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THE COIN

"You gain a magic coin that can grant wishes, but only if you flip it. If it lands on heads, your wish is granted, but if it lands on tails, the opposite of your wish happens."

Full story
https://www.nairaland.com/3313240/coin-short-story

PART 8

"THE ASS"


I take the coin from the gypsy, considering what she had told me about its powers. She laughs in that high pitched cackle of the cunning woman, certain that she has shown me the pathway to my self-destruction.

The coin may have once been circular, but has become so corroded and twisted that it more closely resembles a wilted leaf. A crudely etched owl's face stares directly into my eyes. I turn the coin carefully over and examine the the ornately carved visage of a donkey; evidently the artist preferred drawing terrestrial beasts.

"But, which face is which?"

"Why, the ass is the ass my dear, and will make an ass out of you."

She watches me from her simple, beechwood throne with uncontained glee. A brazier illuminates the tent, gold and ivory teeth glinting within her malicious smile. She faces me squarely, eyes wide and pupils narrowed, her features obscured by some miasma of smoke and fire, like a bird of prey. The artist prefers the donkey.

I indulge her with a poker face, and speak mildly: "I wish for the tails face of this coin to have the same magical function as the heads face," and flip the coin -- donkey.

The gypsy eyes me carefully, edging closer.

Maintaining my demeanor, I repeat my wish: "I wish for the tails face of this coin to have the same magical function as the heads face," and flip the coin once again -- owl.

A whirlwind of colored scarves, the clank and jangle of jewelry on jewelry, a white flash streaking toward me, searing pain in my abdomen, and crimson spray upon the animal hide walls.

I stagger backwards, gripping the coin in one hand, clutching the bubbling wound above my navel with the other. The gypsy makes to strike again as my legs buckle.

A last, desperate, windy gasp issues from my damaged diaphragm: "I wish for the gypsy to die right now...". I fall forward and barely feel her knee crunching my nose and loosening my teeth, the dagger penetrating the leathery tent above me. The coin flies from my hand and lands at the foot of her cracked, wooden throne.

She is small and sinewy, but surprisingly heavy; deadweight. With terrible effort, I climb from beneath the tangle of limbs, necklaces, and silky fabric, inching forward on my hands and knees towards the coin. Firelight dances across the foot of the gypsy's throne, briefly illuminating the coin, revealing the donkey's exquisitely rendered countenance.

PART 7


"LIMBO"

My mind always wanders to the sound of rhythm. Hearing the sound of the shovel dive into that pile of loose earth, the grains rejoining the pile as the shovel is lifted, dirt sliding against metal, a pause and a hard plop as it finds its resting place around my grandfather's coffin.

And repeat and repeat and repeat....

My hand caressed the only gift my grandfather left me in his death, besides his memories.

It was a coin. The kind of coin you imagine being a pirates pride and joy. My grandfather had a bit of an air of mystery to him. He was old now and old when I met him. He never told me anything of his life before taking care of me.

He did however tell me about this coin. My eyes water up as I think back to the day he explained it. He explained a lot to me that day.

The jist of it was that the universe was created by chance. Flip of a coin really. Which brings us to this coin actually.

"Oh, alright" he smirked. "I'll tell you how it happened"

He went on to explain that on Olympia during a night of drinking with Loki, Thor made a bet saying that nothing existed outside of Olympia. With no way of proving it either way. Loki suggested the odds might as well be 50/50. Thor agreed and so Loki produced a stone coin. Engraved on one side with a tree and the other with fire.

I was always bit different. But a Demi god? My thumb traced along the edge of the tree in my pocket. What should be my first bet?

A smile emerged as my hand did with the coin.

I bet you're not really dead in that coffin.

Flips

PART 6

CHANGING THE RULES


I sit back and think. A lightbulb pops in my head. "I wish the time after this one when I flip the coin it lands on tails." I flip the coin. Heads. "Perfect." I think with a smile.

As I grin to myself, "I wish all subsequent flips of this coin result in it landing on tails." I flip the coin. Tails. A surge of power rushes through me as I realize I can now wish for anything.

or the other outcome-

I sit back and think. A lightbulb pops in my head. "I wish the time after this one when I flip the coin it lands on tails." I flip the coin. Tails. "Perfect." I think with a smile.

As I grin to myself, "I wish all subsequent flips of this coin result in it landing on heads." I flip the coin. Heads. A surge of power rushes through me as I realize I can now wish for anything.

PART 5

"BAD IS ALSO GOOD"

I held the last of the tennis balls in my hand. A normal, yellow ball - for now.

"I wish for this ball to be black", I said for the twentieth time. I flipped the coin, it landed tails and the ball turned white. I looked around at the black and white tennis balls littering my living room floor. Every one had followed the pattern - if I get heads, the wish it granted, but if get tails, the opposite happens. This was proof enough for me and had been worth the odd looks as I tried to stuff twenty tennis balls into my shopping bag.

