|
You've placed a losing bet one too
many times and owe your bookie money. A LOT of money. You're at the point
now where you fear for the safety of your kneecaps and constantly look
over your shoulder. It's not the kind of life you want to live.
Thankfully you've got some friends working the streets that know
your predicament and want to help you out. They tell you about a special
kind of underground tournament that's more bizarre than anything anyone's
ever seen. According to your source, the competitors in these
matches aren't human. You're told that you can make a lot of money
quickly by betting on the winner, and that's exactly the kind of news you
need to hear.
Your source gives you a poker chip with a strange
animal brand embossed in the center. "This will get you in," he says. "The
rest is up to you. The man you're looking for is named Captain Jack
Omaha."
The fighting arena is actually inside an abandoned
gymnasium. Many of the windows are broken. Crackpipes and condoms litter
the bleachers. The hardwood floors that were once used for basketball
games have been tagged with all manner of red, black, and yellow graffiti.
Yet, nobody seems to mind. Already a sizeable crowd has gathered for the
festivities. The gamblers are mostly riff-raff (thugs, hustlers, hookers,
and the like) although there are a few suit-and-tie types mixed in as
well.
Along one side of the gymnasium are cages. You can't
immediately tell what is inside until you get a bit closer. Even then,
you're not sure what you're looking at.
"People always look at
them that way," a man remarks. "The one on the end that looks like a
cross between a human, a horse, and a bat-that's The Jersey Devil. The
enormous cat that looks like a puma on steroids is The Beast of Exmoor.
Then the one with the quills, the claws, and the nasty disposition-that's
The Chupacabra. Of course, I've got a Sasquatch and nasty creature called
The Dragon over in those other cages against the far wall."
"Those
aren't real," you say, presuming this to be the Omaha that your source
told you about. "What's the joke?"
"Stick your hand inside the
cage and prove that they aren't real," the man says. "I dare you."
"I'd rather just bet on them instead and let their actions prove
my point," you say.
"Very well," Omaha replies. "Pick a monster to
be your champion. The first match will begin shortly. Keep your hands and
feet inside the ride at all times."
Out of all the creatures, The
Jersey Devil and The Chupacabra look the most menacing.
|