Erase Anyone, Anytime: But at What Cost?
Jack Carter was a man who hated many things. He hated his boss, who always gave him impossible deadlines and unreasonable demands. Jack also hated his ex-wife, who had cheated on him with his best friend and taken half of his assets in the divorce. He hated his neighbors, who were noisy, rude, and nosy. He hated his life, which was dull, boring, and miserable.
But Jack Carter had a secret. A secret that gave him the power to eliminate anyone he didn’t like without a trace. A secret that he had stumbled upon one day when he was browsing through an online auction site.
It was a small device shaped like a pen, with a button on one end and a tip on the other. The seller claimed that it was a magical device that could erase anyone from existence. All you had to do was point it at the person you wanted to erase, press the button, and they would disappear. No one would remember them, no one would miss them, no one would care. It was as if they had never been born or existed.
Jack Carter thought it was a joke, a prank, a scam. But he was curious, and he had some spare money to waste. So he bought it for $99.99, thinking it would be a funny toy.
He was wrong.
The device arrived in a plain brown package with no instructions or warnings. Jack Carter opened it eagerly and examined the device. It looked harmless enough, like a cheap plastic pen. He pressed the button, but nothing happened. He pointed it at his TV, but nothing happened. He pointed it at his cat, but nothing happened.
He shrugged and tossed the device on his couch. He decided to watch some TV and forget about his stupid purchase.
He was wrong.
The next day, Jack Carter went to work as usual. He hated working as an accountant in a large corporation but needed the money to pay his bills and alimony. Jack entered his office building and headed to the elevator. He saw his boss walking towards him while waiting for the elevator.
His boss was a man named Richard Smith. He was tall, balding, and arrogant. He always wore expensive suits and watches and drove a fancy car. He treated Jack Carter like dirt, constantly criticizing, humiliating, and overworking him.
Jack Carter hated Richard Smith.
As Richard Smith approached him, he gave Jack Carter a smug smile.
“Good morning, Carter,” he said mockingly. “I hope you’re ready for another busy day.”
Jack Carter forced a smile.
“Good morning, Mr. Smith,” he said politely. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Richard Smith chuckled.
“That’s good to hear,” he said sarcastically. “Because I have a new project for you. It’s very urgent and crucial. You need to finish it by today.”
Jack Carter felt a surge of anger.
“By today?” he repeated incredulously. “But that’s impossible!”
Richard Smith shrugged.
“Not my problem,” he said coldly. “You’re the accountant; you figure it out.”
He handed Jack Carter a thick folder of papers.
“Here are the details,” he said curtly. “Don’t disappoint me.”
He walked away, leaving Jack Carter speechless.
Jack Carter looked at the folder in his hands. It was full of complex calculations and reports that would take him weeks to complete.
He felt a wave of despair.
He hated Richard Smith.
He wished he could erase him from existence.
Suddenly, he remembered the device he had bought online, which the seller claimed could erase anyone from existence.
He wondered if it would work on Richard Smith.
He decided to try it out.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the device.
He pointed it at Richard Smith’s back as he walked towards the elevator.
He pressed the button.
Nothing happened.
Jack Carter felt disappointed.
He guessed it was a joke, after all.
He put the device back in his pocket.
He sighed and followed Richard Smith into the elevator.
He was wrong.
Jack Carter noticed something strange when the elevator doors closed behind them.
Richard Smith was gone.
There was no trace of him in the elevator.
No one else seemed to notice or care.
Jack Carter blinked in disbelief.
He looked around the elevator.
Other people were there with him: his co-workers, clients, strangers.
But none of them acknowledged Richard Smith’s disappearance.
None of them even remembered Richard Smith’s existence.
It was as if Richard Smith had never been born or existed.
Jack Carter felt a shock of realization.
The device had worked.
It had erased Richard Smith from existence.
Jack Carter could hardly believe what had just happened. His awful boss, Richard Smith, had vanished into thin air right before his eyes after Jack had pointed that strange device at him.
As Jack rode up in the elevator with his colleagues, none said anything about Richard or even seemed to notice he was gone. It was as if he had never existed.
When Jack got to his floor, he rushed to his office cubicle and logged into his computer. Sure enough, the company directory no longer listed Richard. If Jack didn’t know better, he would have thought Richard was just a figment of his imagination.
Jack leaned back in his chair, stunned. The device did work. It could erase people from existence.
Jack’s mind raced with the implications of this discovery. He could eliminate anyone who caused him misery - his ex-wife, the neighbors, even random people who annoyed him. He could reshape and improve his life however he wanted. It changed everything.
But Jack knew he had to be careful. This kind of power could easily corrupt him if he weren’t cautious. Jack decided only to use the device sparingly when it felt justified. And he would keep it a closely guarded secret.
For now, Jack felt an overwhelming sense of relief and satisfaction. His awful boss was gone, and no one even remembered him. Jack tucked the magical device away in his pocket, a faint smile crossing his lips. His life was looking up already.
But, at what cost will he pay in the future for his doing on eliminating his boss? Where did his boss go? Is he just eliminated from existence completely? You can find the answer in the next chapter. Stay tuned!
To be continued…