The Cheating Zone 10: Run!

"Don't look up," Darrin shouted. "Just keep your head and your ass down and crawl as fast as you can." They crawled until the gunfire stopped, then carefully sat up to assess their situation. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking at Rene's dirty face.

"Yeah," she said, shaking. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said. "We'd better head out." They got back up and made their way through the maze until they reached another corridor. Rene knew from her map this corridor led to the pool room. She also knew this was the only way to reach the fireman's pole. There was only one problem. Bursts of flame were shooting from each wall towards the center of the corridor. It appeared they would have to crawl under the fire to get to the other side.

"This is the only way back," Rene said. Darrin shook his head. He knew the fire was too low for him to crawl under.

"Fuck this," he said. "There's got to be another way."

"There's not," she said. "Look at your map."

"I can't get under that," he said, pointing at the fire.

"You have to," she said firmly. He shook his head.

"No, I can't," he said. "It's impossible. Look, I'll find a way around this and meet you on the other side."

"No," she demanded. "We have to stay together." He shook his head and started down the corridor. He didn't get very far, however. As Rene watched, the floor dropped out from under him and he fell into what looked like a vat of molten metal. She cried out as he fell, knowing there was nothing she could do for him. The trap door shut with a loud bang, leaving her alone in the hallway.

Sobbing, she sat on the floor. Finally, she collected herself and prepared to crawl under the flames. She slowly worked her way down the short corridor, the flames licking at her legs, scorching holes in her shorts. Finally, she was at the other end.

She looked in the room and saw the large pool, noting that there was about four feet between the pool and the wall. She slowly made her way in the darkened room and got about 10 feet in before she heard a hair-raising growl behind her. Looking, she saw one of the bangers sitting on the floor. He slowly got up, a smile creasing his face.

"Pussy," he growled deeply as he began moving toward her, his arms in front of him. She knew that if he got a hold on her she was doomed. She remembered a trick one of her older brothers taught her years ago and hoped it would work. Falling on the floor, she put one leg in front of his shins and used the other to kick him as hard as possible behind his knees.

As she watched, he tripped over her leg and stumbled toward the water. Unable to regain his balance, he fell into the water, sending a spray of water that covered her from head to foot. Suddenly, the water began roiling as the hungry fish fed on the creature's flesh, turning the pool into a sickening shade of red. Shocked, she got up and made her way around the pool.

She finally made it to the other side and went through the door, carefully looking for other bangers as she went. Finally, she found the pole and wasted no time sliding down. She got her bearings and headed out. Turning one corner, she heard shuffling and snorting behind her. She turned and saw several sets of eyeballs looking at her.

"Pussy..." they muttered as they began heading in her direction. She turned and ran as fast as she could, the bangers hot on her trail, their erections leading the way. It seemed to her as if the whole floor shook as they ran. Finally, she saw it - the finish line. She saw that she only had about 20 seconds left and began sprinting. The audience was cheering her on, counting the seconds on the clock.

"Five... Four... Three," they shouted. She leapt in the air and landed on the ground just after the buzzer sounded. She hoped that she had crossed the line in time. When she opened her eyes, she saw the host looking down on her.

"Well, I'm glad to see you made it to the finish line," he said. "You didn't cross it completely, but your hand is in the middle of the line, so we'll have to see what the judges say." He pointed to a monitor and as everyone watched, a series of arrows showed up. Two arrows pointed up and two arrows pointed down.

"We have a split decision, ladies and gentlemen," the host said. "It looks like we're down to a coin toss." He pulled out a large coin and held it up, showing everyone both heads and tails. "Call it in the air," he told her. He flipped the coin and she watched as it turned in the air.

"Heads," she shouted. The coin arced back down and hit the floor, rolling around before it began spinning in one spot. It stopped for a second and finally fell. Rene looked to see which side was up.

"HEADS!" the host shouted as the audience erupted in applause. The host reached down, took her by the hand and helped her up. "Congratulations," he said. "You made it, just in the nick of time." He looked at the audience. The bangers turned and walked away, muttering their displeasure at being denied Rene's body.

"Everyone, give a hand to Rene Carson!" The audience erupted in applause until the "Applause" light went out. Alexa joined them and the host turned to Rene. "Please, go with Alexa and she'll get you set up. Great job!" He turned back to the audience. "Isn't she wonderful?" he boomed. The audience stood and cheered.

"And now, it's time for a few messages from our sponsors, and don't forget to order your copy of the 'Cheating Maze - the Home Edition.' It's fun for the whole family!" he said. After the lights and cameras were off, he set the microphone down and headed out.

He found Rene in the small dressing room, crying. Alexa sat next to her on the small bench, trying to comfort her.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked. "That was the best show we've had in weeks. My God, Rene, the way you took out that banger was unbelievable. Our ratings have never been so high."

"But Darrin's dead," Rene cried.

"Don't worry about it, dear," the host said. "That the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Haven't you heard? You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Besides, from what I heard, he would've been erased anyway."

"But he didn't deserve to die like that," she sobbed.

"I don't know about that," another male voice said at the doorway. Rene looked up to see her husband, Mike. "Personally, I think he got off too easy."

"Mike," she cried. "Please, take me home." He shook his head.

"No can do," he said. "We're finished."

"Besides," the host interjected. "You signed a contract for ten full seasons. The audience loves you."

"Ten seasons?" Rene asked, shocked. "I didn't sign up for ten seasons."

"Actually," the host said. "You did. It's right here in the fine print," he added, pointing to a clause at the bottom of the contract in lettering so small it required a magnifying glass to read. "Who knows? Maybe you'll end up with the babies you always wanted," he added with a chuckle. Rene put her head in her hands and sobbed.

"Why, Rene?" Mike asked. "Wasn't I good enough for you?"

"Yes," she said, tears falling down her cheeks. "I just let myself fall for Darrin. I never stopped loving you. I wanted to give you a baby."

"Bullshit," Mike said. "I don't believe a fucking word you say anymore. You wanted a baby and you didn't give a damn about my feelings. Well, you don't have to worry about me or my feelings anymore. Like I said, we're finished. The divorce will be finalized soon enough. Since no one in the real world will ever be able to find you, I'll file what the court calls a divorce by publication. We're already working on the Affidavit of Diligent Search and since this place technically doesn't exist in the normal space-time continuum, you'll never be found. Enjoy your new life, such as it is."

"No, no, please, tell me this all a nightmare," she said, sobbing.

"Actually, Rene Carson, it's no nightmare," said a voice coming from the monitor in the small room. "It's very real. At least for you." She looked up and saw her husband was no longer there. Neither was anyone else. She looked at the monitor and saw a grim-faced man in a dark suit looking back at her. Strange, she thought, the image was in black-and-white. The man took a long drag off his cigarette and blew out the smoke before addressing her again.

"I just took a break from narrating all those reruns," he said. "And I wanted to personally welcome you to your new home... in the Cheating Zone." He winked, took another drag off his cigarette and walked off-camera.

Fade to black...