The games we play!

Stumbling forward from a sorrow drowning bing just moments earlier, Allen walks dejected down a dark and Smokey alley. Allen falls over a duffel bag. He slowly looks around and an empty alley stares back. He quickly opens the bag and is instantly frozen. Allen face is flushed as he checks for onlookers. Allen wipes his face in amazement, in the bag was bundled up cash. Allen quickly stands himself up and dust himself off. In disbelief, Allen slaps his own face to somehow sober himself up. Knowing that he has to make a quick decision, Allen grabs the bag and walks briskly forward to the opening in the alley that leads to the street. As Allen reaching the street a phone rings. The ringing startled him. Allen cautiously looks around. The streets were unusually barren. The only thing the stood out on the street in this gloomy night was a single pay phone that seem to be under the only working street light, Serving as a beacon. Allen looks away, but the phone continuously rings. Ignoring the phone, Allen try's to understand what's happening and where everyone is. The ringing continues and gets louder and louder, distracting Allen from his thoughts. Allen storms over to the pay phone, picks it up, and slam it down. He breathes a sigh of relief, for now he is able to focus on this fork in the road he is saddled with. An eerie quietness covers the streets and Allen is shaken by the sudden ringing of the phone. This time Allen answers the phone. "Hello" says Allen. A brief silence comes over Allen and then a response from a gravelly deep voices answers back. "Allen don't be alarmed." Says the voice on the phone. Allen replied "who is this? How do you know me"?

"You have $20,000 cash in that bag you hold. You chose to pick up the bag and I'm assuming you need the money", stated the voice. Allen quickly yelled, "look I was just trying to see who it belonged to. I was trying to turn it in". The voice over the phone growning impatient exclams "look Allen enough of the games!" Allen hangs up the phone abruptly. Sweating under the spotlight of the street lamp Allen notices an ominous silence fell upon the and suddenly he is startled once again by the phone ringing. "Hello", Allen answers reluctantly. The voice over the phone replies, "Listen Allen the time for games are over. In the bag you will find..." Allen interrupts "Look I'm going to leave this bag here and just go". An ackward pause fell over the two one the phone. Allen impatiently waiting for an answer to a question he never asked. A small bang cut through the silent tension and pieces of gravel around Allen's foot sprung up in different direction. The voice resumed "now Allen as I was saying, not following my instructions can be detrimental to your overall well being and Allen, I want nothing more than you to succeed." Allen slowly backs away from the phone booth. Suddenly he is hit in the chest and the wind is leaves his body as he gasped for air. The voice sternly states, "that was a rubber bullet, consider that a warning. I grow tired of your noncompliance...the next shot fired for your inability to listen with be from a .726 round. Trust that it will take more than the wind out of your sails." Allen slowly gets to his feet. Breathing heavily, he grabs the phone. "Ok ok, I'm listening. What do I have to do?" The voice calmly responds, "simple, in the duffle you have chosen to claim has $20,000 in it". Allen peeks inside the bag and quickly turns away, still listening. "It can all be yours. All is required from you is to take that bag which also has a black book in it" the voice continues. Allen reaching in the bag pushing aside the bundles of cash and pulls out the worn black book. He notices a rusty lock sealing the contents of this mysterious black book. "What's in here?" Asked Allen. "That is not your concern at the moment. Just know that I'm about 30 seconds the games will begin. You must take the book 25 blocks to diner at the end of the corner." Replied the voice. "And then what?" Allen quickly responds. The voice matter of fairly states, "the money is your." As Allen begins to hang the phone up, he hears the voice say, "oh and just be aware, you're not the only one that wants this book". Allen hangs up the phone and begins his 25 block journey. He cautiously travels through the street ever vigilant keeping his head on a swivel. Out of the darkness a voice yells, "there he is!". Allen looks into the darkness and a multitude of shadows begin to form. Frozen by the rustling of feet and racking of guns, Allen stillness is broken by the snarl of dogs. "Get em", blared a voice from the abyss. Allen takes off in a full sprint sliding and stumbles in his best hard bottom shoes. Out of breath, Allen tries to gain entry to the store fronts along the unusually quiet shopping district. Allen tries doors all up the block as he continues to run, but to no avail. The patter of feet and growls of the dogs grow closer as fatigue sets upon Allen. Like a mirage appearing in the desert, he spots a car. Allen runs up to the car and immediately tries to open the doors. All the doors are locked and with a dejected to on his face, Allen slides down and sits in front of the car. A breeze flys by Allen ear, followed by a loud bang. Allen peeks over the side of the car and more bullets ring out, ricocheting of the car and the ground beneath him. For a split second, but what seemed like a lifetime, Allen weighs his options. Knowing that this money can damn near change his life, he decides to drive on. Allen raises quickly and run across the street. Shoulder first, right into the door of a storefront. Allen explodes through the front door and lands ackwardly on his shoulder. Having played sports Allen realizes that his shoulder is out of socket. The adrenaline coursing through his veins gave him the strength he needed to pop his shoulder in place and continue out the back door. Breathing a sigh of relief, Allen catches his breath and proceeds to make his way out of the alley and to the diner. As he approaches the the meeting of the alley and the street, Allen slowly spies around the corner to see if the coast is clear. He looks in the opposite direction and before his eyes is the diner. Allen calms himself and patiently waits for the last guy to enter the store front. As soon as the coast was clear, Allen mustard uo enough strength and courage , he made a lighting dash to the diner. One of the dog quickly lifts his head catching a whiff of Allen's scent and started after him. Soon all the dogs were in pursuit. Allen makes it to the diner only to discover that the door is locked. Banging Ferociously on the door but to no answer. He looks back in a panic and observed the dogs closing the distance between them. Allen desperate, recklessly throws himself through the glass door. Laying on the ground, a man appears above him. "The book.", the man demanded. Allen slowly gets to his feet and hand the man the worn black book from the duffle bag. The man takes the book and smiles. Allen confused and relieved ask, "so that's it?". The man continues to smile, hands Allen the book and says, "here, read it" Allen grabs the book with his bruised hand and looks into the book. It read, " YOU' VE JUST GOT GOT BY THE NEW HIDDEN CAMERA PRANK AND PRIZE SHOW!" Suddenly bright lights and cameras surround Allen. Accompanied by cheering people, a man emerges from the crowd with a microphone and approaches Allen. "You've just got got, how does it feel" asked the gentleman with the microphone. Allen looks around at all the faces and a flood of emotions hit him at once. Allen exhales sharply and just as his mouth forms the word to be released from his tongue, he passes out.