Mania!

The hairs on the back of Calica’s neck stood up as she pressed her ear up to the thick, steel door. It felt cold on her skin, a stark contrast to the relentless heat pulsating from the hundreds of studio lights that beat down on her. She hadn’t expected there to be so many, and she definitely wouldn’t have guessed that so much heat would radiate from them and cause her skin to feel like it was on fire .She let the rest of her body press up against the door, and for the briefest of moments the welcome coolness distracted her from the situation she was in. As she snapped back to reality, she listened for any sound beyond the steel that would give her a clue to the contents of the space behind the door. The room was completely silent, but even when straining, Calica couldn’t hear anything stirring or moving inside. 

She balled her hands into fists and began pounding on the door. Nothing. She flattened her palms and slapped them so hard they stung, but still there was no sound, no discernible hint of movement behind the door. Desperately, she flung herself to the ground and tried prying her fingers underneath, but it was sealed and she knew it was futile. How many times had she seen contestants try this, and not once in all of the thousands of shows that had aired had there been a space for fingers above or below. She knew this, but in the heat of the moment had thrown reason to the wind and done it also. 

Calica tried not to let her panic show. She already was feeling so exposed and vulnerable. She had known that the world would be watching, but hadn’t realized just how raw that feeling of exposure would be. Her movements, her faults, her decisions, all of her flaws were no longer just hers. They were out on display for all to see and that disgusted her in a way she never would have imagined before coming on the show. 

Being a contestant on Mania! was something she never in a million years would have thought she would do. Though it was a cultural phenomenon, Calica had never really paid attention to it like most of society. They’d watch it, become invested in strangers’ lives, analyze the so-called strategies contestants employed. Her friends would cry when people lost, and celebrate the victories. Calica had never understood it, and she just preferred to go about her business and pay no attention. But then, Cannon had gotten sick. As she watched her big brother cough up blood and wither away, Calica knew she had to do something. Her mother had begged her not to, her father had secretly helped her film the audition tape, and Cannon himself had told her he wouldn’t speak to her ever again if she did it. “Your life is too valuable,” he had said in between coughing fits. “You can’t risk it.” 

But Calica and her father had done it anyway. He would have gone if he could have, but she was within the age limits and he was not. She was healthy and strong willed. And when the producers had called, Calica hadn’t hesitated. She had packed a bag and hid it from her mom and brother. She hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye out of fear that they’d stop her. Her dad had driven her to the airport. He told her he loved her and no other words had needed to be spoken. The look in his eyes told her all she needed to know: he loved her but she needed to win this thing for Cannon. And she intended to. 

Calica finished examining the first door. As she moved onto the second, she heard Jomalo, the game show’s young and handsome host, start to speak. “Calica has examined the first door,” he said, stating the obvious as game show hosts tend to do. “Now we will see which one she will look at next. Let’s give her some encouragement!” The audience cheered as she made her way to door two. When she stepped up to the door, a hush fell over them and they were once again silent. It was standard procedure for Mania! audiences. The rules stated they had to be quiet so the contestants could try to hear if anything was behind the doors. Calica was starting to realize it didn’t matter as she pressed her ear up to the second door. There was no way you could tell anything, even if it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. It was just a part of the appeal to the audience that the contestants examined the doors at all.

It’s just blind luck, Calica thought to herself. She should have known. In the week at the hotel leading up to her turn, she had watched episode after episode of Mania! She had written down which doors were picked and what was on the other side. She had tried to research statistics, read interviews with past winners, and looked at strategies that different magazines and online articles detailed out. She had tried to prepare, but as she stood before the second door she realized that no amount of preparation would have helped her on this day. She looked in the direction of the audience, but the lights were so bright she couldn’t see anything. 

The audience was made up of mostly Tier One families, sometimes the occasional Tier Two. Calica looked at them bitterly. They knew nothing of her plight. They had never been so desperate that they would risk everything to change a loved one’s life. Calica had always hated the Tier system her society was divided into. It was like a pyramid-Tier One was reserved for the richest of the rich. They wanted for nothing and had the best schools, drove the best cars, took lavish vacations. Tier Two was in the middle, and Tier Three was the poorest of them all. Moving Tiers was generally unheard of. Occasionally a really smart kid would come along and invent something and get rich, or a family member would die and will their spot in Tier One to a great niece or someone. Overall, you stayed where you were born. 

