A Dangerous Contract

I sit outside of the cafe, slowly sipping on my cappuccino when I notice it. There is a stone barrier between the cafe’s outdoor seating area and the sidewalk. Lying upon it is a book. A small, black, notebook.

I glance around, trying to see if I can tell who it belongs to. I don’t see anyone near it though. I shrug and go back to my coffee, deciding that the little book isn’t worth my time. I look back down to my own notebook to find my physics notes staring back at me. I have been trying to study for my upcoming exam for what seems like days, but me and physics just don’t click.

I look back up, and see that the little notebook is still there. It looks like a really nice one, too. Definitely something that someone wouldn’t want to just leave lying around. Maybe I’ll give it to the cafe owner, so they can put it in their lost and found. That seems like the right thing to do. I get up and grab the notebook. I flip through the pages, and I’m surprised to find that is entirely blank. Someone lost a brand new notebook, and that’s a shame.

I take it inside the cafe and go to the counter, where Miguel is working. He is always working, it seems. His whole life goes to this little cafe of his.

“Hey, Sam! Do you want another cappuccino?”

“Ah, no, not yet. Though thanks for offering. I actually wanted to give you this. It was lying around outside, and I thought maybe the owner would come back for it.”

Miguel takes the notebook from me. “Nice notebook. Strange that someone would have forgotten it.” He slowly fans through the book, “wait a minute, are you messing with me, Sam?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it has your name in it.”

“What, no way. That’s not possible.” I don’t know what to think. I know I’ve never owned that kind of notebook. It can’t be mine.

“It says it right here!” He shows me the interior cover. In case of loss, please return to: Sam G. It even has my phone number after my name.

He smiles and hands it back to me. “I guess I found it’s owner.”

I take it, and thank him, though I am incredibly confused. This isn’t right. I know this isn’t my notebook, but something or someone clearly wants me to have it. I go back to my table outside and set the little notebook on the table. I look back to my physics notes, though I know I won’t make it anywhere with those now.

Then the little notebook rustles and opens of its own accord. It opens to the first blank page of the book, and writing begins to appear on it.

Hello, Sam, it’s a pleasure to meet you.

“Who or what are you?” I ask aloud, as if the book can hear me.

Please write your responses, you don’t want to look like you’re talking to yourself do you? As for what am I? I’m a notebook, obviously. Who am I? I suppose you can call me Marshall.

“Okay, so what do you want with me? Are you magical?” I write, my handwriting looking plain and lopsided underneath its flowing script.

I suppose I am magical. As to what I want with you, it’s simple. I want to help you.

“Help me?”

Yes. Help you. I know you’ve been struggling, your job is barely getting you by while you attend school. Well, I can help you.

“How?”

Before I tell you that, I just need to tell you that there are rules that you need to follow. Well, really, just one. You can’t tell anyone about how I helped you.

“What happens if I do?”

Best you not find out. How’s that? Now, do we have a deal?

I ponder it for just a short minute, but whatever its offering seems too good to be true. It is absolutely right that I’ve been struggling. What’s the harm in going with it? It, Marshall, doesn’t seem to be malicious.

“Fine, I agree.”

Okay, sign your name to seal the contract.

I sign my name in the book, curious as to how it thinks it can help me. It is, after all, just a notebook.

So here is what you’re going to do. You’re going to go to the gas station down the street from here. You know the one I’m talking about. It looks far too grand to be just a gas station. Go to the clerk on the left, and ask for one scratch off lottery ticket. When they go to the roll, and this is important, ask for the fifth ticket. Remember, no telling anyone what made you go for this.

I read the instructions several times. It seems easy enough, but if I’m being honest I don’t believe that the notebook, Marshall, is right. There’s no way it could know that. Curiosity gets the best of me in the end, and I make the short walk to the gas station.

Marshall was definitely right about the gas station being too grand. It’s made to look like it’s made out of fine marble. It might actually be, but I’m no expert. I go in to the building and make a beeline to the clerk on the left.

“Hi, I’d like to buy a scratch off ticket please. Fifth one if it’s not too much to ask.”

The clerk looks up at me, clearly bored. “That’s a little specific. Most people just take the first one.”

