The Game

I had no idea how she had survived on her own for so long, but then as we ran together I quickly realised that she was by far the fastest and fittest of the finalists. When she blocked me off I had to briefly check my stride to avoid colliding into the back of her, then as I stumbled she immediately began to pull away from me and I could tell that I wouldn't be able to catch back up. I knew that I couldn't last much longer, the stewards behind me were now gaining with every step, and I could feel myself beginning to slow as my legs turned to jelly.

As I forlornly watched 78's toned backside start to creep away out of reach I realised that this was it, this was the moment where I either won or lost, where I rightfully earnt the one million pounds, or where I accepted that everything I'd put myself through so far had been for nothing.

"Ahh!"

Time seemed to suddenly decelerate, not so that it came to an entire stop, but enough to the point where everything looked like it was moving in slow motion. I couldn't feel my throbbing heart anymore, or my aching knees, my body just went completely numb and strangely cold. 78 also appeared as if she was running through water, and I had an out of body experience as I heard myself cry out in a roar of desperation, before I felt my foot begin to lift back behind me and then accelerate towards my rival's heel.

I stared at 78's trainers in disbelief as I watched my right leg swing forwards and viciously kick the side of her ankle, with a violent force I didn't think my thighs were capable of producing. Her leg immediately buckled inwards and collided with the other one, and just like that my only other competitor had tripped and smashed down hard onto the ground. I too was sent stumbling forwards by the collision but I threw my arms out ahead of me and just managed to keep my balance as I staggered my way past her nude body, laid stricken on the grass.

I slowed to a halt and turned to watch as 78 tried to get back to her feet, but just as she raised herself up she was flattened by two stewards launching themselves down onto her back. I stood there dumbly watching her being accosted, panting hunched over with my hands on my knees, as I slowly began to realise that it was finally all over, and that of the three I had lasted the longest.

I had done it.

I had won.

*****

"Ow, fuck!"

For a few bizarre seconds I'd just waited there, chest heaving in and out as I watched 78 furiously kicking and thrashing as she refused to accept defeat, and when three more stewards leapt round her and continued to sprint towards me I just calmly returned my arms to my body to cover up.

For some unknown reason I thought that they wouldn't be angry with me anymore because I'd won the game, I'd been the last women standing and if anything I deserved congratulating, not detaining. Therefore I was genuinely stunned when my world was rudely sped back up to full speed as it was my turn to be roughly grabbed and shoved to the ground, taking a mouthful of the wet turf to the face as I hit the deck.

After being too dazed to move for a second I spat out a few blades of grass and twisted my head to glare back at the overly keen steward who had just wiped me out.

"Hey, I submit, or surrender or whatever, ok? I stopped running, you don't have to hurt me!"

The guy just told me to shut up as he pressed his knee into my spine to keep me pushed down, and around us his colleagues also swarmed down onto me to make sure I didn't try to escape. With four guys now kneeling around me my wrists were placed on top of each other behind my back then used to haul me up to my feet, where this time I was powerless to hide my body. With my small convoy of escorts trudging behind me the handsy steward guided me towards the main stand, and we began the most overwhelming walk of my entire life.

I felt light headed, drunk on a concoction of nudity and shame, excitement and frustration. Simultaneously I wanted to cry and I wanted to sing, I was desperate for the ground to open up and swallow me whole but at the same time if Sean were here I swear to God I'd jump on that boy and fuck him senseless, infront of all these thousands of spectators. My skin felt electric, and the fact that I was being paraded towards a hoard of strangers who could see every inch of me was the most embarrassing and excruciatingly erotic experiences imaginable.

25 had already been escorted off the field and up ahead 78 was just disappearing into the tunnel which ran from the side of the pitch down into the arena's lower levels, so for the rest of my walk of shame I was the only naked girl left on display. The only person naked in an entire stadium... I get unbelievably horny and equally mortified just thinking about it.

