Trouble Finds Him
By now, Alex had accepted that trouble had a way of finding him no matter how much he tried to avoid it. He had become a reluctant celebrity, with people constantly recognizing him on the street. He even got free coffee at the local café—which was nice, but not worth the constant stress of impending disaster.
One day, while grocery shopping, Alex heard a commotion near the frozen foods aisle. He instinctively turned around, ready to bolt, but the cube—which had taken to glowing every time there was even a hint of trouble—began to vibrate in his pocket.
“Oh no,” Alex muttered, gripping his shopping cart. He tried to resist, but his feet started moving, dragging him towards the noise.
A group of teenagers had somehow managed to create a giant mess, with frozen peas and carrots scattered everywhere. One of them had slipped and was now clinging desperately to a shelf, which looked seconds away from collapsing entirely.
“I am not doing this,” Alex said, shaking his head.
The cube had other ideas. Before he knew it, he was sliding across the aisle like an Olympic skater, grabbing the teenager just as the shelf gave way. They both went crashing into a pile of frozen pizzas, narrowly avoiding injury.
The teenager looked up at Alex with wide eyes. “Whoa, thanks man! You’re the Phantom Protector, right?!”
“I’m… just a guy trying to buy some groceries,” Alex sighed, extricating himself from the pizzas. The cube gave a small hum, as if to say, Nice job.
The store manager approached, thanking Alex profusely and offering him a discount on his groceries. Alex forced a smile, nodding politely, but inside he was groaning. He just wanted to be left alone, but it seemed that every time he tried to live a normal life, The Nudge had other plans.
After leaving the store, Alex decided to take a walk through the park to clear his mind. He found a quiet bench and sat down, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. For a moment, he almost felt at peace.
But then he heard a voice. “Excuse me, are you the Phantom Protector?”
Alex opened his eyes to see a young woman standing in front of him, holding a camera. She looked nervous but excited. “I’m a journalist, and I was wondering if I could get an interview?”
Alex sighed. “Look, I’m really not a hero. I’m just a guy who’s had a lot of bad luck.”
“But you’ve saved so many people!” the journalist insisted. “Everyone in the city is talking about you. You’re an inspiration!”
Alex rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. “I appreciate that, but I’m really not interested in being in the spotlight. I just want to live my life.”
The journalist looked disappointed, but she nodded. “I understand. If you ever change your mind, here’s my card.” She handed him a business card before walking away.
Alex looked down at the card, then at the cube in his pocket. “This is all your fault,” he muttered. The cube pulsed softly, as if it was amused.
