Ghost Shadows (25 page)

“Yes,” Thomas said. “I'll do it.” He braced himself for what he was certain would prove to be a major letdown, took a deep breath, and said, “I want what you have. I want all of the luck you possess to leave your body and come into mine. I want your riches. I want your good fortune. And I want you to have none of it any longer.”
 

For a second or so nothing seemed to happen. Then slowly at first Thomas noticed a white sparkling vapor begin to seep from Stephen's body as if every pore of his flesh was emitting the haze. Soon a cloud-like fog hovered above Stephen's head and he swooned a bit on his feet as if the strength had been sucked out of him and looked as if he might pass out.

Then the sparkling mist slowly traveled across the space between the men and surrounded Thomas's body. He felt his skin tingle and the hair on his arms seemed to stand on end as if he were in the middle of an atmosphere charged with electromagnetic energy. Next the vapors entered his own body through his pores and he was filled with a strange, sort of satisfying warmth.

Thomas could see Stephen standing across the room watching him; watching the whole spectacle with calm reservation and what appeared to be a look of relief, as if he had been somehow freed from some horrible curse rather than having just given away a fortune. Once again, Thomas began to sense a deep discomfort   as if all of this perceived good luck might suddenly go very bad.

After a few moments the tingling of his flesh stopped as did the deep heat he felt inside. Those sensations were replaced with a sudden feeling of euphoria, the likes of which Thomas had never experienced before. His previous thoughts of concern vanished amid all of his happiness. Thomas realized he had never felt so strong, so positive, and so self-assured in his entire life. He believed he could do no wrong, as if anything he ever attempted would be successful; as if every thought he would ever have would end up being deemed pure genius.   Thomas could not comprehend why Stephen would have ever become tired of such feelings or why he would have willingly given up the incredible sensations.  

“Open the top drawer of the hall table,” Stephen said, still sounding a bit weak from the ordeal. “There are some documents in there for you.”

Thomas, still under the positive influence of his new-found euphoria didn't even question why there might be anything in this house specifically meant for him. Instead, he opened the drawer and withdrew what appeared to be a large legal document as well as several smaller documents.

Stephen said, “That top document is a deed to this house and the surrounding land. There are also copies of all of my active financial accounts and investments; or should I say, your investments now.”

Still stunned, Thomas opened the top document as was astonished to see the name on the cover sheet change right before his eyes. Stephen Albright began to fade and was simultaneously overwritten with his own name, Thomas Stewart. As he leafed through the remaining documents the same thing happened to each of them. His name was now on every single financial certificate. He saw numbers totaling in the millions flashing by as he skimmed the papers.

“You mean to say it's really true? All of this? Everything? It's all mine?” Thomas asked with utter disbelief.

“Yes,” Stephen replied. “Everything; all of the wealth and riches you could ever imagine will be yours for the rest of your life. That is to say unless you choose to offer it to someone else, as I have done with you.”

Thomas looked aghast. “And why would I ever want to do that? Just because you were stupid enough to give it all away, doesn't mean I am equally as crazy. This is everything I've ever dreamed about all of my life. Its more wealth than I could spend in several lifetimes. What amazing luck! I'd never give away such an incredible gift. All of my troubles are officially over. My wife, my kids, and I will have everything we ever dreamed of. She won't believe me when I tell her. Speaking of which, I have to call her right now and tell her the good news.”

Stephen said nothing. He just looked knowingly with pity as Thomas tucked his gun behind his back and pulled out a cell phone. Thomas's face with filled with so much joy at the thought of telling his family of his new-found fortune. But Stephen stood silently, knowing what was about to happen next.

There were laws that governed the universe; some known by man, others unknown. There were physical laws as well as spiritual and economic laws. One such law, which Stephen knew far too well, stated that there was only so much of everything available and for everything you chose to get you must give up something else. If you, for example, had two hours of spare time available and had to decide between going to dinner or to a movie; if you choose one you must sacrifice the other. This rule was one Thomas was sadly about to learn.

“Jenny? It's me,” Thomas said into the phone. Then after a bit of hesitation he said. “Excuse me? Who is this? Where's my wife, and what are you doing with her cell phone?” Then a dark shadow passed across Thomas's face and he replied to the voice on the other end of the line. “Oh my God! Which hospital? Saint Luke's you say? I'll be right there.”

Stephen didn't ask what the problem was because it really didn't matter what the particular set of circumstances might be—he understood the result would be the same. He already knew Thomas's wife and family were dead and that the policeman simply hadn't wanted to break the news to Thomas over the phone. It was a similar scenario to that which he, himself had been through several years ago when his own wife and daughter had been killed within a few seconds of his taking ownership of the very same gift.

