Lynn sat at the kitchen table, in the midst of a pile of bills. Credit card payments were due, so were mortgage payments. Even the hospital bills from last month's visit arrived and were demanding payment. Envelopes stacked on top of envelopes, all marked with the bright red stamp: "Open Immediately: Payments Due." They were all threatening to send the bills to a collection agency.
Lynn reclined in her chair and let her hair fall all over her face. "Christ," she muttered. "If only I hadn't gotten laid off..things were going fine until last May--" She was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who the hell could that be?" she thought, noting the time. It wasn't six yet--it couldn't be Paul. The knocking became more urgent.
"I'm coming!" she yelled. "Hold on a minute!" She got up to open the door.
Standing in the doorway was a tall, slender man, at least a foot taller than herself, holding a briefcase. "He even looks like he weighs less than me," Lynn thought, ashamed. "What do you want?" she barked.
The man removed his top hat and entered the apartment. "May I come in?" he asked, after the fact.
"Actually--" Lynn began, but then she stopped. She noticed how the man was wearing nothing but black--black shoes, pants, suit. She studied him.
The man placed his briefcase on the kitchen table, on top of all the bills, and opened it. "I have a proposition for you," he said to Lynn. He took a small, box-shaped, gadget out of his briefcase and handed it to Lynn. In the middle of the box was a bright red button, the size of a nickel.
"Wait a minute.." Lynn yelled. "Who are you? And what the hell is this supposed to be?
"Relax.." said the man.
"Don't tell me what to do! Get the hell out!"
Lynn pushed the box into the man's hands and went to open the door."I'm offering you $50,000 to do one simple thing," the man said.
This got Lynn's attention. She slowly closed the door. "What simple thing do I have to do?"
"Push the button."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Lynn took the box from the man. "What will happen if I push it?"
The man closed his briefcase and turned to leave. "Someone you don't know will die, and you'll receive your $50,000."
Lynn opened her mouth to protest but he answered her expression with, "Think about it. I guarantee it'll be someone you don't know. I'll come to pick up the button tomorrow, at the same time, whether or not you press the button." And with that, the man was out the door.
Lynn couldn't wait until Paul got home so that she could tell him the great news. Imagine! They didn't have to worry about all their debts anymore!
But when Paul finally did come home, he was less-than-thrilled that Lynn could even consider such a proposal. Their peaceful evening turned into an all-out argument.
"I can't believe that you could even consider killing a person, for money!" Paul yelled. "What kind of person are you?"
"The man promised that it would be someone we didn't know.." Lynn argued.
"So what ? What difference does that make?"
"It makes all the difference in the world! People die all the time!"
"I can't believe you," Paul said, shaking his head. He took her by the hand and stared into her face, trying to find any compassion. "Lynn," he said, softly. "What if it's a baby that dies?"
She avoided his gaze and let go of his grip. "Look, I'm sure the man wouldn't kill anybody whose time wasn't up yet," she said, picking up the box. She was fidgeting. "Besides, you know how much we need the money..."
"There's no reasoning with you!" Paul said. "Do whatever the hell you want, but I don't want any part of it." He walked away, intending to leave Lynn alone. But he turned around quickly and was about to plead his case again when he saw her. He tried to scream "NO!" but he couldn't find his voice.
Lynn had pressed the button.
She waited anxiously for the man to return to give her the money and take the button. She was smoking her tenth cigarette that day--never before had she smoked so much in one day. She sat on the sofa, staring at the box and the bright red button, wondering whether or not she did the right thing.
"Screw it!" she said aloud to herself. "There's nothing I can do about it now. Besides, the man promised it would be someone I didn't know." She put what was left of the cigarette in the ashtray.
There was a knock at the door. Lynn almost tripped over the cofee table in her haste to answer it. It was the man in black, with the same hat and briefcase. He entered again, without being invited in.
The man placed the briefcase on top of the kitchen table and opened it. He carefully took out the bundles of money and placed it on top of the table. He then took the box and placed it in the briefcase.
"Is all the money there?" Lynn asked, staring at it. She went over to touch it, still not believing that it was all hers.
"You did push the button, didn't you?" the man asked.
"Yes..."
"Then it's all there," he said, and turned toward the door to leave.
"Wait a minute," Lynn called. "Did...did someone die?"
The man turned to her. It was then that she noticed that he seemed to have silver-colored eyes. "Of course," he said.
"Well, where are you taking the button now?" She wanted to know.
Staring straight into the man's eyes, Lynn heard him say, "Why, I have to take it to someone else, of course...
"And I guarantee it will be someone you don't know ."