Fair Extension...Could YOU do it?

**Percys Wet Trousers** · February 15th, 2011

If i had cancer probably, especially if the person i was giving the hard luck to had only just annoyed me recently. There has been times when you have wanted to really hurt someone but that feeling doesn't last long, give it a few months and you can forgive them and no longer wish to hurt them so pff who knows?

**king family fan** · February 15th, 2011

Iam thinking a couple of people I could do it two,if given the oppertunity. Something you can forgive but never forget and something you never forget or forgive,

**tower-obsession** · February 15th, 2011

There is one person in this world whom I hate that much. I would do it to that person in a heartbeat, if he hadn't already done worse things to himself than he did to me.

**randallFlaggfan1** · February 15th, 2011

I could never do what Stretter did. I think that in order to do that, one would have to be vindictive, bitter, angry with the world, and very resentful. And I'm none of those things.

**Perdissa** · March 2nd, 2011

Hi I just popped in to add my bit.

I think people posting here have the hindsight of knowing exactly what happens to the person you hate. If, like Streeter, you are given a lifeline under desperate circumstances (however unlikely), and you had no idea what is going to happen to this person... Would you do it?

I wouldn't be so quick to say no. I'm probably scaring myself a bit, but my answer is probably.. "I don't know".

One of the themes of this collection is that you can never know another person completely. I think this includes yourself.

How sure are you that you won't do this?

On a side note, I managed to feel happy for Streeter, despite what happened to his old pal. This is probably not a good sign.

**CoolhandLocke** · March 4th, 2011

I would do it hands down if like another poster said it wouldn't hurt other people in that persons life. If I could have it that way I would definitely take that deal and give a few people what they've had coming for a loooong while...

**diem_seven** · March 7th, 2011

No, I couldn't, even if it only meant the minor repercussion of a slimmer wallet to see misfortune slide into the life of a person who irks me something awful.

This story made me recall an Amazing Stories episode where a person was given a box with a button on it, and if they pressed the button they would become very rich and someone who they didn't know would die. Well, of course they pressed the button, and someone they didn't know croaked. When the keeper of the button box came to collect the artifact, he told the button-presser that they were rich and that someone they didn't know would now be given the button box.

In Fair Extension, I kept waiting for the scales to balance out. Somehow the guy who did the deal would get his just desserts, or maybe his friend would strike a pact with Elvid. No dice. Nearing the end of the story, I had that smug feeling I get when I am pretty dang sure I know where an author is headed. And then it ended with the guy lying to his wife and wishing for more. To me, the story shows the transformation of an everyday man into a slick-skinned proselyte of Hell. *shivers*

**Perdissa** · March 11th, 2011

Originally Posted by diem_seven

No, I couldn't, even if it only meant the minor repercussion of a slimmer wallet to see misfortune slide into the life of a person who irks me something awful.

This story made me recall an Amazing Stories episode where a person was given a box with a button on it, and if they pressed the button they would become very rich and someone who they didn't know would die. Well, of course they pressed the button, and someone they didn't know croaked. When the keeper of the button box came to collect the artifact, he told the button-presser that they were rich and that someone they didn't know would now be given the button box.

In Fair Extension, I kept waiting for the scales to balance out. Somehow the guy who did the deal would get his just desserts, or maybe his friend would strike a pact with Elvid. No dice. Nearing the end of the story, I had that smug feeling I get when I am pretty dang sure I know where an author is headed. And then it ended with the guy lying to his wife and wishing for more. To me, the story shows the transformation of an everyday man into a slick-skinned proselyte of Hell. *shivers*

Yeah, I had that feeling that the scales were going to balance out and Streeter would be finding himself with the short end of the stick at the end. It's because he didn't that this is the most memorable story in the collection (to me).

**ChickenStu** · March 14th, 2011

Originally Posted by fjade

After reading this story, I sat and thought, is there someone I could do that to? Is there possibly someone in my life that I hate enough to take all their happiness and make it mine?? And I was disturbed when I thought, yeah there is. So what I want to know is, is there someone in your life you could do that to?

Certainly not. I like to think of myself as a good, decent Christian man. There are people in the world I don't like, but I'd just be satisfied to have nothing to do with them again. I believe we play the cards we're dealt in life, and should never try to unfairly shuffle the deck.

This was an entertaining story - but I had absolutely no sympathy for the lead character.