The big question was, what can I actually do with this, besides filling my apartment with multicoloured sports equipment? If I gambled on money the wins and losses would balance out and I would gain noting overall. I considered trying to craft wishes where the wish and its opposite were both desirable, but I had visions of misspeaking during my overcomplicated wishes and asking for the wrong thing.

I sighed. This was probably the most amazing object in the world, but I couldn't think of a single practical use for it. I wondered if it was even possible to get any use from the shiny disc or if it had been purely crafted as a cruel trick to play upon those who hoped for a better life.

And then I had an idea.

"I wish for every subsequent throw of this coin to land heads-up".

As the coin settled into position, I knew it was time to start wishing for poverty, danger and a terrible love-life.

PART 4

"LAMENTATIONS OF GOD"

I held the coin in the palm of my hand, considering whether to use it or not.

I inherited it from my father after he died.

He told me about it when I was a kid. He said he'd gotten it from his father, who'd gotten it from his father before him, who...you get the point.

At first I didn't believe him, but he proved it. I can't remember what he wished for, but it wasn't anything big. That way if it landed on tails, nothing terrible would happen.

I'd had it for ten years now, afraid to use it. I put it in a box in my attic, tried to forget about it, but every now and again I'd remember it, wanting to use it so bad. But I knew I couldn't, it was too dangerous. I could get myself killed, maybe even all of humanity killed!

But that didn't matter to me now.

I closed my hand, holding the coin tightly in my fist. I'd made my decision.

I flipped it and wished the most outrageous wish I could think of. I wished to be a God. If it landed on tails I suppose I'd become a demon, which I had accepted.

If I could do it all again, I would've wished for tails.

PART 3


"FUCKERY"

Jimmy was a 16 year old. Life had not been kind to Jimmy. His face was scarred from the monotonous bouts of acne as a young boy and his hair was a reddish colour which, similar to most gingers, clashed with his freckled, white skin. Academia was Jimmy's forte and as he got older he gained intelligence faster than anyone in his class. His family loved him, which was evident from the cards from his recent birthday piled on his desk. Also on his desk was; a box of tissues, a magazine and a pair of socks worn, pulled off and thrown to the nearest surface.

Jimmy stared at the stipple lining the ceiling of his parents house head hanging off of his bed and laptop discarded to his left. His head ran away with thoughts and fantasy. As many 16 year olds will empathise, his thoughts were of course impure.

The thing about Jimmy was, he was a virgin. He had never had a chance to lose this burden and while his peers and his father found it both easy and important to make nice with women. Jimmy only found it important. He lay there, breathing heavily, wishing he could finally experience what he had heard so much about.

Jimmy rolled over and pulled the abandoned socks off of the side and on to his feet. A shriek filled his room as the immeasurable decibels of his mothers voice flooded up the stairs; 'You're going to be late' she shouted.

Jimmy dressed himself in his uniform, flew down the stairs and snapped up his dinner money before flinging himself in the car. His mother threw a piece of toast into his lap and his father started the car.

Jimmy was ready today. His father always seemed to ask the same questions on the way to school. The familiar morning chorus disguised as interrogation started early today. 'So son, any ladies caught your eye?' Jimmy was ready. 'No, the same amount are interested in me as yesterday dad'. His dad started up again 'well I think if you made some effort, perhaps that could change, maybe if you...' His dad drivelled on with the same line of questioning and Jimmy's mind drifted. He sat in the passenger seat staring at his dinner money. He flicked the pound into the air and caught it on the back of his hand. Jimmy's dad broke his attention to the coin 'are you even listening to me?' Said his father. Jimmy stared at his father, flicked the coin into the air and said what had been on his mind since his dad had become so weirdly interested in his love life. 'I wish you would just shut up!'. The coin landed heads up on the back of his left hand. His father was silent. He was opening his mouth but, the words seemed to ravel up in his mouth. Jimmy thought his dad was just trying to aggravate him and dived out of the car when he reached the school.

Jimmy walked through the the school gate and into the building. His beta friends laughed at him straight away. Jimmy took slightly longer to notice. They were all in plain clothes, he was in his uniform. This wouldn't have been a big deal but, his school tended to find it funny and liked to poke fun at people for the smallest of reasons. Jimmy walked to the toilet flicking his dinner money in hand. 'I wish I wasn't wearing uniform' he said to himself as the coin landed heads up on the back of his hand. He heard a shout from behind. His best friend saw him walk away and chased after him. 'So you got changed then' he said closing in behind. Jimmy thought he was still laughing at the fact he was wearing uniform but couldn't understand. 'What?' He asked. 'You've changed' he replied 'your clothes' he gestured at his shirt. Jimmy looked down. His stomach started to churn. He didn't understand. Jimmy was wearing a checkered shirt, a pair of jeans and his favourite trainers. He felt sick.

Jimmy didn't eat, he couldn't, he couldn't even understand what was happening. It was the end of the school day when he finally made the decision to ignore this phenomenon. He waited at the entrance to the school but, no one arrived. Jimmy started his long walk home. He was just about ready to write off the day.

