Escaping the Island: You are Invited!

“We should pursue this,” a man in his forties said firmly as he swiped the slides of the PowerPoint presentation and showed the picture of an island. “This will surely gather the people’s attention, the things that will be gathered there will cost a lot, and the vlogging of the possible participants will be found interesting because they do not know this kind of island exists.” The room became silent, the six people inside looked at the person seated at the head of the table with a huge smirk on his face, so proud of his choice, so satisfied as if he could already envision everything that would happen in his mind. They were currently inside one room of a huge and posh building, the room was dimly lit as they were currently showing the PowerPoint presentation on the huge screen that was enough to light the room up and see each other’s faces. “Are you sure about that, sir?” the woman on his left, the secretary and also one of the executives, asked. “We want to let you know that it will not only be about fun, adventure, and all, there would also be a few lives at stake knowing that this island was so mysterious.” “I know,” he answered, still smirking. “This island has been on our line of choices for about years since the foundation until now. Don’t you think it’s time to finally get this one out of the choices?” “He’s right. If not now, then when? The problem would be how many people will participate and if there will be people participating at all? How are we going to attract them?” the man on the very last seat interjected. “You know very well that a man’s weakness is money. Put two hundred million as the money prize in exchange for the things the participants have to do there,” the man replied, taking the champagne on the mahogany table and sipping on it. “Do advertisements around social media, anyone who will click on it will know about this.” “Are you really sure about this, sir? There was a rumor before that there was a living monster there, right? No one has ever survived among those people who came there.” “That’s one thing they have to know, they have to find out if the rumor is true. Aside from that rumor, we are sure that there are a lot of diamonds and gemstones there, plus the fossils that would certainly cost a lot.” “What would be the name of the adventure?” “Escaping the Island.” Scrolling through his cell phone with his feet up high on the armrest of his seemingly about to give out settee while munching on the day before the expiration bar of chocolate, Stuart scrunched his nose up when he found a picture of a kid on the internet without a top, face smudged with dirt, eyes pleading, sitting on the sidewalk with his hands opened as if asking for an alms to someone in the picture which happened to be him. He scoffed before muttering to himself, “I can barely have a penny for myself, kid. Lucky you, you are a kid, and unlucky you, you are a kid.” He scrolled it up with a powerful scroll until his hand went past the screen and the timeline of his social media continuously scrolled. He was still muttering to himself about the kid and the hardships brought by poverty that he hoped the person who took that picture would even give something to the poor kid instead of just using him for likes and shares or for popularity because that was how heartless humans had become. The sound of the door being banged by probably the delivery that he ordered his food onto had taken his attention from his phone and his almost expired chocolate that he put on the wooden table in front of him which was full of books that he was done or just in the middle of reading. He went toward the door and opened it. The food he ordered from this certain fast-food came with the delivery boy’s blank expression as he lent his hand, asking for the p*****t. He gave his only money of the day and took the plastic from his hand, a happy hum coming out of his mouth as he went back to his too crowded and dirty living room which connected to his uncovered kitchen. He took out the foods that he ordered, taking out one box of rice and chicken and a drink as he saved the rest for later this evening, or if he could, for tomorrow's meal too since he basically had spent everything for it. He just had lost his work a few weeks ago, being poor really had a lot of disadvantages most of the time. He was working at a jewelry shop before, and to say that he acted weird and aloof most of the time and chose to always be out of someone else's business, he had become the target of bullying and so when there was a plotted robbery, he was pointed as the thief, and without even further investigation, he was fired in his work. How unfair life can really be. While he was busy eating, the loud heavy metal music from the neighbor was his only background music. He was bobbing his head along with it while munching the cheap fried chicken that he always ordered. He had a television, but he feared to open it as the cost of electricity would surely be giving him the thought of just wanting to be electrocuted by the amount of rent he needed to pay. And speaking of… “Stuart!” The loud, ear-piercing, and always a high-pitched voice of his landlady boomed outside and inside of his loft and knocked on his deteriorating