Once we were inside the cover of tunnel some of the tingling energy that had been radiating from my body seemed to fade, and I felt less like the most desired and lusted over woman in the world, and more like a bedraggled unclothed idiot who was in a lot of trouble. Outside I'd been applauded and cheered, but now everyone I walked past looked at me with blatant disapproval, and even disgust. I began to feel very small, and even more naked, and I cowered with my head held low as I was led along a series of corridors and hallways.

Eventually we reached a door and I was shoved into a small room which housed only a small table and two chairs. The stewards told me to wait there, and departed with the sound of a lock being bolted behind them. I took a seat, drew my legs up and hugged them tightly, then buried my face in my knees again and waited to see what would happen to me next.

After what felt like a year the door swung open and the familiar faces, or more accurately the familiar masks, of the two guards in red jumpsuits appeared. For the first time ever I felt kind of reassured to see them, and found their presence almost comforting.

Sure, normally when they were around I was normally being asked to do something incredibly embarrassing, but now hopefully they were here to get me out of this living nightmare. One of them gestured for me to stand up and so I unsteadily rose to my feet, then the pair turned and walked back out into the hall. I covered up and hurried to catch them, sticking close behind their backs so their silhouettes would offer me some protection as I knew better than to ask for clothes by now. The corridors were deserted this time and we soon reached a fire exit which led straight back outside into the parking lot I'd been dropped off at earlier.

The van we'd arrived in was still there waiting for us in the same parking lot, and the three of us climbed aboard. I was shocked to find that neither 25 or 78 were anywhere to be seen, and we clearly weren't going to wait for them to show up as we began the drive back towards my flat.

"Umm... guys? Where are the other two?"

I'd never tried to talk to the guards before but I thought that I might as well try now, seeing as I was never going to see them again after tonight. To my surprise the one driving tilted his head to look back at me in the rear view mirror, and I curled into a tight ball as I stared back at his black visor.

"The stadium's security team were paid off for tonight's game, and they were instructed to spare the last one of you to be captured, and let them leave without being charged. They were not told to protect the other two contestants. I would imagine that the police are dealing with them now."

Jesus, that was brutal. Public indecency is very illegal in the UK, and streaking the most viewed television event of the year would definitely be treated incredibly seriously. I felt sorry for my fellow finalists, especially 78 who I had personally wiped out, and I wondered what would become of them.

"Will they be ok?"

The driver shrugged.

"The Game is over. They are no longer our concern."

I shook my head in disbelief as I looked out of the window, and noticed my naked reflection looking glumly back at me in the glass.

"I... hate... The Game."

*****

The drive back home was uneventful, I just stayed hidden low in my seat and kept my arms wrapped around me for warmth. When we arrived at my street I was instructed to get out, so I exited the van and quickly ran over the road before any of my neighbours caught a glimpse of me.

My legs were still fried from all my running earlier but I managed to stagger up the stairs to my flat, but I quickly forgot about my aching joints when I saw the metal briefcase lying on the doormat, the one the naked Asian girl had shown us in that first meeting at the gym. I scooped it up, unlocked my front door and walked inside, then stopped for a moment and took in my surroundings. My rented room looked so small now, the sofa appeared cheaper and scruffier than before, and even the lamp seemed to be shining a bit dimmer. It was weird, after a whole week of nothing but stress, humiliation, fear and maybe a little bit of thrill, I had finally won, finally achieved the goal that I'd set out to complete, finally justified all of the mental decisions I'd had to make.

But instead of feeling ecstatic or ashamed or a crazy mixture of the two I just felt very satisfied, very calm, and very tired. I could celebrate tomorrow, but for now all I needed was sleep. Well, sleep but maybe a little bit of self gratification first.

"Well hello you."

I entered my bedroom and sat down on the duvet, then pulled the heavy briefcase up to lie next to me. I fondly stroked its smooth surface a couple of times as I reflected upon all of the ridiculous tasks that I'd put myself through to win it, and wondered if it had even been worth the sacrifices. Who knows. For now though there were two combination locks on either side of the handles, and I smiled to myself as I rotated the wheels round until both sets read 017.

