Page 56 of The Scrooge Effect

He lowered his magazine and gave me a funny look. “You do remember I was shot, right?”

“Then you should know!”

“What I know is that I got really good drugs,” he grinned. “And they were legal.”

“Great!” I scoffed. “Based on the job we’re working, do you really think that’s the attitude to have?”

“Hey, I didn’t abuse them. I only took them for the prescribed amount of time. And I don’t see what this has to do with our current predicament.”

Nothing. It had nothing to do with the fact that Edu was unconscious, or that no one else seemed to care. But I was unraveling, terrified that Edu was going to stay in a coma forever, and I would have to explain to his wife that he was in that position because of a freak accident.

“Look, if he’s still unconscious by tonight, we’ll come up with something,” Scottie said. “Until then, we should order some chicken and watch the game. I’m starving.”

“Ooh, and mac n’ cheese,” Brock said excitedly, tossing his magazine aside as he came over and shoved Edu to the edge of the bed, taking up the leftover space beside him. “And don’t forget the rolls.”

I scoffed in annoyance at the pair of them.

“What?” Brock frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want to sit here?”

15

EDU

This time, I was tossed right into a cold, wintery night.

And I didn’t have shoes on.

“What the hell?” I muttered, dancing on tiptoes to keep my feet from freezing.

Spinning around in the darkness, I called out, hoping someone was out there to help me. “Zoe!”

The only answer was the howling wind and the snow whipping me in the ear. In the distance, I saw a light shining in the darkness. It was a hike, but if I got there, at least I wouldn’t be standing in the cold, freezing my nuts off.

“Fucking ridiculous,” I muttered. “What kind of dream ghost tosses me out in the middle of winter without shoes on?”

“The kind that really wants to fuck with you.”

Shrieking, I spun around, reaching for my non-existent gun. It was impossible to see through the dark and the snow, but I heard the footsteps crunching on the ground enough to tell me it was a man, and he was headed right for me.

“Who are you?”

“You know me,” the voice answered as if from the grave.

The depth of his voice sent chills down my spine, but it was the fact that I could see his footprints and there was no body that was really freaking me out.

“If I know you, why don’t you show yourself?”

“Because I don’t exist,” the voice sighed.

“If you don’t exist, then why are you here?”

“Apparently, I’m supposed to show you your future. Some kind of penance.”

“For me?”

“Nope. All on me. Apparently, I was a shit father when I was alive. I mean, I did help my son save his family, and all the rest of you at OPS, but do I get credit for that? Nope. I just get the constant reminder of all the bad I did.”

“Wait. You saved your son⁠—”