Locked In, Season One

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Courtney

The soft sound of waves gently echoes in my ears. It’s soothing, relaxing, especially accompanied by the warmth of the sun heating my skin and the gentle breeze that pushes my hair out of my face.

Slowly, my eyes peel open, the scene before me blurry for a moment until I blink the haziness away. Maybe I didn’t do a good-enough job, though, because clearly I’m still dreaming.

“What the fuck?” I mutter to myself as I stare at the rolling crystal-blue waves coming to shore.

The sun is slowly sinking into the water, and the sand beneath the lounge chair I’m in is so white, it almost looks fake. I’m on a beach? What the hell is going on?

Forcing myself to sit up, I notice my muscles don’t cooperate at first before I scrub my hands down my face.

What happened? I live in Seattle, born and raised.

I’ve never even been outside Washington state.

Becoming caretaker to your chronically ill little sister at seventeen will do that to a person’s travel plans.

That was a shitty thing to say. I wouldn’t trade being Lily’s sister or taking care of her for anything in the world, even if keeping up on our bills has me working myself to the bone. That’s why, as crazy as it was, I was willing to do anything to get us out of our situation.

Oh shit.

Like a freight train, it all comes rushing back to me.

“What do you mean we’re maxed out?” I snarl into the phone.

I listen to the bitch-ass insurance agent tell me some bureaucratic bullshit about how we’ve used too much of our insurance, like that’s a fucking thing, before I come unglued.

“No, no! You listen to me: My little sister is sick, okay? Do you think we go through all of this because it’s fun? No. She’s in pain and she is suffering every day, so I don’t want to hear jack shit about us being maxed. We pay our part, on time, every time. I expect you to do the same.”

“I’m very sorry, ma’am, but until the next year begins, there’s nothing more I can do.”

The next year. It’s fucking May. She can’t go seven months with no insurance, we’re barely surviving as it is. I hang up the phone before I can say something I’ll regret, though it sounds like he wasn’t going to help me much anyway, so maybe I should have gotten some of my frustration out.

“Everything okay?” Gretchen asks.

I turn to her with a forced smile before a tear slips down my face.

Gretchen is one of the best nurses in the children’s wing of the hospital.

She’s like a surrogate mother to us both.

She goes above and beyond for Lily, and I know for a fact I wouldn’t have my clerical job downstairs if it wasn’t for her recommendation.

“The, um, the insurance won’t pay out anymore. They said we’re maxed. I… I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Anger takes over Gretchen’s face. “How can they even do that? That is fucking bullshit! I swear to God—”

Her beeper goes off on her hip, and she glances down at it before giving me a pitying look and taking off down the hall.

Blowing out a heavy breath, I do my best to push all of my emotions as far down as they’ll go, wipe under my eyes quickly, then step into Lily’s room.

“Hey, Lilypad. How are you feeling?” I ask softly.

She looks to me and smiles. “Tired.”

I take a seat beside her. “Dr. Kostoff said the transplant went well.”

“That’s good,” she responds.

“Yeah… it is.”

A silence hangs between us for a few moments before my phone chimes in my hand with a notification. I go to swipe it away and pause, furrowing my brows. Then I click on the email and begin reading it.

Congratulations! You have been accepted as one of our leading stars on the upcoming hit reality TV show Locked In! Attached you will find our NDA and your intake profile. We ask that you fill both out immediately to confirm your spot. More details to come!

Locked In? Accepted? What the hell? Is this that reality dating show Lily was trying to convince me to sign up for? I never filled out the interest form. I never—

Slowly, my eyes lift to my sister.

“Lily Grace Thompson.”

She frowns at me, wrinkling her nose. “What’s with the full name?”

I turn my phone to show her the email. In an instant, the tired sluggishness of her demeanor evaporates. So much so that if I didn’t know how sick she was, I’d say she’s been faking the last fifteen years.

“Oh my God! OH MY GOD! You were chosen? Courtney, oh my God!”

“I take it by your lack of surprise that you were behind this?” I ask sternly.

“Absolutely, I was! No offense, but I really didn’t think they’d pick you. I mean, the chances had to have been, what? One in a million?”

“Gee, thanks,” I sneer.

She rolls her eyes at me, but her smile never fades.

“You have to fill out the paperwork and get back to them ASAP! Hurry!” she rushes as she reaches for my phone.

I shake my head and snatch it away from her. “Lily, I’m not doing a freaking reality TV show.”

She frowns, all of her excitement dying in an instant. “Why not?”

“Because I… I can’t! I have a life here. I have you here. I have three jobs in Seattle. You think they’re going to let me take a hiatus for God knows how long and travel to Lord knows where and I’ll still have said jobs?”

“The grand prize is five million dollars, Cece. If you win, you’d never have to work again for the rest of your life!” she points out.

