Keep the Apple

"What's that, Brent?" Monty's grin never wavered as the microphone was pushed into my face.

"I said Nope, I'm keeping the Apple."

"He's KEEPING the apple... Ok, you sit back down, and just wait there, because I've got to show Kaila what you just gave up..."

He moved back up the aisle, standing directly next to Kaila.

"Are you excited sweetheart?" Monty smiled, extending the microphone to Kaila.

"I'm... wow... this is just too much, I always..."

"And that's not all... show us what's behind, CURTAIN NUMBER TWO!" Monty waved his hand, happily, and the board was pushed back to reveal a Small Set of various Destinations, all placed on tasteful shag carpeting.

The harp sounded again as the music swelled.

"We've got... India, China and Persia!"

Kaila's hands flew to her forehead, and she screamed with delight as the voice from above began speaking loudly.

"India, China and Persia! Three of the most populous and powerful countries on the planet! Domain over their people, guidance over their culture, and best of all, adulation from human governments that place a firm value on conformity and following orders! But that's not all! We also have.... A BRAND NEW MILITARY!"

The set spun to reveal pictures of hazmat suits, molotov cocktails, riots and cyberattacks.

"The KGB and CIA Brand Fourth Generational Warfare! Far more fuel efficient and effective than the old methods of punishing the peasants for the sins of their leaders! Now simply creating a small destruction in one area is more than enough to cow entire civilizations! With it's propaganda inspired design and smooth and easy handling, you'll find that entire years worth of mythology and fear will be ascribed to you with just the touch of a button! KGB and CIA! It's just business! Combined with the previous prizes, a prize package worth at least six THOUSAND, fifty years, and Four Months of adulation and praise!"

Kaila screamed again with delight, jumping up and down with excitement, and hugging Monty with Gusto.

"Yes... yes... Later dear, later. Glad that's her ex up there, because I might be looking at a punch in the snoot." Monty disentangled himself from Kaila, who sat down happily, nearly bouncing in her seat.

He glanced over at me, and the apple that I still held.

"We've got Brent, over here... still hanging onto that Apple. So... I think you need to hang onto that a little longer, really get a feel for it, before I open up that envelope. So, instead, what I'm going to do... is I'm going to reach into my other pocket here... And pull out these three Wallets."

The crowd again shrieked to the sound of the applause button.

Monty held up three small wallets in his hand. Each of them was marked with a different color band, one Blue, one White, and one Red.

"Now, what I'm going to do... well, first I'm going to give one to YOU, dear... and you dear..." Monty reached across the aisle to both sides, and it took me a moment to recognize the woman in the Line Cook Costume who got the first wallet as Carla. She had so much grease and various stains on her face that she had almost been un-noticeable the entire time. After noting that I quickly snapped my vision to the other side and saw a woman who I'd never seen before in a Hawk Girl costume, it looked like. Her hair was big and brassy, and the outfit was a bit more sexualized than I would have expected.

"We have... Carla, From New York, New York, and Nikki From Chicago, Illinois. Here to make deals on Let's Make A Deal. Now, I've got ONE more wallet, and I'm going to offer it to the Surfer down in front for that Apple. He's shaking his head, so this wallet's going to go back into my pocket for now... too bad, could have been huge, but he's got a feeling about that Envelope, don't You, King of the Beach?"

The sign flashed "Laugh" again, and the crowd complied.

"So... first off. We'll start with Carla here... Carla from... oh that's your sister. Oh, the Fenstruck sisters... I should have seen the resemblance. Clearly a hard working girl, is that... is that cookie for Uncle Monty? Oh I should think it's just not fair that you two get two prizes, but... well, you got one over on me, and I think we leave it up to..."

The entire audience cheered in time with the flashing "Applause" sign.

"What the heck, it's not every day you get surprises like this on Let's Make A Deal. And speaking of surprises, Carla... I bet you're wondering what's in that wallet. What if I told you it was either one year, or a thousand years?"

Carla smiled, clasping her hand over her mouth as she stared at the wallet in her hand.

"Now that would be really nice, wouldn't it? A thousand years of worship. You could really get some wonderful things done with that much power. Of course, That also goes for each of the other two wallets. The one in my pocket and the one that... what's your name again my little chicken hawk?"

The audience tittered.

"Nikki... Nikki has in her hand right there... Don't open it yet we haven't made a deal yet... She's VERY excited I can tell."

Nikki bounced up and down, the lovely little harness on her back bouncing in time with the motion of her low cut blouse and rather attractive tits.

"But ok, Nikki... Carla... now... both of you listen... each of your wallets may have a year of worship, might have a thousand years of worship. But, if you have a year of worship... I'll trade that year for what's behind Curtain number ONE or THREE!"

A Short haired woman in a lovely green vest gestured elegantly to the patchwork curtain that she stood in front of.

"In fact, I'll tell you what... I'll let Brent here Trade either one of you your wallet for that Apple in his hand. He'll get a chance at whatever is behind one of those curtains, and you'll get the Apple! Think about That one for a second, Brent. A guaranteed Thousand years of worship, or what's behind the curtains, as opposed to the five hundred that you know is with that Apple."

I shook my head, noting that Monty hadn't moved from his position between the two ladies.

"Nope... still sticking with that good feeling. Well... guess it's up to you ladies... but let me just take this out of my pocket and show you..."

Monty pulled the red banded wallet from his pocket, and opened it, revealing a large blue piece of paper with the number one thousand written on it. The crowd sighed with disappointment as Monty shrugged his shoulders and replaced the wallet and note within his pocket.

"So... we know that one of those wallets had a thousand years... now, Carla..."

He turned to Carla, who shook a bit nervously, holding the wallet in front of her face.

"So, you know you've got either the curtain, or a thousand years in that wallet."

The crowd began shouting loudly, the words "Wallet" and "Curtain" competing with each other in raucous cacophony.

"Hold on, Hold on, you're about five minutes ahead of me here, folks," Monty laughed raising his hands and generating another huge guffaw from the audience.

"Unless! Brent wants to give either of you a guaranteed chance at the five hundred years of worship and take the chance on the curtain himself! Since he's the one who's going to be doing this deal with me..."

The man walked right down next to me again, encouraging me to stand up.

"So... what's it going to be? You've been hanging onto that Apple a long time... wondering about it. What if I was to tell you there was at least a guaranteed seven hundred and fifty years worth of worship in that envelope. In fact, what if I was to offer you that Thousand Years that I took out of that wallet to just call the whole thing off?"