The Absconsion

The Lies

The chosen individuals life was miserable. Every morning was just a morning for them, not a good morning. The moment they open their eyes, all the past experiences, troubles, trauma, and stress take the shape of a mountain and rest on their shoulders. Sometimes they wish for a peaceful death in their sleep, so they could avoid the pain that eats them inside out. But things have changed now, it seems like help is on the way, hope went strengthened, and faith got restored. Today is the day for them to act on their second instruction.

Elly now has a chance to fulfill her dreams and provide better conditions for her family without depending on the scholarship. But there was still a doubt in her mind about what the caller meant by " a proposal which would change your life in a way you would have never imagined. " When she chose to not select it, they rephrased the proposal from generalized to a specific message. They knew exactly what would intrigue her. She considered herself strong and never felt inferior while comparing to men, but being a female, she needed to think more before doing anything that would lead to horrible consequences. Because the world we are living in; is filled with corrupted souls, which makes it unsafe for the rest of the people to lead a peaceful and comfortable life. Elly called the said number.

' Give your response as instructed and disconnect from the call, ' said a human voice.

' My name is Elly Tucker, and I would like to avail myself of the opportunity. '

' Response received. '

The call disconnected immediately.

                                                                            ----*----

Jackson waited till her stepmother left to work, so he could act according to the second instruction. Since he now possessed a burner phone, he no longer needed to go to the forest and wait for the telephone to ring. But he was habituated to that, therefore, despite having a burner, he went to his usual place. After sitting under the majestic banyan tree, Jackson called to the given number.

' Give your response as instructed and disconnect from the call. '

' Ah, okay. This is Jackson, and I would like to provide my consent to this opportunity that you provided me with. '

' Response received. '

After the call got disconnected, Jackson waited there for a while to see if he would receive any further instructions via public telephone. He knew that the burner would be the source of communication, but he just wanted to make sure by waiting for a while. He did not want to miss any opportunity, so he was making sure of everything. The time at which the phone usually rings had passed, which made him feel confident that, he would no longer receive further steps through the telephone. With that clarity, he left for home. 

                                                                        ----*----

John was happy because he now had some money and he have the freedom to spend them as he sees fit. He could now afford to pay the hospital to take care of her mother till the surgery. John could not completely be happy because of her mother's condition and also because of fear for the thug. There were only 15 days left for him to pay off the debt. Otherwise, they would mercilessly steal his lung.

John spent most of his time at the hospital staying beside her bed-ridden mother. A few times a day, he used to come home, to freshen up, change clothes and eat some food. That day, John usually came home, but things were not normal at that time. He spotted the goons at his home's entrance and before he decided to flee, the goons spotted him. He knew for certain that if he attempted to escape, then he would be beaten black and blue and he could not afford that in the present situation. He slowly started walking towards them, and their giggling made him worried.

' Little brat, you still have 15 days to return the money you owed. Do you remember that? '

' Yes, sir. I do. I promise I will pay you back by the end of the month. '

' You better. Otherwise, we would cut whatever part we like, and that would be very unpleasant. Do you feel me? '

' Yes, sir. I do. '

' He is scared like s**t, man. Let's get out of here before he s**t his pants, ' said another goon.

When they finally left, John was somewhat relieved. The only way he would completely be free from them is the day when he clear the debts totally. His first priority was to make sure that the surgery goes as planned, and the second was to become free from the thug. 

                                                                                    ----*----

Unlike everyone, Zain was not so surprised by whatever happened till now. He recalled one of the common scams that he had come across in the past which usually starts by giving some money to the victim so as to gain their trust. When the scammer completely earns the trust of their target, then they adopt and implement the process of extraction in which they plunder the victim economically by keeping them under the illusion of higher stakes and money because of which the victim gets deluded and follows whatever the scammer asks them to.

A hundred percent of the time, this would end up as a scam. Up till this point, Zain had not detected anything suspicious. He was waiting for them to make one small move which suggests extortion, and at that point, he could back out from the opportunity with whatever amount he had received up till that point. Zain thought this to be the most probable scenario and he would not be disappointed if he had already anticipated the possible outcome.

