Chapter 1: Not Just Another Day
Hello, I’m James Smith, your average American. I work at White Shirts Co. as a sales associate. I live alone in Cleveland, Ohio, in a dingy apartment. Every morning, I wake up, drink a good old cup of hot brown water, take a taxi to work, sell a white shirt or two, go home, turn on my favorite radio channel, Intense Snoring White Noise, go to sleep, and do it all over again.
Then one day, it all changes.
I turn on my radio, and loudly bursting through it is,
“YOU ARE OUR LUCKY WINNER, JAMES SMITH! FOR BEING OUR ONLY LISTENER! CALL 666-666-666 TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE IN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES!”
For the first time I can remember, my eyes light up in happiness. I run to the phone and dial the number. Then, from the other end of the line, I hear a raspy, bird-like voice.
“Hello there, are you James Smith? And if so, please slowly tell me your email, phone number, address, social security number, and bank account code, dear.”
“Yes, I am James Smith,” I respond exsited, and after ten minutes of giving my information, she finally tells me what I’ve won.
A free ticket for a cruise or something like that. It’s a little strange, but who cares? I’ve never been able to afford a vacation, and I have a year’s worth of vacation days to use. After all of my life savings mysteriously disappear, a white envelope with green stains appears at my door in the middle of the night. Inside is a boat ticket and a note congratulating me for winning, telling me to pack one bag and bring food and water. Which is weird, wouldn’t a cruise have a buffet, or something like that?
After driving to the shore of Atlantic City, New Jersey, I see a man in a trench coat sitting in a small wooden rowboat. From out of the trench coat, I hear a raspy, deep voice.
“Take this boat far into the ocean; there you will see the cruise ship.”
He hops out of the boat as I hop in. Though this is weird, who am I to pass on a free vacation?
After what feels like forever rowing, I feel a drop of water. Then another. Then another. Suddenly, millions of raindrops fall from the sky. Waves start to form. I look over and start to pray. My little boat is being thrown around by the waves and wind. As I hold on for dear life, my backpack is ripped off my back.
Then everything goes dark.
I wake up. I can hardly breathe. Everything is still dark. Am I dead…? Then I lift my head. My mouth, nose, and eyes are filled with sand. I rub my eyes and see something?
