9-Forbidden

          Apparently the hidden rule that got the bald guy disqualified was that, once you eat a candy, you are forbidden to forcefully vomit until at least 5 minutes have passed.

          Janneth was aware of this rule, or maybe she just had a lucky guess… either way her experience saved her from being disqualified. When she ate her first candy she vomited after about 5 and a half minutes… This told me that this girl was way more dangerous than I originally thought…

          She wasn’t only an ex-winner… She was probably a winner multiple times throughout multiple games!! She even knew about the hidden rules…

          If I stay in the same group as her… well… I better not think about that and concentrate on this game instead!

          It was my turn. This is when I realized that from now onwards my turn is right after Janneth’s…

          I decided to go for candy number 14[1], since I knew that Josh would go for number next to mine, and candy number 4[2] was right next to Lithium, so I didn’t trust it…

          If I took number 5[3], then Josh would probably take number 4, so, just in case, I avoided them.

          Aaaand, just as I predicted Josh took number 15[4]. We can do this…

          The game continued with no one eliminated. This is what the table looked like after round 7 ended:

          We did it.

          We’re on the last round… This should be eas-

          „Ladies and gentlemen!! We’re here!! The final round of The Periodic Table of Doom!! For those that are watching the games for the first time, you should know that the final round of each game is a special round with rules that differ from the rules of the previous rounds in the game! “

          what?

          What??

          WHAT???

          D-Did the voice s-say rules that differ from the rules we used so far?!!?

          shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit

          fuck

          This is bad. This is very fucking bad.

          Will they even tell us the rules? Or are these new rules hidden? If they are than we’re fucked!! What do I do-

          „As for the final rules for this game, they are the same as for the previous rounds... BUT!! All the players here have a choice. They can either take one candy and be declared a winner... OR they can take multiple candies and be declared a winner. If you choose option one you will win 5 000 dollars! But with option two, well... The reward can be as much as four times that!! Or, heck, even more!! For every candy you take above 1, we will give you an additional 1 000 dollars!! So if, for example, you decide to eat 4 candies, you will be given an extra 3 000 dollars, for a total of 8 grand!! “

          I started sweating. This was the worst possible rule.

          „Oh, phew.“, Josh said. I looked at him terrified. „I was afraid it would be something worse, but it’s only optional, so we don’t even have to worry.“, he said, as he looked at me.

          „W-What’s going on, are you alright?“, he asked me, „You really don’t look good. Relax! We won this!“, he said with a smile.

          „Josh...“, I started, „You don’t understand... This... This is the worst possible outcome...“

          Josh looked at me a bit worried. „W-What do you mean? It’s... It’s optional to take multiple candies, isn’t it?“

          „Aaaaaaand START THE FINAL ROUND!! “, the voice from the speakers said. The crowd was going crazy. They, same as I, knew what was about to happen...

          Janneth.

          It was her turn...

          She looked at me with a menancing smile on her face. Then I looked at Josh. Looks like he realized what I meant.

          We were done for.

          Janneth took, with one quick motion, took 9 candies at once and put them in her mouth. She was chewing them and laughing at the same time. The only candies left on the table were candies number 3 (Lithium), 4, 54 and above!

          „The first winner of this room!! Janneth Gloria!! She took 9 candies, which means she has won a total of 13 000 dollars!! If you count the 5 thousand she got for attending the games that would mean her total earned money is an astonishing 18 000 dollars!! And it’s only game 1!! This woman is outstanding!! “

          As she swallowed the candies she got up from her seat and posed victoriously with one arm above her head. We could hear the crowd cheering like crazy again, but this time it wasn’t from the speakers. This time, the crowd was so loud we could hear them from this room, which is so far from where the crowd is.

          Tears started flowing from my eyes.

          It was over.

          Every candy left is probably dangerous.

          „What do-What do we do now?“, Josh asked me. I could see that his hopes of winning were lost. I didn’t know how to answer, so I just looked away and closed my eyes.

          „AHAHAHAHAH! I WON!! I’m out of here! This was so easy! Goooooodbye!“, Janneth said as she winked at us and left the room.

          „Janneth Gloria, a winner, decided to leave the games... Another winner to do so! The game continues! “, we heard from the speakers.

          So she payed 10 000 to get out of these games... Smart... I would do the same if I was her. Plus she walked out with 8 grand left, soooo...

          „You got one minute left.“, one of the guards said to me.

          I was crying. What the hell was I supposed to do now?? We were all basically forbidden of taking any of the remaining candies!!

          „40 seconds.“

          SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!!

          I wiped tears from my eyes and looked at the table one more time.

          Candies number 3 and 4 are deffinitely out of question, since Janneth wouldn’t leave them for no reason... That leaves candies 54 and above...

          „20 seconds.“

          Shit! Umm... UHM-MM-

          „10 seconds.“

          „AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“, I screamed as I took a candy and swallowed it.

          ...

          ...

          Am I... Am I alive?

          „Kenneth Kelley just won game 1 of The Element Games! Congratulations! The game continues! “, the speakers said.

          I couldn’t hold myself... „I DIIIIIDDDD IIITTTT!!!!“, I yelled and stood up! „AAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!“, tears of joy started forming in my eyes. I survived!

          I sat down and looked at Josh. He was really afraid right now, because it was his turn.

          „S-Should I take t-that one?“, he whispered to me. I knew what he was asking. He meant ’do I take the candy next to yours, as I did until now?’

          And I didn’t know the answer to that question.

          I was in this situation now, where life of my friend is basically in my hands... If I tell him to take the candy, the candy has a high chance of being poisonous, than again, if I tell him not to take the candy next to the one I took, it’s a huge gamble...

          We are gamblers... but very unlucky once, especially Josh, who was in a much bigger dept then I was... If I remember correctly it was over 10 000 dollars...

          Fuck.

          I don’t know what to do.

          „You have a minute left.“, the guard told Josh.

          Josh was still looking at me. He was desperately waiting for my answer.

          The thing is... I took a very high-numbered candy... Number 91[5] to be precise... I don’t even know what it is.

          „30 seconds.“

          AAAAAAA. „Yes...“, I told him... I can’t let Josh pick a candy alone... Knowing his luck... it’s better this way.

          Josh ate candy number 92[6].

          „Josh Kahlon just won game 1! Congratulations, the game continues! “

          I hope this was the right choice...