“The Forgotten PIN”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “Forgot your PIN?” — suggested by Lexi

I stare blankly at the computer screen.

“Forgot your PIN?” it says, the letters big and bold underneath the little submission bar.

I definitely haven’t forgotten my PIN. I use it every day, for crying out loud! It just so happens that today, at this exact moment, I can’t seem to be able to type the numbers in the correct sequence.

No, this doesn’t count as forgetting. It’s just a brief lapse in memory.

I let out a sigh of frustration. This PIN is becoming a nuisance. Why do they have these things anyway? Just to prevent me from easily getting into my laptop? Of course, the entire world is out to get me, so that’s probably the reason.

I roll up my sleeves. Okay, it’s time to think. What would I make my PIN? It’s four numbers, and there are only ten possible numbers to use. Then again, I could use any combination and quantity of these ten numbers, so there are a whole bunch of combinations.

I try again.

1-2-3-4

It doesn’t work.

“One attempt remaining,” the screen flashes.

One more attempt is all I need, I’m sure of it. I know what I’m doing, really!

I wonder what will happen if I get it wrong again. Maybe I should put in the wrong number anyway, just to see what happens. Yeah, and then I’ll probably be able to reset it after to the PIN that I definitely remember.

I type in my final answer.

0-0-0-0

Nothing happens for a moment. Then, the screen brightens.

“Welcome back, Vanessa,” it says.

I frown. My name isn’t Vanessa. And I certainly wouldn’t make my PIN 0-0-0-0.

It takes me a moment longer to realize that this isn’t my laptop. I glance around quickly before closing the lid and slipping out of the coffee shop.

Final Comments: I found that it was really hard for me to concentrate on the plotline and I didn’t have a clear idea of how I wanted the story to end.

Overall Rating: 😫