[ WP ] A form of entertainment has been developed where people are brought to the brink of death and then teleported to medics who normally revive them . The longer you wait , the more money you earn . You have just lost everything and with no other choice you enter the games .

*If you have nothing to lose, you have everything to gain. * 
 
 It was hard to tell whether the slogan painted above the door to the arena was designed to give people hope, or destroy them before they started. Maco stood a few feet away from the thin sheet of metal that separated him from the Pain Centre. He could hear the crowd clearly. 
 
 Countless voices merged into one transparent cloud of sound. They were here to see him bleed. They had paid good money to see a man with nothing face the prospect of death, just so that he could make enough cash to survive in a world that no longer wanted him. Death did n't seem like a bad outcome. 
 
 `` The door will open in ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven, six...'' 
 
 The metallic voice faded away. Maco filled his lungs with the cold, stale air that resided inside the chamber and puffed out his chest. 
 
 `` This is it boy,'' he said in as deep a voice as he could muster. 
 
 The same four words his father once used to force Maco to focus still had an effect on him. This *was* it. His future was about to be defined, one way or another. The sheet slid away, letting the full force of the roar hit Maco like a wave. He did n't hesitate. He could n't. He walked forward slowly and with purpose. 
 
 He kept his gaze locked on the chair that was dead centre of the space, about 20 feet away. He did n't dare look around at the twisted faces of the people who were watching his every move. Their words were bad enough. 
 
 `` You're gon na die asshole, your life is over.'' 
 
 `` I hope you suffer you piece of crap.'' 
 
 `` Who's this loser? He ai n't even gon na last five seconds.'' 
 
 `` Hey look, it's the walking dead. Walking dead! Walking dead!'' 
 
 He reached the chair. 
 
 * 
 
 Having sliced vertically through the skin on his left arm, the scalpel attached to the automated robotic arm moved across and pierced the flesh of his right wrist. Maco could feel the blood pouring from his wounds, but the head strap pulled tightly across his brow stopped him from looking. The small blade started opening up the flesh on his right arm like scissors through paper, carving though him easily. Part of him was glad he could n't see what was happening, the sight must have been horrendous. The crowd cheered louder as his pain increased. 
 
 `` Why are you people enjoying this? Why do you want to see me suffer?'' he thought. 
 
 He gritted his teeth so hard that he thought his jaw was about to shatter. The large digital stopwatch directly in his eye line ticked over to nine minutes and 30 seconds. Half a minute left to wait, that was it. 
 
 `` C'mon man, you can make it. C'mon you bastard.'' 
 
 He shut his eyes and saw his father. 
 
 `` This is it boy. This is your chance. Only you can choose the life you want. So choose a good one. I know you can.'' 
 
 He could feel death creeping nearer, time was up. Maco opened his eyes. 9:59. 
 
 `` Now!'' he yelled. 
 
 * 
 
 `` You're lucky, you did n't have long left. It'll be a while before you can even think about leaving though.'' 
 
 There was no sympathy in the medic's voice. They probably did n't get paid enough to care. 
 
 `` Hmm,'' was all Maco could reply with. 
 
 The medic walked away, leaving him alone in the comfortable white bed. It was soft and easy, like the future he'd have access to. But it did n't feel right. None of it. It did n't feel like something he'd be able to enjoy. 
 
 `` I should have died on that chair,'' he thought. 
 
 * 
 
 *'' This is it boy. This is your chance. Only you can choose the life you want. So choose a good one. I know you can. But will you? `` * 
 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 I hope you liked reading my take on /u/TheTrueFlexKavana's prompt. 
 
 If you did, why not check out my novel, [ The promise she made ] ( http: //www.amazon.com/dp/B01CC31H9A/ref=cm_sw_su_dp ). Thanks: ) 
 
 Or if you have any feedback I'd love to hear it. 
 
 /r/NeedlessTautology
