"Welcome, one and all, to this week's edition of the Resort's Most Dangerous Game!" There was another round of whoops and hollers. Rick looked around nervously. What had he just been roped into? The announcer continued despite Rick's qualms. "Everyone, grab your envelopes and open them!"
There was immediately a flurry of excitement as all the guests present pulled out their envelopes and ripped them open. There were a few screams and rounds of applause as various guests around the area apparently got something in their envelopes and were cheered on by their friends. Hopelessly confused, Rick tore through his envelope and pulled out a little slip of golden paper that read "Congratulations! You're in!"
In what? Do I want to do this? But Rick didn't have the chance to think it over. A woman nearby saw his winning ticket and screamed. "We've got another one! We've got another one here!" Before he knew it he was being pulled and shoved and congratulated all the way up onto the stage, where he staggered into the spotlights wishing he was wearing something better than his roomy Hawaiian shirt and shorts. Apart from the announcer, there were seven other guests on stage, three men and four women.
"And with that we have all eight of our contestants! Let's give them a big hand folks!" More deafening applause. "And let's welcome them tooooo... the Most Dangerous Game!"
Rick glanced at his fellow contestants. Some looked thrilled, others nervous, some shy. But all looked like they knew what they were getting into. Except for him, of course.
"Before we meet our wonderful contestants, let's go over the rules, shall we? All eight of our warriors here will be released into the Arena Park". The announcer made a sweeping gesture in the direction of the park Rick had noticed earlier. "There, they will battle... to the death!"
Wh-what? Rick turned pale. That couldn't be true, why was everyone cheering? Then the announcer went on. "Of course, as you know, nobody dies in the Resort. All you have to do is inflict sufficient damage on your fellow contestants that will cause them to teleport and reform in the Regeneration Spa. How you choose to do that is your own decision to make. Be creative!" There was a ripple of laughter from the audience, and Rick relaxed. Oh. Right. The regeneration protocols. He had kind of glossed over that detail in the brochures because he hadn't thought it would ever apply to him, but he did remember that his coworker Colin had turned himself into a hamburger and been eaten at the time. Quite the experience, he had said. Alright then.
"Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed. The rules are simple. If you find yourself in the Regeneration Spa, consider yourself to be out of the game. Anyone attempting to escape the park will also be disqualified and, depending on the circumstances, be kicked out of the Resort. And most importantly of all", the announcer said, pausing for effect. "There is a table in the center of the park. That table has eight vials, a completely random assortment of the Resort's world-class animal transformation potions. You cannot claim victory - in fact, you cannot properly start the fight - without having drunk one of those vials. What will you become? Will it be a fierce tiger or a mighty elephant? Or will you be cursed to play as a tiny mouse or a slimy worm? Your pick of the vials - and how you choose to deal with it - will determine the outcome of the game, and may earn you extra winnings at the judges' discretion!"
The announcer waved to the side of the stage, where someone was climbing on and into the spotlight. A short, pale woman with her black hair in a tidy bob stepped into the spotlight and waved shyly, earning further cheers from the audience. With her glasses and tidy dress, she gave the impression of a secretary. "Please welcome Mathilda!" Mathilda waved again, mouthing "hi" to the audience. "Mathilda here won last week's Game with all the odds against her. The vial she chose transformed her into a spider monkey, but she still won despite all odds being against her by avoiding the other contestants, playing them against each other, and setting traps of her own. She not only won but was awarded the jackpot by the judges, and today she will be joining us on our expert judges panel!"
The announcer turned around to face the new contestants. "Before we set you loose - on each other" he added with a wink to the audience, "why don't you tell us who you are, what animal you'd like to draw if you had the choice, and what you're going to do with the prize money?"