Southern Winner : Pawida Krachai

I'm sitting in the room with fear. I hear his sounds and it's getting near me. He knows I'm here. I try to do not make any noise but it's too difficult. While the sound of fingers flipping is coming closer and closer.

"Come on Neil, Come out", he said with a cold voice "You can not hide from your whole life".

"I know you are here. You cheated me. Your request is done. And where is my pay off".

What should I do then? In a few minutes he find me for sure. Fear is infiltrating my body. I try to take a deep breathe. I have to escape from here before he catches me. Now I'm in a room on the second floor. It's easy for me to jump from here to the first floor. When I look at the nearest window to jump out through I glance at that book at the beginning of this story. If that day I just hadn't picked it up.

"Once upon a time" 17 silver characters on the cover of the very old book was in my sight. Once upon a time? It's kind of nonsense. Who wants to read a fairytale nowadays? Except children. Use my time to make money is better than reading a silly book like this.

But the rear cover made me interested in the book immediately. It said: "If you don't like it, we pay you back three times your money".

I brought it to ask the shopkeeper "Oh. Yes sir" he answered. " The price is 17 dollars. If you are disappointed with it I will pay you back 51 dollars".

How easy it is1 I just bought this book but I won't read it. I will come back and tell this stupid shopkeeper that I am disappointed I will my get money back triple.

"Are you sure that you will pay back for triple" I didn't believed at first "Certainly" he flipped his finger "But believe me you won't return it" he laughed.

It wasn't a surprise that I accepted this deal in no time.

At first I decided not to read it but it was something in my mind that told me to read it and a big alteration will happen to my life. Most of the stories were ordinary fairytales that started with "Once upon a time "The prince helped the princess from the dragon and lived together forever. How silly it is! It wasted lots of time. I was about to drop it if I didn't see the last chapter. There was only one sentence in the last chapter. Only one sentence.

"Every wish will become true just mark the sentence and rip it"

I didn't understand what does it mean. Mark the sentence then rip it?

It couldn't go wrong, because I will get my money back anyway. So I picked the pen beside by bed, marked it, ripped it out. And he appeared at that time.

A tall handsome guy in a suit with a tie, wore sunglasses, carried a suitcase was walking through the wall into my bedroom.

"What's up? Do you want to do business now? It was the first word he said to me" Who are you? How do you get in my bedroom? I had frightened "What business? What are you talking about?

"Which question do you want me to answer first? He laughed "Call me Steve, it's not important who I am but I can give you everything".

"What do you mean by that"

"I mean I can give you everything you want" he opened his suitcase and picked out two pieces of papaer "Not only things you want but I can make events you want to happen to become true".

"But there are two rules. "He showed me two paper and wave it in the air "Tell me then".

"The first law you can stop anytime you want. I will disappear from your life instantly"

"What about the other law? I asked him.

"After I make your request become true you have to give me something back but it's necessary that it's something personal. You got that thing by yourself not ask from me or anyone".

"Can you give me everything? I asked.

"Everything means everything" he removed sunglasses and started my eyes "Are you interested?

"yes, I am"

"The contract is beginning now" he laugh and flipped finger.

Three weeks later I started the first request. "Steve, I want to get quadruple salary"

"I thought you would never ask. I've been waiting for ages" he said, cleaned his Rayban sunglasses. "And what thing do you want to change with it?

"My laptop"

"No problem. You can prepare to be a rich man" he flipped his finger. It's just an old one. It's just a shoddy laptop that I saved money to buy it. I will get quadruple salary. I can buy any good quality laptop from that money.

Two weeks later, "Steve I want to be a company owner" I looked at Steve. He was reading a newspaper. " Can you make it to become true"

"With pleasure, as long as you have something to give me back", he turned the newspaper to the next page. "Wow, cell phones today can wash dishes. I have to buy one".

"Hey, could you please talk to me first? How can I be the company owner? What about the old owner?

He folds the newspaper and lays it down. "It's not difficult. I just make him disappear from everyone memory.

"Exchange with my car then"

Steve flipped his finger "good morning new company owner". I laughed.

"Steve I really hate the Microhard company owner. Do you know that company is quickly progressing, I said seriously.

"He sneered at my every time I met him"

"Is that so", said Steve, picked my mother's ring up. "Do you want him to die in exchange for this ring"

My mother gave me this ring before she left this world. I really love it. But it was useless to keep it for this moment. She left me a long time ago. I prefer the Microhard company owner die.