Calica finished examining the second door and made her way to the third. She heard Jomalo speaking, but she couldn’t focus on what he was saying. In a few moments, she knew she would be asked to choose a door. The doors had slots next to them, and there was a card on a stand with her name on it. She would pick up the card, walk to the door of her choice, and put her card in the slot. When she did, a cage would come down, locking her in with the door she chose. Jomalo would push a button, and the door would open. It was then that she would know her fate. Behind one door, there would be riches unimaginable to someone like Calica, who had grown up in a Tier Three community. Her family was in the middle of Tier Three, so they usually had enough food and necessities, but they had no money for extras and lived very modestly. Getting the Riches Door would automatically boost Calica’s family to Tier One. Tier One communities had the best hospitals and doctors around. Cannon would receive the most comprehensive care known to man. It was his best chance, and quite possibly his only chance. 

One of the doors held nothing behind it. If Calica selected that door, nothing would change. She would go home to her Tier Three community, no better or worse off than she was when she boarded the plane to come to Mania! It had been her first plane ride ever, and she had marveled at how tiny things looked from up above. She had thought of Cannon, how much she’d love to take him on a plane ride so they could gaze out at the clouds together. If that was the door she ended up with, she would be devastated. Cannon would continue to receive care from the nurses that worked in Tier Three, but they didn’t have access to the best medicines and equipment that could save his life. They were heroes for sure, and they poured their hearts into their work, but there was only so much they could do with what little they had. No, Calica could not get the Nothing Door. She just couldn’t face going home empty handed. She couldn’t deal with Cannon’s anger that she went in the first place or watching him grow sicker each day as she had for the past few months. 

Thinking of the last door made Calica queasy. The last door was known as the Monster Door. If she chose wrong, she would get that door. When it opened, a beast would run out. The beasts were starved and caged for days before their stage debut, and by the time they were released into the cage with the contestant, they were angry. Almost every contestant that chose the Monster Door had been shredded before they even knew what hit them. They were allowed to fight back, but couldn’t have any weapons. The beasts had long claws and sharp teeth, and as such there were very few contestants who had killed their beast with their bare hands. Those few who had somehow managed to were boosted to the very top of Tier One and lived like kings for the rest of their lives. But most of the poor, unlucky Monster Door contestants never made it off the stage. 

Calica finished her examination of the third door and, with shaking legs, walked back to Jomalo. Mania! had been on the air for decades, but Jomalo hadn’t been hosting long. The original host, Meddal, had been killed when a cage malfunctioned and a particularly large and aggressive beast killed the contestant then escaped and mauled Meddal, a cameraman, and a producer before they were able to tranquilize it. Jomalo had been a contestant years before that incident. He had managed to survive a Monster Door and with his good looks, dazzling smile, and popularity from his show he was a shoo in for the job. He flashed Calica that smile as she sat in a chair opposite him. 

“And how are you feeling now?” he asked with a smile. 

“Definitely nervous,” Calica managed to squeak out. Her mouth was so dry, it felt like it was full of cotton. As if on cue, Jomalo reached behind him and handed her a bottle of water. She managed a “thanks” before opening it and chugging almost the whole bottle. She heard some murmuring from the audience as she set the rest on the table near her. 

“And do you have a door in mind?” 

Calica just shook her head. “I’m still deciding.” She had never been in front of an audience before and she really didn’t want to be at this moment either. She had never been so unsure of herself in her life. This was the worst idea ever, she thought to herself. 

“Audience, can you help her out?” Jomalo boomed. “Which door should she pick?”

Calica could hear the audience shouting out different numbers. It definitely wasn’t helping, but she was glad she didn’t have to talk. She waved and nodded numbly. 

“Well, Calica, it’s time to choose your door!” Jomalo exclaimed. 

“Choose your door! Choose your door!” the audience chanted.

Calica stood. Her legs felt like Jell-O as she took a deep breath. She had seen contestants start crying at this moment. She had seen them take off and try to make a run for it. Participation in Mania! was optional and voluntary, but once you decided to do it, there was no backing out. She had signed an agreement. The Law supported the game because of its popularity and the revenue it brought. Sponsors lined up like crazy to advertise on Mania! It was the most popular game show ever. Not only would she face jail time if she broke her contract, but she’d be shunned. She’d probably have to live in the Outskirts and scrounge for food, and that's if she ever was released from prison. What would happen to Cannon then? 

The thought of Cannon reinforced her will. She took her card and looked at the three doors in front of her. Determined, she walked and put her card in a slot. She walked back to a mark on the floor just as she had been instructed to do in practice earlier that day. Every instinct was telling her to run, try to break out, scream, or lay down and curl up in a ball and cry. She managed to keep her head up and stood her ground as the cage came down around her. It clicked into place with a finality that told her there was no turning back now. 

She heard Jomalo’s voice as she faced the door. He was counting down. “Three! Two! One! Open!” the audience shouted with him. This was just entertainment for them, not life or death. She heard the buzzer as Jomalo pressed the button that would seal her fate. 

And the door opened.