Amazing Stories: Lucky

He walked back to me, grinning.

"Told you!" he said. "I can get away with anything!"

From then on it was impossible to get through to him. He just wouldn't listen. As soon as I tried to warn him about causing danger to other people, he laughed and changed the subject.

In the end, all I could do was walk along behind him, at a safe distance that is, and watch.

He seemed to be growing luckier by the day, too. I remember the sixth day especially, because he caused the biggest disaster on that day.

We were down at the harbor.

"I'm hungry," Jimmy said. "I expect some food to arrive any second now."

As soon as he said it, a crane on the other side of the harbor began to buckle. One of the main struts bent inwards and the entire crane toppled over. It was like watching something in slow motion but the sounds were terrible. There were iron sounds, as metal supports bent and snapped, and men shouting, and crashing sounds as vehicles were crushed.

With a crash that shook the ground, the crane smashed down on to a ship. The load on the end of its hook, a large net full of boxes, swung towards us and exploded against the wharf, flinging hundreds of boxes into the air. One of these boxes burst open and down came a bag of mixed dried fruit, plop, right into Jimmy's lap. He opened the bag and started to munch.

"I could do with a drink, too," said Jimmy.

A car and trailer came tearing down the wharf towards us. It swerved to get past and the trailer hit a bump, which sent a can of drink into the air where it spun merrily until it hit the ground. It careered along, bouncing and rolling until it stopped gracefully at Jimmy's foot. He condescendingly stooped and picked it up.

"Ah, chilled, too," he said, taking a swig. "Want some?"

I didn't feel like drinking anything. I was too busy watching the ship sinking in the harbor, the fires burning, the people swimming and shouting for help, the ambulances arriving, the fire engine and police cars arriving, and the black smoke rising above the city!

"The whole world does things for me now," said Jimmy, "just so's I can be lucky!"