How far would you go to get something you needed? How badly do you want it? That day I was willing to spend the rest of my money in a casino. You see I was down on my luck desperately and I had bills to pay. I was struggling to find work and soon with no money I would be out on the street. All I needed was my big prize but I ended with nothing and everything gone. The rush that I got from playing turned into despair. I was filled with stunned depression. What could I do but walk away from the machine? How would I explain this to my wife and kids?
I whined to myself but then I heard a clunk behind me. A piece of paper had floated out of the machine and dropped in the tray. I walked over and picked it up to read it. It said “if I wanted my money back I would need to leave an item that is precious to me in the tray” my head turned looking from left to right and I laughed, I thought this must be a prank. I was that desperate and down on my luck I would try anything. My hands patted my coat and I realised I had nothing interesting on me. I wore a ring which I hadn’t taken off for 16 years but I put it in the tray knowing this was a joke and it wouldn’t work. It’s like when you’re on the sofa and pretend to use the force you want the can of beer to float to your hand but you know it’s not actually gonna happen. But this time it actually did.
The metal ring disappeared with the note. I was astonished and in disbelief but more annoyed that no money had come out. Once I had pulled the level the money began to pour. I took it all with glee and happiness, sweeping the money into my pockets. Now the money was in my pockets, I put it into my bank account. I came back to the machine to find another note. In the same inked writing it said betray someone’s trust and double my money. I should have stopped here but I had the same amount of money that I had started with. I wasn’t able to solve all my problems with all of that.
Betraying a friend’s trust: how could I betray a friend’s trust? The only friend I had was my best friend at school. We used to be roommates at university. I could tell him a lie that could lose his trust or I could tell someone his secret. I picked up the phone and called his partner. Without hesitation I told her he was thinking about breaking up with her but didn’t want to do it because it was her birthday. I had no hesitation in telling her because I wanted to get the reward so quickly, which I did. As soon as I finished saying it I hung up the phone and pushed the level. I had double my money but there was no piece of paper. This was still not enough I said to myself. I played the game with the money I had won but nothing came out, one go became two and two became three this kept happening until I had lost it all again. It was like most addictions, it started as fun and began to turn into a horrible mentally draining habit.
As desperation sunk in again I heard the lever had dropped and the paper appeared. It said “Quit my job”.I had no job. I said in my head, “what could it mean to quit my job” the only job I had was eBay which I was using to keep my family afloat while I was looking for one. It wasn’t a job but it was the closest thing I had to a job. how would I quit eBay I guess delete the app and my account. I did this but there was no other letter so I repeated the cycle of playing and lost all of my money. I had later driven home thinking of what would happen when they found out that I had gambled all our money away. At the door was my wife and at the table was my friend from uni. I had asked to talk to my Wife in private and we went into the kitchen. She was severely annoyed at me and even more annoyed that I told my friend’s wife his secret. My mouth stayed still and I was left in silence. It’s not like I could say that the piece of paper told me to do it. Her face began to get stirn as she noticed my hand without a ring. She told me to pack my things and I left sobbing. I was left on the street with no money, no wife and no friends. The machine gave me the money but took away the things I would need when I lost it, family, support and friends.