I look to her name tag. Elle. “Yeah, Elle, I get that, but five is my lucky number.”

She shrugs before grabbing the ticket I requested. I watch closely to make sure she grabs the fifth one. I pay her and leave the gas station. I head back to the cafe. I go inside to the counter, and ask Miguel if I can borrow a coin.

“You don’t strike me as the gambling type, Sam. What’s with the lottery ticket?”

“Just feeling lucky, Miguel.”

I start to scratch off the ticket as Miguel looks on. After I finish, I just stare at in in shock.

Miguel lets out a whistle, “holy cow, you just won twenty thousand dollars!”

Other patrons look toward the counter as I shush Miguel.

In a whisper, Miguel continues. “What are you going to do! I can’t believe I just witnessed that!”

“I don’t know! I didn’t expect to actually win anything. I guess I’m going to pay off my debts, and then invest the rest?”

“Amazing! I expect good tips from you in the future, Sam. Now seriously, what made you get a ticket?”

“I told you! I just felt lucky. Well, that, and I had a tip off that today would be a good day to buy a ticket.”

“Who tipped you off?”

I realize, now, that I am getting into dangerous territory. I can’t say it was the notebook that is currently in my back pocket.

“Oh, nobody important. It was just something that came up in a conversation with some friends.”

I can tell that Miguel is suspicious about what I’m saying, but he doesn’t press the issue.

“Anyway, Miguel, I’ve got to go! See you later.”

“Yeah, see you later.” I turn to go, but am stopped, “hey, wait! Don’t forget your notebook.”

I turn back, and sure enough, the little black notebook that I was sure was in my pocket is now on his counter. Miguel starts to leaf through it again, but I snatch it away from him.

“Sorry, Miguel! Can’t have you looking in there!”

“It was blank earlier, what could be in there now?”

“Just my deepest thoughts that I’ve had for the day.”

“Yeah, right, that’s believable.”

Before I realize what I am saying, it slips out. “The notebook told me about the ticket!”

I panic when I realize what I’ve said, but nothing happens. Maybe the book isn’t so magical after all.

Miguel just laughs at what I say, and then I leave. I quickly forget about breaking the one rule on my way to my apartment. I’m thinking along the way of all I can do now that I’ve got some money. I can pay off my car for starters! I can afford good equipment and start making videos again! There’s so many new possibilities!

I get back to my apartment and set the notebook and the scratch off ticket down on my table. I go right to my room then to put my school stuff at my desk. If I don’t put it here I will surely lose it. It’s happened to me before after all.

Then I go back to the table and the notebook. I look at the little ticket that is my key to so much now, and can’t help but to smile. Before my eyes, once again, the little notebook opens of its own accord. A feeling of dread settles in my stomach as writing appears on the page.

You broke the rule, Sam. It was one simple rule, and you broke it. Now you have to pay the price!

“What is it?” I ask aloud, no longer caring about talking to no one.

The book doesn’t write. Instead, smoke begins billowing out of it. It swirls around the book and me, and quickly fills the room. Oddly enough, my smoke alarms never go off. It doesn’t take long before I black out.

When I come to, I can immediately tell something is wrong. I’m looking at the ceiling, but the distance is all wrong. It’s as if I’m on my table, and everything is bigger than it should be. Then it dawns on me, I am on my table. Looming over me is a giant person. They reach out and pick me up. I try to struggle, but only hear the rustling of pages.

“Oh, Sam. I told you that you didn’t want to find out what happens if you break the rule. I’m Marshall by the way. I broke the rule, too. Ended up just like you are now. A small black notebook with more knowledge than I had before.”

I realize then that he’s right. I know lots of things now. Things I didn’t know before. Things that could happen. Things that will happen. Except that I’m not me. Not anymore.

Marshall smiles, “you’ve realized your situation, now, huh? You’re not stuck that way forever, you know. You’ve just got to get someone else to break the rule, just like I got you to break it.” He sets me back down on the table, and then he grabs the lottery ticket. “I’ll be taking this.”

He goes to the apartment door, and turns off the lights. I see him open the door, and then lock it. He smiles one last time before going through the door, “goodbye, Sam, and good luck.”