A Big Circle of Friends. Erica Bentel

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       IN JOINING THIS CIRCLE:

       SIGNED:

      (ADD YOUR NAME)

       Now that you’ve made a promise to do something, forward this email to 4 GOOD PEOPLE you know.

       The message starts spreading incredibly fast.

      4 + (4 x 4) + (16 x 4) + (64 x 4) + (256 x 4) + (1024 x 4) …

       Within two weeks, 16,384 have joined the Big Circle of Friends.

       SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. BEGINNING OF MARCH

      Gary Michaels, journalist with a major national Australian newspaper, The Daily, is one of the first 1000 people to receive the email.

      He was meant to have met his girlfriend and a group of her friends for pizza and a movie earlier but had been called out to cover another murder.

      Now back home, he opens the email, simply wondering whether he still has a girlfriend. As he starts reading he feels a quick rush of relief.

      hi

      missed u 2nite.

      thought u should c this. forward to 4 good friends (if u still have any;-)

      sam xxx

      He reads through it and presses delete.

      It’s close to midnight and he still has to write up his article. He showers, puts together a cheese and tomato sandwich, and starts working.

       This is so damn boringly written.

      He closes his eyes for a few minutes. When he opens them again it’s 2.46am.

       2.46am! Bloody hell!

      His deadline is 6.30am and he has nothing worth anything.

      He finds himself dwelling on the fact that others are getting the better stories to report on. He tries to focus on finding a decent angle on the story in front of him. Apparently, the screaming had gone on for five minutes. No one called the police. Everyone he interviewed said they had assumed someone else would phone, so they didn’t bother. One woman said she ‘ … didn’t want to stick her nose into someone else’s business.’

      It’s always the same depressing crap. He wishes he could write about something positive. Something powerful and worthwhile. Something that has some hope …

       Please don’t say I deleted it.

      He starts searching through his messages, but he knows the answer already. He goes into his deleted file. Gone. He picks up the phone.

      — Hello?

      — Sam?

      — Gazz?? What’s up? Are you okay?

      — I’m fine …

      He hears her Dad in the background asking who it is …

      — It’s okay Dad, sorry, it’s Gary …

      — Gazz, it’s three o’clock in the morning!! Hold on …

      — Sorry, Dad. Go back to sleep

      — … What’s up?

      He starts asking her about the email.

      — You couldn’t wait until morning? I’ve gotta go.

      She turns off her phone.

      Gary is desperately trying to rework his article when her message comes through. He replies.

      IOU. Thx! – DINNER tonight to make up for it??

      In 15 minutes he writes his new article, attaches the Big Circle of Friends email and sends it to his editor. Once it is off, when he can stop and actually think about what he has done, he realises that he has written something good. For the first time in months he closes his eyes and sleeps like the proverbial baby.

      So when the phone rings at 7.30am and he hears his editor on the other end of the line, he isn’t expecting the tirade that pounds at his left eardrum.

      — What’s this crap?

      — What d’you mean?

      — You were supposed to be covering the Grahams story. Where’s that? When you’re asked to cover a story I expect you to cover a story, not send me your girlfriend’s chain letter …

      That is so on the button it hurts.

      — You seriously think one little email is going to make the world a better place?

      Gary can picture the editor’s scowl. His temples creased with frustration.

      — Any better ideas?!

      Damn. It’s out of his mouth before he has a chance to stop it.

      — Excuse me?

      Well, having started, there’s only one way to go … on.

      Suddenly, Gary is ready for the fight of his life. He sits upright and clenches the phone so hard he can feel the muscles tighten up his arm.

      — Look. I got into journalism for a reason, and it wasn’t to report СКАЧАТЬ