Part 3 – Welcome
Hold or Fold: A World Where Wagers Magically Matter Most by MajorKerina
559 10 13
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.
PreviousNext
 
 
Part 3 - Welcome
 
###########
I had his address and cell number saved under "Work". Getting only short rings, it was clear he had his phone off. I left a brief voice message, "Hi, John. This is Barbara. Just checking in since I heard you might be sick. Please call me back or text me if you can't make work on Monday. Don't want to have to dock your pay or anything." Then, I finished with my contact info, in case he didn't have it.
 
As I pinched above the bridge of my nose, Lina nodded her head and reiterated, "Not there because he's headed to my BlizzCon."
 
Looking at the video from yesterday saved to my phone's main screen, I bit my upper lip gently then said, "Not enough to know for sure. We should stop by."
 
John lived not far from the office, at a place called Beckley Glen. It was a three-story complex near an older park with dark-beige siding and white doors. So, it basically looked like every apartment complex in the area. 
 
I flared my nostrils slightly. By the stairs was a potent aroma, like overturned, musty soil and grass drying in the sun. The smell of a farm but I hadn't seen one nearby. 

The Walmart had one right behind it with a vocal rooster at all hours. I couldn't live in this part of town with all the poultry farms and the wrong sorts of cocks keeping me up.
 
John's place was around a turn on the second story. His windows needed a good washing, but I was able to look in through the blinds and confirm he wasn't passed out on the suede couch or sprawled out naked on the shag carpet. 
 
Looping around, I noticed a half-ajar, frosted jalousie bathroom window but it was too high to peer through. Holding up my phone revealed no one in there either. I couldn't rule out the rest of the apartment, so I gave a solid series of raps on the door, firm enough to wake even a deeply hungover man. No one came out.
 
I lingered a bit. None of the neighbors I chanced upon knew John. I was about to return to Lina in the car when I noticed a disheveled guy with hair roughly as curly as John's and the same tone.
 
As I crept to his side, the man looked up from the ground. His head wobbled and his eyes bulged and dipped like he was constantly trying to wake up. He wore a dirty blue shirt and slacks with the cuffs rolled up. The crotch of his pants was darkly-soaked. It couldn't be...
 
Swallowing, I asked, "Uh, sir. What's your name?"
 
He scratched at the scruff of his neck then jolted with my question before answering hoarsely, "Me? John. I'm John."
 
He didn't seem that old. Or that beefy. Very slender and twiggy. Also, unlike every other homeless man I'd ever seen when I lived in the southwest, he didn't have anything with him. No trash bags or satchels.
 
Unsure, I asked, "This might sound really weird, but do you remember anything that confuses you from the last day or two?" 
 
This was crazy but I was ready to bolt or punt his nuts inside out if I had to.
 
His head rocked as he clenched the railing. With a finger up, he recited, "Hazy. But...pub. Guy with curly hair....OWL! That's it. Owl!" He gazed at his finger and then over at me. "I bet. An owl."
 
Uncanny. Jumbled but uncanny.
 
If I hadn't found him wandering by John's place saying all that then...who knows? But I seized upon it and told him, "John! It's Babs. I believe you made a bet last night that left you in this state."
 
He looked me in the eye as best he could and said, "Right."
 
I shook my head and sighed, assuring him, "It's gonna be okay. You are not this. This is just the consequence of a bet. You are, underneath all this, a man we all look up to. Kind, helpful, and smart. You are a good man."
 
John's unsteadiness eased as he said simply, "I'm...a good man." I held his hand and reiterated that.
 
A really harsh bet consequence. If only Greg had known, he could've helped him. He must've gotten thrown out of the pub for looking like an incontinent hobo. We had to help him.
 
Lina had plenty of half-stammered questions when I brought him over to the car.
 
I gave him an old towel I kept in my trunk for sopping up spills. 
 
Though Lina stayed on-edge throughout the whole trip, leaning forward against the door and cracking the window, John kept to himself as much as usual. However, Lina was living proof that someone's personality could be completely-altered by a bet. 
 