The mechanism sprung open and I was greeted with the glorious sight of my hard earned one million pounds, which looked even better than it had the first time I'd seen it, because now it was all mine. I stood up and poured the case open over my head, giggling as the stacks of notes fell out and cascaded down my body, and to my delight the waterfall of money seemed to never end.

"You did it Laura, you're now technically a twenty year old millionaire..."

I dropped the now empty case onto the floor and then collapsed back onto my bed, throwing my arms out wide and staring up at the ceiling with a weary but happy grin stretched wide across my face. No more shifts at the café... no more stressing about paying the bills... no more living in this shit flat. I was free again, free to live the lazy, indulgent and extravagant lifestyle that I'd always dreamt of. And God knows I'd earnt it this time, I deserved it all, every last penny.

"Well, maybe The Game wasn't all bad..."

And so with a final victorious sigh of contentment that was how my story ended, with me lying spreadeagled and naked on a bed of money, drifting away into a deep sleep as my bare skin rested against the layers of crisp bank notes. Not too shabby, right? Well, at least that was how it ended until I was woken up at 7am the following morning by my phone vibrating away on the floor by my bed.

"Urgh, shut up..."

I rolled over and frowned when a covering of bank notes stuck to my body, and after I peeled a few hundred pound's worth off my butt I reached down to put my mobile onto silent. As I scrolled through my notifications I groaned when I saw I had nineteen missed calls from my mum, two from my dad, and seven each from both of my older sisters.

There were also countless texts and DMs from dozens of concerned extended family members and close friends, but I wasn't strong enough to face their scorn or judgement just yet. I'd never seen my lock screen cluttered with so many pop up messages before, and as I continued to scan down the list one line in particular sent an icy shiver down my spine.

"Congratulations Player 17..."

"Oh, fuck, what now..."

I nervously swore under my breath, wondering what the hell the masked man still wanted with me, then after a quick gulp of water I forced myself to sit up properly, flick on my bedside lamp, and open the rest of the message.

"Congratulations Player 17, your performance in this year's Game was most impressive, and we hope that you enjoy your well earned reward. As a national winner you are hereby invited to the Game's International Finals, which will be held in South Korea and begin next week. For details of how to confirm your attendance, and instructions for claiming your free first class flights, please follow the link below. We sincerely hope that you accept."

In a complete daze I sleepwalked my way out of the bedroom and over to my balcony, totally oblivious to the fact that I still wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. I pulled open the sliding door and stepped outside, then took in several deep breaths of the cold morning air as I leant against the metal guardrail and tried to collect my thoughts.

Down below me people on the street noticed my naked body and slowed to stare or point, and a couple even laughed and took out their phones to take a picture, but I was completely unaware. I had no idea they existed at all, the only thing I was thinking about was the idea of a bigger, better, more extreme and more lucrative version of The Game. If what I'd gone through was only a qualifying round then what sort of depraved insanity would the grand finals have in store for me? And maybe more importantly, how much money would be on the line this time?

As I mulled over these thoughts I nervously rubbed my phone screen with my thumb, as my finger toyed with the link that could take me all the way to Korea if I elected to follow it. Eventually the wolf whistles and catcalls from below finally managed to work their way through my brain fog, and with a start I realised that I'd better find some clothes to put on before someone called the police.

I went back inside and donned my dressing gown, then made myself a coffee as I tried to weigh up the pros and cons of what felt like an impossible decision to make. I poured out the boiling water and noticed that my hands were already shaking with worry, and I tried my best to calm and soothe my fingers by cradling the warm mug.

To be honest though I wasn't sure what it was that scared me the most. One, the idea of eventually having to answer my parents' calls... Two, what kind of depraved challenges this new Game might have lined up...

Or three, the absolutely terrifying realisation that deep down I already knew exactly what I was going to do next...

The End..?

*****

Thank you for reading this far, and I hope that you enjoyed my story. If anyone has any good suggestions for future games or challenges then please feel free to comment below, as for now I am struggling to come up with strong enough ideas for a sequel.