The bus ride.

“Next stop, Sunset Boulevard & Irving Street.” repeated the recorded voice, cutting through the low hum of morning talk and eager taxis shooting by. It always had sounded too good to be true, Luca thought. Anyone who chose to include “Sun” in the name of a place was asking for trouble. But then again you couldn’t fault them for avoiding the more honest option of “Fog Boulevard”.

Yet fog was what he had dressed for. Black hoodie and jeans. Just like yesterday. And the day before. The trip to the hospital usually took around 20 minutes. He’d done it so many times he could have probably started his own niche tour guide company. Its potential for success was unclear, although Luca had a hunch.

The benefit of being unemployed was that at 10:17 in the morning, he was the King of the bus. A small kingdom, granted, but he wasn’t picky. An elderly Asian couple a few rows ahead whispered into each other’s ears. A young Dad at the front gently rocked a pram back and forth. Luca leant against the window in the second to last row, letting his gaze drift outward. “And if you look to your left you’ll see a confused mid-western tourist wondering what that strange smell is.”

The bus slammed on the brakes.

Another eager taxi. Waving his fist, the driver swore loudly or at least Luca thought he had. He couldn’t tell through the cries of the now wide awake baby. The couple paused momentarily, looking forward before continuing their whispers. Luca reached down to grab his fallen rucksack.

It’s always upsetting when personal belongings touch the floor of public transport. “Vehicles are cleaned on a rotating schedule” the website stated. Wiping down his bag, he wondered if their vagueness suggested annually. Laying it down flat on the empty seat beside him he turned his gaze outwards once again, letting his mind wander as he got comforta...something was underneath his foot.

He spread his legs apart and looked down, trying to find the object that didn’t belong. The coke can and subway wrapper were right at home. The black notebook, on the other hand, was not. It definitely wasn’t his but it looked important enough that it couldn’t be ignored. Two flicks of his ankle sent the can and wrapper onwards in their short journey. He reached down and picked the notebook up.

A quick placebo inspired wipe down of the cover and he began to flick through the pages. No scuffs. No stains. Thick, sweet smelling, blank white pages. In fact, it was in such pristine condition that one could easily have mistaken it for brand new; if it weren’t for the message scribbled inside the cover.

“This book has great sentimental value. If found, please call 202-555-0131.”

If it was a scam, he had to applaud the creativity. 15 minutes until his stop. On the other hand, it was quite feminine handwriting. Maybe this was how people met now? He pulled out his phone and called.

After three rings an overly friendly, deep voice answered.

“Goooood morning!!”

A sigh escaped Luca. The sheer energy of the greeting gave him the impression that his response wasn’t necessary. He was correct. The voice never faltered.

“And what a fine morning it is sir! The sun is shining...”

Not based locally then.

“...the birds are singing and you sir, have just won 20,000 dollars.”

With a scrunched up face, Luca replied. “What?”

“That’s right. 20,000 dollars. I just need you to do me one favo...”

Click.

And applaud the creativity he did. In his mind of course. Americans already had a reputation for clapping on planes; he had no intention of adding buses to the list. He threw the notebook on top of his rucksack and slipped his phone into his jeans, before turning his gaze outwar…

An abrupt ring burst from his pocket, disturbing the strangely hypnotic calm often experienced on mid-morning public transport. A soft lullaby being offered as solace drifted back through the bus.

“Ah, fuck.” Luca leant back awkwardly in the hard plastic seat and squeezed out his phone with his index finger and thumb, answering instinctively. “What?! Sorry, hi.”

“Someone offers me 20,00 dollars, I say yes.”

This is how it happens. They get your number and you’re theirs eternally.

“Look, no thank you. I didn’t mean to call you. Please delete my number.” He mouthed sorry to the visibly exhausted but kind faced man at the front.

“I’m pretty sure you called the right number Luca, you found my notebook right?”

“Then why…”

His heart stopped. The low hum of morning talk and eager taxis faded away. A vacuum formed. How did he know his name?

...A database! His shoulders dropped and a breath escaped. These guys have databases with names, addresses, everything, Luca thought.

“Look, just take me off your database.” If he didn’t handle this now, he’d be getting more calls than a craigslist ad offering a good time.

“I feel like we got off to a rough start” the voice echoed with an unexpected sincerity.

“I. Do. Not. Want. What you’re selling.”

“I’m not selling, I’m giving, Luca. You haven’t been on a date in ages, your Mum’s not well and it looks like you might only own one pair of shoes. This is a good thing.”

Hell of a database.

“Who the fuck are you?!” They weren’t his only pair. He had slippers too.

“You have my notebook and I want to give you 20,000 dollars to say thank you. Let’s start there.”

Aware of his surroundings, Luca hunched forwards and leant into the phone. “How do you know about my Mum?!”

“It’s all in our database.” he offered nonchalantly. “How about this, if you do me one favour, I promise, I will never call you ever again.”

Luca cleared his throat and weighed his options. “What’s the favour?”

“It’s tiny. That notebook you found, write “I want 20,000 dollars” on the first page.”

He looked down at the open page. “I don’t understand.”

“Grab a pen and write “I want 20,000 dollars”.