I took him to a shelter associated with a local synagogue. I gave him what money I could spare and assured him, "Please don't worry about this week. I'll take care of everything and all will be back to normal before you know it."
 
He gave me a sudden hug at the door. An all-senses enveloping one. He softly told me, "Thank you, Babs. Thank you so much."
 
While the people who ran the shelter said it was first come for space, they assured me they would do all they could to help John. Likely, in a week's time, he would be back and hopefully with no memory of ever being a smelly hobo from a lost bet.
 
Back at the car, the odor passed with both windows down. Lina's anxiety from before had settled to calm. "That was a nice thing. Not sure why... but hope he'll be okay."
 
I raised an eyebrow and asked, "When was the last time you saw a single hobo just walking around this area?" 
 
She pulled from Lina's memory but had to shake her head. A single, wandering homeless guy stuck out in a small town. I presented my theory. This was John's loss penalty. Scrambled thoughts like perpetual drunkenness, soaked clothes with fear of incontinence made public (Lina grimaced sympathetically), and remnants of his old life with knowing home and words from before. 
 
Out of the two of them, John got the short end of the stick there. And poor Greg had no stick, much to my frustration.
 
Lina didn't protest my idea, but it was clear from her frowns that she wasn't ready to dump her own theory.
 
She did, however, announce, "I think I'll be alright staying at my place tonight. In my bed." It was a soft announcement though, barely beyond the emphasis of a musing. Still, she punctuated this by sitting up in her seat. 
 
Turning onto the main road, I answered, "Alright. Let me take care of dinner though."
 
Nothing fancy, just a simple, regular pasta dish I usually made for myself. Lina responded by offering to pay the cost. She couldn't though. It was the end of the spare cash. And, despite having the same cards as her doppelganger, they were swiftly rejected by the system. Transactions thousands of miles apart within a short span. Other Lina would likely get an alert and freeze the card.
 
The Lina who helped me make dinner curled up on the end of the couch with a warm, meaty bowl pressed to her stomach. She even skipped most of her salad.
 
Her silverware scraping against the bottom, she gave a faint belch and tidied up on her own. By the time I finished, she was loitering by the front door. 
 
On a whim, I asked, "Game of cards before you go?" I hadn't played cards in a long time, but an entire side of my family had a deft ability for shuffling. I'd picked up enough. I had two decks, a standard set and one which was sure to make Lina blush. We used the standard one after I peeled off the plastic.
 
I set up for Crazy 8s with a few added rules. Lina sorted her cards lightly and asked, "Do you think I should call in to make sure any...other me alerted my work about time off?" She stopped short of suggesting she fill in for the vacationing Lina.
 
I fanned my cards out and shrugged. "If you like but...you should be more concerned about the job you're doing tomorrow at the OWL. If the boys aren't there, then I'll be your boss." 
 
Lina discarded two. "I'm actually looking forward to that. This has been a strange and frustrating but fun weekend." I was right with her on frustrating. I drew and then discarded.
 
She continued, "I've never worn scrubs all day before but the ones we got feel comfy. And the office always seemed like a nice place. I have considered working there but I like doing IT at the library. Plus, there's a little area at the top of the spire where you still get a Wi-Fi signal and it's warm even in winter."
 
Putting down my first 8, I called, "Hearts. As I remember, Greg had your resume on his desk for a while. Why'd you pass?"
 
She played a six. "Many reasons. Concerns of nepotism. Mom still bitter with Uncle Archie. And then the whole thing with John."
 
I puffed. "And now he's a diaper-needing bum. For a little while. Fair payment for bailing on you, no matter his reasons."
 
Lina sighed. "I wouldn't wish the punishment of forgetting yourself and your bladder control on anyone. And I still think he's the copy of me in Anaheim. But, a me back on the night it happened...till several weeks after...wouldn't feel toooo bad about it."
 
I nodded and stretched after drawing a few cards. "You don't have to feel too bad about it now either. He's being taken care of and I assure you he will be a wiser, better guy when all this is over." 
 
She shuffled her hand before putting down a seven. "And what will I be when this is all over? It's like I've been evicted from my own life. I was always told that bets were fair, especially to those accidentally caught up in them. The dealer throws a little luck your way. But no games and so little money? There better be an awesome, real-life loot drop."
 
