TM8B: Taking a Trip

[Rarity]

Okay, this is my first debut with writing a serious story and what not, so I guess there's nothing to say but "here goes!" ... Uh, but I guess there is, to start off, "TM8B" stands for "The Magic 8 Ball", and the specific chapter's title comes after that. Please leave feedback, and I can assure you that chapter two will be done soon... If you care to know what happens next, that is. <_<

OKAY! Now it's story time.
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-Begin Journal Entry-

I decided to write this story because someone had to know, even if it's just a lame document that'll sit on my computer for years to come. That and my advisor told me to vent on paper for the sake of venting any frustration. To start, my name is Trent. I’m a nerd, or I should say a smart guy. I’m not a stereotypical nerd, but the fact I’m smart and have glasses makes me one by default. Anyway, going back to what my current frustration is… It’s due to some guy who is my best friend. When I mean best friend, I mean more like; the guy who will still be my friend even when we’re old and dying. He’s just so annoying though… Well he isn’t annoying, but what happens when he’s around is annoying. I get ignored when he’s around. And I don’t mean the “Oh Trent, I didn’t see you there” type of ignored, I mean the “may as well be invisible” type of ignored.

My friend’s name is Rasler. Rasler, unlike me, isn't that smart. But he has a good heart and it's always in the right place. His body is something to marvel at too. I'm straight as an arrow, but I can comfortably say this. He's a 6'3" tall hunk, weighing in at 185ish pounds of perfectly sculpted muscle. He has slightly tanned skin because of his Hispanic heritage, and he also seems virtually hairless and lacks any moles… At least from what I saw of him. Rasler’s hair is a jet-black color, and is always fashioned like a skater would have it. You know, where the bang is combed over half of one of his eyes, while the rest is trimmed and straight. Speaking of his eyes, they're magnificent in color. They're like little emeralds, always bright and alluring. His smile is amazing too, his teeth are perfectly white and perfectly straight... Mine are straight too, but I had to be called Heavy Metal Guy and Brace Face for four years to get them. His teeth just happen to form a much more blinding smile than me is all... Ug. So in a nutshell, his genes come together to spell "super model" and/or "stud"... Though the super model part is especially true because he posed in some swimming trunks for Walmart's summer sale magazine.

He wasn't always so great, I should know, I been his friend since... Well, forever. We grew up together, and people treated us the same. Then we hit puberty around the same time and... People started noticing him more and more while I was ignored... Even by my own parents when he would come around! He was always funnier, nicer, better looking and more athletic than I was. Sure, I was decent myself, and the smart one, but no one cared. I'm always in juxtapose to him... I may as well have just been his shadow. He's my best friend in the world who I couldn't live without, but I just wish he would lose all that blinding attractiveness so I could be seen for once. I feel horrible for thinking like that, but a part of me wants him gone... Which I did get my wish...

-End Journal Entry-

I walked around town, as if I had nothing better to do. Rasler was with me too, as he always was. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were physically attached somehow. We were going to the arcade like we always did, you know, to do cool kid stuff like spend twenty dollars on an arcade game that we've already beaten multiple times.

"House of the Dead Two is going to be awesome. I can't wait to see what happens!" Rasler said, patting my shoulder hard before shaking me until my teeth rattled.

"Yeah, awesome. I'm sure we won't know what'll happen even though it follows the same story line." I shot back, trying to poke fun at him through sarcasm. Of course, it went right over his head and he kept on smiling that same old charming smile of his. Ah, ignorance sure looks blissful.

We eventually found our way to the Arcade's entrance and coolly walked in as if we owned the place. Hell, we spent enough money there to probably buy the place by now. Upon walking to the House of the Dead II arcade game, I lost my cool via tripping. Everyone turned to see me sprawled on the floor. Apparently, that was hilarious because everyone started laughing.

Rasler helped me to my feet and smiled as he said, "Oh don't worry about it. It’s sorta dim in here… That happens all the time to me too when I can't see the floor..."

"Yeah, I'm sure it does." I sarcastically retorted. If Rasler ever did fall, I doubt anyone would laugh or embarrass him. I looked down to see the culprit: a small black pool ball at my feet. It was a lighter than a usual pool ball too.

"Hey, it looks like an eight ball. I guess that rolled all the way from the pool section?" Rasler asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"I don't think so; it’s a lame magic eight ball… It’s probably from one of the crane machines. It looks like it's made of some shiny black stone with some sort of crystal for the looking glass... And there’s glowing liquid inside, instead of the commonly used blue crap… Wow, this is sure a weird and expensive magic eight ball..." I said before pocketing the wretched thing without even thinking about it.

