comeuppance
noun Informal.
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Jason power walked through the house and up to his room, moving quickly enough that his parents would not be able to corner him and ask how his day went. He did not want to deal with that right now. All he wanted to do was sit in the corner and cry. But, of course that was not something he could do. Boys did not cry. That was what the other guys at school said, wasn’t it?
He did slump into the nearest corner though. He nursed the rapidly forming bruises along his chest, arms, and stomach. Kevin had been thorough. He had hit Jason only in places that would be covered by clothing. He winced as his fingers brushed a particularly large one.
He knew he should tell someone. His parents, a teacher. Someone. But that would do no good. His school was supposed to have a no tolerance policy for bullying, but they never actually enforced it. Everyone knew what Kevin did to guys smaller than him, but all the teachers and administrators chose to ignore it unless he did something right in front of them. He wished he could do something. Something to get back at Kevin. Something to make things right.
As the thought ran through his mind, he heard a soft thump from his bookshelf. A book had fallen off it. A book that Jason had never seen before. It was thick, leather bound, and had an odd scent to it. Something like flowers and sulfur mixed together. Carefully, he went to the odd book and picked it up, finding it to be oddly heavy.
He was about to put it down when it opened of its own volition. Light began spilling out of the old pages, and a spiraling updraft lifted small objects off the floor. Jason would have screamed, but the wind tore the air from his lungs. It was lucky that it only lasted a few seconds. The moment it stopped, Jason slammed the book shut and threw it as far as the confines of his room would let him.
“The boy hurts.”
Jason stiffened. The voice was thin, echoing, and came from all around him. He looked frantically for the source, but found nothing.
“The boy is sad, and in pain. Why is the boy in pain?”
“I…I don’t…”
“Come boy, you can tell the spirit. The spirit will not tell others.”
“It’s school. There’s this guy who likes to beat me up.” Jason had no idea why he had said it. Something inside of him told him to. “I don’t know why, but he does. Probably because he knows I can’t fight back.”
“And the boy does not like this guy?”
“No. No I don’t.”
“Does the boy want revenge on this guy?”
“What?”
“Does the boy want to hurt this guy as much as this guy hurt the boy?”
“I…I don’t know? Maybe? I don’t think I want to hurt someone though. I think it’s more like I want to be able to see him punished for what he does, you know?”
“Ah, the boy seeks justice. The boy is good, yes. The spirit has rarely seen one like the boy. Tell the spirit what the boy wants.”
“I...I…”Jason thought long and hard. What did he want? Just seeing Kevin punished was not enough. Not really. Besides, he was not the only one that was a problem. “I want to be able to give people what’s coming to them. Given them what they deserve.”
“Hm, yes, the spirit sees. This can be done. The spirit can give such a gift to the boy. The power to give others their just deserts, as it is said. For good and for ill. Rewards and punishment. Would the boy like this?”
“I…I would. But there’s a catch, isn’t there. These things always have a catch.” Did they though? This sort of thing was the realm of fantasy, not reality. He was working purely off stories he had read, and had no real idea of what was going to happen.
“Ah, the boy is smart. Yes, the spirit does require a price to be paid. The spirit does not want your soul, or the boy’s first born though. The spirit seeks to know. The spirit wants knowledge.”
“Knowledge?”
“Yes. The spirit resides in the book, you see. It is a book of power, a tome of knowledge. Give the spirit knowledge, and the spirit will give the boy the power he seeks.”
That seemed harmless enough. What harm could that do, really?
“Okay, I can do that.”
“Give the spirit knowledge first. The spirit will give the boy power in relation to what is given.”
So the more knowledge he gave, the more power he would get. Made sense. And Jason knew exactly what to do. He picked up the book and brought it to his computer. He placed the old book next to the machine and plugged a random USB cable into it. The he rested the free end of the cable on the book’s cover. He had no idea if it would work, but it was worth a try. The book glowed, and the light enveloped the USB, flowing up to the computer.
“Ah!” The voice said. “The boy gives a wealth of knowledge! A treasure trove of learning. The spirit is pleased, yes. Very pleased. As such, the spirit shall give great power to the boy. Enough to change the world itself.”
Jason felt something wrap around him. A warm blanket made of nothing. The feeling flowing into him, permeating every inch of his body. Then the warmth became greater. It became hotter, until it felt like his entire body was on fire. He doubled over, falling to his knees as searing pain scoured his entire body. A scream escaped his lips.
He barely registered the banging on his door, and did not hear the voices from the other side. At least, not until the pain stopped. It faded away in much the same manner it had started, slowly cooling off and leaving him lying, panting and covered with sweat on the floor.
He became aware that his parents were banging on the door. He saw the now inert book lying where he had placed it. And he felt the power surging through him. An ocean of karmic power waiting to be tapped. He stood and opened the door.
“Jason, what’s wrong? We heard you screaming. Are you alright? Is there something wrong?” His mom said. Her voice was filled with fear.
“Yeah, mom. I’m fine. I just stubbed my toe is all.” Jason said.
“Are you sure? Should I call someone? And you’re sure you aren’t hurt?”
“Yeah. It hurt for awhile, but now I’m fine. Everything is just fine.”
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Ah, karmic retribution, is there anything better?
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