Alright, there's a lot to catch up on, and winning the lottery isn't even the half of it.
I've been getting better and better at "hopping" to different universes. At first, I couldn't do it intentionally. I'd try to put myself in a meditative state, try to wish for what I wanted to do. But I just couldn't repeat what I had done with the forgotten book on the treehouse trip. I'd do the breathing exercises, I'd clear my mind, I'd zone out. Or, at least, I tried to. The funny thing about zoning out is that I find it's very difficult to do on purpose.
Then one night I was planning to have a little fire out back, poke some hot dogs with some sticks and cook them in the open flames, drink a couple of hard ciders and maybe play my acoustic as the embers died out under the stars. I was really looking forward it.
I made sure to grab hot dogs, buns, and the essentials for s'mores for the kids on my way home from work that night. And a six pack of Upset Orchard.
All the ingredients and utensils were ready. The spin of the planet in relation to the nearest star was exactly right; beautifully deep pinks and oranges were peeking through the trees that enclose the backyard. It was time. I opened the door to my shed.
I cried out with heartbreak.
There were only two sticks of firewood left from the last fire earlier this summer. Two sad, pathetic little logs. I never checked whether I had enough!
Great! Now I have to get in the car and drive a few miles to pick up an armload of overpriced firewood. By the time I get back, it'll be dark!
I kicked the nearby leaning wheelbarrow over in frustration, then danced around on one foot hissing and swearing for a bit. Talking animals wearing suspenders and bow ties do this in cartoons. I hoped it would lighten my mood.
It didn't.
Watching the colors of the sunset darken to purples and deep blues, I thought about how wonderful it would have been if I hadn't been such a disorganized, forgetful, hopeless idiot. Why couldn't I have grabbed a couple of bundles at the gas station on my way home?! That would have been far more convenient than running back out to the store now...
I turned back to my sad, pathetic little... pile of firewood? My shed full of firewood? What the... oh. Oh! I did it again! I changed something! Holy shit! I did another dance, this time for joy.
I had two logs just moments ago. And now there's firewood lining the whole back wall of the shed up to the ceiling! Wicked! Now how, exactly, did I do that?
However I pulled it off, I wasn't going to waste it. We had a nice warm fire. I cooked up some hot dogs, made s'mores, and played some gidder.
After a while, the kids dropped off to bed and my honey gave me a kiss and went inside, leaving me with my cider and six string. The stars were amazing. Staring intently into the magically glowing embers, I could find fleeting images of faces and creatures. It's a game I always enjoyed playing as the last of the flames died down and the mind could play tricks.
While my face and hands were warm with the dying fire, my back was beginning to feel the night's chill. Wishing I had thought to bring out a flannel earlier to put on over my t-shirt, my ass was too comfortable in the lawn chair to consider going inside to get one now. There was a slight breeze, and I felt goosebumps on my arms. As I scooted a bit closer to the firepit, I noticed a flannel shirt on the arm of the chair.
Wait a minute...
I think I had just did it again! I know I didn't bring one out, but now here it is! Whoa! Ok. This is awesome, but also pretty freaky. As I'm putting the shirt on, I started to think about how nice it would have been if I had also had another fresh cold one. I glanced down at my empty bottle in the grass beside me. There was another full bottle sitting right next to it!
Taking a swig of the fresh Upset Orchard, I settled back with contentment. Now I had everything. A warm shirt, a beautiful sky full of stars, the night sounds of crickets, the glowing embers of a perfect fire before me, and a cold cider at my lips. Yup. I got it pretty good!
I began to wonder how far could I take this. On my way home that night, while picking up hot dogs and stuff, the digital marquee at the register boasted of a $42 million payout for winning lotto numbers. Tonight was the draw. Perhaps I should have picked up a ticket while I was there. Hmmm... perhaps I did pick up a ticket.
I started feeling goosebumps again. Reaching into my pocket, I felt a piece of paper there. Before I even read the print in the dim light of the dying embers, I knew what it was. I looked for the website to check for the winning numbers. Reaching into my other pocket, I pulled out my phone. The goosebumps (I didn't know this was possible), they got bigger.
All the numbers matched! Sitting in a plastic lawn chair by the firepit of my backyard, I held in my hand a winning multimillion dollar lottery ticket!
