OPPORTUNITY SYSTEM: THE RISE TO FAME

Chapter 6, Life's so hard man

Thirty-six hours…….. thirty-six hours to go. James knew what that meant.  In all the excitement of his overnight wealth, he had forgotten a crucial detail in the dream he had had that night a few days ago. The opportunity system in the dream had told him he had three days to spend the money or he would face dire consequences. Half of those three days were gone and he wasn't even halfway spending all the money.

"Well?" A voice snapped at him and he looked up. Selena was still standing, her hands folded and her face frowned. He had almost forgotten she was there. He had gotten so carried away with his thoughts. 

"Aren't you going to say something?" She asked angrily. "Are you just going to sit there, gaping at me like a moron?" 

James mumbled something inaudible and cleared his throat.

"What was that? Why did you stop suddenly?" Selena persisted.

James opened his mouth to reply but couldn't get any words out of it. The words were stuck in his throat. He closed his mouth again and diverted his gaze to the floor, to avoid Selena's angry eyes.

"Was it the kiss?" Selena probed further. "You didn't like me kissing you?"

"No. No, it's…………it's nothing like that at all." James said. His voice was hoarse.

"Well then what is it?" She asked.

James looked at the exit door which the mysterious man had just left. Hadn't she heard the whisper? Their body was so closely pressed together she should have heard it. She should have heard the whisper. Did she truly not hear it or was she just pretending?

A minute passed, Selena was waiting for James to talk. When James didn't reply to her, she snatched her handbag from the table angrily.

"I can see you haven't changed one bit, James." She shrieked. "You are still the dumb, gullible toerag you were when we were dating."

James watched as she stormed out of the restaurant. He watched through the transparent window as she flagged down a cab, entered it, and zoomed off.

James didn't even have the energy or will to chase her, to try to beg her, to try to explain. The only thing that bothered him right now was that voice. The message it delivered was ringing in his head.

Thirty-six more hours…………………

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Selena didn't speak to him or text over the next day. James tried calling but all the calls landed in the voicemail. The few times they crossed paths she mysteriously failed to notice him or hear his greetings. She merely walked past, scowling.

James had more pressing issues than a sulking girlfriend at the moment. It was now down to the last two hours of the three days allotted by the opportunity system. He was beginning to feel just as he did when he had a few hours to fulfill that bet with Randy a few days ago, panicked.

He still had about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars left to spend. He reckoned he could go to the casino and blow it all on some silly game but that idea sounded stupid. He had money, he wanted to use it for something that would yield profit.

James finally decided he could not sit alone in this house, thinking. He needed a drink. He wanted to go to the pub. He took his car key from the table and walked out.

James had gotten to his car and unlocked it when he realised he might not have locked his windows. He looked towards his house to see if his window was locked.

James gave a sudden yelp and gripped the car handle in fear. As he had looked towards the house he thought he had glimpsed the mysterious man again. He squinted at the house again but saw nothing. A second ago he could have sworn he had seen that hooded man standing just beside his house.

Heart beating fast, James entered the car quickly and slammed the door. He gripped the steering wheel hard, trying to steady his heavy breathing. The toll of all the anxiety was taking place. He was beginning to see things.

This was not the only time he had glimpsed that man. He had appeared twice to him since the Selena incident at the restaurant, both times he appeared to tell him the amount of time he had left. Both times James had been surrounded by a crowd of people. When he asked whether they heard a voice, everyone had denied hearing anything or seeing anyone.

So it was either everyone around him was pulling some sort of prank on him or……..was it possible that the mysterious man was visible only to James?

James drove off to a pub he knew would be mostly empty at this time of the day.  He needed all the peace and tranquility he could get. He checked the time as he got out of the car. It was 4:45 pm. One hour and fifteen minutes to go.

He ordered a glass of whiskey and settled down, deep in thought. Five minutes later, a man sat down on the stool next to him and ordered a drink. James hardly took notice. He gulped down his first glass and ordered another.

It was a while before James looked up and saw that the man who had sat beside him was watching him. His pale face broke into a smile when James looked at him.

"Hey, my name is Scott." He said extending a hand and they shook hands.

"Anything the matter?" Scott asked. "You look sad and gloomy."

That might have seemed a forward question for someone you were just meeting but James took it in his stride, shrugging.

"Life. Life's so hard man." He said, gloomily.

Scott sighed and took a sip of his drink.

"I know right?"