The Card

There is nothing on planet Earth like autumn in New England. Each of the five senses goes into an overdrive unmatched and unparalleled by other wonders in nature. Your eyes dance in a symphony of color when you do no more than step out your door. As you walk through your day you feel the crisp air biting at your cheeks just enough to nibble the flesh into a rouge glow. The leaves crumble at your feet in a tympanic crunch that delights your hearing in a rhythmic march. You stop at your favorite beverage house and treat your hands to the warmth of the cup as the taste of your first hot chocolate of the season caps off the perfect quintet to your senses. Dawn Marlin walked out of the Dunkin Donuts and took it all in. She had lived in Rhode Island her whole life and planned to live there until her last breath. She would never tire of days like today and kept the images with her wherever she went. With time before her next appointment, she walked along the path behind the building that would take her to the waterfront. Dressed in her URI sweatshirt, she could not help but feel mixed emotions. It had been nine days since she threw that card into the river and her fingers ached like an amputee. The knowledge that both her nephews would be going to college on a full ride made her smile but she knew she could do so much more. If she only had more time she could reach children all over the world. Why did it have to end? Why had she not started sooner? Deep in thought, she never heard the footsteps approach. Between the hot chocolate, the fall air, and her melancholy thoughts of what could have been, she left herself vulnerable. The devil himself had seized the moment. “Hello Ms. Marlin.” Putnam stood before her in a ribbed sweater and tweed jacket. With his grey driving cap on, he looked more like a college professor than a Colonel. “Who the hell are you?” “You can simply call me The Colonel.” Looking him up and down with skepticism and fear, she took a step back. “You don’t look like a Colonel. You look like you walked off campus somewhere. What the hell do you want?” “You are an intelligent woman, Ms. Marlin. I am certain you knew this day would come.” As she froze in place, he looked back at her without hesitance. “I represent The Foundation.” Never taking her eyes off of him, Dawn took a step backwards towards the waterfront. “I…I…I’m done with you people. My year ended last week.” Her voice trembled as her hot chocolate rattled in her hands. “There is no truth in that statement, Ms. Marlin. Your experimental period ended nine days ago. At that time you needed to turn in your Card.” Taking another step backwards, she recoiled at his words. “I followed all of your damn rules. I used The Card for good. I used The Card for others. I stopped using it when I was supposed to. Now go away and leave me ALONE!” Dawn’s final words were loud in an attempt to find someone nearby that could help her. She continued edging backwards towards the water’s edge. “Take another step Ms. Marlin and you will be joining that Card at the bottom of the river.” Reacting to her look of incredulity, “That’s right. We know all about you throwing The Card in the river. Did you think that you could just go back and get it at a later date?” “No, I…” “No need for excuses. I assure you I mean you no harm. The Card has been recovered.” “What the hell do you mean The Card was recovered? And how did you know I threw it in there in the first place.” “Ms. Marlin. Please do not underestimate The Foundation. We are aware of every movement our Card holders make during the experiments. There are very few surprises. Many have come and gone and think they can find some way to cheat the system. At first, we learned so much about social behaviors but now it really just amounts to greed. While your action of throwing The Card in the Providence River was unfortunate, it simply took time and resources to correct the issue.” Putnam reached into his tweed jacket pocket and removed a weathered Card. “As you can see, nothing is impossible.”