door that if the woman would continuously knock on it with that force, the whole decrepit house would break down. And before that could even happen, he immediately opened it with a drumstick in his hand and an irritated expression yet immediately changed into a forced smile, “Mrs. Banks, what do I owe this pleasure of-” “Your three-month due rent fee p*****t?” She cut him off even before he could complete his sentence. “Where is it?” He scratched his head with his oily fingers. “Uh, you know, I looked for you to pay last week but you are not there, so-” “So where is it?” she asked again, her hand lent in front of him and waiting for it to be filled with the cash she was expecting to get right now. “I was fired from my job, Mrs. Banks, I know it’s already been three months, but please, give me more time to find another job. I promise to give you my first salary once I found one, please, please…” he pleaded, having no other choice but to do it because, as what he had done earlier, he had spent everything with the food he was eating now, and not even a single penny was left with him right now. “You have the money to buy yourself food while you can’t even give me a hundred dollars for everything that you used in here? My electricity, the water consumption, the comfort of this house!?” He flinched and closed his eyes because of how tumultuous her voice was. He thought the other people in the neighborhood also heard it as they lowered the volume of the music. “I have spent a lot of money for you, Mister Stuart,” she said with dismay, her teeth already gritted as if she wanted to hit him but scared that this smart boy would file a case of harassment and would earn money from her instead of the other. “You go out of this house in a week, if I see you still here around that time, I will sue you and drag you out myself. You only brought stress to me.” “Mrs. Banks, I will pay you, I promise. Don’t be like this.” The woman started marching out with stomps on her steps, muttering words about how unfortunate she was for letting him stay there. “No! I’ve had enough! Find someone else kind enough to…” He didn’t hear any of her words anymore as she marched and walked out of the narrow path until he couldn’t see her anymore. His shoulder sagged as he went back inside his house with a dejected sigh. He sat on the chair and ate the rest of the chicken, making sure that everything was eaten. He couldn’t waste any of it now, could he? This might really be his last best meal. He sighed once more, picked up his phone on the table, and leaned his back on the backrest of the couch. When he opened it, the first thing that he saw was an advertisement for a certain page named WIC Company. Upon reading what it was, it stated about a free adventure, something about an out-of-the-world journey that everything was even sponsored and free. Free. That one word was enough for Stuart to show interest as he stared at the advertisement. It was not only that. It was crazy how they were offering free adventure, at the same time, a huge amount of money was also given for those who would get to successfully do what the organization wanted from them, and also document the journey. When he pressed the page, he found the company to be real. There were videos and pictures of people who looked like they were exploring and traveling happily in their outfits and enjoying expressions. They were thanking the page for the opportunity of free traveling and the p*****t for vlogging their travels for a huge amount of money. “Is this really real?” he uttered to himself. The statement seemed too good to be true. Yet, there was no wrong to try. Nothing would be lost on him at all. He looked through the advertisement again and opened the link. He waited for a moment, the data suddenly slowing so he had to come out of the house to find a good internet service, but when the link opened, the great disappointment he felt was immense as it only redirected him to another link which showed an online application, waiting to be downloaded. “Of course,” he muttered to himself with a frown as he glared and cursed the advertisement mentally. "Of course, it is indeed too good to be true. Who would get two hundred million dollars that easily? Only fools will believe that.” He huffed and marched inside the house, cleaning the garbage around his house, and went to the kitchen to throw them. It was already three in the afternoon, and with all that had happened in his life for the past few weeks, he hated how he was born poor and was left by his irresponsible parents to live alone to himself and fight the cruelty of the world alone. He had been unfortunate the day he was born, and right now, he was still on the bottom of life. He did not finish higher education and only finished high school, he had to work so he could have something on his plate to eat every day and a place to sleep safely. His eyes were already wide open with the cruelty of the world, he thought he had already experienced every unfortunate event a person could experience for the record***** by parents, accused of stealing, did not eat anything at all one day but only water, stepped on a poop, name it. He could only hope to no one that his sufferings would end anytime soon, but it seemed that