The music was loud in the basement lounge as people laughed, played games, and balanced cups on wobbly tables. It had been Marco's turn to take part in the infamous “Mystery Dare Cup” challenge — a silly game where players drew random slips of paper with harmless dares written on them.
Marco had been sure his luck was unbeatable. He had won the last two rounds and walked around with the smug confidence of someone who expected the streak to continue. But this time, the paper he pulled read:
“Handcuffs + Box of Shame. Don’t worry, your friends will decide what that means.”
The group burst into laughter. It was meant to be harmless — a gag. Jalen, the self-appointed “party referee,” produced a pair of handcuffs. The idea was just to wear them for a photo and take a lap around the room.
But the cuffs clicked tighter than expected.
Marco realized quickly these weren’t the breakaway toy ones.
The laughter around him died down as his expression shifted from dramatic performance… to genuine frustration.
“Hey—okay—guys, these are real,” he said through clenched teeth.
