Make a Wish

"Dear contestants, welcome to the annual Reina King's 'Run For Your Wish' contest," a woman's voice sounded through the speakers in Maia's pod. "First of all, as a general procedure, we need to go really quick over the rules. As you all know, there are three mandatory stops for all ten of the contestants and, at each stop, you’ll face a challenge. If you manage to complete the challenge, you get to advance to the next stop, if not...well it’s because you died,” the voice chuckled as if she had just told some lame dad joke. “The first one to reach the finish line wins.”

Maia smiled at the mention of victory. She wanted that prize more than anything, more than her own life. She spent day and night imagining what she would do with it - the opportunity to make her deepest wish come true.

Some people would wish for money, others for good health, and some others for love - she was one of the latter.

Her obsession with Tyler Matthews began when she was twelve when she saw him at school for the first time. He was one year older than her, had short brown hair, innocent eyes and the sweetest smile in all of school. She never went and talk to him though, her shyness getting the best of her.

When they were in Highschool though, he changed. His eyes were no longer innocent, but mischievous. His sweet smile was replaced by smirks and his reputation with girls preceded him. She wanted nothing more than to be one of his girls. She wanted nothing more than to be noticed by him. 

One morning, when she was making her way to school, a dark blue pamphlet flew right onto her face. It said: “Want to make your deepest wishes come to true? Then Reina King’s ‘Run For Your Wish’ is for you!” 

She had heard of the race before (with it being a sensation on the internet) and she knew of its risks, but she decided to take it as a sign from destiny and participate.

“Alright contestants, your first stop will be the tall purple building. Once you get there, your earpieces will give you your first task.” Maia instantaneously touched the little devices placed in her ears just fifteen minutes prior, making sure they were well adjusted. 

“Alright, ready? One...two...three, go!”

The pod opened and Maia immediately sprinted towards her goal.

She was fast, years of athletics training giving her the edge. The mental image of the gold medals on her little shelf at home came to her mind, giving her that extra boost of confidence. 

As she made her way inside the purple building a voice immediately sounded in her earpiece. “Congratulations Maia Anderson, you are the first one to arrive at stop number one.” She smiled. “Your first task is a simple one - climbing. You’re gonna climb the side of the building all the way up, no safety. Good luck.”

At first, she thought it would be easy but, as she looked up and saw that she’d have to climb eight stories she felt her confidence waver.

Thinking about her end-goal, Maia stretched her hands, took a deep breath and started climbing the little artificial rocks on the side of the building. At first, she was on a roll, rock after rock, nothing could stop her, but as she got halfway up she made her first mistake - she looked down. She wasn’t scared of heights, but something about being up there with no protection really made vertigo kick in. She grabbed on tighter to the rocks, making the tips of her fingers start to hurt.

“Get it together Maia, think about Tyler,” she spoke to herself before taking another big breath and continuing her climbing.

She kept on going. She pulled through the pain, her fingers burning, and she continued climbing. She could see the top getting closer and closer, but her break from earlier caused another contestant with silver hair to catch up with her. She could hear his breath as he got closer to her, and judging by the pain in her fingers and her slowing pace, she was almost certain he would do it.

He was almost reaching her, and judging by the look on his face, he was getting ready to sabotage her. She sped up, every single muscle in her body burning up and then, as she felt his fingers graze her leg to pull her off the wall, he slipped and fell 7 stories down, plummeting to his death.

Maia was having trouble climbing the last story, the shock of just witnessing death so up close and tiredness making her head spin. She felt like she almost couldn’t breathe but as she noticed a bunch of other contestants catching up to her she looked up straight up and just powered through to the top, rolling herself away from the edge of the building.

“Congratulations Maia Anderson, you have survived the first challenge,” the voice in her ear-piece congratulated her as she tried to calm her racing heart and stretched her fingers. “Your next task is a bit more complicated. You’ll have to go from this building to the smaller black building right next to it by walking a very thin rope. You only have a rope above you to hang onto. Good luck.”

Maia ran to the other edge of the building and immediately saw the ten ropes, one for each contestant. The ropes were close enough where someone could reach the contestants right next to them and make them fall, something that gave Maia a bit of anxiety, remembering what had happened just a minute ago.

Hearing the other contestants reaching the top, Maia immediately grabbed her top rope and stepped onto the thinner one. She immediately lost her balance (as the rope was slightly inclined downwards) and almost fell but, by some miracle, she managed to hang on.

The distance wasn’t that long but, given the circumstances, the buildings could be thirty centimetres apart and the challenge would still cause fear.

Maia tried to focus on the rope under her feet and walked sideways so she could have more balance. Tiny little steps, one at a time, trying hard not to focus on the altitude. 

Then, suddenly, a strong gush of wind made her close her eyes and misplace her foot. She fell to her left, on top of the thin rope of another contestant. Maia was able to hang onto the rope with her arms and legs, but her motion made that contestant lose her balance and fall right to the ground.

Maia closed her eyes and felt tears pricking at her eyes as she heard the scream of the girl getting further and further.