whoever it was and whatever it was that he was hoping to hear him was deaf not to give him the only thing he wanted. He plopped on the couch that served to be his bed as well as the house only consisted of a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, which was all with this decrepit house. He closed his eyes, all he did these past few days was to sleep and curse his life, and today was not an exemption. He was cursing the men who blamed him for something he did not do, the companies who did not accept his application and those who were still not calling him, those who made him like a fool before back in high school, his parents, and of course, though the gratefulness was more than the curse he was giving now to Mrs. Banks, he couldn’t stop himself but cursed her now for not trusting him more than he will pay him. Basically, he was cursing his life, and he knew it wouldn’t change unless a miracle happened. He didn’t know he fell asleep with that thought. He woke up by a simple ding on his phone, indicating that a notification came. He scratched his phone and stretched his arms and back, groaning as he turned from left and right before taking his phone to see the time. It was already seven in the evening, he slept for three or more hours. He sat properly, sighing as he put the phone back down. It was only an email, probably from one of the companies he applied to telling him that they had already found someone more capable and applicable to the position than him. He was so fed up with that kind of email so he just let that one go and stood up to get his leftovers earlier to eat his dinner. After he ate, he went back to the couch and decided to look through his phone notifications, all of which were about the same messages, ‘We’re sorry to inform you…’ he was not surprised reading those at all that even the woman he was pursuing rejected him, it didn’t feel anything at all, he just seen it and that was all. His life was basically boring. He didn’t have close friends, he was aloof and didn’t communicate much with anyone at all, it’s not like someone tried to befriend him. Maybe some did, but because of the level of their lives and he was basically a zero out of ten when it comes to social status, he couldn’t keep up with them. He did them a favor though, after all, people would only like someone when they have something in life. But if they were basically nothing, then that was all they were. Along the surge of unread rejection notifications, one strange email had made him stop scrolling from all of those. His forehead creased as he let out a confused noise. There was a non-reply notification email in there that he didn’t remember when, how, why, where and who it came from. He pressed the notification and directed him to that email, and his eyes just bulged upon reading the answers of the previous WH questions he had just in mind. Subject: You are invited! Hi, Stuart Hargraves Good day! I hope you are having a fantastic night. It has come to us your oozing interest with our offer about the fun, and indeed out-of-the-world adventures we have prepared for people who love adventure just like you. You might have probably found it from the advertisement we spread throughout the internet. This adventure is what we called “Escaping the Island”. As we have stated, everything is free and provided. The prize of two billion dollars is also legitimate if you are wondering, but of course, there is something you have to do. Don’t fret! It’s not something you can’t do. If you want to learn more and are still interested, you can come to our building, just say the words “I am invited” to our frontdesk staff and you’re good. The address is attached under this email. We want to hear something from you personally. Best regards, Mia Cruz Quest Organization East Rd. Greenhill City His mouth fell open upon reading everything, all he thought the advertisement that he pressed was just a mere virus that stealthily infiltrated his phone that he couldn’t care about actually, but upon reading now that it came from this company, he didn’t know how to feel. It sounded enticing, to be honest, the amount of money that he would receive if he managed to get out of the island, wherever that would be, was enough to live the way he wanted even before and without doing anything because he was basically one of the richest people around the world. However, at the same time, it seemed that everything sounded skeptical. If he would get that amount of money, then there would be something crazy to do. But the email said it was something he cannot do, unless they were lying which might probably be the case. But still, it was a great amount of money. Basically all that he could see was the amount of money, the things he could do with it, and the face of those who did him wrong, and no more else. He did not need to release money because everything is free and provided so what could he lose, right? He spent more time thinking about it, rereading the email, and since he couldn’t reply, all of his questions were starting to pile up, and only the organization could answer those, and if something sounded suspicious enough or if he heard something unpleasant, then he wouldn’t accept it. But right now, he has decided to come there tomorrow.