The Sinister Slot Machine

I always liked to play the slots at the casino. It was a fun way to pass the time and sometimes I even won some money. But lately, the casino was losing its charm. More and more people were switching to online casinos, where they could gamble from the comfort of their homes. I hated online casinos. They lacked the thrill and excitement of a real casino. 

They were boring and impersonal. That’s why I preferred to go to the old-fashioned brick-and-mortar casino, where I could feel the atmosphere and interact with other gamblers. But one night, I stumbled upon a slot machine that looked different from the rest. It was old and rusty, with a sign that said “Play at your own risk”.

I was curious and decided to give it a try. I inserted a coin and pulled the lever. The reels spun and stopped on three cherries. I expected to hear a ding and see some coins drop out of the machine. Instead, I heard a scream and saw something red and wet fall out of the slot. It was a human heart.

I was shocked and disgusted by what I saw. I dropped the heart on the floor and backed away from the machine. I looked around and saw that no one else had noticed what had happened. Everyone was busy playing their own games or chatting with their friends. I felt a surge of panic and confusion. What was going on? Was this some kind of sick joke? Who would do such a thing?

I decided to get out of there as fast as I could. I grabbed my coat and headed for the exit. As I walked past the slot machine, I heard it make a noise again. It sounded like a laugh. A twisted, mocking laugh. I turned around and saw that the machine had changed its display. Instead of showing three cherries, it showed three words:

YOU ARE NEXT

I ran out of the casino, feeling a cold sweat on my forehead. I didn’t know where to go or who to trust. I felt like I was being watched by someone or something. I hailed a taxi and told the driver to take me to the nearest hospital. Maybe there I could find some answers or help.

As we drove through the dark streets, I tried to calm myself down. It was just a coincidence, I told myself. Maybe someone had planted that heart in the machine as a prank or a warning. Maybe it had nothing to do with me. Maybe it was just a bad dream.

But then I heard it again. That laugh. That horrible laugh that haunted me since I left the casino. It came from inside the taxi’s radio.

“Hello there, my friend,” a voice said. “Did you enjoy your little game?”

I ran out of the casino, feeling a cold sweat on my forehead. I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I just wanted to get away from that horrible machine and its sinister laughter. I hailed a taxi and told the driver to take me anywhere. I didn’t care where, as long as it was far from the casino.

As the taxi drove away, I tried to calm myself down. Maybe it was all a hallucination. Maybe I had too much to drink or someone slipped something in my drink. Maybe it was a prank by some sick-minded person who rigged the slot machine with a fake heart and a speaker. Maybe there was a logical explanation for everything.

But deep down, I knew it wasn’t true. I knew what I saw and heard was real. And I knew that whoever or whatever was behind it was not going to let me go so easily.

I looked out of the window and saw a familiar sight. It was the hospital where I used to work as a surgeon before I quit my job and became addicted to gambling. It was also where that girl died on my operating table, the girl whose death haunted me ever since.

I felt a sudden urge to go inside and see if anyone could help me. Maybe there was someone who could tell me what was going on, someone who could explain why that slot machine had her heart.

I asked the driver to stop and paid him. He asks me if I’m okay, and I nod. But it’s a lie. I’m far from okay, and he knows it too, but it’s not like he can help me.

I walked towards the hospital entrance, hoping to find some answers or at least some peace of mind. But before I could reach it, I heard another noise behind me.

It sounded like a giant scalpel slicing through flesh.

I turned around and saw… it.

It was tall and skinny, wearing light-blue scrubs and white gloves. It had a stethoscope around his neck and a red syringe dangling from his waist. It wore a paper bag over his head with one eyehole cut out. The eyehole glowed a bright cruel red that filled me with dread as It bore into my very soul.

“I told you were next” It growled, almost hungry. His body contorted at gross angles. My throat constricted as I desperately tried to let out a scream, but my body refused to cooperate, overwhelmed by the nauseating bile that surged up my chest.

“Don’t worry,” it rasped. “You won’t feel a thing”