I had a good discard combo with just a few cards left in my hand. I really wanted something in return for all this too. A little different than what she wanted. A weekend just like my Friday night would've been a good start. I still kinda spent it out with the same person. They just had no clue who they were supposed to be. 
 
With a deep breath, I assured her, "Everything will be back to normal soon."
 
Rubbing at her bra through her PAC-MAN shirt, Lina held out an 8 of her own and announced, "Spades...I mean, I am so grateful for everything you've done for me through this crazy weekend. From me waking up in Greg's bed to having sudden twins and...all the rest. Thanks."
 
Before I could respond, she jumped and lost her cards. I avoided looking at them as she gathered them up, so as not to spoil the game. When I asked her what was wrong, she let out a chuckle and announced, "The spade. I had a card on the side and the spade looked like a water beetle I always see when I'm enthralled by a gaming session. I hate them..." I remembered but let her talk because it sounded like she needed to talk
 
She scooted up on the couch. "Like, I'll have my headphones on and boom, black shadow. Suddenly, one is wandering all over my case and scaring me they might get in and wreck everything. Also bad is when I take my time in the restroom and feel one across my toes. The worst is when they violate the sanctuary of my bed right after I've cleaned up. Feeling clean turns into dirty all over! I'd face the hardest bet if I could win nuking them all from orbit and sending a message of cosmic, unbreakable horror to all their generations to come that anywhere near me is the land of desolation!" She looked a little sweaty by the end of that.
 
I smirked. "Oh? How about spiders?"
 
She shrugged. "Spiders are cool so long as they are unseen ninja assassins of scary bugs." We'd pretty much neglected the game by this point. 
 
"Well, the good news is I've never ever seen bugs of any kind at OWL. I even once saw a row of ants deliberately turn away to avoid the front door of the office." The origin of Deb's unfounded theory that Archie stowed toxic chemicals somewhere.
 
After I remembered to discard a spade, Lina added her own and took an easy breath. "Glad to hear. How's the pay for a temp worker who'll be learning on the job?"
 
Getting rid of my five, I rubbed at my neck and told her, "Can't match library money and you'll be paid in cash out of the emergency fund. I can drive you to work and back every day, but you get to help me close up."
 
Lina pulled back her lower lip, hiding the faint, pink accent. At the same time, she dipped her hand to place her next card but drew it back. "Sorry. Still thinking. I hope using the emergency fund because of me doesn't cause any trouble." After another flinch, she finally placed a jack.
 
If only I had a slide-under table for the couch so we could just lay back and play. Flexing my feet, I assured her, "A week is no biggie. Now a month, we'd have problems. Of course, by that point, you should be back at the library or hired properly." But, actually, back to being my boss.
 
"I dunno. I really like the library. But I intend to work hard as your secretary."
 
I had a sudden giggle and a smirk. "I've got the whole secretary thing down. But I can take on a protege. Just gotta get you in a prim skirt and a cute blouse next. Then we work up to a different sort of blouse and a glossy, black skirt. Glasses to complete the ensemble." The sort of thing I wouldn't mind showing off to Greg.
 
She gave a quick smile. "Be like cosplaying. Sounds fun." 
 
I imagined to myself that bringing up those clothes might trigger some spark of Greg submerged deep within her. But it wasn't there. Same as everything else. She was Lina. A straight copy-and-paste. 
 
And, no matter how I squinted or focused my imagination, she was doing nothing for me. All I could feel from her was gentle sympathy. She'd been through a lot, both of her. But this one was cut off from the things that gave her pleasure. I could relate. 
 
There was something else though, a shadow deeper than her eyeliner whenever she dipped her head. I leaned closer and asked, "You okay?"
 
She pushed a drape of flaxen hair off her face and answered, "I dunno. I just... I don't wanna bother you..."
 
I scoffed with a chuckle. "Come on. Don't worry about that. What is it? Nerves? Tiredness? Stress?"
 
With a sigh, she said simply, "Yeah." 
 
