Tick Tock The Penny Does Drop- A short horror story

Tick Tock, the penny does drop

Temptation stands before you

This boring life you can now swap

Your dreams can all come true

Call me your inner fool if you like. I am here to lead the cursed ones into a life of temptation. A short one at that. You see I was cursed many years ago when I was 19th century magician. Yes I may have been one for pushing the boundaries, but the minute I picked up that coin my life changed forever.

Now it's my turn to revoke the curse. You see for me to feel fulfilled, I need to feed my need for adrenaline, and I can only get this from a cursed soul.

WAIT......here he is. I have been waiting along time for this. Now where is it.....Aha. I have pulled a coin from my pocket. Not any old coin, a special penny. A penny that will revoke the curse. 

I use my jacket to polish the coin but it's that filthy  it doesn't make any difference. I kneel down ready to roll the coin across the pavement, waiting for him to catch it. I know he will.

Before I was cursed, my attention to detail was second to none. I was in my prime. When the curse came, there was no way I could control it. You see I already had temptation in my blood, a need for more excitement. It wasn't long before I was coaxed into another stunt. This time it was fire.

That's when I became dead, disfigured and unearthly, and I have remained like that for well over a century. I look evil, in fact I am evil. I'm fucking terrifying. I don't care though, I just need to get my next fix. Like vampires need blood, i need Adrenalin.

I am going to turn this young man in front of me into my human adrenaline junkie puppet. 

I rolled the coin, and as it almost glides towards the young man, he bends down to pick it up looking almost memorised. I move around the corner of the wall. I'm smiling because soon he will see me and I can almost feel that fear.

I hear his footsteps head in the other direction so i quickly follow him. It's not long before i'm in his apartment. He's taking a shower, and i'm sat on his soft green sofa. My long yellow fingernails clawing the surface. He walks from the bathroom and across to the kitchen, not knowing i'm there. On his return he spots me.

His glass of water shatters across the floor as he turns 2 shades paler. "Who.....what are you?" How did you get in here?" He bolts towards the door. One good thing about being dead is that you don't actually need to walk...you just appear.

"Boo!" I jump out in front of him. I can small the fear and the perspiration, and it smells divine. I can see his heart beating through his chest, i have cornered him and he holds his head back as far as he can. Maybe its because of my death breath, or the fear of my disfigured face. Maybe its the fact that i am in his home and he has no fucking idea why.

I stroke his face with my nails. He is shaking... that is good, makes him more vulnerable. "What do you want.....?"

I laugh as i gesture for him to sit down. "You can call me Mickey....and don't worry I wont bite I am here to tempt you!"

He was visibly shaking, he was just in a towel but he would be warm soon enough. 

"What do you mean tempt me?"

I pointed to the table. "Look"

His mouth dropped as he stared at the table. The table displayed 10k, a bag of cocaine and a set of keys.

"What the hell.....I don't get it."

"Well in one sense I am your worst nightmare, and the other, your fairy godmother. All that is yours."

He stood in silence. Now I have found out all about Joe, his background. He's a 24 year old recovering junkie, who spent months stealing and begging to feed his addictions. A gambler with a need for a thrill, excitement.

"I don't need any of that shit...has someone sent you here...am I in trouble? Is this a test?"

"No... no test."

"It's yours go ahead."

It took 10 minutes for him to cave in and without hesitation grabbed the cocaine and started to line in up. 

"It's good isn't it? The best you'll ever experience!"

He looks at me with a smile on his face. "Mickey....what are you? Are you real?"

I lean forward. "I'm as real as you want me to be!" We laugh together, although my laugh poses a more sinister threat.

"Now what are you going to do with that money?"

He looks at the money. "Casino?"

"Casino it is!"

"I'll phone a cab!"

"No need...grab the keys!"

He picks them up laughing and we head out the door. Outside he screams with excitement as he sees a motorbike, one that he always wanted. I jump on the back as we head off. When we arrive he parks up.

"Shit man...I feel amazing...this bike is amazing....Woohooooooooooooo!...what are they looking at?"

"They think you are talking to yourself...remember they cant see me!"

"Holy shit...this stuff is completely fucked up." He laughed as he ran inside.

As the night goes on I am feeling all his emotions. Panic, euphoria, fear, adrenaline, and it feels amazing.

He leaves the casino after doubling his money. Again, I am on the back of the bike.

I whisper in his ear " Cmon Joe, lets see what this bike can do!"

He revs the bike and speeds up. 

"Is that all Joe, Tick Tock the penny does drop, temptation is before you............"

Again he speeds up, screeming with excitement. One last push i am thinking....?

I whisper one last time. "This boring life you can now swap, your dreams can all come true."

He speeds up again, this time so fast that he flies out of control heading towards the road side. I jump off and appear at the side of the road watching his body fall aimlessly down a cliffs edge. 

Now i'm fulfilled....no regrets.