Author: Alexander Fawn

The girl, in her late teens, had thoroughly searched the internet for a renowned fortune teller.

However, she had been advised about the extraordinary success being achieved by a modern-day forecaster. This was somebody that went by the name of Crescas. Although she had been told to use a virtual private network, she wasn’t at all sure whether she was on the Dark Web or not. Anyway, she found them. There was a lot of information about Crescas, and what he or she could do. The site explained that the method was based on the work of the little-known 14th-century Spanish philosopher, Ramon Crescas; hence the name being used on the site. Of course, there were no computers around at this philosopher’s time, but his work had been entered into a software program that allows information to be typed in for each stage that has to be completed.

It went on to describe how a person’s full name is typed into a text field, to start the process. Then, the total number of straight lines that are used in the characters of the person’s full name are calculated. That resulting number is used to identify the person.

Next, use is made of the unique calendar that the original philosopher created. It was pointed out that some scholars have commented that it almost represents the Gregorian calendar that wasn’t introduced until 1582. Anyway, this calendar is used to enter the day of the week, the month and the year, that the person was born.

Finally, this determines which of the multitude of categories the person falls into. Each one providing a detailed prediction for their ongoing life; regardless of their age at the time this is done. In other words, this will accurately foretell their future. The program developer points out that the number of categories that exist run into several thousands, but even they don’t know the exact figure.

The site concluded by saying that provided a person wishing to use the service being offered, forwards all of the necessary information, along with the required fee, results would be sent back within seven working days.

Despite its convoluted nature, she decided to go ahead with it.

Within only seconds of clicking the ‘Yes’ box, she received the comprehensive form to be carefully filled out and returned. That same evening, she spent time meticulously completing the form, arranging for payment, and providing her email address. Now, it was a matter of waiting…

Every night when she got home, she checked her email. On day six, she received a response.

To say that she was disappointed with what came back, partly because of the extremely high fee, and partly because of the awfully dull nature of that being foretold, would have to be a gross understatement.

The creature has never been given a name.

Unlike other strange beings like the Yeti, Bigfoot, the Minotaur, the Kraken, the Hydra, werewolves and dragons, this beast goes by no name. Throughout the centuries, no designation has been given to that which is not known. It has not been named as it has never been acknowledged that such a thing exists. There have been occasional rumours, but nothing to define the nature of the beast. It has been stalking for centuries, with the victims’ bodies never found. From what can be understood, mainly from the descriptions given in the few texts that have survived from that time, it is a large, powerful, genderless creature, covered with thick, black hair from head to toe, with equally black eyes. The only thing that shows white is its long and very sharp teeth. These are only ever seen at the last moment by its chosen victim.

It would appear that it was spawned by the incantations of an elderly alchemist who had given way to bouts of lunacy, during the fourteenth century. By the fifteenth century, any veracity concerning the existence of it had faded away to the realms of mythology.

It moves unseen, striking on moonless nights; nights of the new moon. Nothing remains of its victims. There are never traces left unconsumed. No forensic evidence remains. The victims become untraceable. They simply join the ranks of missing persons that disappear around the world in vast numbers. Considering the fact that every year millions of people go missing worldwide, these figures so easily conceal those taken by the beast. How it moves so easily and undetected between cities and continents is a mystery.

We can only imagine that we see it now, lurking in the shadows, waiting for yet another person, one that is about to go missing…

The mattress he was lying on was lumpy.

He squirmed around several times, but it made no difference. Something was wrong. Opening his eyes, he saw the room was dark, much too dark. Looking around, he wasn’t able to see much, but enough to know that the place was unfamiliar to him. Climbing off the bed and standing in the dimness of the place, his eyes gradually adjusted to take in his surroundings. Slowly, it came to him that he was in a prison cell… a small, dark prison cell. He walked to the bars and felt them. They were real enough. He did the same, going around touching the wall behind the bed and the cold metal of the rest of the cage.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed, trying to make sense of it; of any of it. In that moment, what was most concerning, really quite frightening, was the fact that he had no memory of what events took place prior to his ghastly situation.

Squirming again, he was aware of a lump in the back pocket of his jeans. He stood up. Doing this, he realised that he was fully dressed. At the same time, he found that he’d been sitting on a key. It was an old, slightly rusty key. With virtually no hesitation he found the door and tried it.

The door opened and he cautiously walked out into what appeared to be an equally gloomy hallway. He was moving slowly through the passage when an ear-piercing alarm sounded. He froze. Had he triggered it? Would his captors now show up? Should he have given more thought to his situation before breaking out?

All of these questions became irrelevant.

Blinking once or twice, he opened his eyes fully. His bedroom never looked so good!

He lent across and switched his alarm off.

Everything about the reality of his own personal waking world became clear to him.

However… how the key to the little-used padlock on his garden shed came to be in the back pocket of his pyjama trousers will never be known to him.