After a silent moment, she continued, "I mean... It's hard to explain I guess. But, again, you've been an awesome friend. I said that already and I'm just repeating myself but thank you. It's just...well. Do you remember a thing once where a guy posted a video of himself flying?"
 
Vaguely. What she said pretty much encompassed all I could tell anyone about it. She elaborated, "His name was Brian F-something with some long online handle. He had gorgeous, frizzy long hair and this surfer sheen and a playful smile. But everyone thought he was able to fly due to a very clever bet. That was his story. The government even looked into it. Eventually, it came out it was all faked, but the fakery was due to a bet."
 
Her cards in her lap, she gestured a little for emphasis. "He made the video but bet some friend he would be able to convince people it was real. As part of his win reward, some people who saw the video became convinced they had actually witnessed the flight as it happened. And there was evidence at the scene and all sorts of stuff. The government really got interested then. But everyone just thought they knew what actually happened."
 
Dipping my head slightly, I asked, "And?"
 
With a deep breath, Lina rubbed one of her bracelets and stated, "And I remembered that when you showed me your video yesterday. You believe it. You remember stuff that happened. You know you saw it, but bets can do all sorts of things. Heck, they're crazy enough...you could secretly be Greg and maybe I'm Babs and that hobo was the real Babs and John is a Canadian goose? No one can know for sure." 
 
Even with her earnest tone, we both succumbed to giggles. After responding with my own jack, I admitted, "Sure, all sorts of stuff is possible."
 
She held her card hand close to her and nodded. Her smile waned. "All sorts of things. But, at the same time, my head tells me you went out of your way to check on John, your co-worker. But, with the guy you love...with Greg, you didn't even consider checking out his place. No matter what rationalization, thinking about that chills a part of me deep inside."
 
I leaned forward. "Lina..." 
 
She turned away slightly and looked down at her cards. "Maybe. Maybe not. If I'm not Lina... Not the original, not the permanent one. Then that means I'm on an unseen, ticking clock."
 
She rocked a little on the couch. I wasn't sure what to say or do for her, so I just listened as she continued. 
 
"Well, everyone is on a clock they can't see. And there are those actively dying day by day, minute by minute and I should be grateful I'm not suffering but fuck that! I don't want to stop! I don't want to end. Because if I am here because of a bet then I, like all bets, am finite. Sickeningly finite. I have just days. Every minute that passes is one less minute. Every day gone is gone forever..."
 
She looked like she was about to start hyperventilating but she steadied herself. "So many games I never played. So many unrealized little moments. So many thoughts and shrugs with, 'Oh, I'll get to that tomorrow'. I should be running through the forests, I should be flying to Anaheim, punching the other me in the face, and grabbing every swag bag before security hauls me away. I should stand before those surreal hills in the wild lands of China. I should slide down a snow-capped peak. I should see the sunrise on a crystal-blue sea. But, as I sit here, I'm thinking about what card I want to try next and what card you'll play next. This moment, no matter how mundane, is part of my life too. This is the moment I exist in. I want to see untold and unimagined games beyond measure. And I want to be your newbie secretary in pink scrubs. I want to laugh, cry, play, and work. But I'm also utterly terrified about what might happen to me when I reach the finite limit of all known bets. I don't want to die. Please...whatever, whoever will listen. I don't want to die. Please..." She clenched a fist to her forehead so tightly it trembled. Tears would've been understandable but there were none. 
 
There was nothing to say to that. There was no answer. No kindly assurance. Saying it would be alright would just hurt more because I had no place to say that. Instead, I scooted closer and asked, "Soo...you never googled a dick pic before?"
 
Her eyes blinked and she released her fist. With a bemused expression, she asked, "Huh?"
 
"You said you were unclear on how dicks look. Dive into the dicks and answer the mystery while there's still time. Let me be your guide. I have a lot of bookmarks on my phone."
 
Her mouth dangled slightly before a grin slipped out. She let loose a high burst of giggles. It seemed more like a bout of hiccups with how they flew out of her control. In a lull, she excused herself to the bathroom, but I could still hear the bursts of laughter through the walls. My neighbors would say something tomorrow but fuck them. 
 