His eyes scanned the passing neighbourhood before dropping back down. “You want me to write in your notebook?”

“Yes! Boy, we make a great team Luca.”

“And you’ll never call me again?”

“Never again.”

He pulled out a pen and started writing. “I...want...20…thousand...dollars.”

“Done.”

His phone beeped.

“One second.”

He moved his phone into view.

Wells Fargo: $20,000 deposited into Primary account.

Hell of a fucking database!

“Whaaaaaaa. Who the fuck!?” Immediately covering his mouth and hunching forward again. “Jesusss Christ!”

“Actually, he works in a different department.”

“What the fuck is going on?”

“We’ll get to that but first, think of something you really want. Anything. No wrong answers. Off the top of your head.”

“Uhhh” His eyes locked on the elderly woman. “A new kidney for my Mum.”

“Excellent choice, write it down.”

Luca did as was told.

Beep. He flipped his phone around again.

The less cool sibling: Dudeee! Doc just said Mum has a donor. Get your ass here now!

“Done, next.”

Luca leant forward. He gripped the seat's metal handle almost as tight as his stomach tensed. This was a new kind of joy. Small drops began to fall to the “cleaned on a rotating schedule” floor.

“Luca, what’s next?”

“Uh, ha!” One giddy laugh escaped as he leant back and wiped away a tear “I’ve always wanted a dog.”

“You know what to do.” They actually did make a good team.

He’d barely even inked the full stop before a tiny snout poked out from underneath his elbow.

“Omg. How! Where did it..”

Luca’s shocked movements gave the pup an opportunity to invade what was left of his personal space.

“Her name is Lola and she is a rescue spaniel and as for this whole situation, well it’s real simple. That black book is magic. Like “Harry Potter” real magic. Whatever you write in it comes true. There’s a bunch of them in the world. We help people who need it the most for 10 minutes. Whenever you see someone in the news having a sudden streak of excellent fortune, probably us.”

“Wait, you do what? Ho…”

“Emphasis on the 10 minutes Luca, we have about 4 left. Might I suggest a bigger home for Lola to run around in?”

“Yes!” He grabbed the book and reached over his new companion, placing it down flat on his bag. He wasted no time.

“Contracts with you...”

Beep.

“...now. It’s a nice spot in Mill Valley. Key’s are in your front pocket.” Luca clutched his chest and felt two small metallic objects. “Ok, now…”

“Wait, I have another.”

Luca hurriedly scratched an addition into the notebook.

“Easyyyy Casanova, we don’t control free will."

“Next stop, UCSF.” the speaker announced.

Luca glanced out of the window “Gimme a sec. This is my stop.” He shoved the phone into his pocket, threw the notebook into his rucksack and hurled it over his shoulder, before picking up the admiring Lola. He stepped off the Bus and started the long hike up Hillway avenue, fumbling the phone to his ear.

“Ok, back”

“Luca, I need you to do one last thing for me. Leave the notebook somewhere it can be found.”

“Wait.” He stopped walking, already slightly out of breath. “Is that it? How do I speak to you again?"

“You don’t, gotta go, bye.”

Click.

*

“Lucifer!!” A giant scaled creature with huge scars across its chest stomped its way towards the furthest corner of the office. Curious heads popping up from their grey, drab cubicles in its wake. The only thing worse than the pitch black ceiling was the rubbled floor, covered with jagged rocks and the occasional lost rattlesnake.

“Yes boss!” He blurted out with an uncharacteristic sense of enthusiasm. The 10ft beast arrived, casting an impressive shadow across his cubicle.

“Oh now it’s “Yes Boss”. Now it’s “Follow the rules”. Now it’s “Be a team player”.”

“I don’t understand.” Feigning innocence as he removed his headset from over his curled horns.

“Do I look like an idiot to you? Do I?” An awkward silence hung in the air. “We monitor everyone’s calls!” His giant claw motioning around the hellish landscape before turning back to Lucifer with a piercing stare. “I know what you’re doing. Stop giving people fucking dogs, that’s not your job!” Then, without taking his eyes off Lucifer. “Craggle, what’s Lucifer’s job?”

A slimey, cross eyed head popped up in the cubicle next to him

“Get the victims on the line, demonstrate your powers, convince them to do terrible things.” hissed Craggle.

“Exactly!” bellowed the boss, his neighbour’s eyes turning a bright yellow with joy. “Get them on the line, give them the cash, convince them to do terrible things.”

“I know.” Lucifer’s head sinking slightly.

“Then stop wasting my time and do your job!” He checked his watch. “I need to go. Meeting the big guy downstairs.” Looking back up. “Are we clear?”

Lucifer nodded.

“Good. Craggle, walk with me.” The ground shook with his every step, making life harder for a scurrying Craggle who juggled a stack of rancid smelling files and a cup of vending machine lava.

Lucifer leant back in his ergonomic desk boulder and spun slowly from side to side.

“Convince them to do terrible things” he muttered to himself.

A loud ring. He sat forward, shook his substantial frame and answered.

“Gooooood Morning, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and you mam just wo…”

He paused. Children were laughing in the background

“Listen to me very carefully, I don’t have long…”