Lost and Found

“Try this one.”

“It looks hideous,” said Sean while looking at Simon and his ridiculous cowboy hat. He looked at his watch. “The movie is gonna start soon. We should get across the street.”

Simon nodded and put the hat back. “I gotta use the bathroom. I’ll meet you out front. Sorry we couldn’t find a hat.”

“No worries.”



Minutes later, Sean was standing outside the mall when Simon approached, his skeletal hands behind his back. “Got a surprise for you, buddy.”

“We gotta get to the movie, Sime.”

In a flash, Simon put a black baseball cap on Sean’s head. “Simon says… wear this hat!”

Sean looked up at the brim. “Where’d you get this?”

Simon shrugged. “It was hanging on the hook in the bathroom.”

Surprise crossed Sean’s face. “This is a bathroom hat?!”

Between laughs, Simon said, “Relax. I put it under the hairdryer. No stray, strange hairs. And it looks like it fits perfectly.”

Sean grabbed the brim and tugged it back and forth. “Yeah, it does.” He looked at his watch again. “But we’re missing the previews, and you know…”

“I know, dude, but you had to cover up that god-awful haircut.”

Sean grimaced. “I hope the previews started late. Let’s bolt.”

The pair jogged across the parking lot, crossed the street, and entered the box-office of the Hollywood 22. After buying their tickets, Sean went for the theater while Simon used the bathroom again. “I can’t help it. I gotta go again.”

After opening the door, Sean was pleased to see commercials still running. “Looks like it’s my lucky day.” He sat there for several minutes, up until the final preview, and Simon still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. Pulling out his phone, Sean sent Simon a text message, asking if he was okay.

Moments later, Simon sent back that he had vomited in the bathroom and was on his way home. He also told Sean to enjoy the movie and the hat. While feeling guilty for seeing the movie without his best friend, he was still happy to not have missed the previews. “Green Lantern looks like it’s gonna be awesome!”



After leaving the theater, Sean walked to his car in the mall’s parking lot and, from a distance, saw that Simon’s car was still next to it. He ran to his friend’s car and saw Simon on the ground. Vomit and blood were on the ground next to his mouth, his pants were soaked with urine, and Sean felt sick. He knew his friend was dead.

Simon’s phone was in his hand, but nothing were pressed. Whatever had happened had been too quick. Sean pulled out his own phone and called the police. As he spoke, he pulled his cap down, shading his eyes. He didn’t want anyone to see him cry.



One week later, Sean was driving home from Simon’s funeral. He stopped at a red light and exhaled heavily. He then looked in his rearview mirror and saw the black cap that Simon had found for Sean; it was behind the back seat, being cooked by the sun. Reaching for it, he accidentally honked his horn with his knee. Giggling came from the car next to him and he looked over to see a cute blonde. He put the cap on and then nodded at her, his face feeling flush. He then looked at the light and thought about how long he’d been sitting there. “I wish it’d change already,” he muttered under his breath.

Just then, the light turned green and the blonde raced off in her sports car. Sean followed her, half-thinking it’d be exciting to follow her and see where things...

The red car swerved, bumping other cars along the street. Screams were heard and Sean felt his heart hammer as he was worried not only for himself, but for the blonde. “What’s she doing?” he asked himself as he saw her silhouette bow into the passenger seat. She then ducked her head out the window and he saw vomit spew onto the road.

Seconds later, she ran through a light, colliding with an eighteen-wheeler. “What the—” Sean yelled while braking. The blonde’s car was pushed into the light pole. The crunching metal made Sean’s stomach churn and boil. Heart racing, he left his car and ran to accident, not knowing what he’d do when he got there.

Upon seeing the once-cute blonde’s mangled body, he vomited.



Nearly half an hour later, a detective was asking Sean questions. Sean stated how the blonde had started swerving and vomiting. “I’d seen her at a light, just before, and she looked fine.” He took a deep breath as nausea began to build up again. He took of his cap, wiped his brow with it, and replaced it. “I wish I knew what happened to her.”

As if entranced, the detective said, “It’s the cap, and your wishing. When you make a wish with it on, it comes true, but at a cost: the person nearest you suffers, interminably.”

Sean wasn’t certain if he’d heard correctly and asked the detective to repeat what he’d said. The man shook his head and said, “I asked if you’d…”

The detective then looked alarmed and Sean smelled urine. Looking down at the man’s suit, Sean saw that the detective had peed on himself. “Oh…” was all Sean muttered. His blood raced; his face felt cold and tingly. And he left.

No one stopped him. The detective’s sickness drew their attention.



In a dark alley, Sean contemplated while sirens haunted his ears. “The cap kills, but my dreams come true. And it only kills when the wish is fulfilled.” He’d deduced that from how long it took Simon to die compared to the others. “So I’ll just be careful.”

Newly confident, Sean strolled out of the alley, wearing the hat. “I just hope I can keep this to myself.” A woman nearby shrieked alarmingly. Terrified, Sean panicked and ran.

Word Count: 997