Buried Treasure

The Twilight Zone fanfics.

"Buried Treasure"

All that can be seen is a small wooden chest.

A knotted rope is thrown down, and a masked robber climbs down it, grabs the treasure chest by one of the handles on the side, and begins climbing back up. Halfway up the rope, he realizes that the box has come open. The viewer cannot see what is inside, but the camera focuses on a single gold coin out of the many that fly out of the box, over the top of the glass walls that enclose the pirate's treasure chest display, and land in the case. A bunch of the coins land on the floor outside the case.

Robber: no...no...this isn't good... (he begins to climb down the rope to get it) Which one, which one?

A security guard walks in.

Guard: Hey you, stop! Thief! (he runs toward the robber, who climbs back up the rope.)

Camera zooms to one of the coins that fell to the floor.

RON SERLING: Here, a treasure chest was once on display, filled with riches beyond imagination. The estimated value of that trove cannot be measured in gold or silver or platinum, but on the exchange-rate scale of the Twilight Zone.

The camera zooms out from the coin on the floor enough to show a sign beside the display that reads, "Buried Treasure Casino".

(Commercial break)

It's morning, and the Buried Treasure Casino opens for business. A man in a business suit walks up to the display case, followed by a man dressed as a janitor. The robber from the night before watches from the bushes, and a gambler walks into the casino.

ROD SERLING A mister Arthur Banks. An ordinary man, determined to make it big in the casinos. Each day, he wishes for his luck to change, but what he doesn't realize is that today, it will finally be granted.

• BOSS: Say, you're right! Looks like we had a break-in last night ...
• JANITOR: Shouldn't we tell the police?
• BOSS: Nah, they don't care about failed heists. Getting into the casino is no big deal - All our money is hidden in a safe. He was just trying to steal a phoney prop, filled with phony coins. We're just lucky the night staff cleaned the coins up before opening time.
• JANITOR: Why do you think he did that?
• BOSS: Who knows? Maybe he thought they were real.

They leave, and the robber comes in, searching the ground as if he'd lost something. Arthur steps on the coin without noticing it, but does notice the "robber".

• ARTHUR: Looking for something ?
• ROBBER: Er, no... nothing... I just dropped my last quarter, is all.
• ARTHUR: Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

Arthur leaves, then the gambler notices what he stepped on.

• ARTHUR: say ... whats this?

An arabian genie appears in a poof of smoke when he touches the coin.

• GENIE: Greetings, master.
• ARTHUR: WHAT IN THE...WHERE DID YOU COME FROM!?
• GENIE: I am a genie, from the coin you picked up. I can grant you three wishes.

A card dealer walks up to him.

• DEALER: Is something the matter, sir?
• GENIE: She can't see me. Only you can.
• ARTHUR: No... I'm fine. I just... I thought I saw something.
• DEALER: Well, all right, then.

The dealer leaves,

• GENIE: Well, what is your first wish?
• ARTHUR: Uhh ...I wish...gee...I wish I had something to calm my nerves...
• GENIE: Very well.

A drink appears in Arthur's hand.

• ARTHUR: Wow!
• GENIE: So for your second wish?
• ARTHUR: Hey, wait, that wasn't a real wish!
• GENIE: Everyone makes that mistake the first time. You see, humans all have small wishes and desires, and they try to fulfill those first. They don't mean to, but they always make a slip-up and wish for something worthless first.
• ARTHUR: Fine, fine. I'll just have to make the second one count then. Let's see... I want money. Not just money, I want to own this whole casino!

The genie snaps his fingers, and in a poof of smoke, Arthur appears in a large office.

• GENIE: You have one wish left.
• GAMBLER: I think I'll save it. I have everything I want.
• GENIE: Very well.

Fades to black, next scene fade in, Arthur in the same office, with his face in his hands.

• ROD SERLING: After three months, Arthur drove the casino into the ground. He came to realize that he simply didn't have the business skills to make the casino succeed.

• ARTHUR: I never thought it would be this hard. I wish I had the skills I needed, so I could run this business the right way, so that it wouldn't have failed.
• GENIE: Your wish ... is my command. (He snaps his fingers) And now, I am free from the contract. (disappears)

Fade to next scene

• ARTHUR: I understand. I finally understand. When I wished for skills, I wished I had the skills I needed then, instead of what I need now. Even after working hard and trying my best for the whole month, no amount of skill can save the casino.

He rubs the coin, and the Genie reappears. He asks the genie for more wishes.

• GENIE: Let someone else have three wishes. Once they're finished, you can have three more.
• GENIE: You can no longer command me, fool.
• ARTHUR: But dude, that wasn't an official wish!
• GENIE: I no longer answer to you.
• ARTHUR: Aren't you, like, bound to this magic coin or something?
• GENIE: Alas, yes. Each new owner of the coin gets three wishes.
• ARTHUR: So ... after somebody else gets three wishes, I can get another turn?
• GENIE: What the heck, I guess so.
• ARTHUR: Dang ... gotta find me a Grade A sucker ...

He looks around the casino, then settles on a wino playing the slots.

• WINO: Whaaaaaaa ya waant I'm playing slots.
• ARTHUR: Uh, I need a favor ...
• WINO: Aw, man ... that was my last quarter!!
• ARTHUR: Well, uh ... here take this one.

The Wino becomes the new owner of the Magic Coin.

• WINO: hey ... this won't fit in the slot ...
• GENIE: Your wish is my command, master!

The Wino doesn't notice the genie at all.

• WINO: Aw, man ... I wish I had another quarter ...
• GENIE: Sure thing ... here.

The Genie gives the wino a quarter.

• WINO: Hey, thanks!

The wino puts the quarter in the slot machine, and loses.

• WINO: Aw, man ... I wish I could win at this.
• GENIE: Um ... OK.

The genie shrugs. The slot machine pours out a hatful of quarters, all of which go back into the same machine over the next hour or so. The gambler is seated at a nearby table with a drink, watching intently.

• WINO: Aw, man ... I lost all those quarters ... wish I had another one ...
• GENIE: Are you sure? I mean ... you only have one wish left, and I might have tricked that other guy today, but man, that is a stupid wish.
• WINO: uh, yeah, I wish I had ... more quarters. *sniff*
• GENIE: Your ... wish is my command.
• WINO: YAAY!!!

The wino drops the Magic Coin and excitedly opens a single roll of quarters, feeding them one-by-one into the machine.

• ARTHUR: Hah, this time you're mine!

He rubs the coin.

• GENIE: Your wish is my... hey, aren't you that same guy?
• ARTHUR: Yep, and I wish you would never double-cross me like that again.
• GENIE: OK. Two wishes left ...
• ARTHUR: I wish I would never get in trouble with the law.
• GENIE: Legal immunity, OK ...
• ARTHUR:' And I wish for an infinite number of wishes!!
• GENIE: NOOOOOOoooooo!!

RON SERLING: Meet Mr. Arthur Banks, or, as he will be known soon enough, Great Universal Lord Zako, the Obliterator. Because some people can indeed have all they ever wish for, in the Twilight Zone.