Parasite

It happened again. The pitter patter of rain hitting hard against the trains, plowing through the darkness of night.

The sound of the wheels scraping against the side of the tracks echoes throughout the yard. The feeling of emotional knives digging into my soul.

Why did I have to pick it up? Why did I have to get that stupid book? I thought it would change my life, give me a better future. To give myself everything I deserve.

Who wouldn’t want this? A possibility to never be in debt. To have the chance to be in charge of my own destiny. Little did I know; that it would affect me in more ways than I could comprehend at the time. It manipulates me the more I look into the pages.

It started off innocent enough. I find a bit of money here, I find the girl of my dreams there. But it took a quick turn for the worst. Everything I saw became momentary. My dream girl became a nightmare. My riches became the bane of my life. I’m on the run from every bookie in town, from every cop who is trying to make a name for themselves.

This book. It turns my dreams, my desires into nothing but cold hearted regrets.

Before you say why don’t you get rid of it. Believe me I’ve tried. I’ve tried to throw it out. To burn it, heck even to throw it into the river. But my mind keeps telling me to think about it. It’s got names and numbers that I don’t recognise. Addresses all around town.

How did I end up in the presence of this little black book you ask?

It was just a normal night in the office when I got a call that would change my life forever.

“Joseph you got a call on line two!”

“Thanks Gus!” I reply.

I pick up the phone as a faint male voice on the other side asks for help.

“Excuse me, who's this?”

“You don’t remember me”, they reply with coughs following shortly after.

As I keep trying to get more out of the caller, a trace is run and we quickly find the address.

“Hold on there sir, we are on the way.”

“Let’s go!” I chuck on my jacket as we rush to the given address.

We got to the scene, it was a nightmare. It was the worst apartment I’ve ever seen in my life. The building looked condemned. The windows were smashed in and the door was broken down. We cautiously enter through the entrance, announcing who we are with our guns held out straight and finger on the side of the barrel, ready to fire if need be. We climbed each floor, focusing on every corner and doorway we got near.

We finally got to the callers apartment which by our luck was at the top level.

We rushed through the front door, as I see this person slumped at the bottom of the steps in the fetal position, all the while trying to breathe. I called the ambulance to come and aid; but it was nowhere near.

This little black notebook was laying on the ground next to him as the wind pushed open the pages. I saw my captain's name written right in the middle of the book. It didn’t just have her name but it had every detail about her. Her address, social security number, phone number. EVERYTHING.

I asked him what her name was doing in the book. The moment he realised what I said he tried to speak, but the more he spoke the harder it was for him to breathe. He pulled me close and told me to leave the book where it was laying, that it was a danger to everyone who reads it.

As he drew his last breath, the more I got anxious about what happened. The sounds and lights of an ambulance ricocheted throughout the neighbourhood as they got closer. I stood up to leave but the curiosity of the book drew me back. I quickly picked up the notebook and hid it in my pocket as the ambulance parked up.

I quickly exited the apartment complex. As I was leaving I noticed a chill go down my spine as cop cars come speeding around the corner. I found a rickety old park bench nearby. I read through the book and noticed how much detail went onto the pages.

The more I turned the pages, the more I realised it wasn’t just a random book. What was it exactly? The journey it was going to take me on I had no clue. But I was in for a hell of a ride.

Fast forward to today and I have only just realised how dangerous this book really is. There’s no reverse card, no do overs. I am stuck in this rut of a nightmare. This book is a parasite. A leech. It feeds off of the person that holds it. This innocent looking little black book is anything but innocent.

“Joseph Thomas you are surrounded! Come out with your hands up!”

Who would’ve thought that this empty shell of a broken down train would become my sanctuary, but then again is there anything that’s normal about me anymore?

“Come on, we don’t have all night! We don’t want to hurt you, we just want that $20,000 back from you. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Silence filled the air as tensions rose.

Little do they know but that $20,000 that they are talking about, I came into it a while back when I approached my captain about the names in the book. She folded faster than my uncle playing cards.

She must’ve thought this would clear her conscience. It didn’t because two days later, she resigned and took off. Nobody has heard from her since. Well that money is long gone. It’s a long story.

