The Horror Megapack_ 25 Classic and Modern Horror Stories ( PDFDrive )

and Joe and I used to go home on the same train.
“We had been working late over some story boards. It was the beginning of
Joe’s Miracles of Saint Toad series that later got such a tremendous response in
Zipperhead Funnies. He had the art wrapped in a plastic trash can liner under
one arm, and we ran for the train, the wind and rain blasting in our faces. I
reached the entrance first, and I could hear the train rumbling in downstairs. We
would have made it, but Joe suddenly called out, ‘Jim! Help!’
“He’d spilled the artwork, all of it, half inside the doorway; half out. Rain
splattered over the floor. Late commuters rushed in, not too careful where they
stepped.
“I ran back and helped him recover it, but by then several panels had been
ruined. They’d have to be redone. We missed the train, and had to wait another
hour inside the station. Much of that time was spent drying the story boards with
paper towels from the men’s room.
“‘How the Hell did you drop them?’ I asked.
“‘Oh,’ he said, digging into his coat pocket. ‘Here’s why.’ He held up a penny.
‘You know what they say, See a penny; pick it up; all the day you’ll have good
luck—’
“‘That was real dumb,’ I said. ‘Grade-A Idiota Maximus. You’re running to
catch a train, in the rain, and you’re carrying art that took you days or even
weeks to produce, and you risk it all for one crummy cent. Not what I would call
sound financial planning, my dear fellow. Not at all.’
“He went on for a minute drying a spot where the ink, had run badly, then he
gave me his best Harpo smile and said, ‘It isn’t the money, Jimbo. It’s more
luck. If I don’t have luck, I might lapse into superstition, which is really bad
luck. It’s where I get my inspiration from. I’ve found that out. It works like this:
I have to find at least one penny every day. That’s basic recognition from the
gods.’
“‘The gods?’
“‘Yeah, Zeus and all that crowd. Nobody sacrifices oxen or goes to oracles
anymore, so this is how they stay in touch With the few remaining faithful.’
“‘Uh-huh…’
“‘Like I said, you find one penny a day and that’s a sign that at least nothing
disastrous will happen. Find more, or dimes or quarters, and you’re ten times
blessed, or twenty-five times, and things will turn out real nice. Find a bright,
shiny penny, and something new will come into your life, while an old, tarnished
thing means that you’ll find something or do something which is old and