Modern Inverted Fairytale.

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Modern Inverted Fairytale

Once upon a time in a land a nine hour plane ride away there lived a lowly creature known as Worm by most and his human name Tom only by one. Only one has ever helped him, believed him or trusted in him. Unfortunately she's just moved across town and worm is in trouble....

     

It was a miserable November afternoon in New York. The skyline was cloudy and fogy dotted with tall towers that even in a magical place like New York looked depressing. The day was slowly dieing, the sky changing from grey to a dark crimson. The sun slowly began to fade down past even the smaller buildings of the skyline. Deep down in the rougher areas, where no one unarmed or sane walks at night, through a door of a basement, past a guard, some stairs and through another door was a sleazy poker hall, and at one table two men. Worm was small, pale with dark brown hair and small green eyes. He wore a used leather jacket slightly small for him, even for his meagre boyish 5ft 9 body. He sat looking uncomfortable, constantly fidgeting and looking around, flickering his eyes nervously from one person in the room to the next. The other, Fat Tony, looked comfortable. He was taller and stunk of cigars, steak and cologne mixed together. He wore a freshly pressed dark suit with a red shirt and tie. He had slickly gelled jet black hair and a rugged face. His large dark brown eyes were real presence, they moved around Worm’s body slowly surveying his face. Looking directly into his eyes made you cringe as they pierced your mind, body and soul. They were like x-rays, you felt he knew what you were thinking from one cold hard stare. His whole body moved cat like, smoothly but with power and presence. Worm twitched.

"Two cards please." he stuttered, the stream of sweat on his forehead was turning into a river down his red face.

"Just one" he purred like a cat talking to a mouse before it attacks.

The cards flew from the dealers hand and landed next to Worm and Fat Tony.

Tony scratched his fat stomach, which was protruding from the top of his black trousers, as he looked at his card.

Worm breathed in slowly looked at Tony and then slowly creased up the corner of each card. An Ace and a Queen, fireworks went off in his head. He had three queens and a pair of aces. In the whole game neither had a hand that strong. He was going to do it, raise Tony up to four thousand dollars and then pay of the debt with a thousand to spare. He knew he could do it. Confidence welled up inside him. Gambling had cost him everything, his job, his home and even Jane he thought, but now it was finally gonna pay off.

 "Worm, WORM, WORM, wake up ya scmuk" growled Tony.

Then Worm realised he had been daydreaming. Then still wondering what "scmuk" was he made his move.

"RAISE," he shouted not realising how loud he was speaking, "F-F-Five hundred."

Tony scratched his belly again looking startled. No, Worm thought, I've given away my hand. Dread began to well up in side him. Tony looked at his cards, then at Worm. The light above Worm began to make him feel like he was melting. If Tony played the hand then he could get out alive. If he didn't, well luck like that doesn’t happen twice and Worm would have to find a new pair of legs.

"I think you better try not to show your hand that well scmuk" the light inside Worm's head called hope was snuffed; Worm began to make an escape route in his head. If he reached the back door of the crummy basement he could probably make it. Then he could hitch from New York to Atlanta. But his plan was cut short as chips began to fly towards the middle of the table.

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“I’ll see your five and raise ya to one thousand," the fat greasy old Italian scumbag said with a strange anticipation in his voice.

Words came out of Worm’s mouth so fast he had to say them twice. A blur of time flew past his face and the finally he was there.

"Another 500, that’s a 4 G pot," said Tony.

"Call,” said worm (as he could not raise him any more).

And with that Tony put out his cards slowly, King, King, Ace, Ace. The last card floated towards the table, he knew it couldn't be an Ace ...

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