Both of us proceeded to the game we were looking for and began playing right away. The minutes seemed to fly by and I was getting annoyed. Even the enemies in a game would constantly attack his character and avoid me. Sure that was a good thing, but I was getting tired of the whole "being ignored" routine. We beat the game, got the highest score, and before we knew it, we had fans. Actually, he had fans. Three girls came up, hot ones at that. They began talking to him, talking about how he's awesome and how awesome he looks and how awesome he played the game and BLAHBLAHBLAH. I don't know why, but I just wished something bad would happen to him so people would stop being like THIS while he was around.

As we left, I heard a woman whisper something. I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me or maybe some girl was trying to be funny... It said: So you have wished it, so it shall be granted. I got kind of scared after hearing that. Rasler put on his headphones and turned up his MP3 player before the mystery voice rang out, so I couldn't ask if he heard what I did. He began to look at some electronics through the window in the shop next store, not noticing the look of concern on my face as I idly stood in the doorway of the arcade. I watched him for a few seconds before screeching tires drew my attention to a car that was going out of control. The person in the driver's seat looked frantic and was furiously pumping the breaks causing the car to slow down little by little... That's when I saw where the car was going. Towards Rasler.

I screamed his name at the top of my lungs, which made him turn around to face the oncoming car. It all happened so fast... The car had hit him, causing his legs to be pinned between the front of the car and the lower half of the shop's stone wall. While the big display window had shattered by his upper body. I could see that the window’s glass and heavy electronics from the show case fell on him. I couldn't move. I couldn't shout. I couldn't cry. I couldn’t run to check on him. I couldn't call for help. Eventually someone else did all those things for me.

So there I stood, idle in the doorway, even though many of the arcade goers began pouring out to see what happened. Red and blue lights began flashing, and I was now in the back of an ambulance. Then I was in front of his parents, explaining what happened, then watched as they frantically responded. I couldn't focus, or hear anything they said. All I could think about was that voice and what it said... "So you have wished it, so it shall be granted."

Rasler had to be operated on, and his parents insisted that the staff let me stay, even though I wasn’t a family member. His parents were basically my second ma and pop, so they knew I wanted to stay as well. After some hours, a doctor emerged from behind double doors to tell us what had happened.

"Rasler is alive and is in stable condition. He's also awake and doesn't seem to have suffered any brain damage. It’s quite surprising to see him conscious after the impact. However…" The doctor paused. I knew what that meant; the bad news was coming up. He cleared his throat and began again. "However, the majority of his lower half is now paralyzed. He also suffers from broken ribs, a broken right arm, and broken right hand. He also has multiple stab wounds throughout his body as well as his face, so he will require vast amounts of plastic surgery after his initial wounds heal to fix the... Deformities… Overall, it’s still a miracle he is still alive after losing so much blood and going through the shock of it all… Anyway, since he's awake right now, you can visit him."

Rasler's parents declined that offer to see their son. They could not bear to see him. Their only child, once perfect, now mangled and his once bright future shattered with the electronic store's display window. He may as well have been dead. The offer was also extended at me, so I took up the opportunity to see Rasler. I didn't care what he looked like, he was my friend and he needed someone there. The doctor shown me to the room he was in and left. The door was closed, so I slowly opened it and saw what I thought was my friend on a hospital bed.

His face had multiple stitches and bruises, as well as bandages here and there. His nose was broken, his once perfect profile now caved and distorted. I could even see he had lost quite a few teeth. I couldn't see the rest of his body, but I saw the casts.

"Hey Trent... I guess my parents left..." Rasler greeted me. He was trying to smile, but the pain wouldn't let him.

"Yeah, they did." I replied, trying to hold back my tears. I couldn't think of something to say, so I wound up having verbal diarrhea of the stupid variety. "So... Uh… Are you... Okay...?"

"I'm fine. Most of the damage was skin deep or something. But I can't move my legs. I guess it'll be wheel-chair basket ball for me this season." Rasler joked, trying to keep things upbeat. He was always optimistic.

"Heh, you sure don't change, do you?" I asked as I approached the bed, taking his free hand. I gently gripped it, and I saw a smile finally break out over his pain-ridden face... His hand was warm and soft, despite the multiple scratches on it. Of course I was sad and angry that this happened to him, but I was happy that even something this terrible couldn’t destroy his outlook on life.

“I’m glad you decided to see me…” Rasler began, looking directly at me. “Sometimes I think you’re the only person who actually… I dunno… Cares about me…”

I was about to respond to that very awkward comment of his, but that’s when I realized that Nature left a voice-mail on my answering machine. In other words, I had to go take a piss post-hate! I silently excused myself before going off to use his bathroom. I quickly relieved myself, and as I began washing my hands, I noticed something odd...

