How Curious

Eddie walks with shoulders slumped and uncomfortable in his way too tight red cardigan sweater and tan Docker's pants down the crowded subway corridor.

Eddie was a bookkeeper at a boutique bookstore. A very quiet bookstore. Eddie liked it that way.

Fired. Fired on a Friday. Is that legal? Eddie's tall thin frame plunks along as he contemplates whether or not he has a lawsuit in the making. Thirteen years and they fire me.

Eddie's large plumb-like brown eyes see light at the end of the tunnel. Not his life but the subway corridor tunnel to the main street. Eddie's pace starts to slow down as depression sinks in.

People brush past him in a hurry. Eddie's large sad eyes look out into the setting sunlight just mere steps away from the opening to the street. He stops and people just go around him.

This is the last time I shall see you like this ole' boy. Tonight I shall go home, drink some Chardonnay and eat ten pounds of chocolate until I pass out. No need to travel this way anymore.

The crowd seems to magically dissipate around Eddie as people have made their way onto their destinations. Eddie shrugs, steps forward, and looks down. Hello. What's this?

Eddie nearly stepped on the nice leatherbound little black book. Eddie looks around and see's no claimant to the book so he quickly picks it up for closer inspection. Eddie reads the words inscribed down the spine of the black book. "Moleskine." Eddie casually opens the book and flips through the mostly blank pages. "Good quality."

Just before Eddie closes the book he checks the inside front cover. Something odd catches his eye. There are words written in bold black ink.

Flip forward 10 pages. -

How curious. He does as the book asks and thumbs forward ten pages. Right in the middle of the tenth page is a bold set of instructions scrawled in the same heavy black ink.

15 STEPS FORWARD. 23 STEPS RIGHT. GOT A LIGHT?

What? Makes no sense. Eddie ponders squinting his eyes like a sneaky raccoon looking around. Another rush of the 5 PM crowd of people is heading up the corridor towards him.

Eddie quickly almost desperately looks back down at the note with hardened intent. Why not? On an, I just got fired Friday. My plans can wait a bit. I'll just follow the steps for a bit. See it's silly. Go home... and then get chocolate drunk.

Eddie takes one step forward holding the curious little black book open before him like a treasure map and counting out loud. "One... two..."

Meanwhile, somewhere in a dark room, three men huddle around a very large computer monitor. Television screens and monitors are everywhere in the room. Scenes of the city streets play out on the screens like live CCTV cameras.

The three men have their eyes on one screen and one screen only. The screen with Eddie holding the book out while stumbling, bumbling, and avoiding people in his way.

The fat one, Wilcox smokes a cigarette as he sits in the center controlling the keyboard. He smiles a wide yellow-toothed grin, "We got one. He took the bait."

Humphrey the flashy silver fox executive in an expensive suit stands behind Wilcox. "Yeah. If we can finally land this fish. Unlike the last ten. We still haven't captured one."

"Oh, Ye of little faith." Wilcox smiles. "I like the look of this one. He's a gamer. I can tell." Wilcox snaps his fingers. "Mikey. Ready cameras four through ten."

"On it boss." Mikey's short and stocky. He turns and punches some keys on another keyboard.

The cameras follow Eddie as he steps out into the busy sidewalk, pauses, looks left and right then Eddie finally turns right.

"Yes! At least this one knows his right from his left." Exclaims Wilcox with a proud chip on his shoulder.

Humphrey casually rolls his eyes, "We shall see Wilcox. I'm slightly impressed."

Not far away Eddie tottles along the narrow and crowded sidewalk, briskly counting down, "Twenty-one... twenty-two... twenty-three!"

"Got a light?"

Eddie nearly jumps out of his skin as a rough weathered man jumps in front of him. He obviously sleeps outside holding up a half-finished cigarette that's seen better days to Eddie's nose.

"Got a light?"

It speaks. Eddie coughs and gags at the stench of the burnt black cigarette and the man's unwashed hands.

"Got a light?"

"Excuse me? cough cough "I don't smoke good sir. Now if you could excuse me... I have a date... with myself."

Eddie seemingly sinks into his skin, turns, and starts to walk away.

"You have a dollar?"

Eddie stops, glumly reaches into his pants pocket, "Sure. That I have and healthier for you I'm sure."

The man extends a dirty hand to receive the dollar. Eddie notices something peculiar written in pen on the man's palm.

"Turn to page twenty?" Eddie whispers. He stares at the writing in awe and confused. "Page twenty. What?"

The gruff man snatches the dollar and hoots and hollers like a mad man, walking away screaming about lasers and how UFOs invaded our minds.

Eddie can't help but watch the dirty man walk away waving his arms all about.

I'd wager his Friday night shall be a lot more interesting than mine.

Eddie then tears through the pages counting to page twenty in a hurry. He stops and is shocked when another set of instructions in the same lettering are there.

31 STEPS FORWARD. TURN RIGHT. FIRST ALLEY INSIGHT. THEN PROCEED 44 STEPS TO A WOMAN IN NEED.

"What game is this?" Eddie surveys his surroundings. "I don't like this," Eddie utters just before he starts counting his steps. "One... two... three..."

Back in the computer lab center with Wilcox, Humphrey, and Mikey, they watch the screen intently.

"Nice!" Wilcox shouts. "He's only one of a few that passed the money test and he's marching forward! He's already gone farther than most the other ones."

