Kevin Amburgey

Hush Money

I need to tell someone my story. It's pretty unbelievable, but I assure you it is true. The only place to start is at the beginning, so, here goes. It was a day like most others. A brisk autumn day to be exact. The kind that bites a bit when the wind blows, but the sun still allows you to wear shorts. My favorite weather. I was walking down the sidewalk; returning home after enjoying a nice brunch with some friends when out of the corner of my eye, I saw something sitting in the middle of the road. I turned to look at this object and from where I stood, it appeared to be a small black book. There was something about it though. It seemed to call to me. It was bound in leather and had a gold metal chain wrapped around it. Curious, I rushed over, looking both ways before doing so. As I reached down to pick up the book, I was suddenly struck by something. It had come out of nowhere. When I looked both ways before going into the street, I saw nothing for at least a mile. My head was rushing with thoughts as I flew through the air. "Why is this happening? Where did the car come from? Am I going to die when I land?" I had no answers. Finally I landed in a bush about 50 feet away. The person that I assumed was driver of the car came rushing over to me. As I was coming to my senses, trying in vain to get my eyes to focus, I saw a figure standing over me. "Are you alright?" The voice asked. As my vision began to clear, I saw the distinct face and sharp jawline of none other than Elon Musk. "I think I'm gonna be alright", I said. But as I started to stand, it was clear that my hip was broken. I couldn't get up. The pain was excruciating. "No no, lay there, I'll call for help." I assumed an ambulance would be coming soon, but to my surprise, Elon pushed some device that was attached to his ear and began speaking a language I didn't recognize. Suddenly, almost instantly, there was a hovering device above me. Before I could figure out what was happening, I was transported to another location. What happened next is hard to describe, but I will try. My eyes took a moment to adjust, but when they did, I realized I was in a room somewhere. This room was pitch black, except for one lone floating and glowing orb. Beyond it's light, nothing could be seen. Below the orb was a table, and I was now laying face up on it. There was a tiny greyish green colored creature that I could vaguely see in my peripheral vision. I could not move. I was frozen, but I was awake. Elon stepped into the light and began talking in the same language I had heard earlier. The creature responded and then started walking towards me. I tried to speak, but I couldn't. My tongue felt like it weighed 1,000 pounds. The small creature then placed it's hands on my hip and there was a warm sensation that flowed through my body. Almost as if I was being electrocuted but there was no pain. Instantly my hip was healed. Elon said something else, pushed the device on his ear again, and as quickly as we had been transported to this new location, we were transported back to my hometown. I was laying down again, back in the bush, and Elon was standing over me. He again asked "Are you alright?" Bewildered, frightened, and confused by what had just transpired, I stood to my feet and slowly nodded. He then said, "Glad to hear it. Sorry for all of this, I was in a bit of a hurry." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a large roll of cash. "I hope this helps a little and pays for some discretion." He tossed it to me and winked. He then turned around, reached down and picked up the black book that started all of this. He then walked over to his car door, got into his Tesla, and drove away. I stood there in shock for a few minutes before finally regaining my composure and looking down to see the wad of cash looking back at me. Counting it, the sum was $20,000. I eventually made my way home, but I don't really recall the trip. I was too lost in thought. "What just happened to me? Where did I go? What was that strange creature? WHAT is Elon Musk? And lastly, how was I going to spend this hush money?" I had no answers to any of them, but I did have $20,000. All in all, not a bad way to spend my afternoon.