As he sat there, it all began to fall into place.

The papers on his desk, showing the work of several years of tussling with the puzzle; the greatest puzzle of all. The workings spread out all over his giant white board, filling the far wall of his study. The complexities of the mathematical formulae coming to the surface and showing themselves to be so childishly simple. Both the scientist and the mathematician in him coming to the fore. The obsolescence of land ownership, and the need for deities and ritual, all coming sharply into view. It was all finally coming together. The answers to everything laid bare. The mysteries of the universe explained. The cosmos itself had contained the answers all along. Everything was right there.

It was now all so incredibly obvious.

Then, the damned phone rang!

He wasn’t at all comfortable about returning home after his holiday.

He had always been a curious person. It was what had brought him to his current situation. In fact, the more he thought about it all, the more he considered never going back. It really did seem to be the best option. The holiday resort in Haiti was every bit as good as the brochure had made out. In fact, by the time he was enjoying his last day there, he realised that it had been the best holiday he’d ever had. He was taking a final walk before dinner at the hotel when it happened. He had no idea what had made him go into the shop. He’d never been much of a souvenir buyer. Thinking back, it must have been simple curiosity that had him wandering along the isles looking at a huge variety of Caribbean knickknacks.

That was when he found the amulet. It had a thin, silver chain. It was quite small and delicate. He was really taken with the strange design and knew immediately that he had to buy it; buy it for himself. Turning it over, he was surprised to find that unlike everything else in the shop, it had no price sticker. At the counter, the girl seemed to be at a loss without a sticker, but had finally plucked a number out of the air; an amount that he was more than happy to pay.

He decided he would wear it and the girl smiled as she held up a large, handheld mirror while he put it on. As he did this, he realised that several customers were stopping to watch. Feeling a touch embarrassed, he thanked the girl and left quickly by stepping back out into the street.

He was checking the time and wondering whether he’d do more sauntering or return to the hotel for an early dinner, when the old woman approached. He wasn’t sure if she had been in the shop, but she pointed at his purchase and offered to tell him more about it. It must have been curiosity again that had him follow her to what looked like an antique shop, full of weird-looking items and curios, where she made herbal teas for them in the back room.

The tea was delicious and after the second cup he felt even more relaxed about his rather peculiar situation. He was thinking about the country and how voodoo played a large role in peoples’ lives. This made him even more inquisitive about the amulet. Anyway, this was his holiday. It was a time to experience new things, wasn’t it? It was while the woman was pouring the third drink that she began to explain about the object’s powers. Although feeling woozy, he managed to keep up with her descriptions about all of the amazing things that the item could bring about.

After a while of sipping his drink and listening to the woman prattling on, he became aware of an attractive woman of around his own age stepping out from behind a curtain. Remarkably, he showed no surprise to find her standing in front of him, wearing only a skimpy bikini. This was when the old thing told him that she was his for the taking. Still enjoying the euphoria that he was experiencing, he nodded. It was then that she pointed at what hung around his neck. She said this would be the price. As a result of his ongoing state of blissfulness, and despite the fact that he had been exceptionally fond of the amulet, he nodded again. He stood and removed the necklace. The old woman smiled and held out her hand. He dropped it into her palm.

He wasn’t at all sure what happened after that. In fact, he now found himself sitting on the edge of his bed, back in his hotel room, having stood for the longest time in front of the full-length mirror.

He was obviously in complete denial.

He was continually thinking of himself as a him, and not a her!

The whole thing started the day my younger brother went missing.

We’d been playing around with the old book of spells that used to belong to grandpa, when it happened. Of course, he was being his usual obnoxious self while I was trying to read through some of the complicated instructions. He kept tugging on the book while I was trying to keep it still. He had always been stupid like that. He just wanted it because I had it; typical! The dumb kid wasn’t even old enough to read, even if I’d let him have it. I’m not sure, but it must have happened when I found that I could only concentrate on what I was reading if I read it aloud. Although I can’t remember exactly what the spell was about, it had obviously worked! One minute he was there and the next he was gone!

As you’d expect, Mum and Dad went ballistic when they found out. I told them that he must have wandered off without me noticing he’d gone. For weeks after that, it was all about the police with their questions, people combing the neighbourhood, posters going up; it seemed to go on forever.

It was months later, when most of the hullabaloo was over, I was playing around in the attic and heard the noise. It was a chewing sound. I poked around a bit, before discovering him. As soon as our eyes met, I recognised him. It turned out that he hadn’t actually gone, as such. He’d changed. Many of his old mannerisms were still there, which convinced me that it was really him.

At first, I wasn’t sure what he was. It took a lot of time on the internet, looking at pictures, before I discovered that what used to be my brother was now a Fennec fox! I had no idea what he’d been eating to keep himself alive, but more research showed that he needed a diet of meat, like insects and rodents, along with plants and fruit. That was enough to give me an idea of what to provide him with.

