Trip of a Lifetime: 5 Minute Freewrite, Prompt: Surprise Coming to You

“...Surprise coming to you…” the voice on the phone had the ring of false cheer and I definitely sensed a scam. I was not in the mood for this bullshit…

BUT there was that niggling voice in my head saying, “what if this is the real deal? Good things happen to some people, why not you?”

I still felt very suspicious. What this guy was saying just sounded too good to be true. A “mystery” trip of a lifetime for free? I just had to sign a few papers (and you know it was like a fucking book that I’d never read before signing, who the hell has time for that?) and then show up at the designated location to get a ride to the airport where I’d be taken to a surprise destination…

Hmmm… the guy droned on in my ear, but I wasn’t really listening. I had been so desperate to escape this tedious hell hole of a life, of a job for years. I felt like I was dying inside everyday that I had to get up and go to my shitty job that barely paid me enough to stay alive. I was sick of barely existing. Sick of living on cheap ramen noodle mixes and tap water. I was sick of it. All I could picture was white sandy beaches and the ocean. It wasn't likely to be that, but that was all I had in my head. At this point, I didn't really even care. As long as it wasn't THIS.

The more I thought about my current life, the more this guy sounded real. Now he was going on about the… well, what I thought of as the ‘side effect’ list. You know, that list of stuff they have at the end of pharmaceutical commercials? He was rattling off about accepting the dangers of the ‘new location’ and ‘new life’ and all that, but I just didn’t care. In my brain I was already packed and waiting at the door.

I finally interrupted him, “Okay. I’ll do it.”

He seemed shocked. Apparently most people don’t listen this long, much less accept this crazy ass proposal. “Well, okay, are you sure? You can sign the papers for me?”

“Yeah, sure. Why not? I’ve got nothing… and I do mean NOTHING to lose.”

"Okayyy..” Now he seemed like HE was feeling nervous. Shit, was this a scam? I guess I’d find out.

My ‘call time’ was midnight… I found myself standing outside of my run down apartment, suitcase in hand when the car pulled up. “What the hell???” I thought. I don’t know what I had been expecting, but it sure as hell hadn’t been THIS!

(To be continued…)

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Prompt: "Surprise coming to you!" Thanks to @mariannewest
This prompt is inspired by @wandrnrose7

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