Between Life and Death

Lost and Found Part 2

"Hello, Life, how nice it is to finally meet you. Professionally, at least. When you're not kicking me through a bag."

Life, instead of returning the smile, narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked distrustingly.

The man chuckled. "Do you not recognize my voice from before, or my manly form you felt as I carried you?"

Life scowled, then thought for a moment, making the connection between the man's voice she had heard in her first room and this man's voice. "Okay, so you are the same person, but that still doesn't answer my question," Life pointed out.

"Right, where are my manners? Life, I am Karma, nice to finally make your acquaintance," he said. "I'd shake your hand, but you obviously can't return the gesture. And I'm a bit of a germaphobe, not that I'm implying your dirty or anything."

Life gripped the iron bars in front of her tighter. "Why am I here, inside a cage?"

Karma shrugged. "I expected you to be more resistant - I didn't think you would be so submissive. It was just a precaution - I promise you won't be in a cage next time we meet."

Life accepted his answer with a nod, then jumped to the next question, pounding at the edge of the many other questions in her head, begging to be set free all at once. "Now that I know about the cage, I'd like to know why I'm here."

Karma nodded. "Of course. If I were in your situation, I'd want to know why I was brought here in a bag as well. You're here to finally learn the truth."

"The truth?" Life echoed, tilting her head to the side in question.

Karma nodded again. "Yes, the truth. That man, Death, is more despicable than you think he is. He's been keeping things from you, and I'm here to tell you everything - to tell you everything Death has been lying and deceiving you about."

"Death is not a liar," Life said firmly, staring straight into the man's stormy eyes with confidence.

Karma smiled sadly and said, "I'm afraid, my dear, that he most certainly is. Every word that has come out of his mouth has been a lie, Life, and I'm about to give you proof."

"Well, let's see this proof of Death's lies you are so adamant that he has been spreading. What are you waiting for?" Life asked.

"You surely aren't sated with just knowing why you're here and in a cage? This story will take much time, and I'd like to answer all questions first before more arise," Karma explained.

"That's fair," Life admitted.

"Go ahead. Throw all of your questions at me, and I will answer them as truthfully as I can," Karma said.

"Okay, where are we?"

"We're currently in an underground base of mine not too far from the border. One of the better one of my many houses, I'd think. Much better than the... darker fortresses."

"Border with what?"

Karma looked slightly confused at Life's question, quirking his head to the side. "Luck's lands, of course," he said with a tone that implied that the information he had just stated was common knowledge, as if he was telling a grown woman how to speak correctly or how to count to ten.

"I didn't know other gods except for me and Death existed. Well besides Mercy, Truth, Vengeance, Justice, Fury, and Time," Life explained, and some of the confusion from Karma's eyes cleared.

"What else would you like to ask?" Karma prompted leaning back in his chair as he propped his chin on a fist.

"How long have I been here?"

"The answer to that is a little complicated because we've been moving you around quite a bit," Karma confessed, his eyes dancing as if a storm was trapped within.

"Let me rephrase. How long have I been away from my kingdom?"

"About three days, maybe a little less."

Three days? Life thought to herself, and she couldn't help but wonder how Death was reacting to her disappearance, if he even knew about it. With Truth in his court, he probably had all the answers he needed within the first day. As long as they were looking for her in the first place. She wished she could tell him that she was okay. "Is there any way I can contact Death? To tell him that I'm alive?"

Karma physically cringed at Death's name, retracting his head from his prepared fist. "Now why would you want to talk with that vile creature?" he said, but he seemed to realize what he had just said, how he sounded (and possibly saw the expression on Life's face), for he laughed and said, "Oh I'm sorry my dear, I am merely joking! What I mean to say is, no. I'm going to be explaining to you why he's a liar, and you won't want to talk with him after. You won't need to after you have learned the truth."

After a short pause, Karma asked, "Have you exhausted all of your questions?"

"For now," Life replied.

"May I begin with what I brought you here to find out?" Karma asked, and when he saw Life dip her chin, he cleared his throat. "This could be a lot to take in, Life. Maybe we should hold off on this, if you are not yet prepared."

Life shook her head and said, "No, I want to know what makes you think that Death is a liar. I want you to tell me everything."

"Are you sure, Life? After I tell you this, you will never look at him the same," Karma warned.

"I want to know," she said stubbornly, to which Karma sighed.

"Brace yourself, darling," he said, and after a slight pause to build suspense, he took a deep breath and said, "Death used his mind wipe on you."

Oh boy, things are getting heated up in here! So, what are your thoughts on Karma? Love him or hate him? Can he be trusted? What about Death? Did he actually wipe Life's mind?