Now, I visit him daily with whatever I can muster up. He looks a lot healthier than when I first found him. He seems really grateful. Although, I haven’t yet figured out a way of letting Mum and Dad know that we have a new pet.

Meanwhile, I call him Flopsy, because of his ears, and we get along better than ever.

They had both decided that she should go to her sister’s.

It was agreed that she go for a visit. Well, it would be more than just a visit. Her sister being sick, it meant she’d be spending a week there, while her sister got over it. No big deal, until… On the third day it started. He had no idea why it started; it just did. It began with him sleeping, bang in the middle of the bed. So much room! He’d skip shaving for a while. In the morning, he turned her mother’s photo around. That was when he realised that he’d have to keep notes on what he was doing.

He’d let the stuff in the dishwasher build up for a few days. He’d skip over a rubbish collection day, and only water the pot plants when he actually felt like it. He’d feed the cat as often as he had it in mind to do so. He would really pile it up in his bowl.

It was all really childish, and he knew it.

On the day before her return, he would methodically put everything back to rights.

Stroking the animal in question, he whispered, “It’ll be our little secret.”

The man at the head of the table felt a sudden pain in his chest.

It happened during a cabinet meeting, with all of his staff looking on as he began to wobble in his chair. Only a second or two passed, before the ministers all bore witness to the truth behind the well-worn phrase about being dead before hitting the floor. The expressions on the faces around the table varied greatly. As for the deceased ruler, he found himself reading through what seemed to be an A4 sheet of paper that showed four columns of animals and insects. Each item having a checkbox beside it. Some of the animals had been redacted, presumably for safety reasons. The instruction at the top stated that only three should be selected, with no prioritisations permitted. This was followed by a Z4 in brackets. He was trying to understand what it meant and where it had come from when he became aware of someone nearby, talking.

Looking up, he found himself looking at a man in a white suit, sitting on the other side of a large desk. He was saying, “You can choose any three of those.”

The general looked back down at the list he was holding. He said, “Is this some kind of joke?”

The man sat back with a sigh. “OK, he said, “I thought you’d be difficult.”

He took a folder from the tray and opened it. “OK. What do we have? Let’s see. Oh, yes. That’s right. You were a dictator, rated at Z4.”

“Dictator?” I wouldn’t say that…”

“No?” asked the other, cutting him off.

“No. I did my best for the people. Gave them a happy future.”

The man in white said, “It says here, your leadership was responsible for over two million deaths.”

The general frowned. “I’m a bit hazy on the details. There’s a lot I don’t remember.”

“That’s the problem. You shouldn’t have memories about anything you left behind.” He picked up a pen. “One moment, I’ll just add an EP to the record,” he said, under his breath.

The general said, “EP?”

The other nodded. “Entrenched Personality. In the vast number of cases, no memory of a previous life remains.” Pulling a face, he added, “This is why you’re having a problem accepting your assigned list.”

Holding this up, the other said, “And this, Z4?”

Shaking his head, the other said, “OK. You have been placed in the Z category, the very worst, I might say,” he grimaced before saying, “but I’ve had worse.”

Becoming angry, the general said, “Look! What does any of this mean?”

In a lower, more confidential tone, the man said. “OK. Put simply, what this means is that right now you are a bit of a bad apple!”

“Bad apple?”

“Yes, this is why it has been decided to press the ‘reset’ button, as it were. This was deemed to be the best course of action to take.”

With a deep frown and looking around, the newcomer said, “I’m not sure what else I should be asking you…”

“Good,” said the other. “That’ll be the EP wearing off. Now, let’s move on, shall we?”

He dropped the folder back in the tray.

“Ladybirds seem to be a favourite at the moment, but of course, the choice is yours.”

They all lined up, each one certain to win first prize.

All waiting for the Great Architect to make his choice. There were inventors, surgeons, scientists, researchers, philanthropists, artists, composers, and many more that had given service to mankind.

It came to pass, that the winner was not present.

It went to the six-year-old boy who gave his favourite bottle top to the child who had been bullied.

Ben and Sally seem to have a great deal in common.

Apart from their love of classical music from the baroque period, they both enjoy watching baseball games when they are broadcast. Their favourite evening pursuit is eating out, with the two shared, favourite cuisines of Italian pasta dishes and Indian curries. Their most watched TV shows tend to be British and American crime series. Their favourite season is Summer and their preferred activity is spending time at the beach and swimming. Their favourite hot drink is coffee, while neither drink alcohol very often; and on the subject of music… out of all of the composers and their many works from the baroque era, they both have a particular love for the adagio from Bach’s Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor!

It’s truly amazing that they share so many common interests. It would be wonderful to be a fly on the wall and listen to them discussing all these things, but the fact that he is the Manager of a real estate agency in Ontario, Canada, while she is a Sales Assistant in a boutique dress shop in Dublin, Ireland, means that the chances of this are extremely slim.