Play With Me

Go Back a Space

   The footsteps get quieter as the men exit the alleyway and head back to the scene. I crack the lid open just enough to look around and make sure no one is present. Once I see that it's safe, I haul myself over the top of the dumpster and drop to the cold floor of this alley. I take a few deep breaths and start to walk out of the alley.

   I need to go somewhere quiet to get my thoughts straight. I cannot think straight with all of this damn music playing and all of the happy people going on about their lives.

   I search my surroundings, and I notice a covenent store open right next to me. Dipping my head down, I hurry inside and head straight towards the front counter. There is a short Caucasian woman standing with a false smile on her face. Short blonde hair, and annoyingly bright blue eyes. Her smile is big, but it fades quickly as I lean on the counter.

   "How... may I... help you...?" she asks cautiously, leaning back as I lean forward. I look around and I keep my head down.

   "You guys got an um... bathroom or something?" I ask in a raspy voice. She nods a couple times and points over to the corner of the store, over by the fridges.

   "R-right over there," she says. As soon as I lean away and turn to the back, I can see the woman yank her arm back and quickly move back, still watching me as I head in the direction she pointed.

   Once I get close to the fridge, I see a small signbhanging from the ceiling that reads BATHROOM. I turn in the direction of the arrow and I see three doors.

   One door has a man on it. One has a woman. The last one has a man in a wheelchair on it.

   I'll do that one to save me the trouble, I think to myself as I shove the last door open. I step inside and I close and lock the door.

   There is a big mirror above the sink. I look in it and stare at my reflection. I just see a dark face with pitch black eyes and black lips to match. My face is a pale gray color. My skin is a pale gray color. My nails are black like my eyes.

   So this is what the man was asking about? I thought he was mocking me. I just killed him for no reason.

   Wait, am I feeling... guilty?! Guilt is never a feeling I never had after killing a person. I have never felt like this about killing anyone before. Why am I feeling like this now?

   "Because you're human now," a voice sighs. I see another person appear in my reflection.

   "Enoch," I hiss at the reflection. He chuckles and crosses his arms.

   "How's it been?" Enoch asks facetiously.

   "Shitty," I spit. I turn from the mirror and look him in the eyes. He smirks.

   "Good," he remarks in a short breath. "I'm happy to hear that."

   "Why are you here?"

   "I'm just checking on you to make sure you're suffering. That's all."

   "I'm not suffering entirely," I joke coldly. Enoch's smile fades as he unfolds his arms and quirks an eyebrow at me.

   "What do you mean?"

   "Oh, now look who's asking the questions!" I tease with a chuckle.

   "Answer my question!" Enoch demands.

   "I'm still killing people," I whisper to him in a giddy tone. His eyes narrow at me.

   "That's not possible. You're not Death anymore."

   "True. But I am human..."

   "What's your point?"

   "Humans kill each other more than I killed them myself. Since I'm human now, I'm just another potential homicidal maniac."

   "But you're not strong enough for that!" Enoch protests. I scoff.

   "I beg to differ. Just watch." I mock.

   "What do you mean?" He asks. I look at the bathroom door and grin as I hear footsteps approaching.

   Knock, knock, knock.
   Enoch freezes as someone knocks on the bathroom door. I grin at Enoch's look of utter confusion on his face.

   Jessica Bush, seventeen years old. She is supposed to die by a heart attack in thirty-two years, nine months, and seven days from today. But that's about to change.

   "You alright in there?" the woman that was at the counter asks. I step up to the door and smile at Enoch as he steps to the side.

   "Watch," I whisper to him as I grab the handle of the door and drag it open.

   Before the woman has a chance to say anything, I reach out and grab a handful of her short blonde hair, covering her mouth with my free arm. She flings her arms and legs around and claws at my hand that's over her mouth. I pull her into the bathroom and shut the bathroom door and lock it.

   Enoch staggers back as I move the hand that's on her mouth to her head. And with one swift motion, I force the woman's head forward and bash her face into the big mirror. She screams as the glass shatters and stabs her in her eyes and mouth and cheeks. I throw her face into the mirror at last seven times before I stop and look at Enoch.

   He is staring at me with wide eyes and a slightly gaped mouth. His eyes are fixed on mine, and I stare right back at him.

   Without looking away, I pull the bloody woman up by her hair and hold her so that she's facing away from me. I put one arm across her chest, and I clasp my other hand over her small chin. She's spitting blood, and the sticky red substance is coating my gray fingers. Her pleas for mercy and for me to stop mean nothing to me as I continue to keep eye contact with Enoch.

   He messed with the wrong person. He made the mistake of fucking with me in my own game. That was where his plan became foolproof. As I have told him so many times in the past as I had searched for him: "Death does not like being cheated."

   And I meant it when I told him that. Now he will witness my wrath.

   My anger.

   My hate.

   I jerk the hand that's over her chin backwards toward me, and I embrace the cracking of her neck with a smile as she goes limp. As I let go of her body, she drops to the ground and his the floor with a heavy thud.

   And during this whole event, I never broke eye contact with Enoch.

   "Now, you're going to be the one to suffer, Enoch," I growl at him as I step over the corpse and towards him.

   "How...?"

   "You may have taken my powers, but you will never take my purpose. My purpose is to kill. And that's what I plan to do, whether I have my powers or not."

    Enoch says nothing. He just stares at me with wide eyes and a look of terror mixed with disbelief. And then, he just disappears. I turn and quickly run out of the store and back to the alleyway.

    Crouching behind a stack of cardboard boxes, I smirk to myself as I catch my breath.

   Me and Enoch are somewhat tied in my game right now. But not for long. Because I now have the upper hand. He was not prepared for me to make a move like this. I'm going to take advantage of his setback and fire back with as much power as possible.

   Because I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make sure my winning streak instills.

   I am back in the game.

   And I already know my next move that's going to finally win against him.