[tic]

Im trying to decide which ending I prefer; I would go for the first one myself.

I like first one as there is nice wry twist, maybe I wasn't looking for it or not I don't know, allowing the reader to use his own imagination; we have connected to the person; as we come closer to the end and then giving us the bad news; after all he has seen and gone through it ends up all for nothing, which I suppose would lead to another "victim" receiving the invite and so on, which makes sense to me.

But perhaps I have an imagination.

I also tend to think in pictures/visually, so I wasn't simply reading your story, but almost viewing it as well.

I would say it would be worthy of publishing (I am not one unfortuneately, so can't help you there) but I imagine in a collection of modern horror stories, something like that, it wouldn't be out of place.