"I agree"

Steve flipped his finger and threw the ring up in the air. The ring doesn't belong to me any longer. I found that my request will become true after Steve flipped his finger.

Time passed slowly, the request that I asked Steve as a part of my life.

The richest company changed with all of my money before I met him. The most beautiful house changed with my old narrow rented room. The most successful businessman changed with my old credit card. The most successful and famous businessman changed with my old cell phone. Everyone agrees in my opinion changed with my hockey sick. Take everyone who doesn't agree in my opinion away from my life changed with my yearbook.

I could get everything I wanted as long as I had something to change with Steve. Something that I got before I met him.

"Steve I want the Riviera beach"

"The government's beach"

"Yes, I answered, in exchange for my cyclist gold medal".

Steve shook his head, "you changed it last year, you asked me to make the organisation stop beginning you to donate. Don't you remember?

"My text books then"

"You can changed it"

"My glasses"

"You changed it"

"My watch"

"You changed it"

"My dictionary"

"You changed it"

I looked around. It was like Steve said. Everything around me now was from Steve. There was nothing that I got by myself. I was stunned with fear.

"You still have a Christmas card. Do you want to change it?"

"Ok go ahead"

Steve flipped finger.

I felt relived. There was plenty of things I got by my self. I must get everything I want.

"Steve can you make Man-Utraviolet win this season?" I asked him one day while we're watching the live football match at home. Man-Utraviolet is my favourite football team. I decided on this request after Man-Utraviolet lost many matches this season.

"Anyway, do I still have something to change with you?"

"Hmm yes, you do" Steve removed his sunglasses for watched the match clearly.

But I wonder if you really want to change it?

"Change it. If you could male Man-Ultraviolet be the winner" I assured.

"You said that by yourself. "He wore sunglasses back and flipped finger.

Man-Ultraviolet won every match and got the cup after they missed it for many years.

"Thanks a lots Steve. I haven't feel happy like this for long time"

"Never mind. I'll get the profit this time", he laughed.

"And what is it". I couldn't consider maybe it's something I forgot.

Steve gazed my eyes like the winner.

"It's your soul".

While the sound of the finger flip is coming closer and closer.

"Come on Neil, come out", he said with a cold voice. "You cannot hind from me your whole life"

"My body was shaking with a fear. I didn't say a word. "Maybe you are in this room".

The tall handsome guy in a suit with a tie, wore sunglasses, carried a suitcase was walking through the wall into the room.

"Oh! you are here. When is my pay off? Your soul".

I drew back from him. "Steve, could you please take something else instead? Anything but my soul". I tried to convince him.

"Ha ha of course, but what? Asked Steve.

I couldn't answer his question because I had nothing to change except my soul.

"Dude, the fact is I don't want your soul anymore. The soul of a greedy human like you". He opened his suitcase and picked two pieces of paper out.

"Do you still remember the rules?

There was silence between us. Steve continued to recollect my memory.

"The first law you can stop anything but you didn't. There is no 'Enough' in you vocabulary". He walked toward me. "You didn't care how many people got in trouble because of your agreed. Have you ever heard the world "Sufficiency"? I bet you haven't. How poor the human is! He laughed.

"I used to think you will stop someday when you have everything you want. But that day never come"

"I didn't say anything. Every word he said was true.

"And the second rule when you got the thing. You have to give me something back" He was in front of me. "Give me your soul now"

I glanced at the book for he last time, 17 silver characters on the cover was so dull as if they tried to tell me that it's served me right. If that day I hadn't picked it up and read it. My sight is getting dimmer and dimmer. Finally, It was replaced with darkness.

Once upon a time, I found a wonderful book. It brought a guy into my life. Once upon a time, I found that he could give me everything I wanted as long as I had. Once upon a time, I found that he could give me everything I wanted as long as I had something to change with.

Once upon a time, I changed everything I had with him even my soul.

Once upon a time, I realized that I should have stopped the contract when I had everything and let him depart away from my life.

Once upon a time, I realized how important sufficiency is.

Once upon a time...

The tall handsome guy in a suit with a tile wore sunglasses put two pieces of paper back into his suitcase.

"BÕsiness is done", he laughed and walked out through the wall.