Things began to accelerate rapidly over the next couple of weeks. We got a lawyer to make sure we didn't get screwed over somehow, and a financial advisor to help us through the process of intelligently spending this incredible fortune.
We each got new vehicles. I finally got the brand new Bubaru Outback I've always wanted. Trish doesn't give a crap about cars (they don't excite her), but a new Missan Rogue meant she'd have a reliable vehicle with no rust and no problems. The kids would get our old cars when they came of age.
And we started the process of finally owning our own home. We have a nice 5 bed/2 bath house picked out in a quiet area on the lake not too far from the school, with some land to call our own.
It also has a babbling brook that runs out from a small spring fed pond, and trails to walk or ride our bikes. We plan on getting a couple of go-carts to play with too! Woo hoo!
Even after taxes were taken out, there was plenty left over to keep us comfortable for forever (unless we started buying jets and yachts and shit). We both decided to say goodbye to our coworkers and start looking at what really made us happy. We planned a few trips. Trish got some great new photography equipment and began to dive deep into her passion. I had to think about it for a bit.
I needed some time to consider what was happening. Even though we didn't own the new place yet, it was vacant, so I began to explore the 100 acres or so behind the house. Wandering along man-made trails, deer runs, and following the meandering path of the small brook provided some quiet time to explore my inner thoughts.
On one hand, this newfound... "power" is a word that comes to mind... presents me and my family with amazing opportunities. It would seem that the possibilities might be endless! We have never felt more fortunate. We've been able to help out our extended families, too.
One the other hand, something about all this felt... wrong. Unearned. Who am I to have all this money? I won't say I haven't worked hard my entire adult life (my younger years have their fair share of irresponsible behavior), but something about this felt like... well, like cheating.
You don't think the billionaires of this world aren't cheating?
Well, now that you mention it, I won't say it hasn't crossed my mind that they've gotten where they are by bending some rules at some point.
Where have you been, by the way? I figured it out! I can mostly do it at will. We are now free from financial stress! I made us win the lottery!
I know. I've been busy, but I've been keeping tabs. I see what you've been doing. Nicely done. Congratulations.
Thank-
Suddenly, I tripped over a root in the path, stumbled awkwardly, then twisted my ankle on a slippery moss covered log. I landed on my hip with a hard thump as shocks of pain shot up from both the hip and the ankle. I sat there for a moment, winded and sore.
"Well, that sucked!" I exclaimed out loud as I massaged my butt. I stared angrily at the roots and the log. Goosebumps crawled up my arms. The roots and log were gone. The path was clear.
But... the pain didn't go away.
What the hell? Why didn't that fix my ankle? It still hurts!
You can change to a world with a clear path all you want. But that doesn't change the fact that you fell on your ass like a fool in a fail video on MeTube!
What?! I can't-
Doesn't work that way. What happened to you is in the past. You can't change the past. You can change your universe, but you can't change you.
Well, that sucks...
There was a fallen branch within reach. I pulled it close, examined it, then pulled out my Berber multi-tool. I sawed off the smaller stems to leave just the main thick branch behind. Then i cut it to a good length.
There. My new walking stick.
I limped back through the woods to my new Bubaru parked on the side of the road in front of our future home. I mulled over this new discovery about my power. I had been going about it kind of recklessly, I now realized. I still didn't understand the rules. I'd been starting to feel invincible. This was a crucial lesson: the importance of knowing one's limitations.
I realized that I had been going about all this blindly. Why wasn't I getting any help from, well, me?
Where are you? Why aren't you helping me? Where do you go when you're not in my head?
I'm here. For now. Sorry, I was... busy. I can help you now, though.
Busy? Busy doing what?
I can't tell you. Not yet. You've already got a lot on your plate at the moment. You just concentrate on learning how to use your ability. Practice. Discover your limits. Figure out what you're capable of before you get yourself killed.
Listen, I gotta go. You practice. You're doing great. Just don't hurt yourself. You can't fix that. You can move to other realities, but the one constant is you. You're not immortal. You're not invincible. So don't get yourself killed doing something dangerous, alright?
Uh, ok... sure would be helpful to have a tutor though.
I'll help when I can. You're doing great though. Really.
Ok...
Gotta skidaddle. Talk to you later.
Where are you going?
...
Hey!
...
Ugh.
And with that weirdly abrupt departure, I was on my own again.
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