Wheel of the Fortunate

Wheel of the Fortunate

by Sindy Fitz

Broken and stained, the sidewalk was sticky from the thick humid air attaching itself to everything like a damp blanket still hot from the dryer. It's an eerie thing with Christmas in a few weeks, I don't think I have seen snow or even felt a cold breeze for years now. The walk to this hostel feels like it takes twice as long since the "Fortunate Day". I'm so sick of living like this, working for a twisted and corrupt industry. Finding gullible, lost, unfortunate people to tear apart. Gameshows used to be fun, hell I remember when I would stay home from school watching the price is right, card sharks, wheel of fortune. Funny that we call it "Wheel of the Fortunate" its a fun twist on what is truly diabolical.

This damn door gets stuck everyday, why would anyone bother to fix it. No one is trying to break into this place, there are at least 50 people at any given time mulling around in here doing sound checks and piecing together camera equipment. This old hostel was once an old music school, now it's a studio for what's left of our government program designed to facilitate at least 30 people a day into the "fortunate class". We are all fools for believing anything we are told or what we have ever been told.

Ah, the clamoring of today's newest contestants. The nervous ramblings are disgusting to listen to, it's maddening. Welcome everyone and are we all excited about joining the fortunate class! The murmurs grow then as the cameras and lights glare into their eyes silence grabs hold. It happens every time, when they realize we are all a foolish race that have been turned into sheep to the slaughter. Do you believe me yet, no? OK, let's keep going.

On today's episode for those of you who are lucky enough to have a device that works from the comfort of your safe little bunkers, deep in the mountainsides. We are happy to present to you, the sacrificial lambs. As their bodies are pushed and corralled into the room of fortune. It's a dark collapsing cinderblock area freshly hosed out from the stench of yesterday's winners, and losers. Perhaps, maybe even lucky.

I've become numb to it all, really I had no choice but become numb. Working here has made me complacent, with the folly of knowing if I didn't work this job I'd be one of them eventually. Walking to work everyday, living in a small resemblance of a normal life. While presenting this entertainment to the masses of what used to be the honorable members of government officials who caused this all, then fled. Knowing we need to have population control to survive, it was left to us to find a way. I may still very well end up in their sticky shoes. Knowing this and still doing what I do to survive makes me the most obvious fool on this planet.