[An assortment of cards, noises and drinks. Old Nick lightly taps his knuckles on the green felt.]
“Hit.”
[Three 6’s is 18, then dealer busts. Old Nick gathers his chips.]
“You know, I was never one for luck. The concept, on its face, is quite absurd. That your successes and failures balance on an edge, _chance_ your only salvation. Quite absurd, indeed.”
[Cards snap on felt, Old Nick knocks.]
“Hit.”
[Again, three 6’s, 18. Dealer busts. Chips are claimed.]
“That something intangible could sway the balance of things. Something from nothing is a concept I’m not familiar with, Mister Conway. Maybe you put stake in luck, maybe you believe that things will magically work themselves out.”
[More cards.]
“They _won’t_. Hit.”
[Triple 6’s. Another dealer bust. More chips on the pile.]
“No, luck was never for me, Mister Conway. I’m a man who is willing to do _exactly_ what needs to be done, and we both know what needs to be done, right?”
[Old Nick glances at the camera with conviction in his eyes, a sad smile breaking at the corners of his mouth.]
“I must _break_ you.”
[He rises from the table, tossing a few chips the dealers way. Almost floating through the crowded room, he snags a drink from a waitress and downs it in one go.]
“The things that I have planned for you, Mister Conway. You see, I’ve always been one for pushing people to their limit. Always there, the constant pressure being placed in all of the right places. And just when you think it’s coming to an end, when you’ve got absolutely nothing left.. _I_ will be there, Joshua.”
[A devilish smirk.]
“Just as I’ve always been here, a strangling presence that hangs thick in the air. And when you think you’re alone with your thoughts, Mister Conway, _I_ am there. An infectious, nagging doubt that eats away at all that makes you who you are, who you yearn to be.”
[He passes through a doorway, entering a long, well lit corridor. His heels echo as he makes his way down, passing the occasional door.]
“So when we finally meet, Mister Conway, I need you to understand that luck will be a non-factor, there is _no chance_ for you. It just isn’t in the cards, my friend. Do you think the lion fears the gazelle? The cat, the mouse? Maybe now you’re beginning to grasp the scope of your endeavor, perhaps you now realize the mountain you must climb?”
[He flicks a chip into the air, it spins end over end until it lands back in his palm.]
“But perhaps not. Never fear, I welcome the opportunity to _show you_. Because you know what they say..”
[He flips the chip and again catches it flawlessly, a dark smile creeping across his features.]
“Speak of the devil and he appears..”
[He winks, places the single chip in his inside breast pocket and pushes through a door into the darkness of night. The camera slowly fades to black as Old Nick Morningstar fades from view.]