In the beginning, he decided to leave it on time to show the true colours of the anonymous caller, but he could not wait. He decided to do something rather than wasting time sitting idle. First, he tried to track the number from which he had received a call, but could not because the number was no longer in use. It was because the mode of communication was now changed to burner phone which made it impossible to track after the sim is burned. Zain was now looking for an alternative and the bank deposit was what popped into his mind. He started to trace back from where the money had landed into his account. As he was doing his thing, he got a call through burner for the first time.

Zain lifted and the robotic voice said, ' I had to make this call early because of the unwanted action you are performing. If you continue to proceed with your process as an attempt to find our identity, it would be considered as non-compliance and I would be forced to revoke the opportunity granted to you. The process should be terminated in 10 seconds or else your opportunity would be withdrawn. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.. '

Zain tried to process what to do. He has two choices. One was to continue tracking, but there was no benefit for him in this choice because even though if he is successful in pinpointing their location, he would not receive anything. The second choice is to terminate the tracing process and protect his chance and see where does this leads him. He made a decision to discontinue the tracing process in a split second.

' 1. The given time is completed. Thank you for being in compliance with our rules and regulations. You shall receive further instructions the following day. Stay healthy. '

                                                                                       ----*----

The next day, everyone got ready ahead of time and were sitting with a burner phone in front of them. They were awaiting further instructions. Their lives which were mundane, stressful, and mediocre suddenly took a turn. A bit of spice and a touch of mystery got added to their routine that made their life interesting. The usual mindset of people is when a magical event that astonishes you takes place in your life, we tend to hold on to them regardless of the consequences and repercussions we'd have to face in the future. We are lost in the present moment that the negatives do not have a strong hold on us. The mysterious transition in your life may be positive or negative but we tend to realize it only after it is too late.

All the selected individuals were so lost in the moment that they are no longer thinking straight. Rational thoughts were put to sleep as if the anonymous caller injected drugs into people that drowsed their vigilance.

For the first time, Elly did not go to college because there is no point in going to college if she doesn't have money since her scholarship got rejected. Of course, she could lodge a complaint against her educator for intentional rejection of her scholarship for invalid reasons, but it was a hectic process and the process of investigation might shed the spotlight on the unfortunate and inappropriate incidents that took place between her and the educator. It was becoming awkward for her to go to college and see her mischievous educator. Therefore, Elly was now hoping that this new opportunity might provide her with enough money to continue her academics and enhance her career. So she could escape her past and towards a bright future once and for all.

                                                                                    ----*----

' I hope you remember that I have given you one month of time to help me financially. I presume you are trying for jobs, ' questioned Jackson's stepmother.

' I am looking for jobs and I think I will find one by the end of the month, ' replied Jackson without maintaining eye contact.

As usual, after a mild drama, Jackson's stepmother left for work. As soon as she left, he took out the burner phone that he purchased the previous day. Aaron came running and snatched away the burner from Jackson's hands. Jackson started to chase his little brother all over the house. He was afraid because if the phone falls down and breaks or damages, then there is a possibility that he might get disqualified which would then result in losing the only opportunity that he had to make his and his brother's life great. After a couple of minutes, Jackson successfully chased his cute brother and retrieved his burner.

' Jacky, does this phone have games? '

' No, Aaron. I am sorry. But I promise that very soon I am going to buy a phone for you with lots of games on it. '

' Really? When? '

' Very soon, Aaron. Very soon. Our lives are going to change. And then you can eat whatever you want, you can buy any toy you want. '

' Yaya. I want to buy an airplane, Jacky. I will take you on that and we fly in the sky. '

                                                                                    ----*----

Since Zain could not go ahead with the tracing of bank accounts, he did not have any other work to do. He decided to talk to clients but there was nothing he could tell to reassure the clients that switching their projects to his company would not be a bad movie. Despite being intelligent, he alone was not enough to handle all the projects. He needed employees, capital, space to work, technical equipment, investment, and much more. To satisfy all those, he needed money and he was not sure when he gets his hands around such a huge sum.

Instead of making a call, he texted some of his clients and their replies made him understand that they were slowly losing interest. Because as long as his previous company is working well on the project, the clients will not see a need to shift their project and risk it more. All these thoughts discouraged him.