Lina returned with the last wave of laughter cresting and smiled gleefully as she finally managed, "Yes. Show me. Hehe."
 
The first set was pretty standard. Still, her mouth hung open. 

Dicks for days

"Ohmagosh, that is a whole lot. You know, I don't think what I had in my head was that far off. Sorta." She chuckled but didn't blush too much.
 
I zoomed in on one in particular. A flash of wide shock across her face shifted into attentive curiosity. "That. Wha...it's so swollen around the...middle. It makes the tip look small. Also, uh, does he have small hands, or is it as big...as big as it seems?"
 
She had her legs crossed. I shrugged and asked her, "What do you think?"
 
Lina let out a faint sound between a grunt and a chuckle. "I don't have any joysticks like that in my collection." Immediately, her feet retreated, and her head dipped in hot embarrassment hidden by a proper chuckle. 
 
I paged through several similar and said, "Bananas are the best cheap practice tools. You can warm them up decently too."
 
There was actually one left in my pantry, but it was browning. It became our visual aide. I nearly questioned myself, but I kept going. I taught her some basics she'd never picked up in passing. She had a sensitive gag reflex. Still, the banana rested nicely against her cleavage before she carefully ate it. 
 
Shaking her head and swallowing, she remarked, "This has been a weird night. But show me...a few more."
 
I noticed her stretching her mouth a few times as I switched over to another full, saved page. The card game might as well have been a thousand miles away. With her hands in her lap, Lina remarked, "I'm not gonna look at mushrooms in the grocery section the same way again. Also, there are things in movies, shows, and games I'm now wondering about."
 
I fanned my hand and winked. "Yes. Now you know the Way of the Dicks. They are absolutely everywhere." 
 
She grinned and brushed her hair back. A few more "bulgers" caught her eye. Then, she made me pause. She took my phone in her hand and zoomed to fit the whole screen.
 
"Do we have a winner?" 
 
I tried not to notice the touch of drool on the side of her mouth, which she quickly wiped away before breathlessly saying, "Holy fart. The description says nine inches but that looks like an arm!"
 
Looking at the phone, I noticed it was a familiar one for me. "It's the angle, pointing up like that. But not bad."
 
Still marveling, Lina mused, "How could you get that in a pair of pants? Or in...anything else?..." She trailed off as she passed the phone back to me.
 
With a shrug, I offered, "Well, there are showers and growers. Showers bend and can tuck themselves in and it all goes inside a good bit. Growers can definitely look like not much in the package but keep giving and giving once you get them out." Greg was a bit of both. Fun to feel and a surprise to boot. 
 
And, at that moment, I was teaching her all about dicks instead of learning more about that missing joy-meat. Oh well. I pulled up another page. "Now, ready for foreskin?"
 
Her reaction was more muted. She remarked, "That must be why the ends looked weird. They had their coats taken off." Which is about the cutest way she could've put it.
 
Lina still had her legs crossed and hands firmly in her lap despite less of a reaction on her face. When I got to the end of that page, she pondered aloud, "It's crazy to think of what parts look familiar, only closed and grown out or shifted. I'm sure if I had a proper sex-ed class in school or anywhere I wouldn't be so surprised."
 
I wasn't too sure. My school was shit there (and in other ways) but I did my own research. Lina went to a school which avoided sex talk altogether. 
 
She added, "And my parents can never be bothered. Although, mom started talking about anal beads in the car once. My mind went blank before embarrassment totally throttled me." She shut her eyes and pressed a hand to her forehead.
 
Enough dick for one night. We picked up our cards. 
 
As we finally got to the end of the game, she asked me, "Is it weird I never look at stuff like that? I mean, I knew some girls with real filthy mouths in school but pictures, aside from a racy Snapchat image or two, never really came up. It was talk and sometimes little bits of writing. But I was always more into my DS than any of that. I almost went to class without my pants on a few times because of a great game. But...is it weird to never look? Is looking weird? Not to say you're a bad kinda weird. But.."
 
I leaned into the cushion of the couch. It still smelled a little where I had to get a stain out a while ago.
 
