Tough Competition

A chant rose from somewhere in the audience, the thud of feet in the auditorium sounded like a continuous rumble of thunder. The clapping hands beat out a furious counterpoint to the rhythm from the feet. There was an air of barely contained violence. This crowd wanted blood.

Not for the first time Nathan asked himself just how the hell he had got himself involved in this situation. It was like a scene from Gladiator.

He was terrified. Pure and simple. Adrenaline was firing round his system, his legs were locked, his bladder howling in protest. He wondered if the other competitors were feeling the same. He leaned forward slightly in an attempt to see them.

A disembodied voice spoke as a white-hot pain shot up Nathan’s arm, “Contestant Number 4, please remain still until the competition commences. As you will have noticed it will not go well for you if you don’t.” This sent the audience wild. Through the pain he could hear some of them chanting his name.

That explained the wires that were attached to different parts of his anatomy. He was wired up to receive electric shocks. Jesus.

His jaw was clamped shut, breathing rapidly through his nose, willing himself not to cry out. His arm felt like it was on fire, the blood boiling in his veins. How well he was going to do if he was in pain?

He looked around the room they had put him in. The first thing he noticed came as no surprise. There was no handle on the door. There were three walls, with the fourth wall missing so the audience could watch. In front of him was a whole range of tools and utensils. Could he do this? No, there mustn’t be any doubt. He could, and he would, do this. He closed his eyes and thought of Natalie.

It had been her suggestion that he enter the competition. Admittedly, she made it after a night on the town. In his drunken state Nathan readily agreed. In the cold light of dawn, he hadn’t been so sure.

There had followed a month-long campaign by family and friends, spearheaded by his beloved, to make sure he applied. Wanting a quiet life, he had finally caved and agreed.

Like most applications, there had been an online form to fill in detailing his skills and experience. Easy enough. He had filled it in and sent it off and thought nothing more about it, at least, he had tried not to, but Natalie hadn’t let him. Pestering him 24/7. Had they emailed? Had they called? Had they messaged? Why hadn’t he message them?

One evening, on a whim, he had tried looking online to see if he could find out more about the competition but there had been very little. In fact, the only information he had found was that the presenter was going to be some C-list celebrity.

Nat had accompanied him on the day of the audition. They took the train to Manchester, planning to stay overnight and perhaps go celebrating if he was chosen. How foolish and naive it all seemed now.

Nathan had done his routine and thought it had gone well. The celeb favoured him with a half-arsed smile. There had been an odd moment after his audition when a stage-hand measured his arms and legs, but he had thought nothing of it. If only he had asked.

Any questions that he might have had were now well and truly answered. He was stood here on the stage in his “room”, wired up to the mains, facing seven other contestants, fighting to get Natalie back and, he now realised, fighting to maybe stay alive. How far would they go? Could the shocks be fatal? He didn’t want to find out. He did want to find out what had happened to Natalie. He had received a message earlier saying she would be returned. If he won.

It took him a moment to realise that the audience were now silent. That weird disembodied voice came over the speakers again.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the time is nearly upon us!”

The crowd went ballistic.

“But first a quick word from our sponsors…”

A thumping techno beat hammered out from the speakers in the auditorium, followed by a voice promoting a well-known TV channel.

As the advert drew to a close the voice returned.

“Before we begin, you may notice that contestant number 1, Kelly, is no longer with us…”

There was a scream from the side of the stage, quickly silenced.

“…as she has chosen not to take part.”

That scream frightened Nathan badly, coupled with the voice’s mocking tone, it made it all too clear that Kelly’s choice had ended badly. How could this be happening? He had to fight down the gorge rising in his throat.

“So, that leaves us with just seven contestants, Chris, Ben, Katie, Laura, Ollie, Anna, and Nathan. Give it up folks!”

More wild enthusiasm from the audience.

“Our panel of judges needs no introduction…”

As one, they stood, bowing to the crowd, offering dazzling kilowatt smiles to the contestants. Not one of those smiles offered Nathan any comfort or confidence.

“…however, you will notice that in front of each of the judges there is a row of buttons…”

Howls of delight erupted at the same time as the worm of fear in Nathan’s belly writhed.

“…which they can press at will. These buttons are attached to wires and said wires are attached to our brave competitors.”

Again, that mocking tone, drawling the word brave. Nathan wondered how brave the others were feeling.

“The buttons, when pressed, will deliver a small…ish,” this time the voice giggled, “electric current through the limbs of our brave few.”

There was a pause to let that bombshell circulate amongst the crowd who could barely control themselves.

From one of the other “rooms” there came a harsh cry, followed by a thump.

“Oh dear, it appears that Ben changed his mind about taking part.”

Nathan closed his eyes, offering a brief prayer to any deity out there that might be listening to his frantic words. He desperately tried to ignore the treacherous part of his brain that pointed out the fact that another contestant down meant one less to beat. Was it really to be a battle to the death? He suspected that was indeed the case. He needed to win, he needed to survive, to save Natalie.

“So, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, contestants, let the baking begin!”