Like a woman standing behind me, dressed in fancy, but out-of-date clothing. I looked at her funny, and before I could say a thing, she began speaking... In the same voice I had heard earlier, no less.

"How are you enjoying this wish?" She asked, almost as if she were pleased that this was happening.

"Wish... Wish? You... What?" I was suddenly confused. Sure, I had made a wish out of spite earlier, but wishes don't come true. Whether they be made on a star, during birthdays or by tossing a penny into a fountain.

"You have the Magic Eight Ball in your possession, yes? Because of that, I am able to grant your wishes as you think them or say them. This was your first, but you do not have a limit. Anyway, back to what I had asked a few moments ago… Are you enjoying the wish?"

"You... Can't be serious..." I felt angry, I felt like tackling this woman for saying such horrible and crazy things. Something bad happened to my only true friend and now she was making shitty jokes, while having a nonchalant smile upon her smug face. "This isn’t funny." I seethed, trying to keep my voice calm and steady. "Shut the fuck up and leave you whacked out bitch."

"Oh, I can assure you I am not a 'whacked out bitch' as you so brutally put it. I am an ancient spirit who resides within that ball. Since you are the owner of the ball, you will now have control over me until you die or willingly pass the ball to another human. I granted your first wish. Now I shall ask again, is it to your liking?"

"... I..." Crazy things went down today, so I decided to humor her and addressed her question. "My best friend is now horribly disfigured, and he has no shot at a decent life. He's paralyzed, and as you probably fucking know, he's not that bright. What kind of future does that disabled dummy have now? And you're asking me if I like this wish? I hate it. It fucking sucks. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it."

"I see." The woman replied as she stroked her chin. "Next time I shall ask for more details to ensure you are happy with what you wish for. Do you have another request? I would humbly fulfill it if you were to make it now, especially since you are displeased."

"Displeased isn't the right word... I wish this didn't happen to him. I wish he was back to the way he use to be." I followed along; this was all too unreal, but even if it was a horrible joke. I would believe in anything at this point if it meant helping out poor Rasler. He didn’t deserve any of this.

"It is done. I can only modify situations to a certain extent… Now… Instead of a car hitting your friend, he was almost hit and startled, causing him to fall over and hit his head on a nearby bench. He was knocked unconscious and was brought to spend a night at the hospital since it was so late. He is fine, sans a bump to the head that should disappear over the course of a few weeks. You agreed to stay the night with your friend, since that is what you seem to desire right now. That is the new situation. I hope it pleases you. I shall return to my home. Be aware that wishes are only granted if you want them to happen, so there will be no wishes made by mistake. Peer into the looking glass of the magic eight ball if you ever wish to summon me again or just make a wish. ”With that last sentence, the strange woman was gone.

I paused for a minute before thinking about what she said. What did she mean about desiring to stay with him? Well, I did want to be there for him, so maybe that's what she meant. I sighed before opening the door, seeing if what she said was a fact... Indeed it was. There Rasler was, unharmed, handsome and the same as he had been before the major accident. There were no bandages, but you could see there was a little bump on his head.

"Jeez, took you long enough, Law and Order is about to come on!" Rasler said with his signature smile plastered onto his face. He was sitting on the side of his bed and patted a spot next to him, meaning he wanted me to take a seat next to him. I looked to the side of his bed to see a cot that the Hospital provided. As I began walking to Rasler’s bed, he looked at me strange. I looked back at him, using a facial expression to ask what was wrong.

“You know… When I was asleep, I had this weird dream. ” He began, sounding like he wanted to withdraw from the conversation. He might have thought it was too silly to mention.

“Oh yeah?” I asked as I stopped in place. I already knew what he was going to bring up. I thought his mind was changed or something? Maybe she couldn’t change what people saw, but make them believe it didn’t happen? Eh… Today is just too weird for me to think logically right now!

“Like, instead of hitting my head, I went through the shop’s window and a big TV fell on the right side of me and then the glass fell and stabbed me all over and the car crushed my legs and stuff and then I woke up here and you were the only one here and it was really creepy and felt so realistic.” Rasler finished, not even taking time to stop where he should have stopped in his giant run-on-explanation.

“Pshaw, you just had some crazy nightmare.” I said, trying to play off what he had said. I felt like explaining what had happened, or what I THOUGHT had happened, but decided against it. Instead, I took a seat next to him and just began watching one of his favorite shows. I couldn't concentrate on the show, since I just kept thinking about what that woman had said... And what she can do.

[Maverick0095875]

i do like this im surprised no one else has said anything

[zaciam]

Great story!