"Don't get cocky." Humphrey flatly replies and lights a thin cigar. "No one gets past the next part."

Eddie quickens his pace. A woman in need? Should I call the police?

"Thirty-three. Alright. Turn right. Ewwwwww" Eddie stares down a dark dingy alley. Eddie squints as if that'll sharpen his vision and he'll be able to see farther than 20 feet in.

"Hello. Miss?" Eddie meekly calls out with a whimper. Silence albeit a few alley cat hisses and meows.

Eddie gives the sign of the cross over his heart, looks up, and whispers a short prayer. "Please God don't let me die. I just want to get chocolate drunk tonight."

Eddie slowly takes his first step into the alley. "One... two... "

Back in the dark computer headquarter Humphrey hits a button, "Are you guys ready back there? He's going in."

"All set boss," a deep voice comes back, "Getting prepped now. Hopefully, this is it."

"No shit. I can't take another day of waiting. Good luck. Stand by."

Humphrey stands up like a general and focuses on Eddie walking down the alley on the computer screen.

"Atta boy. Go get 'em, tiger." Humphrey smirks.

Deep inside the alley, Eddie shivers while gripping his little black book with both hands holding it in front of him like a shield as he counts along. "Thirty-five... thirty-six... thirty-seven... "

A woman's scream fills the alley. "Help!" She cries out.

"That's close enough mate!" A tall man with a ski mask on jumps out from behind a dumpster. He holds a woman by the waist close to him with a knife against her.

Eddie shrieks. He jumps back and turns to run. "I've had enough of this!"

"Help me! please!" The woman pleads.

"Go on mate!" The criminal commands Eddie. "Go find your own Bettie. This one's mine."

Eddie stops just as quickly as he starts to run. He looks down at the hardcover black Moleskine leather-bound book in his hands.

It's time Eddie.

A voice rings in Eddie's head. He looks down the alley which leads to escape. You know exactly where that road leads Eddie.

He turns and faces the assailant holding the sobbing woman hostage. You've never been down this road, Eddie. Eddie wields the book like a shield holding it chest high before him. "Tell me, friend, Do you like to travel?"

"What?" The knife-wielding thug questions him. "That doesn't even make sense."

"Let her go." Eddie starts walking towards the man. "Let her go!"

Inside the computer lab, Wilcox stands and cheers. "He's engaging! Holy moly! He's engaging! Finally someone! Please. Thank you God!"

Humphrey hits the com button, "Ready one. If it goes down all the way it goes down quickly. Got it?"

"Roger that boss."

Eddie steadies his legs. "Let her go!" He shouts. The perpetrator shoves the woman away and pockets his knife. "Alright laddie. I'm a enjoy this. I ain't gave no one a good bare-knuckle thrashing since me breakfast this morning." -

The thug steps up to Eddie, balls a fist, and brings it back behind him for maximum power. Eddie closes his eyes and holds the little black book out for protection.

CLUNK

A hollow sound like tapping a melon is all Eddie hears. Eddie opens his eyes slowly after realizing he's still standing. He peaks over the top of the black Moleskine book. His eyes pop open. "No way!"

The thug is laid flat out cold on the ground before Eddie. "Did I do that?" Eddie asks noticing the woman no longer looks frightened but rather bold and confidant.

She's holding half a broken bat in her hands. "No. You did not. Bat and I did."

She tosses the bat, waves bye, and runs off down the alley towards the street yelling. "Flip to page one-twenty if you want the money!"

"One-twenty! What! What just happened here. What's going on here!"

The only reply Eddie receives is from the cats fighting on rooftops. Finish the game Eddie. You never finish the game.

Eddie clutches the black book to his chest and furrows his brows. "Yes. I do."

He flips to page 120 in the empty pages and again scrawled out in thick black ink is written;

100 PACES STRAIGHT AHEAD. ENTER THE DOORS TO FIND YOUR BREAD.

Eddie leans back and lets out a war-like cry to the stars above. He keeps screaming as he runs straight ahead down the alley, across the street, and towards a Bakery with two wide double doors.

Inside the computer lab, television screens are lit up. Cameras are moving in on a stage on the large screens.

Humphrey oversees the madness. "Places everyone! We finally got one! Coming in hot! Get ready."

Eddie bursts through the front doors of the bakery. He's panting heavily out of breath. "That should be about a hundred." He looks around and on the inside, it's just an old abandoned bakery. "What? There's no bread here!"

Two swinging doors burst open. Humphrey rushes through holding a microphone followed by cameras approaching Eddie.

"Yes! There is! Twenty thousand dollars to be exact! Congratulations Eddie! You made it! You're the winner!" Humphrey puts his arm around Eddie guiding him through the swinging doors and out onto a stage surrounded by hundreds of audience members.

"What. What is this?" Eddie mumbles. The audience erupts in applause. Confetti drops from the ceiling and a sharply dressed executive from Moleskine brand books hands a $20,000.00 check to Eddie.

Humphrey holds the mike up to Eddie. "You just finished the Moleskine super challenge. To see if you were brave enough to follow a random set of instructions secretly hidden within Moleskine little black book! And you did! What are you going to do with all that money, Eddie?"

"I suppose get chocolate drunk, Eddie smiles, "then I got a bookstore to buy."