Unsuspectingly
Sitting at the table in the corner coffee shop, Rodolfo checks the ads on the employment pages on his phone. He is looking for a job that is not too boring and pays very well. He is not a very willing worker and his poor collaborative spirit and laziness to do anything beyond his "responsibilities" have not helped him to maintain good working relationships. His time in a job lasted less time than it took him to find it.
But Rodolfo took great care of his physical appearance and bragged to his friends about his muscular and strong body, with the squares marked on his abdomen, product of many hours in the gym. This feature of his would help him find a job that suited his "requirements."
While sipping an energy drink, he perused those job advertisements in the city where he lived. One of these immediately caught his eye.
You want a dynamic, exciting job where you can demonstrate your physical strength and intelligence and that also guarantees you a substantial income, then read on because you will be interested in our proposal. We are looking for young people between 20 and 30 years of age of both sexes to participate in a reality show where outdoor activities will take place. If you are willing to travel to an island two hours off the coast and stay there for a week... all expenses paid, then contact us as soon as possible.
Rodolfo saw in this ad his opportunity not only to earn money but also to show his skills and who knows, maybe this job was the platform to act in movies, in the seventh art, his longed dream.
Immediately after making a phone call, he was called for an interview from which he was selected for the job. At the office, the assistant in charge, a very pretty young woman with big black eyes and short hair, handed him the contract to sign.
Rodolfo, after reading it quickly, took the pen to sign it.
The young woman stopped him and said
"Have you read it all!, it was very fast. I suggest you read it very well."
The young man seemed very naïve despite his size and physical strength, and she wanted to warn him, but at that moment the project manager approached the desk and the assistant remained silent.
Rodolfo signed the contract and handed it to her with a smile on his face. He felt very happy about what he was about to do.
"All right my friend? if so we'll be waiting for you at the airport on Saturday at 10 am, the director shook his hand and patted him on the back. See you on the island".
Saturday afternoon at five o'clock the boat that brought them from the nearest port to the island arrived at the small dock. The sun was still burning with its intensity on the white sand and all that could be seen in the surroundings, the sea of green and blue hues, was very calm.
The group of six men and four women, including the young assistant, walked to a large house where they would live during the week of filming the reality show. They were all very curious to know what it was all about, because they had only been told that it was a survival house. There they were going to be isolated from the rest of the world, they could not communicate with anyone.
Each one was given a kit of personal items and another one with safety and rescue items such as a radio to communicate with each other, a flashlight, some medicines, a life preserver and a small oxygen cylinder.
The assistant, Juliana, gathered them in the living room of the house and gave them the information they needed to know when they arrived.
"The work that each of you are going to do in this reality show that has already started, is being watched by millions of people in several countries who bought the right".
Shouts of hooray and well done were heard in the group.
"As I have been telling you, we are here to show the people who are watching how we react to an extreme condition of danger due to natural causes. In approximately two hours a hurricane is about to arrive to this uninhabited island, which is estimated according to the winds to be category 3".
As Juliana spoke to them, the faces of the participants changed from joy and excitement to concern in some to fear. They did not understand what was happening, none of them expected this information.
"I know that what I am telling you is something you did not expect, but I assure you that it is for a good reason and that is to study the reactions of people to these events and most importantly to evaluate the drones that are transmitting the information because it is expected that they can withstand the extreme environmental conditions and thus be able to closely evaluate a category 3 hurricane or more".
"This is crazy! How they subject us to this danger?, they are exposing us to death", One of the men named Carlos, could not contain himself and at that moment he did not care that he was being seen live and direct. "Why didn't they warn us? I am going to sue them. I want to get out of here". .
Some supported him while others remained silent, and Rodolfo thought coldly that it was better not to say anything even though he also felt the same way.
"I want to tell you with all responsibility, and that is why I am here exposing my life, that in each of the contracts you signed, in the small print, which none of you read even when I personally told you, that the work could represent a risk to the life of the person and that in case of any damage, the company would not be responsible".
"That was manipulated, you should have warned them".
"Well, I think we can't go back, and I think the best thing to do is to prepare ourselves while we still have time to face the hurricane", Rodolfo had assumed his role of hero, he was not going to lose this opportunity.
The hurricane came with great force, the sea, which had been so calm, turned into a raging colossus. The winds shook the few palm trees on the island. The ten participants had decided to get as far away from the shore as possible and found some hills five hundred meters away and there, on some mounds opened by the project team, they took refuge from the sea, but the strong winds knocked down the roof and fear took hold of the young people. Some of them ran out of the shelter.
Rodolfo helped by Juliana and other companions went in search of them. They found them wounded.
"Let's not get separated, we have to go back". Rodolfo shouted trying to make himself heard over the noise of the wind.
"I'm so scared", Belkys one of the girls was crying.
"Come on, I'll help you", Juliana's heart broke and she felt guilty. She hugged her tightly and they ran to the shelter.
After the storm there is always calm and the young people, some of them injured, returned to the house and found that they had withstood the hurricane very well. There they waited for evacuation, and in the meantime they supported each other and attended to the wounded. Rodolfo as a leader coordinated all the work and this time he was not acting, only that life gave him the opportunity to express his courage.
The drone was able to record everything that happened.
This is my story for The Ink Well Fiction Prompt #106. Thank you for reading
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)