This is it. This is the true moment of fate. You either make some money, or you start a tab that you will have to beg your parents to pay when they ever ultimately come to get you. Against your better judgment, you find yourself drawn back towards the bright lights and tempting sounds of the slot machine. The thrill of hitting the jackpot, the promise of turning your fortunes around - it's too alluring to resist.

You lean in to hone your focus. The machine whirs to life, the reels spinning faster and faster as you grip the lever, your heart pounding in your chest.

The seconds feel like an eternity as you watch the symbols align, your breath catching in your throat. Come on, come on... then, suddenly, the machine erupts in a cacophony of lights and sounds. A win! A whole dollar!

A surge of exhilaration rushes through you, and you can't help but let out a triumphant whoop. Lady Luck has finally smiled upon you, and you feel invincible. With your newfound winnings, the possibilities seem endless.

But as the euphoria begins to fade, a nagging sense of unease creeps in. Was this really the best course of action? The thrill of the win may be fleeting, and the risk of losing it all again looms large. Still, you can't help but wonder... what if you push your luck just a little further?

The temptation is just too much. You let the reels off on another round. The excitement is like electricity in your veins. You feel alive again. Back on top.

For a very short time, that is.

Your next spin hits hard as you lose two dollars. That puts you in the negatives. You sigh painfully and watch the counter slowly wind down showing your dollar disappear, then - the second it switches to the negative - everything changes.

The sounds around you fade out as if you have cotton in your ears. The lights seem dimmer with a hint of gray making the whole once bright and vibrant scene seem duller and foreboding. You look around to see if you are just hearing and seeing things. Where once, the people around you were laughing and chattering with excitement in the electric air, now, everyone was hunched over their machines with dread on their faces and fear in their eyes. No one chatted happily. Even the lights from the machines seem dull. Everything around you went from bright and beautiful, to dark and worn. What has happened?

You slide off your stool to stand and look around. This doesn't even look like the same casino you entered.

"Where are you going?" The Top Hat Man is suddenly next to you again. He was always vanishing and reappearing. Except this time, he has lost his vibrancy as well. His once red coat is black. Instead of glitter falling from his apparel, his clothing seems to be made of a black mist, the tendrils of smoke coming off him while he moves his arms around. He still very much has that same enthusiastic energy. "Is this the end of your game? Are you glad that you came?"

"What's going on?" You feel an overwhelming sense of dread. Everything is wrong. This isn't right at all. You start to inch for the door.

"You can't leave yet." The man smiles widely, his teeth all pointed into a row of fangs, "You got to play! Now you must pay!"

"I..." You stutter, "I told you... I don't have any money! My parents will pay you when they get here!"

"Playing here doesn't cost a dime!" The man laughs hysterically, "All it costs you is your time." He approaches you swiftly. Before you can even react, he has you by the shoulders, his black gloved fingers gripping you like talons. His once cheerful and singsong tone becomes harsh and menacing. "No need to fear. You only owe me a year." In that moment, you feel a gust of wind get knocked out of you like a sucker punch to the gut. The rush of breath is sucked up by the man like some long spaghetti noodle. Your lifeforce - his snack.

He releases you and you stumble backwards, losing your balance and falling back onto your rear. You hold your stomach, not even exactly sure what just happened to you. A year? You paid him a year?

"Your debt has been collected." The man says gleefully. "One full year you lack. Unless you mean to win it back?" He grins deviously.

Fear floods all your senses. You just got a year of your life sucked out of you. You look around to see everyone else gambling like their lives depend on it. Now you understand - they do.

A year.

A whole year.

Gone.

Just like that.

Unless.

Unless you play.

But your luck hasn't been great. You could walk away a year short. Or risk more to get it back.

To run out the door screaming - Select page 15

To play again - Select page 16