Only One

Micheal

    "Alright, babe. On my way to work. See you later."

     That's what I said to my wife just before I walked out of the house, and in my truck, making my daily pilgrimage to work. God I hate this truck. The smell from the exhaust leave just below the cab never falls to hit my nostrils, and it's all I smell for the thirty minute trip.

     I was working insane hours at my job. Pulling close to 120 hours a week. It's not like I didn't ask for it. I have a baby on the way, and the extra cash has helped helped for the expenses of having a pregnant wife.

     A red prius passes by me. My brother, David. For our entire lives, we were inseparable. However, Life has a way of changing the little things. I got a job at J.R.'s Mechanic Shop, Moved into my own place with my soon to be wife, and started a life. My brother Got his job with Walmart, and after three years, got a manager position. He then moved two counties over into an apartment with affordable rent, but kept his old Job.

     As I passed my brothers car, raising up two fingers over the steering wheel as a wave, I said to myself," I gotta invite him over to the bar this weekend."

     I finally pulled into work, and walked inside, making my way to the office where I punched my time card and looked at the schedule. That's when Jerry, my Boss, came up behind me.

     "Micheal, how's that wife of yours?"

     "A little morning sickness today, but she started feeling better. We are just counting down the weeks now."

      "Well, wish her luck for me," Jerry said with a smile," I'm gonna need you to run the tow truck today. Danny isn't gonna make it in, and I have Jack covering your position."

      "Will do," I responded," Flat bed or wrecker?"
 
       "Might wanna grab the wrecker. First call is for an 18 wheeler over on Doster. Then a Casillac Escalate in Jamison."

       "18 wheel loaded?"
 
       "They got a truck on the way for the trailer, so you'll just be getting the tractor. Fairly easy. Fairly simple."

       I nodded my head and reached toward the wall, grabbing the keys for the old Peterbilt.

      I hated driving to Doster. Between the shop and the tractor, I'd have to pass through 15 different traffic lights, and with my luck, I'll catch every one on Red.

      Upon driving, my phone begins ringing. I rolled my eyes and looked at the caller ID. It was my wife, Pam.

      "Hey, babe," I said into the phone," Whats up?"

       "Just thought I'd call and see how busy you were. It gets lonely in this house."
 
       "I know," I chuckled," Now you know how I felt when I broke my leg."

        "Oh hush," Pan said, laughing through the phone," My moms coming over tonight for supper, and I was hoping you could stop by the store and pick up a gallon of milk and a pack of Beef? We're a little low here."
  
       "You're not cooking are you? I've been trying to tell you not to overdue it."

      "I am a strong independent woman," Pam reaponded," But mom will be here to help me."
 
      "OK, I got the list," I said," I'll pick it up when I get off."
  
      "Ok," my wife said," Be Careful out there. I love you."

      "I love you too," I said into the phone before ending the call.

       I pull onto the sight of the semi truck, and hop out to find the driver. The passenger side door was open, but no one was inside.

      "Hello?" I called out into the air," J.R.'s auto repair!"

      I shook my head and turned around, and was then met by a man wearing a pig mask. I spoked for a moment then said," Very funny, pal. Halloween come early?"

     The pig man just stood there, which raised my suspicion," OK, Look, if this isnt your truck, I'm gonna need you to leave."

      The person then quickly grabbed the back of my neck, bringing a rag to my face. Chloroform. I felt myself getting light headed before my eyes closed and all I saw was darkness.
###

      I woke up, head spinning a little. I was in some kind of room, but it was too dark to say for sure. There was a small pain in my chest, and the feeling that something wasn't right. I could see a yellow flash coming from under my shirt.

      "Hello?" I called out, is anyone there?"

      "Who's there?" A voice called out from the darkness.

       "Micheal?" Another voice called, but this one i knew.

        "David? Is that you?"

        Suddenly, a light came on, and I noticed where were seven other people in this room with me. I immediately looked under my shirt and saw that what was on my chest was some sort of device.

        "Good Morning, Sleepy Heads," A cracked voice said from a large speaker in the wall," I'll bet you're wondering where you are. Why you're here. All questions will be answered."

       "Who the hell are you!?" One man yelled from the group.

       "There is no need for introduction. Only playing the game."

       "The game?" One lady said from a car corner," What kind of game?"

       "Everyone believes the choice of life and death is theirs to make. You believe you are to choose the fate of another. Now, you make the choice in person. I will give you eight days. Each Day, one person must due, and it's the decision of your peers on who it is. Once a decision is made, the device implanted into your chest will activate, and a blade will peirce through your heart."

      "What the fuck kind of sick shit is this?" A large man asked," What the hell do you mean choose who dies!"

      "In exactly 24 hours, a choice must be made. Let's see how easy it is to decide the fate of someone once in their presence."
 
       The voice then disappeared and we all looked to eachother," What the hell is this?" David asked," Why?"

       "We need to find a way out," One of the men said," Check all doorways, search for windows."

       "Micheal," David called to me," Whats going on?"

        "I don't know," I responded to my brother," but we are gonna get out of here."

        "We are not getting out," One guy said from the far wall," He isn't gonna let us out of here until we finish the game."
 
         "What?" A lady asked," Who the hell are you?"

         "My name is Officer Zach Delton. I've seen this work before. Same M.O. Same fucked up recording. Same voice. Same game. He's called the Jigsaw Killer."

         "So, what? This guy has pleasure in killing people? Turning it into a game?"

         "No," Zach responded," His ultimate goal is to make others value life, and he has a sick and twisted way of doing it."

          "So, how do we win this game of his?"

           "We go by the rules," the cop answered," In 24 hours, one of us is going to die."

          "Well then we just don't pick a decision," David said," he said the choice was ours."

          "I'm sure he's got a backup plan for that," Zach responded," If you don't play the game, the conciquences will be fatal."

         I sat there, staring off into nothing, thinking about the last thing I said to my wife. God, if could go back to that moment, I would have told her how beautiful she was. How much I loved her. And how much I longed to see the first smile on our baby.