I shake my head. I can’t believe she actually thinks I’d consider this. No, wait. I totally can.

“I can’t just leave you behind. You need me.”

“Not as much as you think I do.”

I pull back at that, physically hurt by her words, and she’s quick to reframe.

“That’s not what I mean. I just… you live your entire life for me, Cece.

You have from the moment I was born, and I’ll never be able to repay you for that.

I… I hate what a burden I’ve become to you.

You’re driving yourself into an early grave because of me.

I just wanted you to have something for yourself, some time to be a whole person, not a caregiver.

Maybe you meet a guy, fall in love and win so much money that you never have to decide whether I can get a lifesaving surgery or you get a hot meal again. ”

“Lily,” I say emphatically. “Looking after you is the greatest privilege of my life. It’s all I want to do. I love you more than anything in the world.”

She smiles sadly at me as she covers my hand with hers.

“I love you too, which is why I want you to take this opportunity. For us but also for you. Please.”

I sink my teeth into my lower lip, considering her words carefully.

This is so dumb. I don’t even know why I’m considering this.

Maybe it’s delirium, maybe it’s desperation to get us out of the financial and emotional hole we’ve been buried in, or maybe it’s out of the deep-seated need to give Lily anything I physically can in this life.

“I’ll look into what kind of stipend they offer, if any, and see about taking some leave.”

“Yes!” Lily cheers, giggling to herself. “You know Gretchen will help watch over me while you’re gone. Was it the whole dying-sister speech that convinced you? I’ve been saving that one for something good.”

My eyes widen, and my mouth drops open in outrage. “You little shit,” I say, tossing a pillow at her.

She laughs and tosses one back at me before we delve into a full-on pillow war.

The sound of her laughter echoes through the room, filling my heart up in a way I haven’t felt in a while.

I cherish the sound, tucking away the memory.

If this is what it takes to give her a little hope, a bright light at the end of a rough fucking tunnel, then fine.

I’m doing this for her, though. For her and the money, and then I’m fucking gone.

The last thing I remember is following the instructions to head to the airport and wait for the liaison. They wouldn’t tell us where the show was being filmed to prevent spoilers. I got there and had a few drinks at the hotel bar, then… nothing.

A hand touches my shoulder, and I nearly leap out of my skin. A girl with long lavender hair smiles at me in sympathy, lifting her arms in surrender.

“Sorry. Are you okay?”

My eyes trail over her tan skin, wrapped in a white bikini with the show’s logo on the left breast. Another breeze brushes against me, and I feel almost naked. Looking down, I’m shocked to see myself in an identical swimsuit.

“What the fuck? Did they dress us?” I gasp.

The girl’s smile turns to an uncomfortable frown. “Yeah, I’m glad I’m not the only one that thought that was pretty fucking weird. I’ve never been on TV before, but I didn’t think getting drugged and dressed while I was unconscious was normal.”

“Drugged?” I echo.

She shrugs. “How else did they knock us all out and have us wake up on a beach? Last thing I remember was getting to the airport. My cab driver opened the car door, and then boom, lights out.”

My mind tries to make sense of her words, to make sense of this entire situation as she holds out her hand to help me to my feet.

“I’m Luna.”

I hesitate only a moment before taking her hand. “Courtney.”

She smiles. “Looks like you’re the last one to come to. They sent me down to collect you. Orientation is starting.”

“Orientation?” I repeat.

“That’s what they said. Honestly, I’m not sure how much I trust these people. They aren’t off to a great trust-building start.” She laughs bitterly.

I sway in the sand for a moment, and Luna loops her arm through mine to help guide me away from the shoreline and towards a paved path up a hill. Once we crest the horizon, a large mansion appears out of virtually nowhere.

Tropical plants and trees surround us in every direction except the ocean. It’s like a Beverly Hills mansion was dropped into a tropical forest nestled on a beach. I hear music coming softly from the house on the right, and it grows louder with each step we take.

We come to a tall white-paneled fence that keeps what I’m assuming is a backyard hidden for privacy and step through the opened gate.

A man in a black suit is standing beside it, looking entirely too serious and too dressed up for being on a tropical island as Luna and I make our way onto a pool patio.

Everything in sight is elegant, refined and luxurious. From the lighting to the cabanas to the hot tub and crystal-blue pool. There are dozens of luxurious outdoor seating areas. Benches, daybeds, couches. What am I, in a Vegas day club?

You could spend days out here and not explore every inch of this place. It feels like the ultimate getaway, and we’re just in the backyard.

A group of people are huddled together, chatting and laughing near the grassy part of the yard before all eyes turn to us.

“Ah, our last contestant has finally arrived.” The man smiles at me, then throws out his arms dramatically. “Welcome to Locked In.”