The other names weren’t so easy to talk with. I used to be a good cop. A cop of morals. A cop that had high hopes, that he would make a positive change in the community. Instead, I found this black book and thought I could control the city to become good. It turned me from what I wanted to be; to become what I despised.

The more I dived into this book, the more I fell into the darkness. It changed me mentally and emotionally.

So where am I now? Mentally, I am in the fight of fights. Do I turn myself in? Do I turn the book into the media? Do I just keep doing what I’m doing?

I’ve had these personal arguments for a while now, but with everything happening lately I’ve come to know that I need to make a decision sooner rather than later.

A storm started brewing as the rain fell harder and the puddles got deeper. This was a stand off I never thought I’ll ever be a part of.

How am I going to get out of here? My sanctuary was slowly becoming my coffin. Their patience started to wear off as the guy who seems to be in charge spoke into his walkie talkie. Two seconds later a couple police officers rushed me from the back.

They grab me by the arms and throw me out of the train. My face gets submerged in the forever growing puddles as the boss approaches me.

“Where is the money?!” He asks me as he pulls me by my hair.

“I don’t have it.” I reply trying not to swallow any more unwanted water.

He let go as he instructed the men to take me to the car.

Just like that, as soon as I got thrown in the car a bolt of lightning miraculously hit the guy which sent the team into a frenzy. I used this as my time to escape. I scurried to the bushes as the rain whipped across my face. The rain soaked branches and bushes smacking me back and forward as I find a hole in the base of a tree trunk, the perfect hiding spot from the rain.

Morning came and so did my chance to run… Where can I run? I can’t go home. I can’t go to work. I can’t go anywhere. I guess I better make a decision now on what I’m going to do. I rustle through the wet patches and wet shrubbery until I reach town. Lo and behold the three stooges are here.

I hide behind a large pot plant as I watch the guys wander around looking for me I guess.

To my shock, there she is. You know how I had the girl of my dreams? Yeah, her. I’m looking right at her. That witch took off with over half of my money. I thought she loved me but the moment I let my guard down, she was gone. I guess it was my fault. I wasn’t too quiet about having money. I let that get the better of me. She runs over and throws her arm around him. The same guy who tried to kidnap me. But why was he asking me for the money if he already has it? Unless he doesn’t know she has it. Has she got no morals whatsoever? Even with everything that’s happened at least I had a conscience.

I pull out the soaking wet book and stare at it. I’ve procrastinated long enough. I have to make the decision now. I turn to have a look at everyone as I start to put the book back in my pocket. Everybody is gone. They’re nowhere to be seen. I looked away for twenty seconds, if that. I turn around to leave and bump into them. I could hear the girl snicker, until she saw my face.

“What’s that you put in your pocket?” I get asked as a fist connects with my torso.

“It’s nothing” I reply.

They then pull the book out. And with no luck they tried to read it, but it was so wet that it was unreadable.

They throw the book at me then proceed to ask me where the money is.

I look at the woman as she begins to sway her head to try and persuade me to not say anything.

“Why don’t you ask her”

“What?”

“Yeah I haven't seen the money since I last saw her.”

I could see the confusion in his face slowly become anger as he turns to look at her. I put the book in my pocket and run off as she begins to apologise and try to explain what she did.

I escape to a little internet cafe. I’ve made up my mind, this book needs to get out there. I don’t care about the repercussions. This book hasn’t done me any favors. Sure at the time I felt like I was on top of the world but it’s a parasite. It feels good at the time then it turns around and sucks you dry. It’s nothing more than a curse.

Dear any and all media outlets

My name is Joseph Thomas. I don’t know where to start. I have come into possession of a seemingly innocent little black book. But I found out the hard way that it is far from innocent. It has names and accounts of all the top officials in the city. People who have their hands in the “cookie jar”

This ranges from the mayor to the “respectable” principle of our primary school. I’ve held on to it long enough in fact I too fell into the trap of the book, but I can’t take it anymore. Attached are photos of each entry in the book. Do with it how you please.

A ding sounds as I press send. Shortly after, the door gets kicked open as the police force their way in. My vision fades as they pistol whip me.