Reality bites as TV show's appeal becomes clear

To ensure I took things seriously, he told me it would be a waste of time for me, trekking all the way there just to fail and get caught by the hunters too soon.

The consequence was dire: I would be deposited in a "termination room" where I would have to wait out the whole game, which could last for four hours.

This warning quickly sunk in and prompted me to anxiously seek out and cram in details of the game.

When all of the participants were led to the starting point, the sight of the five hunters, dressed in black suits and wearing sunglasses, being restrained in barred cells somehow set my adrenaline pumping.

They did look cool, yet menacing, luring me into the game.

The rules were that we had 30 seconds before they were released and we had to put as much distance between us and them as possible. The second the bell rang, a dozen of us scattered like startled birds, sprinting in all directions down the labyrinthine paths.

I ran for all I was worth without looking back and swerved into any side streets that I came across. In fact, I made so many turns to shake off the hunters, that I didn't realize I had run out of bounds. It wasn't until my handler called me on my walkie-talkie that I found out that I had caused the game to halt.