The Wishing Pendant

The moment I step out of the dim-lit bar, I immediately cover my eyes with a trembling hand. Were those street lights always so bright?

I wobble sideways and almost fall off, but I manage to lean on a lamplight at the last moment.

"Damn, Mark, you're as wasted as my father's old Sedan!" Says the cretin in front of me while displaying his trademark wide smile of shiny teeth, which after almost 2 decades in the financial business, it's as ingrained in his muscular memory as the act of blinking.

"I-I-I th-think I k-kinda am, ain't I?" I respond, laughing sheepishly and looking sillier than ever. I don't laugh because I'm happy or because I find his words funny in any way. I laugh because this cretin is my boss, and he clearly wants me to celebrate every single one of his 'witty' remarks.

"'Spite bein' so chubby, ya such a light weight dude!" Cretin Number Two states from behind. or is he at my side? I can't really tell while the world is spinning so...

"Hey, hey, Mark! You ok man?" Asks another cretin when he looks at my face. Man, I must really look like shit if one of those certified assholes I work with is actually worrying about me.

"Ugh..." I grunt and wipe the cold sweat covering my forehead with the sleeve of my suit. I feel terrible right now, but I still manage to smile and nod. Pretending that everything is fine and sound while I'm having one of the worst days of my life is a skill I've become extremely proficient at while working with these people.

In case the memo isn't clear enough, I really don't want to be here. After an insufferable day of continuous work during the high season, the last thing I wanted was to have my boss dragging me out for a night of heavy drinking. Maybe I could've just settled with a beer and some play-pretend, but the moment we all sat down, my boss ordered for all of us since he was the one 'generously' paying the bill. And of course, refusing would've been 'a poor choice'. That's how things were in that company.

Long story short: Instead of having the night sleep I desperately needed, I spent that time drinking the high grade **** I hate surrounded by people I despise. A total nightmare.

But then again: my life is nothing but that.

39 years old, fat, pale, receding hairline, lacking in confidence and still a virgin, if anyone can believe that. That's basically me, Mark the pushover. I came to this world like everybody else and ended up with the Complete Loser Package. I'm truly one-of-a-kind, but in the worst way possible.

After a few more exchanges during which I spend 80% of my brain capacity at keeping myself straight and the rest at answering my coworkers, we finally say goodbye, and I keep waving my hand smilling like a dumbass while the others walk away. But the moment they disappear behind a corner of the street, both my hand and the corners of my lips finally drop in perfect synchrony and I lean on a brick wall.

Now what?

It's like 3am now. There aren't any more buses passing through, and the subway stations are closed.
What about an uber? Maybe I could...
But when I take my phone, I realize that it doesn't have any battery left.

I keep staring at the dark screen like an idiot for a long while, my inhebriated brain struggling to process the scope of the mess I've gotten myself into.

I live more than 20 kilometers(12 miles) away, the streets are almost empty, and I have no way of going back to my home.

What the fuck do I do now?
Do I start walking? Do I simply fall down and sleep in an alleyway where I will absolutely end up getting mugged?

I suddenly find myself laughing. Not out of humour, but out of self-spite.

What else now? Is it going to start raining out of nowhere? Am I gonna get a call from my boss as soon as I recharge my phone telling me that I have to cover someone else's turn for tomorrow? Man, I would quit straight away.

I bask in that thought for a moment. It's not the first time I fantasize about quitting this awful job where the only good thing is the salary.
If only that was an option... If only I wasn't so drowned in debts and really needed the money...

I suddenly gag, feeling very sick. Then I fall to my knees and lean forward, waiting to barf out whatever I have in my stomach. But 'lucky' for me, my belly eventually calms down and I don't puke. I'm still very dizzy and afraid to move though, so I keep my head down just in case.
But then, my eyes notice another thing hanging between my face and the dirty pavement: It is the pendant I'm always wearing which just came out from all the movement and it's now dangling right in front of my face.

I really never liked this cheap-looking trincket, which is just a piece of broken pink quartz attached to a steel chain. However, this is the only thing my deceased mother left me, so I faithfully wear it at all times.

I sigh deeply and carefully envelop the pendant with my chubby hand.

At what point did my life go so wrong? I ask to myself.

"I... I really, really wish I was somebody else. Like literally, anyone would do." I mutter in a sad voice, just wanting to vent some steam.

But all of a sudden, the gaps within my closed fist shine with a bright purple light.

"What the-?!" I exclaim in surprise. But the next instant, the light is gone. And when I open my hand, the pendant is still there, as opaque as it was at the start.

What the hell was that? Did I imagine it? I know I'm very wasted right now, but that was so...

After pondering for a while, I can't get to a conclussion, so I just shrugh it off and proceed to stand up, which takes me an embarrassing ammount of time.

I really don't know what to do, so I make the thoughtful decision of just stop thinking altogether, then proceed to walk forward, staggering like the drunkard I am in my house's general direction.

After 10 minutes of slow wobbly walk, I stumble upon another person.