100 Ghost Stories Counting Down To Halloween 2025. #76. The Line. #2

Winning a million dollars proved to be no small feat for Calvin, who had sacrificed his mental and physical health to achieve his goal.

Rather than celebrate his money and his newfound celebrity status, he went straight home, locked the carry-on case in his closet, took a hot shower, and went to sleep. His slumber carried him well into the following evening, and finally, rolling out of bed, he found his car keys and drove to his favorite restaurant for a meal. Emerging from the garage, he saw a line of people standing at his front door. The line extended all the way down the block until it reached Oahu Avenue. Even then, the line traveled down University until it hit the intersection at University and Kapiolani Boulevard. From there, it proceeded to the McCully shopping center, and its end was marked by the now-closed Taco Bell. Calvin drove slowly into the strip mall's parking. Before heading upstairs to his favorite eatery, Calvin asked one of the people in line what the purpose of the line might be. 

"Everybody got an email and a text about a million dollars on the other side of this door at some random person's house in Mānoa," the random person answers. 

"So, you just stand there until you can't stand anymore, is that it?" Calvin asked.

"The rules say if the person in the house doesn't come out by noon tomorrow, that we are free and clear to break into the house and take the money ourselves, and if the occupant resists that we can use any means needed to get the money," Calvin's skin crawled at hearing the vast difference in the rules from when he played the game up until yesterday.

Calmly having his dinner, Calvin weighed his options. The waiter brought his favorite tea drink along with the side dish of vegetables. Calvin realized he had only one way out. The second he got home, he began packing only what he needed in one suitcase, and along with the money, he loaded everything in his car. By the time he left the driveway of his home, it was 3:43 in the morning. The line was there just as it was when he arrived home, except now the random stranger he spoke to at the McCully shopping center was blocking the way out of Calvin's driveway.

"What are you doing?" Calvin asked.

"According to the contest rules," the random person began. "You can go, but the money stays, so whoever wins gets it fairly."

Ignoring the statement, Calvin floored the gas pedal and plowed over the random person. He knew the line wouldn't break and that no one would come after him. But, just to be safe, Calvin took Keahi and Hu'elani streets until he got to Mānoa Road, where he sped past Maryknoll and took the right-hand ramp to the freeway. 

"The airport," he said to himself. "Hopefully, I can get a red eye."

Calvin parked his car, knowing it would be a long while before he'd see it again. An hour of waiting at the terminal for the flight that would take him to Las Vegas, there was a screaming and rumbling that caught everyone's attention. People began walking out to the fairway to see what the disturbance was. Calvin eventually strolled over to see for himself. It was a mob of people running toward the terminal. He didn't know how, but he recognized the mob as those people who were standing in the long line that began from his house. They were coming for the money, and there was no time for moral questions as to whether he deserved the money or not. That would come later; right now, he had to run. The fairway had two entrances into it, so he ran toward the left end, and the mob ran in that same direction to cut him off, but when they arrived at that point, Calvin wasn't there. He doubled back at the last second and ran in the opposite direction, so much for Vegas.

"Dump the money and live!" The voice in his head told him. "Dump the fucking money and live!"

"It's mine!" He gasped. "I suffered because of it, it's mine!"

Calvin hid under the table at the Dunkin' Donuts while the mob ran past, not even thinking to look for him there. Looking at his watch, he knew he had twenty minutes. With a last resolve, Calvin ran back to the terminal and made his flight. Free at last.

***

Calvin fell into a deep sleep when the plane was in the air. When the cabin lights came on and the pilot asked everyone to put their seat belts on, Calvin's eyes opened. Everyone in the cabin was standing and looking at him. 

"Just leave the money here," the flight attendant instructed. "Live, and let everyone else have a fair chance."

Calvin backed out of the plane slowly while everyone carefully walked toward him. Once he was in the terminal, he broke into a dead run, and the mob went after him.

***

Less than an hour later, Calvin sat at a blackjack table at the California Hotel, where he bet the entire contents of the carry-on case, fully expecting to lose everything right off. He didn't lose. He kept winning, kept letting ride until the mob finally arrived. There was nowhere to run, but 5 million dollars sat on the table around Calvin. He handed the carry-on case to the flight attendant, who took it but couldn't help but comment. "Lucky you."

"Everybody gets a chance," he said. "I just needed mine."

The flight attendant turned to leave, but Calvin called out to her. "When's the next line?"

"Wherever this carry-on case ends up," she held up for him to see.

"I won't be on the lookout for it," Calvin waved goodbye.

***

Under the merciless heat of the Makua sun, a line formed outside the historical cave in Makua. It extended past Keawa'ula, the point at Kaena, to Mokuleia. From there, it went as far as Ka'a'awa to the 7-11. Except that in that instance, the line moved quicker than usual. People didn't faint or give up, nor did any harm come to them. It just became a fast-moving line. Across the street is the beach called Nānue, where a swarm of sharks gathered in a feeding frenzy. Human bodies after human bodies surfaced, bloodied already from wounds and angry bite marks from something huge and savage. It was a bad choice to start the line game at the cave because no one ended up winning the million dollars. I mean, with proper research, the organizers would have discovered that the cave is the home of a shark god, known for taking living people as its meal.