“That—that was . . . he said . . . he was . . . a police officer,” Thomas stammered. “He said there was . . . was an accident. My wife and kids were injured . . .” his voice caught in his throat “. . . and they are on their way to the hospital by ambulance. I had better get right over there.”

“If you feel you must,” Stephen said.

“Of course I must!” Thomas shouted. “It's my family for Christ's sake. They've been injured. They need me.”

Stephen said, “You mean they needed you. And you weren't there, because you were here claiming what was really the most important in your life; money.”

Thomas said, “How dare you! Screw you, Stephen. You know that's not true. I was only here trying to take care of my family's future.”

“And it appears you did just that. Now your family has no future,” Stephen said. “I might as well tell you there's no need to hurry to the hospital. It won't do any good. By the time you get there they will all be dead; that is, if they aren't dead already.”

Thomas looked confused and furious, “What? How . . . how can you pretend to know that? What the hell are you talking about?”

Stephen said, “Remember, I warned you to be careful what you wished for. But apparently you were so busy thinking about all of the money you'd have that you didn't think things through. I understand completely, because as I said, I, too, was once as desperate as you.”

“But this . . . this thing . . . was supposed to bring me good fortune,” Thomas pleaded. “And now you tell me my family is dead. What kind of good luck is that?”

Stephen said, “A simple law of the universe is that you can't have everything. For each thing you choose to have you either voluntarily or involuntarily choose to give up something else. And you have made your choice.”

Thomas asked tearfully, “Are you trying to tell me I caused this to happen to my family by choosing to make one stupid wish?”

Stephen said, “I promised you that you would have more money than you could ever spend and you would never have to worry about being injured and killed for all of your natural life. I said you would live a long and healthy life and someday die of natural causes as a very old, very wealthy man. That is what this particular good fortune is about. And now you have all of those things.”

“But my wife and my children! How can they be dead?” Thomas shouted as best as his sobbing voice would permit. “What good is all the money in the world if everyone I love is dead?”

“That might have been a good question to ask earlier. I tried to warn you to be careful,” Stephen repeated. “But you didn't.  And now what was mine is yours.” Then Stephen slowly turned to leave.

Thomas shouted, “Where the hell do you think you're going?” He reached around his back and once more brought out the pistol, pointing it menacingly at Stephen.

Stephen replied, “I told you before I was going to leave and so now I'm going to do just that. You have what you came here for and now I'm going to try and start a new life. Maybe if I am truly lucky I will find some semblance of true happiness before I die.”

“You bastard! You knew this would happen!” Thomas said accusingly. “You said you had a family once. They probably also died because of this horrible wish; this curse. You tricked me into this devil's bargain and now I'm all alone in the world.” He sobbed uncontrollably. “It's all your fault! Don't you dare move another step closer to that door or so help me God I will shoot you!”

“I'm truly sorry about you family,” Stephen said, “As I was sorry about my own. In fact I've hated myself every day of my life since I made the same bargain you just made and I'm quite certain you too will be wallowing in misery for many years to come. But that's no longer my problem. It's yours. So if you will excuse me, I will be leaving. Unless you are truly prepared to shoot me, I suggest you just accept your good fortune and make the best of it.”

Thomas shouted with insane rage, “Die, you bastard!” Then he pulled the trigger and the room echoed with the deafening blast from his handgun. Stephen was slammed against the wall as a bullet entered his stomach. He involuntarily reached down to the place where he had been shot and his hands came away covered with the blood pouring from his wound.

To Thomas's shock, Stephen didn't cry out or look as if he were in any pain whatsoever. In fact, it looked to Thomas as if the man was happy he had just been mortally wounded, evident by the expression of satisfaction Stephen had on his dying face.

“You . . . you wanted me to shoot you,” Thomas said. “That was your plan all along. Oh my God, you actually wanted to die and got me to kill you. You played me the whole time.”

Stephen seemed to be staring out into space as if seeing and smiling at something or someone who was invisible to Thomas. Then he slid down the wall landing on his backside on the floor, still sitting and staring joyfully at the same seemingly empty space.

Thomas dropped the gun to the floor then fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands allowing the tears to flow freely. He had been desperate, greedy, and had not listened to the warnings his own subconscious had been giving him. He had been a fool. He now had all the money he could ever imagine, yet like Stephen, he had nothing. He stared at the bloody corpse of Stephen Albright and mumbled, “Be careful what you wish for . . . you just might get it.”