T.E. Marshall

JACK OF HEARTS

The thought of stepping outside his decrepit seven story tenement sent a sharp pain through Jack’s chest. Today was the last day of the Merriweather Games. Being a final contestant- Jack knew what was at stake. The notion of finally leaving his room for good left him with mixed feelings. For eight years, Jack’s lifestyle had consisted of eating, sleeping, and defecating in a tube. A deplorable existence for a spry man in his 30s, but such was the state of affairs on the once great planet called Earth, and yet there had been some sense of security in knowing exactly what each day of his life would bring.