Show 'em Who's Boss

“Too scared?” he questioned with a chuckle from across the dim, murky room. The only light came from a glowing naked bulb hanging low from the ceiling and a draft from the badly boarded up window caused the light to sway to and fro sending spooking shadows across the room, morphing and dancing in the darkness like a native tribe bounding around a crackling bonfire. I’d never been a fan of the darkness.

The ceiling was lined with mould and damp, giving the place a cold atmosphere which matched us two figures sitting opposite each other at a table. The light barely reached both our faces, giving us each an eerie mistrusting aura which wasn’t far from the true relationship between the both of us. I liked to think I looked pretty damn menacing to the guy opposite me. Instead I probably looked like hell. The past few days had been particularly painful for me. I had been constantly watching my back, trying to avoid a situation like this. I had suspected the plan wouldn’t run smoothly, but I hadn’t quite counted on an outcome like this.

I glared at the guy opposite me, wishing my evil stare would make his body burst into flames, burning his flesh until he was nothing but ashes. A tortured death is what he deserves right now; slow and painful. It would be the perfect act of revenge before I drive off into the night. I couldn’t believe that he was actually the second most important person in my life, and yet he’d betrayed me in such a way that it was certainly unforgiveable. I’m not talking about a pathetic form of betrayal. He hadn’t exactly been sleeping around. I couldn’t care less if he’d done that. He’d tried to scam me.

I rolled my eyes; of course I wasn’t scared! He’s pathetic, this situation is pathetic and the world is pathetic! Or was I just covering up my fear in my stubborn haste to prove him wrong? I brushed the thought away.

For me, there wasn’t really much to be scared of. I’d been at death’s door enough times to know that there’s nothing to fear; there was only a peaceful afterlife with my dear mother whom I missed terribly. That was absolutely nothing to be scared of.

I would welcome death with open arms. Yet there was still that feeling inside of me, that tingling of worry and fear fluttering in the pit of my stomach. I tried so hard to push it away but I could still feel it pulsing inside me. I couldn’t let him see that I was scared though, I needed to remain calm and just get this over and done with. This needs to finish, right here, right now.

“You gotta be joking! This is child’s play!” was my false, cocky reply. It was an answer which he would expect of me though and so it had to be said. I was hiding that fear.

On the inside I was gradually beginning to tremble with fear. It was starting from the pit of my stomach and working its way into my head. I was letting the fear take hold of me. He had nothing to lose and so much to gain whilst I was in the opposite situation. I certainly wasn’t scared of dying; I was only scared of the consequences of my death. The next few minutes of our possibly short lived lives will determine our fate. It may sound incredibly cliché but it’s horrifically true.

He leant forward, his face being lit up by the small light above him.

“You’re not going to convince me out of this? Try to make a different bargain?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

“And why would I do that?” I replied. I wasn’t in the mood for bargaining. This was the deal and it wasn’t changing.

“To save your life.”

“Need I repeat my last question?”

“So you’re not going to put up a fight at all? That’s not the true Ebony I know; she would form a scheme to outwit me, she’d find a moment to trick me out of our deal and she absolutely wouldn’t be beaten by a game. She’s stronger than that.”

I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t believe he was complimenting me and yet he was hoping I would die at my own hand. His mind is so twisted. It’s too bad I didn’t realise he was a psycho earlier than this. It could have saved a lot of hassle.

“Who said I was going to lose? Your death is just as likely as mine. There’s an equal chance of survival.”

He had no reply for that. Perhaps he was scared of death? He always did try to put on a brave face in deadly situations. She didn’t have a care in the world about the prospect of death. When faced with a bungee rope and cliff he very almost chickened out, whilst she took the leap with ease. He was a wimp who used a façade of bravado. Then again, maybe he had a plan. Maybe he knew he was going to win. I pushed those thoughts away too. No fear and no ‘what ifs’.