"Dunno for sure. Don't care. It's what I like. Others can do their own thing. It's up to you. Maybe you wanna do nudes and pose with your favorite games."
 
Lina blanched even more than usual at the proposal. I amended, "I mean, everyone has their thing. What makes them happy, whether it's bold or subdued. What's yours?" I almost didn't ask. 
 
And Lina held her lips in as she sat there with my question. But, gingerly, she relaxed her mouth and took a deep breath. "Well, while all that was fun, what makes me happy is more the feeling of what those parts connect to. At least for me."
 
"Of course. So, what do you like?" I really resisted asking that. It hurt a little. Lina, this Lina, was the skin pulled over the man I liked, from the parts I had fun with on Friday to his enveloping scent and strong presence. She blotted him out. Maybe...
 
She fussed with the one card left in her hand. Her legs shifted underneath, and she cleared her throat a few times before saying, "I..it's hard to say. Dating has been, as I mentioned, non-existent. But I went to a water park up north with a male friend once. First thing, I dove in the splash zone. I felt so relaxed, so normal, so drenched. More than anything, it was fun. So that's kinda my interest baseline. Willingness to go to a water park. I like that."
 
I urged her on with nods. 
 
Lina tapped a nail against her tooth and made some indecisive noises before resolving, "Full hair with tight curls and tufts. Enough to really slip your hands into. And a subtle but strong color. He should be taller than me but still feel slight. Not too intimidating. Scruffy chin, not so short it feels like sandpaper and yet not quite a beard. Boyish. Slender and boyish. Like some art I have of...RPG guys from Japan." 
 
She rushed headlong through her fantasy; her arms wrapped around herself now. "He holds me and says the perfect words. Speaking from his heart to mine. He holds me and the pain wanes. The trembling settles and I am as strong as he sees me in his eyes. We kiss. A warm...uhh...excuse me."
 
With a blush, she hopped up and hurried over to the bathroom. She returned shortly after, announcing, "False alarm. Kinda. Uhh...well that is definitely what I like. Although you absolutely opened my eyes up to the parts...the full parts. The stuff that follows an embrace and a kiss. And other stuff."
 
"Definitely for boys?" I tried to keep cool. Still, I watched Lina.
 
The question was met with arched eyebrows. "Hmm? What do you mean?"
 
Deep breath. "Do you have any lesbian or similar feelings? Nothing for women?"
 
She wiggled her faint eyebrows in response. "Asking for a friend?"
 
I snickered and shook my head. "Just asking..." Aww, shit, just say it. "Well, sorta asking for a friend. Asking for Greg. Seeing if maybe something of what he feels is mixed in with you."
 
She cleared her throat and wrapped her hands around the back of her neck. "Ah. Well. I didn't really ask my cousin about his interests. But it was pretty obvious. He used to ask me for advice back in school. I had to avoid laughing that anyone thought I could offer advice. I told him to just be himself and find someone he enjoyed being with."
 
I played what I could with my remaining cards. "I enjoyed him a lot. It was a fun evening. A great sense of release. He was upset about giving me a slap on the back at the end of the day."
 
Lina let loose a giggle spasm before setting her final card down. "Yeah, he tenses up when he really likes someone and doesn't remember to be gentle. Big bear hugs especially. He just about suffocated a girl he liked once named Erin. Redhead, smaller than me. It's just him being him." She yawned and stretched her feet. 
 
I put the deck back together and tapped it. "I miss him. Wherever he is."
 
She reached over to rub my arm. "Me too. He's an amazing cousin. I want to give him a great big hug when I see him again and I wanna smack him good on the back too." She gave my arm a gentle tap before getting up to fully stretch. 
 
I could've pressed. I could've inquired one last time. But I let it go and instead asked, "You want me to send you a few favorites from tonight?"
 
She stammered and adjusted her arms. "I uhh...heh. I might. I well...okay. Send them. Just for...for just... I mean I didn't really get a good look at...everything."
 
"No problem. Hope you have a special joystick back at your place with single-player function."
 
She let out another burst of giggles and looked flush. She turned in place. "My gosh, Babs. I'll have so many innuendos spilling out of my head from now on because of you."
 
"You're welcome."
13