' It's been only a few days and I am already feeling helpless. What would happen to me if this continues? I have everything but the capital. As time passes it would be more difficult for me to take over my own company and eventually I will be forced to kill my goal and move on with my life, ' he talked to his reflection in the mirror.

Exactly the time at which they usually get the call, their burners began to ring. They lift the phone, and the robotic voice starts saying, ' Good morning and congratulations to all the humans who cleared their first instruction successfully. I understand that many of the chosen candidates still have a doubt regarding whether this opportunity is genuine or just a scam. As an attempt to clear that doubt, we have further deposited a handsome amount to gain your trust and to make you realize that this is indeed a true opportunity for you to change your lives. '

All of them immediately put the burner on speaker and started to check their bank balance, and after watching it, they were awe-struck. They were delighted, excited, anxious, and experienced many more mixed feelings. They were on cloud nine and now most of their fears either passed away or faded. Now they could take advantage of this opportunity without the fear of being scammed.

' Now those of you who wish to participate in this life-changing opportunity, follow these instructions. At 8 PM today, your burner will receive a text message in which you will find the coordinates of a location. Find the location through your maps and reach there by 10 PM. Do not talk to anyone on the location to which you have been assigned. At the spot, a vehicle will pick you up, and the only person that you can talk to is the driver and they would only reply to you if they think the question needs to be answered. The vehicle would drop you at the location where you need to participate in events and prove your performance. When the opportunity finally ends, you will be dropped at the same location from where you were picked up and the money that you have won in the event would be deposited into your bank account. If the rules are clear, follow the said instructions as instructed. If in case, you wish to back out from the opportunity, do not perform the above instructions and the second deposited amount would need to be returned.

On a final note, I repeat that this is not an act of scamming such as Malware, Phishing, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks, Denial-of-Service (DOS) attacks, etc. This is a fair and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Stay healthy. '

The call disconnected.

Now the common questions that arose among the selected individuals were, what the event really is? Where are they being taken? How many days would it be? Will they take us to a remote location and steal our body parts?

Till now, they carried out the tasks in their neighborhood which was in their comfort zone, so they did not think about it much. But now they do not have any idea about the destination and all that will be shared is the pick-up point. They don't even know what would they participate in. Even though there was a second anonymous deposit, people started to have second thoughts. The instructions were clear that their amount should be sent back if one chose not to participate in the event. Some thought that, if they paid them such an amount without even doing anything, then imagine how much they would reward you if you perform well. The greed started to manifest in their mind. The intoxication of excess money made the individuals overlook the fear of the unknown. 

Zain who already knew about most of the cyber attacks already understood that there were no signs of any mentioned threats, so he rooted out all of those cyber threats.

                                                                                        ----*----

Elly had heard some of those cyber scam names but she did not know what they exactly were so she decided to surf the web and enlighten herself about those scams. The first thing that she searched for was Phishing and she came to know that Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that means through human interactions, often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, posing as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message. The recipient is then tricked into clicking a shady link, which can lead to the installation of malware, the freezing of the system as part of a ransomware attack, or the revealing of sensitive information.

An attack can have devastating results. For individuals, this includes unauthorized purchases, the stealing of funds, or identity theft.

Since there were no suspicious links or malicious emails involved in this opportunity, Elly confirmed that this was not Phishing.

The second thing that she searched for was the MITM attack which is short for Man in the Middle attack. She came to know that a man in the middle (MITM) attack is a general term for when a perpetrator positions himself in a conversation between a user and an application—either to eavesdrop or to impersonate one of the parties, making it appear as if a normal exchange of information is underway.

The goal of the attack is to steal personal information, such as login credentials, account details, and credit card numbers. Targets are typically the users of financial applications, and other websites where logging in is required.

Information obtained during an attack could be used for many purposes, including identity theft, unapproved fund transfers, or an illicit password change.

Since Elly was not interacting with any third-party applications, there is no possibility for anyone to eavesdrop. She was in direct interaction with another end-user and that too through a secure means. Therefore, this eliminates MITM attacks.

