ϰFortunes

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Here at ϰFortunes, poverty is worlds away!

Marlin stares at the advertisement on his phone. An AI-generated image of three men hugging with pockets full of money. He stares at the deeply saturated image before bringing his eyes to the dilapidated building in front of him. Blotches of moss cover the rusted metal door while the rest of the building is almost covered with it.

The sounds of a defeated sigh escape Marlin before he cracks open the door. Screeching of the rusted hinges causes two yellow lights to appear in the darkness beyond it. Marlin squints trying to make out what's causing it.

Suddenly a bright light illuminates the whole interior. Unlike the outside, the inside is pristine. Multiple pieces of furniture that look brand new fill the space to resemble a regular office. Marlin's attention is pulled to the center of the room. There sits a pudgy woman behind a desk far too small for her. Next to her is a raised platform holding a large pink orb. In the center of it is a black screen that didn't seem to fit. The lady's flabs sway side to side as she waves to him. Marlin waves back.

"Is this x Fortunes?"

The lady's face drops into an absent stare. Her clear eyes bore into him until the hairs on Marlin's arms began to stand up. He begins to back away, unable to take the uncomfortable feelings that started the brew in his stomach. That's when the lady speaks up.

"Yes, it is!"

She starts typing away on her computer. Her stubby fingers dance more swiftly than Marlin could imagine.

"Did you already sign up with the app?"

"Yeah..."

He pulls out his phone.

"There should be a QR code viewable on the top left on your screen."

Marlin opens up the app and taps the QR code.

"Hold it up to the pearl."

The lady motions to the orb next to her. Marlin enters the building, getting a better look around. The furniture didn't look as new as he thought. There were obvious wear and dents in the blue couches around along the wall. This eases Marlin's stomach as he picks up his pace.

He holds the phone up to the black screen until he hears a ping coming from the lady's computer. He turns to look at her when he sees an empty chair on the other side of the desk. An odd sight given that it wasn't there earlier.

"Did you bring that out?"

The lady's lips curl into a tight smile. A mask of confusion appears on her face.

"Well, of course, silly."

Marlin sits down while she continues to type. Minutes go by as Marlin sits patiently watching the lady type away. He begins to feel a faint breeze pass over him. Marlin rushes to rub his arms, trying to combat the cool air. He notices after a few seconds that the lady stops typing. Looking, he sees her staring directly at his arm.

Marlin follows her sight to see that it's on a brown scar he has on his arm. In an instant she grabs his arm and pulls it towards her. Marlin grabs the chair, holding onto the chair, trying to anchor himself down. Her cold and clammy fingers trace along the scar on his arm. Each movement of her finger drains the little warmth his skin has retained.

"Do you work a strenuous job?"

Her voice sends chills down Marlin's spine.

"No, I got this playing football with my friends."

Marlin awkwardly pulls his arm away. He kneads his arm, trying to force heat back into his skin. She looks back at her computer before her clear eyes look onto the scar again.

"American?"

Marlin nods. The lady goes back to typing. She claps her hands after a quick second.

"Okay! You're all done! You've been approved!"

Marlin straights up. The lady flips her screen over to show a green check mark next to Marlin's name. Tears begin to swell in his eyes. Marlin grabs her hand and furiously shakes it. Her flabs start to quake as she lets out a hardy laugh. Marlin sits back down, pulling his T-shirt to wipe his eyes.

"When can I expect the first payment?"

"First you have to have the pearl scan your eye."

"Huh?"

His shirt falls out of his frozen hands.

"Optical verification is the only way to verify you are yourself."

"But what about—"

The lady holds her hand out.

"We already had a case where someone came with a client's fingertips."

Hearing that, he quickly hops from his seat. Marlin swallows the fear building in his throat before opening his right eye to the orb. A bright pink light flashes, almost blinding him. After a few blinks he sees that the lady is gone. Not only that but he appears in a different place. He is standing on a small platform surrounded by a green sea.

Marlin tries to take in a deep breath, but he can't. The air is stagnant and heavy as it refuses to enter him. He panics trying to find anything that could tell him where he is. Helplessly, he looks up at the darkened sky. A blanket of gray with only two red dots hanging above. He tries again to take in air, but a harsh blow to the back of his head knocks the remaining wind out of him.

The twin red lights now larger sear Marlin's eyes as he comes to. He tries to close his eyes but is unable to as he feels them drying his eyes. A harsh ringing is persistent in his ear as he becomes aware of the pain his body is feeling. In the distance he can hear a faint voice break through the ringing.

"Ugh...Sólarian skin.....eye lids so s mall?

Marlin tries to push himself, but the immediate pain from his fingers sends him back down. When his back reconnects with the platform, he lets out a yell in anguish. A figure comes and looms over him, shielding his eyes from the red lights. The small relief helps Marlin's eyes focus on the figure. What he sees causes his heart to drop.

Standing above him is himself. A perfect replica of himself. Marlin thinks this is a trick caused by the red lights until the man crouches down, revealing a brown scar on his arm.

"Con grats."

A loud gurgling erupts from the man.

"Your poverty is worlds away!"

He bears a toothy grin. His teeth, thin and sharp like needles, erupting from the man's face. The image is searing into Marlin's mind as the man slowly fades into nothingness. His is swiftly replaced by the red lights covering everything Marlin can see.