Chapter 3 The Envelope 3

• What was this? Tina knew he didn't have a job yet, though she had complained about him trying to make some cash real soon so her family doesn't look at her as a loser. Was she using his current state to mock him? What about all the promises of loyalty to stand with him in times of hardship, and trouble?
• Grey wrapped his head in his arm. This wasn't supposed to be happening. On a day of rest, the pressure of the coming weekdays had already begun stepping on all the wrong spots, posing to crush him totally before Monday began.
• "Aaaaaaaargh," he screamed into his pillow. "Why me?"
• A valid question no one could answer. Grey had met Tina at a friend's birthday party, they had talked a bit, exchanged contacts, and eventually found so many similarities which led them to date. Everyone told him he was lucky, but deep down, Grey knew he didn't deserve her. Tina was the kind you couldn't take your eyes off, the kind you would easily fall in love with because of not just how she looked, but the things she said, though Tina could be rude when she wanted to be.
• He had to compete with the guys to stay on board, but he wasn't sure he could meet up now. He wasn't anywhere close to achieving his goal of being a great electronics engineer, or a writer. Maybe he really would apply as a janitor at the Fiery Serpent church. Better to see and hope, than be without hope at all, he thought. Again the envelope came to mind.
• He moved to the table, took the torn envelope by the end, and turned it. The contents, along with lots of one thousand naira notes scattered to the table and floor. Grey froze in his seat, hands still clutching the end of the empty envelope.
• "Oh. Oh. Oh Wow. Wow, wow, wow, fucking wow. Probably a dream in a dream. Ha. I've lost myself in my afternoon sleep," Grey said, then laughed.
• It wasn't the first time he so desperately needed something only to see himself dreaming about getting that very thing. This was probably one of those dreams. Of course, It had to be.
• “Roy’s name can't appear on the first list, neither could he have admission in his choice department. No church on earth conceals money...naira of any kind in fat brown envelopes and distributes them to first-timers. And, ha—ha, I'm not losing my girlfriend. Tina told me how many babies we would have, and that she would die before she leaves me. Maybe I did hit my head."
• He took to his feet releasing the envelope, took hold of the money to feel it. "This all feels so real. Just a little more sleep, and I'll be fine. I just need to get back to bed, and I would wake up to my norm everyday problem."
• He released the money, moved to his bed, then fell on it, sealing his eyes shut. "Lord! Thank you for this dream. It's a promise you would do wonders in my life. And Jesus, please wake me up. Don't get me lost in a reality that isn't real, I beg you."
• Reality stubbornly refused to accept his request to depart as Grey opened an eye turning to the table, the contents and the money was still there. "No, God. Please don't mess with me."
• He stood, and returned more cautiously to the table. Grey held each note to the light, feeling its authenticity...it showed Nigeria's coat of arm—it was real. He rested with hands to his mouth.
• He took up other contents of the envelope. There was a blank cheque, a book with telephone numbers in it, a cell phone, a single Bluetooth earpiece, car keys, a leather watch, an address on a paper, something that seemed to be for a thumbprint device, and a letter. He unfolded the letter which read:
• IF WE SUFFER THE GOOD TO GROW WEAKER, THE EVIL WILL SURELY GATHER STRENGTH AND STRUGGLE DESPERATELY FOR MASTERY OVER US, AND SO PERHAPS, A PAINFUL DESOLATION, AND A LAMENTABLE DISGRACE MAY FOLLOW.
• Dear Mr. Garrett,
• If you've opened this letter, you've officially acknowledged to being a member of The Secret. Take this seriously, for there's no turning from it. You're not to tell anyone about this letter, else they would be killed. Should you be inclined to tell the police, they would be killed. If you refuse to do as told, you would be killed. We know this for your apartment has been wired with C4s, enough to obliterate your existence from God's earth.
• For your first assignment; take the gun under your bed and shoot your neighbour.
• Yours faithfully,
• The Secret.
• Grey laughed out loud. "This reality must be so cool and funny. Wow. My eyes are messing with me," he said rubbing them.
• The leather watch began to tick, Grey moved to it.
• A digital stopwatch counted on the screen. Wait, this couldn't be real, right? None of this made sense. Grey tried to stop it by turning the time knob, it didn't spin—it seemed to be broken. He reeled back to the bed to sit. Then it occurred to him to turn the bed upside down—he did.
• A silencer lay vividly on the floor, Grey picked it up, and there was a small note attached to it.
• Readied and loaded. Aim, then pull the trigger.
• His time was running out. Another ticking came from the ceiling. Grey kept the gun down, positioned his chair, aimed for a part of the ceiling and moved it aside, took hold of two strong planks of wood pulling himself up to peer into the dark ceiling—there were lots of red blinking lights from notable black devices. He quickly released himself. "What the fuck. What the fucking fuck. Shit," Grey said, spreading both arms. "Okay. Okay. I'm probably losing my mind.” He slapped himself. It was painful. This had to be real.
• Grey looked at his hands, they were shaky. He ran to the table—one minute remaining. Quickly, he hid the gun in his shirt with the watch in hand, left the room to his neighbour's, and began knocking vigorously.
• "I am coming," came the voice of a man.
• The door opened, Grey's neighbour was in shorts with a huge headset over his head.
• "What's up G!"
• "Hey, Anthony! Please, can I come in?"
• "Sure G." Anthony ushered him in, then closed the door. "What's wrong with your watch? It's beeping like—"
• "Anthony!"
• "Yeah?"
• Three seconds to go.
• "I'm sorry." Grey briskly got out the gun, and clicked the trigger five times in Anthony's direction.
• Time stopped as did his heart. His shocked neighbours sprawled to the floor, brilliant crimson gradually spreading through from his chest—the ticking stopped, everywhere became still.
• "Thank you, Grey Garrett," a female voice came from the watch drawing the gaze of a bewildered Grey. "The C4s have been deactivated. Your life is safe. You're to return to your room and await your next mission. Welcome to The Secret."