The next thing she looked into was Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack which is an attack meant to shut down a machine or network, making it inaccessible to its intended users. DoS attacks accomplish this by flooding the target with traffic or sending it information that triggers a crash. In both instances, the DoS attack deprives legitimate users of the service or resource they expected. Now, this was completely different from the scenario she was in.

The last thing on the list was malware about which she has an idea. Malware is basically a software virus that is used to disrupt a computer system and this was out of context too. After the browsing, she felt relieved and happy because not only she ruled out the possible cyber scams, but she also educated herself with new terms.

That night, as per the instructions, the individuals received the coordinates. They typed it in the maps to know their location. For some of the people, it was a distant location and for others, it was somewhat close to their locality. Now the question that stressed out most of the people was whether to believe some anonymous person and go to them without having even a teensy bit of clue or stay back and protect yourself from whatever this drama is while giving up the opportunity simultaneously.

Everyone usually loves money, but the degree of need usually varies from person to person depending on the situations they are in. For some, money is a window of enjoyment, for others, it is to brush away whatever problems or debts they have. In the second category, people are in dire need of money and they often overlook the consequences of something as long as they gain wealth through it. That was the situation of most people who are selected for this opportunity. Each of them needed money for different reasons. They decided that giving up on an opportunity based on assumptions would be foolish and that they are turning back from the very opportunity that would help them with their financial struggles and drag them out of the world of poverty.

Now that they have made up their mind, all that was now left is to find some excuse to tell to their parents. The reason they needed to lie was the truth would obviously sound foolish and their parents would never agree to something like that.

Since John's mother was already in the hospital, he did not have to ask anyone for permission. He requested one of his friends to care for his mother and to visit her every now and then just to check if she needed anything. John also gave some money to his friend and asked him to buy medicines and other stuff if the nurses or the doctors prescribe it. John had a small social circle, so he trusted everyone within it. His friends always acted in a way that showed that his trust was not misplaced. Since John did not know where he was being taken and how many days he had to stay there, he wanted to see his mother for a while. He knew that no matter how much time he spent at the hospital looking at his mother, it would not be sufficient. At some point, he needed to leave. He felt guilty for leaving her in that position, but he convinced himself saying that the reason for his departure is his mother and that he was not leaving for selfish reasons. John asked his friend to lie for him if his mother asked for his whereabouts. He told his friend to tell his mother that he had left to arrange the money required for the treatment and also not to worry about him.

                                                                            ----*----

Similarly, Zain also did not have anyone to at least share with them. Zain felt that this opportunity would happen in two possible outcomes. If this turned out to be a prank by his friend Harald, then he decided to defeat him at his own game. On the contrary, if it turns out to be a real opportunity, then he decided to win a jackpot and come back and take over his company. He decided that he was going either way, and there is no turning back.

                                                                            ----*----    

Jackson, on the other hand, was now tensed because he had never asked his stepmother for permission. But he cannot leave the house for days, without informing and also leaving his brother would be one of the difficult things that he had ever done. But no matter how difficult it is, he needs to do it because that was the only way for them to lead a good life. No matter how much he tried to encourage himself, it was difficult for him to leave Aaron. He was struggling to make an adamant decision. At that moment, he hears these lyrics on the television,

' She tells him "ooh love"

No one's ever gonna hurt you, love

I'm gonna give you all of my love

Nobody matters like you

She tells him your life ain't gonna be nothing like my life

You're gonna grow and have a good life

I'm gonna do what I've got to do

So, Rockabye baby, Rockabye

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye baby, don't you cry

Somebody's got you

Rockabye baby, Rockabye

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye baby, don't you cry '

The song was so relatable to him that, it connected to him on a different level and emotionally prepared him to take the decision that he was struggling to make. He was on a pinnacle of a mountain and just needed a little push to make a choice, and the song helped him.

                                                                                ----*----

Elly had also not mentioned about this opportunity to her family. They were not strict parents because they always felt inferior because of their illiteracy. They were so proud of Elly since she was the smartest in their entire family tree, but were also ashamed of themselves for not being able to help her daughter academically and financially. Also, Elly had never displayed pride and never exhibited dominance because of her education. She always listened to her parents and never lied to them even once in her life. It was easy to lie to them because they never asked Elly questions and always gave her the freedom to do whatever she wanted. Because they believed that she had better judgment than themselves and it is true, indeed. Elly had never done anything in her life that made their parents regret the freedom they provided.

