STALKER

Chapter 16 - 31st May to 6th June

31st May

I had an epiphany last night, it didn't come with a drum roll or a choir of angels, but it did come suddenly, pointing out a glaringly obvious truth, that I should have realised on my own. I needed to make some decent money. After I picked up my pay for 4 nights at the club, I had the light bulb moment and realised that as much as I am a devout slacker, I can't maintain my Grandmother's house the way she'd like without cash. Also, the bigger, better, and possibly more dangerous jumps I've been contemplating, will need more specialised paraphernalia. Do you know how much body armour costs, it's expensive...just say'in.

The solution to my financial situation was staring me in the face, and thanks to my lack of ethics I have no problem using my special ability to fill the coffers. I'm not greedy, not a total schmuck, so there won't been a huge lottery win, instead I want to make it an interesting and random jump, as well as lucrative of course. I spent the entire day in bed either researching ideas, making a few ebay purchases, dozing and watching porn. By late afternoon my room stunk of cigarettes, coffee and sweat, but, I'd come up with a fun money making jump to potential make me enough money to last for a few months. A daytime shopping trip, it gave me a buzz just thinking about it. It won't instantly make me the money I need but give it a month and I'll be able to do what I like. Why didn't I do this sooner.

....

5th June

I got a text early in the morning saying my parcel would arriving that day. I was feeling extremely impatient, and that's putting it mildly. It had several days since I'd made the purchase on Ebay and I was starting to wonder if I'd been ripped off. I was itching to take my next jump. The longer I waited the more agitated I got. The week had been frustrating in other ways and it wouldn't take much for me to snap.

For one thing, although, Dad and I had spoken briefly, we still hadn't talked properly about what happened at the house. The other matter was far more disturbing and I only had myself and my dick to blame. My ex Sarah, appeared at the club, convinced me we needed to talk and we ended up fucking instead. The number of texts and missed calls from her after that, doubled. I have no excuse except she wouldn't stop talking, I was tired and I hoped sex would shut her up, so I could get some sleep. I didn't think it through. I was left wondering "I may...or... may not be back with her."

Back to waiting for my delivery... it's not true you can find whatever you want on ebay. Or that it will be cheap. I'd almost given up on finding what I wanted, when I finally found an obscure site that sold exactly what I needed....old English currency. Unfortunately, the notes I wanted were advertised as being in poor condition but I had no other option. They didn't come cheap. Being a control freak when it comes to my current obsession, I committed myself to this jump and I wasn't going to back out just because the purchase meant I emptied out my bank account. I prayed my invest would make me a profit in the end.

So it was just a case of waiting, waiting; cigarette after cigarette; coffee after coffee until the bloody parcel arrived and I could see the condition of the notes and confirm I could use them on my jump.

It was late afternoon when I heard the door bell. It's one of those ancient gadgets, that turns with a key. My brother's and I, when we were kids and visited Grandmother, would race each other to turn the key as many times as we could before our parents made us stop. It sent a loud deep RIIIINNNG through the whole house. It might be a hundred years old, but damn, it still worked. It could wake up the dead. I sprinted to the front door and threw it open, a little too dramatically I admit. The delivery man took a step back, I must have looked...demented. He was still wearing his helmet and fiddling with his electronic pad, getting it ready for me to sign. I saw the small white satchel bag dangling for his fingers. When I tried to take the package, he didn't let go. Did I already say I wasn't in the best of moods...well at that point I would have gnawed off his hand to get to my parcel. I pulled, he still didn't let go. I let go and glared at my reflection in his visor.