handed her a digiboard. She flicked around it, humming and nodding her head a little when she came across different points, though I wasn’t sure whether they were nods of approval or not.
“Firstly, you will not leave this premises. You shall stay here, twenty-four-seven, until the competition begins. Even then, you will log on to WorldNet from this building, and if you should be eliminated, either by death inside or by failing to find or connect the talismans, you will be immediately transported from this building to your new home, the labor camp. Secondly, you will not have any communication with the outside world, including your families, unless we, your most gracious hosts, give you permission. It is possible that you will not talk to your families until either you win or your three-year work period ends, but if you all are good, there may be a chance you will get to speak briefly with them before you enter the competition. This is to keep your mind in the competition, where it should always
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