Elly finally gathered the heart to lie to her parents. She said, ' Mother and father, few exams are coming up, and they are very important. If I perform well in those tests, then our lives would change. I would like to stay with my friend Nita for a few days, so we can prepare well together. Can I go? '

' Yes, you can, Elly. Prepare well and if you need any help from us, call us anytime. Just take care of yourself, alright? '

' Thank you, father. I will. '

                                                                            ----*----

Jackson's stepmother finally arrived, and he was waiting in the living room which he usually never does. 

' Do you want to say something? ' She asked.

' Actually, I found a job opportunity. So I need to go someplace for a few days to get placed in that. '

' Well, that is good for you. Because I will be leaving this family after a month. I am getting married again. I don't care where you go. Just get your job so you can take care of Aaron. And don't you worry about him in your absence. I will take care of him. That is the least I can do. '

Every night, Jackson tells a bedtime story for Aaron before he goes to sleep. Most of the time, Aaron falls asleep before the story finishes. Jackson decided to say one last story before he leaves Aaron.

' What story do you want me to tell today, Aaron? '

' The Midas One, ' shouted Aaron. 

' Alright then. Midas was a king of great fortune who ruled the country of Phrygia. He had everything a king could ask for. He lived in luxury in a great fort. He shared his life of abundance with his gorgeous daughter. Even though he was very rich, Midas thought that his greatest delight was provided by gold. Occasionally he used to cover his entire body with gold objects as if he wanted to bathe in them. Money was his obsession.

One day, Dionysus, the god of wine and celebration, passed through the kingdom of Midas. One of his companions, a satyr named Silenus, got delayed along the way. Silenus got tired and decided to take a nap in the famous rose gardens surrounding the palace of King Midas. There, he was found by the king, who recognized him instantly and invited him to spend a few days at his palace. After that, Midas took him to Dionysus. The god of celebration, very grateful to Midas for his kindness, promised Midas to satisfy any wish of him. Midas thought for a while and then he said: I hope that everything I touch becomes gold. Dionysus warned the king to think well about his wish, but Midas was positive. Dionysus could do nothing else and promised the king that from that following day everything he touched would turn into gold.

The next day, Midas, woke up eager to see if his wish would become true. He extended his arm touching a small table that immediately turned into gold. Midas jumped with happiness! He then touched a chair, the carpet, the door, his bathtub, a table and so he kept on running in his madness all over his palace until he got exhausted and happy at the same time! He sat at the table to have breakfast and took a rose between his hands to smell its fragrance. When he touched it, the rose became gold. 

Without even thinking, he ate a grape but it also turned into gold! The same happened with a slice of bread and a glass of water. Suddenly, he started to sense fear. Tears filled his eyes and at that moment, his beloved daughter entered the room. When Midas hugged her, she turned into a golden statue! Despaired and fearful, he raised his arms and prayed to Dionysus to take this curse from him.

The god heard Midas and felt sorry for him. He told Midas to go to the river Pactolus and wash his hands. Midas did so: he ran to the river and was astonished to see gold flowing from his hands. The ancient Greeks said they had found gold on the banks of the river Pactolus. When he turned home, everything Midas had touched had become normal again.

Midas hugged his daughter in full happiness and decided to share his great fortune with his people. From now on, Midas became a better person, generous and grateful for all good of his life. His people led a prosperous life, and when he died, they all mourned for their beloved king. '

Aaron was still wide awake.

' Aaron, I am going somewhere for a few days. Stepmother will take care of you. Be good. Okay? '

' When will you be back, Jacky? '

' Just a couple of days, Aaron. I will be back soon. '

' Will you bring a phone with games? '

' I will definitely bring you if you stay strong and be a good boy. '

' I will be good, Jacky. And I will miss you. Please come back soon. '

' I will miss you too. I promise that I will be back before you even know.. ' said Jackson and left house with tears.