The Cost of Insomnia

2:00 am had come and gone and my attempt at professional insomnia was really looking like a winner.

Around 3:30, I signed onto Tiktok to watch some videos hoping there would be something boring enough that it might knock me out.

I caught several videos about idiots trying to run from the cops only to end up in a swamp or wrapped around a stop sign and Karens trying to rule their HOA neighborhoods.

As I was about to sign off and give up on sleep for that night, something caught my attention and I clicked back to Tiktok.

A squiggly, black line crossed before my eyes and I watched intently for about 30 seconds before a man came into view. He looked right at the camera and said  “Click your mic on, Penny.”

Being a little surprised, I clicked my mic on and just stared at the screen.

“Hi Penny, I just wanted to talk to you for a bit.  I knew your father, John, and your grandfather and I believe you read about me once a long time ago.”

My father and grandfather had died horrible deaths and the family didn’t talk much about the accidents that took their lives. I do remember, as a child, hearing some wild stories about demons causing their deaths, but always thought it was just a wild ghost story.

“Okay,” I answered hesitantly.

“I want you to go to the store tomorrow and buy a lottery ticket. Use these numbers. 1, 13, 17, 34 and 45.”

I just looked at my computer and thought I must have fallen asleep and this was a dream.  Too weird to actually be happening. A shadow on Tiktok was talking to me at 3:30 am.

“Come back tomorrow and let me know how you did, Penny,” the voice said before I saw his outline slowly disappear.

I must have dozed off at some point because when I woke up as the sun came through my window, saw the piece of paper with the numbers on the coffee table in front of me and I remembered. That was real?!

The store was crowded with people all playing their numbers for a chance at a jackpot of just over 2 million dollars. I stepped up and played my numbers. The man said “good luck” as I left the store.

When the drawing for the winning numbers came on, I was still wide awake and now was intrigued. The man on the TV started scrambling the balls and the numbers started to pop up.    17 – 13 – 45 – 1 – 34.

“Oh, holy shit,” I screamed.  My numbers came up as the winning numbers and I held tightly to that ticket that would bring me a financial windfall.

I sat in front of Tiktok for hours that night before the shadow reappeared.

“How did you do Penny?” the voice asked.

“Well, I won, I won it all.”

“Excellent. Now here is what you need to do next.”

“Ok, Penny. Tomorrow, go to the race track and bet the #14 horse in the third race to win. Bet big. It’s a long shot and you will win a lot of money.”

I knew nothing about betting on horses, but the man at the betting window helped me place my bet.

#14 came in and I walked away from the racetrack with $84,000 in my pocket. 

That night the shadow man didn’t appear. I waited until the early hours of the morning for him and he never appeared.

Maybe this was all it is, I thought.  But why? Why did he come to me and why did he give me all this money?

The next night the shadow man reappeared.

“The bus you are taking tomorrow to Boston, Penny. Don’t get on it,” he warned.

“Stay home.”

The following day, the top news story was about a bus that crashed on the way to Boston and 27 people died. A tractor trailer couldn’t stop and smashed into the side of the bus splitting it in half.

I almost passed out. I was meant to be on that bus and now the shadow man had saved my life.

Back to Tiktok that night to thank the shadow man. He never appeared.

The news stations continued running the bus story on and off all day. Every time, I saw the wreckage of the bus, I shuddered. That could have been me.

It was another three days before the shadow man came again.

“Penny, are you there?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m right here. I have been waiting for you. You saved my life. I wanted to say thank you. If I had been on that bus, I would probably have died.”

“What are you talking about, Penny?”

“You told me not to get on the bus to Boston and it crashed and almost everyone died. You saved my life.”

“Oh ya, you’re welcome.  That is not the big thing. I want you to go to New York City tomorrow. Go to the top of the tallest building and jump off.”

“Well, that’s not funny,” I said.

“I’m not kidding.” The voice now sounded dark and threatening.

I looked at the screen and saw that the shadow man was gone and there was a demon staring back at me.

“Jump off the building,” the demon said again almost hypnotically.

“I won’t,” and I slammed the computer shut. It reopened to the Tiktok page.

“Your great grandfather had a task years and years ago to save his soul after I gave him everything he wanted.  I told him that his great granddaughter would have to pay the price and choose a relative of hers for his soul to be rescued. He wrestled with this decision and he finally said, “I choose my great granddaughter,” but the words came too late and so he was killed by a dump truck, being crushed to death.

Your grandfather and your father were my victims too.”

“I can offer you the same deal.  If you wish to save your soul, pick a relative that will have to follow your task or you can die now as your father and grandfather did.”

No, I won’t do it,” I screamed and slammed the computer shut so I wouldn’t have to listen to him anymore. I just wanted to take my fortune and live a comfortable life for the next 50 years.  I slept fitfully.

The following morning, without planning it or realizing what I was doing, I took the train to New York and pushed the elevator button to go to the top of the Empire State building.

When I go to the top and looked down, I got dizzy and quietly said, “Ok, ok.”

Then I conceded and said the damning words . . . I choose my great grandson.”