When Jimmy walked in the door a figure paler than Jimmy's own skin was sat on the chair in front of them. Jimmy's mother stood from the chair. 'It's your father' said his mother. His heart sunk in his chest like the titanic sunk in the sea and he waited for the next part of the sentence. 'He can't talk!' She finished. The confusion riddled his brain for the second time that day. What was happening to him? Jimmy thought about the car and the last thing he said to his dad. He thought about his uniform and his mind flicked back to what was happening. 'The coin!' He gasped and walked through to the front room, sitting next to his father. He flipped a coin and said 'I wish you could speak again'. His father sat there puzzled. 'Me too' said his dad.

Jimmy sat in his room. He looked at the coin. He flipped the coin. 'I wish there was a woman in front of me that wanted to have sex as with me as much as I do with them' he said. He caught the coin on the back of his hands. It was tails. He slowly lifted his head. His eyes focused slowly as he looked higher into the room and he could make out some legs. He couldn't wait to ravage her body.

Until he saw the p..enis.

PART 2

"WIN WIN"

I stared at the screen in front of me. Then back down at the coin. Then the list of stocks I had written out. Hmmm. Time to flip I guess.

The coin hung in the hair and then snapped back to the table, clattering around and then spinning before finally resting on one side. Tails. Damn, I was hoping today would be a heads day.

I remember when I came across the coin in that little rundown shop in Chinatown. The storekeeper kept making ominous warnings about it. As an accountant I immediately realized the benefits of 50% chances. I bought it without hesitation.

That night I wrote down a list of stocks that I had specially selected from the market. When I flipped the coin, I wished that they would go up in value. Tails. All of them dropped in value and I started purchasing. Over the next week I would purchase more stocks on Tails days and whenever I had enough heads to get above what I payed I would sell on Heads days. With 50% chances it would constantly fluctuate between down and up and I could cheat the system. Sometimes it was a long process, where I would be down for a month, then sometimes it would be an immediate payoff of getting two back to back heads right after I bought it.

Two years later and I'm as rich as I could possibly want. I looked back at the screen and noted which ones I wanted to buy. The first couple started to drop even as I watched.

I walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. After careful study, I had made up my mind. Rather than shaving today, I was just gonna flip. I wish for a full beard. Tails. In the blink of an eye my stubble was clean shaven. I guess that settles that, I was kinda hoping for the full beard. Guess I'll try again tomorrow, I'm not seeing anyone for a couple days so nobody will notice.

I flipped again. I wish I had that new game I want, Overwatch. Bleep yeah, heads. Last time I failed one of those flips it took a game off my shelf, luckily enough I had already finished that one. I grabbed my new Overwatch copy off the shelf and got to playing.

As I played I saw a news story notification pop up on my phone. God, more election stuff. This is such a shitty year, I really don't know who I would vote for because they're both equally awful. As I thought about it, something clicked. If I really don't care I guess I could do what I do when I bet on boxing matches! That way I'll at least know who the winner is. I chuckled to myself as I set the controller down and once again reached for the coin in my pocket. I watched it flip, and wished for Trump to win. The coin finally settled on an answer. God, that's hilarious. I can't wait to see the reactions.

Yeah, that coin was probably the best purchase I ever made.

PART 1


"ZOMBIE"

I had only used the coin twice before. The coin... blessed and cursed in equal measures, just like I am. The day my Grandfather passed it down to me--the day he had died--he had warned me to only use it under the most serious of circumstances. But I've always been a fool and whilst people might think I listen, my hands cover my ears.

The first time I used it I had wished to be rich and successful. I was drunk at the time and didn't really believe the coin could change anything. Well, it landed on heads and I bet on the football that night. I won. I won all my bets. The next day I bought shares in a local company with the money I made gambling.

The second wish I made was to be handsome and adored. There was a girl I liked--more than liked, but she didn't even notice me. Even with all my wealth I couldn't impress her. I flipped the coin and made my wish. The coin landed tails. That night on my way home from the office, a car swerved into mine. I remember the searing heat and the screaming; those God awful screams that I was later told could only have come from me. The other driver had died instantly.

My face was melted. I was repulsive and I thought I couldn't be loved. It took years before I met someone who could stand to look at me, who could touch me, who would kiss me. The coins curse didn't even make her flinch. We had three happy years before the cancer came. As her death crept closer I took the coin out of the safe and placed it into my pocket.

She looked so weak the day I made the wish. Pale and thin and fragile. I knew she was going to die and that it was just a matter of hours. I wept as I left the hospital room and removed the coin from my pocket. I flicked it up in the air and said the words.

When I came back into the room the nurse took me to the side. I pushed past her and saw the flattened pattern on the heart rate monitor. I had made the wish too late; she had died whilst I had been out of the room. I wept and cursed and laid my head on her bosom.

I don't know how long I lay there. Perhaps it was an hour before the cold hand touched my neck and gently stroked my hair.

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PROLOGUE:

You gain a magic coin that can grant wishes, but only if you flip it. If it lands on heads, your wish is granted, but if it lands on tails, the opposite of your wish happens.