on the set of a game show

"Welcome to.... okay, I should've thought of a name ahead of time."

The audience applauds, the noise startling you awake. You're on a huge, glitzy stage that is immediately recognizable as the set of a game show. You're standing behind a podium, and you can't make out what's behind you from the bright lights in your eyes. In front of you is your sister, holding an old fashioned microphone and wearing a tight-fitting parody of a professional suit, with a low-cut white button-up and tie tucked into leg-hugging slacks and a thin jacket tight around her waist, emphasizing the hourglass of her body.

"Hey, Sarah," you say, groggily. "What the Hell is going on?"

Your stepsister laughs. "I wanted to have some fun! What's more fun than a game? And in this game... well, uh... you're gonna, uh, have to do some stuff!" The audience applauds and you look at your sister questioningly.

"You didn't think this through very well, did you?"

"Hey, shut up! I didn't have time to come up with a script. Anyway, you're gonna have to complete some challenges. If you fail, you get a penalty! And if you can make it through, just so it's fair, something will happen to me, too!"

You wonder what kind of punishment she's talking about, but there's no way she'll tell you. "What kind of challenges?" You realize for a moment that you're being a little nonchalant about this. A part of you thinks you should be freaking out more, but you shrug it off.

"An excellent question! But it's one that you'll find out for yourself... very soon!" She smiles at you and you're about to ask her a question before you feel dizzy and your vision blurs.

You hate parties, and this is one of the worst ones you've been to. Loud and cramped and it smells like sweaty guys. Even the women at this party smell like sweaty guys. You take a sip of your warm beer and grimace. You consider leaving before you see her, standing alone on the outskirt of some conversation. You know you should go over and talk to her. You know you should. It's your chance. But she doesn't want to talk to you. You'd just annoy her. You take a step towards her and falter. You want to walk up to her but your legs aren't moving. You're not moving them. You close your eyes and focus and take a few more steps forward. You lurch forwards again but you bump into someone and your beer spills. You turn to the person you bumped into but they're gone and when you look back so is the girl. The world blurs around you.

"Oh, too bad, bro, too bad!" A clip of you bumping into a guy are playing on repeat on the big screen. "I really thought you had it for a second! Time for the punishment."

Your mouth is a little bit dry. But you get the idea now: this is your sister's way of making fun of you for being a little socially anxious. "That was a low blow, Sis."

Your sister giggles. "Call it my intuition you wouldn't be good at a party. Now, here's how this'll work: I've got a bunch of punishments loaded in to the machine and each time you get punished there'll be three options. Two of them will be shown and the third one is random. They've also got kinda silly names so even I won't know exactly what they do." The audience Ooh's.

"Okay, I take it back a little bit, Sis, this is really elaborate."

She shrugs. "It's fun! Now, let's see what these options are."

Well, you'd been starting to have almost a good time bantering with your sister. But the words which pop up onscreen at your sister's prompt kill your mood immediately.

"Option 1: The Root of the Problem!

"Option 2: Endowment for the Arts!

"Option 3: that's the random option!"

The audience claps after each option. You gulp.

"Now," says your sister with a flourish, "I think I'm gonna have to pick..."