1:16AM—Dana Alh

1:09:57AM -

Wires. Red, blue, yellow, and white wires. Codes that my brain could not understand nor comprehend. A digital clock ticked, indicating my time was coming to an end as this is my last clue.

1:11:11AM -

Other contesters rushed into the theater, loud cheers signaled their joy as they got closer to the finish line. I smiled, no one got as close to it as I got. I stared at them from the balcony and traced the wires with my eyes, they terminated at the center of the theater and got lost between the rows of seats.

1:12:29AM -

It's a bomb.

1:13:00AM -

Three minutes for evacuation, or we all die.

1:13:01AM -

"It's a bomb" I whispered. "It's a bomb!" I yelled. Everyone looked for the source of my sound.

"Trying to throw us off, aren't you?"

"If you're so sure it's a bomb, how come you haven't run for your life yet?"

"Reveal yourself, it’s been a tough road getting here, we won't give up easily."

1:13:46AM -

I stood quickly and looked down at them.

"We've got a few seconds over two minutes, or the theater will blow up."

"How do you want us to believe you?"

I wanted to prove that I was right, I couldn't be wrong. I knew more than anything that this game would end up killing people. I knew it was designed by a serial killer, and I had no idea how I fell into this trap.

1:14:32AM -

"First clue, we had to dive 15 meters deep in a 10•C water at night to get it. Second clue, we had to run across a train-rail as a train passed by and avoid getting hit. Third clue, we had to stick our hands in snake pits. Fourth clue, we were locked in a freezer and had to find the clue to unlock ourselves before we froze to death. Don’t you understand? This game is designed to kill us. If we find the fifth clue, are we supposed to walk through fire to find the sixth? Burry ourselves alive to find the seventh?" The clock ticked in my ear with every word, signaling the fact that we're running out of time.

"When does it stop?"

"At 1:16AM, I have no idea what that means."

"How does it look?"

"It's a digital clock and has many wires, I tried to trace them but lost track somewhere between the seats."

1:15:23AM -

I had two contestants with me up in the balcony trying to figure it out, while the rest were trying to find other clues all around the theater.

"1:16AM! The wires are buried between the rows 1-16, seats A-M! That's what it should be, that's where the bomb is!" I felt like I have just solved the greatest mystery.

"Why don't we just leave?"

"I tried to leave when I first got here, the doors can only be opened from the outside, we're locked in."

"What's the use of knowing where the bomb is?"

"It might have a key, or a clue, anything that would help us!"

I stayed by the clock as the others went to look for the bomb, I was the time keeper.

1:15:38AM -

No clue.

1:15:42AM -

Silence filed the theater, tension was building up and everyone could feel it.

1:15:58AM -

This is inevitable. We gathered in a circle in the spot we believed was the furthest from the bomb. Each of us protected the other and held one another so closely. None of us wanted to die, and none of us wanted to lose anyone.

1:16:00AM -

Even our prayers are silent now. We blocked our ears in anticipation of an explosion that seemed to be taking forever to occur. We looked at each other with fear and slowly took our hands off our ears, sounds of explosion filled the theater and our panicked yells followed. Surprisingly, no one was hurt. The roofless theater revealed a sky lit with blue, red, green, and gold fireworks. A "congratulations" banner was displayed on the stage's wall and a loud voice spoke through the speakers distributed throughout the theater.

"Congratulations. On your first clue, you have elected James to dive into the pool, everyone else feared to be elected. On your second clue, you decided that it would be best to run across the train-rail in pairs, and everyone wanted to go first to make sure the train was furthest from them. On your third clue, Malika volunteered to take the snake pit, to avoid injury of the other contestants. On your fourth clue, you kept each other warm despite the harsh conditions, you worked as a team to find your way out. On your last clue, Samantha could've left as soon as she noticed the rest of you walking in, but she stayed and led you through this. You have been selected as contestants for traits that we have found in you and that required improvement. Insecurity. Anxiety. Fear. Selfishness. Hesitance. This game's pure purpose was to study your behavior, to improve it, and to prove that instinct is the root of all good, and that pleasure is the root of all evil. At 1:16AM, you announced yourself as family who would stick together through thick and thin. As a disclaimer, I would like to inform you that all safety measurements and precautions were taken in case of injury or hazards. Congratulations, at 1:16AM, you have gained the best prize of all time; a life-long lasting family and friendship. Keep it safe, and don't ever give it away."