As the bag around his head was untied and removed, Billy’s vision slowly adjusted to the surroundings, and he realized it was an old factory of some kind.The men departed, and the door closed. Billy looked around, and his eyes widened in astonishment as he took in the sight before him. Nine people were standing in the room. Ten neatly arranged beds lined one wall, each with an identical black uniform placed on top. Suddenly, a loud, grim voice resonated through the speaker mounted on the wall: “You all find yourself in a dire situation and need money. Our goal is to see the lengths you’re willing to go for it! Put on your uniforms and be ready. The first task begins soon!” Billy’s mind raced. He knew he couldn’t leave because the door was locked, and there were no windows. He looked at his fellow captives and saw the same fear and confusion in their eyes. Nobody knew what time it was— their phones and watches were confiscated. A couple of hours went by until the metal door swung open. A man in a suit and a gas mask walked into the room.”Get up and follow him,” the voice on the speaker instructed. Billy realized the masked man was just a supervisor, not the organizer. “Where are they taking us?” Billy whispered to a fellow captive, but nobody knew. Soon, they were all ushered into a dimly lit room where their right hand was cuffed to a chain dangling from the wall. “Welcome to your first task!” the chilling voice spoke. ”Find your key and set yourselves free within ten minutes or face the consequences. Your time starts in three…two…one, and go!” As many as one thousand keys dangled from various hooks on the wooden board before them. And they only had ten minutes to find the right key and release themselves. Billy’s soldierly instincts kicked in as he saw the commotion in the room. “Take a key each and pass it around. If it doesn’t fit, toss it in the middle,” he addressed the group. “That way, we’ll be able to eliminate the wrong ones and find the right key.”They formed a circle and started passing the keys in a tense, terrifying fashion. The first five minutes passed. Four participants succeeded in finding their keys and freed themselves. The circle was disrupted, making the task even more challenging for those left behind. “Four minutes left! Faster!” the voice said.