She had just caused the death of two contestants but already knew that could happen. She knew, when she signed up, that the contestants could try and sabotage each other or that accidents could happen. She knew she was gonna face death and if she wanted to win, she couldn’t let that bother her. So, doing as she did before, Maia once more reminded herself of her end-goal, took a deep breath and started moving towards the other building.

When she reached the other building and climbed up the edge she finally opened her eyes, noticing another guy that had also managed to reach across.

“Congratulations Maia Anderson, you’ve survived the second challenge. One more left.” Maia stared at the other contestant as they both received the instructions of what to do next, but a shrilling scream of another contestant falling made them look back. 

“For the last challenge, you need to go to the pool on the first floor. There, you’re gonna get tied up with ropes and submerged underwater with weights. There will be a sharp edge near you. Cut the ropes and free yourself...or rest in peace.”

Having finished receiving the instructions at the same time both Maia and the other contestant instantly ran towards the door on the roof, making their way to the stairs. Both contestants were neck and neck, pushing each other as they rapidly ran down the stairs. When they opened the door on the first floor they noticed the staff waiting for them, holding the ropes with the weights.

Maia pushed the other contestant away and made her way to the closest staff, immediately getting her hands tied up behind her back and a very heavy weight tied to her waist to keep her down.

The staff helped carry the weight and followed her to the pool that was two and a half meters deep. Standing right next to where the sharp edge would be, she took a deep breath and jumped in, the weight being dumped in at the same time.

The water was cold, so cold that it made it hard for Maia to move but, she had to pull through, she had to do it for Tyler. She opened up her eyes and looked around for the edge, first noticing that the other contestant had also been submerged. When she located it, she made her way towards it, turned around and started strongly rubbing the rope against the edge.

She was almost there. She could feel it. Her muscles were burning up in pain from all the effort of the previous tasks. Her skin felt like she had been pricked with a thousand needles due to the temperature of the water. Her lungs felt like they were gonna explode, but she had to hold on. She would be victorious.

Turning her head to check out her competition Maia noticed three more contestants had joined them, one of them, in particular, was in the midst of having a panic attack almost immediately choking up and drowning.

The sight disturbed her but not as much as the others had. The adrenaline was way too high and she was fighting for her life at this moment so she couldn’t let herself get caught up with those thoughts. Maybe when this was all over she’d seek out a therapist if she survived but, right now, she only cared about freeing herself.

Then, after all the rubbing, the rope cut, slashing her hand in the process and making her scream underwater, little bubbles releasing in the process. Now, she just needed to untie the weight and she would be free, but her scream had released precious air that her lungs needed.

She reached for the knot on her waist and started working on it, the wound on her hand now being an added thing to the list of factors causing her pain. 

She was almost there. She looked to the contestant that was neck and neck with her and speeded up as she watched him finally cut the rope on his hands. Her lungs were burning up even more, just begging for oxygen, begging for that release and that made her tug at the knot desperately until it finally released. Her body instantly rose to the surface and she took in a big breath, her lungs getting the air they so desperately needed.

“Congratulations Maia Anderson, you are the winner of this year’s ‘Run For Your Wish',” the voice in her earpiece immediately said. “You’ve won a free wish, what would it be?”

“I want-” she stuttered as she tried to regain her breath, the staff pulling her out of the water and wrapping her in a towel. “I want Tyler Matthews to notice me.” 

“Consider it done.”

--------------------------

“I still can’t believe you won Reina King’s contest, you are absolutely crazy!” Maia’s best friend Candice said as she was walking side by side with Maia to school. 

It had only been 2 days since the race and Maia’s wish still hadn’t been fulfilled. She wasn’t too worried though, she knew it would happen on its own time.

“Well, you know...it’s a thrill like no other, but’s it’s some pretty hardcore shit.”

“Well duh…you could have died!” Candice hit her in the arm as punishment for her friend’s recklessness. “At least I hope your wish is worth it! You still haven’t told me what it is though.”

“Okay. So…” Maia placed the hand she had cut on her last task (now with a band-aid on it) on her friend’s arm, making her stop in her tracks. “Who’s the hottest guy in school?”

Her eyes doubled up in size, realization hitting her hard. “No way…”

“Yup.”

“You wished for Tyler Matthews?!”

Maia winked at her friend, getting excited at the thought of finally having the chance she’s always dreamed of - the chance to have the most coveted guy in school notice her.

“Oh my god! You’re telling me you’re gonna have the chance to have those sinful lips?” Candice looked up dreamingly at the sky, imagining what it would feel like to have that chance. “You’re so lucky Maia.”

“I know-”

Everything happened so quick. One minute the two best friends were talking and the next Maia was fatally getting hit by a car, a car that missed her friend Candice by centimetres.

“MAIA!” She yelled in desperation, quickly checking to see if she was alright.

“Oh my god is she alright?!” 

The driver got out of the car, quickly making his way over and it wasn’t until he was next to her that Candice noticed who it was - Tyler Matthews.