Playing Death |ONC 2021 Longlister

Chapter 04

"Where is he?" Layla swept her gaze across his room. "Maybe he's lounging in his sex room, lemme go have a look."

Her eyes had pure pleasure in them as I raised an eyebrow laughing. "I'm sure he has better stuff to do. Besides, why are you so interested in him?"

"I just want all of them to fall at my knees you know? Worship this," she gestured towards her body. "Maybe I'm wearing too much."

"Which part of a bikini during winter involves too much?" I gazed at her, chuckling. Layla threw all the men and women off her once they succumbed to her desires. The chase seemed to catch her interest much more along with breaking their tiny hearts as she liked to call it.

Humans have such fickle hearts. I could literally break every one of them. The sound of veins shattering and it contracting in pain is just...what's more satisfying than that?" she cackled like a madwoman, while applying her black lipstick.

"Plucking someone's souls," I retorted back.

"Don't you shove your skills in my face, mister. I like to think I'll watch and learn someday," she said flicking my forehead.

"Sure. It's only been six hundred and sixty six years since you started watching. Besides if you don't get it on your lucky number I doubt you will, sweetie," I smiled wide.

"Didn't I tell you he was in his sex room?" Layla said, as she heard moans.

"I don't think..." I tried stopping her from barging in, as her arm narrowly slipped my grasp.

"Wow, I never pegged you as the..." she commented as her gaze swept the room and took everything in. 

The boy glanced at us, then sighed, rubbing his temples, chewing on his lips. Two other people stood in the room, heavily making out as he cleared his throat. "If you two aren't gonna help me pack, I'm gonna kick you both out."

They laughed, one of them waving their hands and the other one, chuckling as they ruffled his hair.

"Sorry," said the green haired one, whose hair was pointing in every direction yet managed to look quite charming. "Well Sophie and I have nothing to do, and that's why we are here. But do you really have to go?"

Layla elbowed me. "He was pretty much gazing at them in lust, I'm sure," she whispered fiercely. "Hey, at least I'm not the only weird one here, someone even likes to watch other people go at it."

"You're just happy to have some company in your...business," I commented. So, the boy was going. That meant I had to accompany him at most. I was pretty sure the couple couldn't see us. The boy kept flicking his gaze back and forth between the couple's conversation and our hushed conversation as we stared at him.

I wonder where he was off to?"

"The management could let you spend more time with us you know," the boy with bright blue hair commented. His eyes matched his hair, and held a lazy look that shone each time he teased the boy.

"I don't think so, Logan" the boy said, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he plopped himself on the couch, closing his eyes. "I tried telling them I would be fine, but apparently they want me to go home."

"That's a lie. What's in it for them?" Sophie huffed. "We all know they just want the money. And look at you...you look..."

The boy slapped his hand over Sophie's mouth. "I don't wanna talk about that. And yes, they just called me and want me to collaborate with James."

"James? As in The James Parker? The hottest singer of all time?" gushed Logan. "Oh my god, I'm so happy for you. Sophie, let's go with him!"

"Shut up you nitwit," they smacked his arm. "We aren't going anywhere there, because our visas won't be ready. Besides, you could have told us sooner about this you know, Vance."

They looked at him wistfully momentarily before shifting it to nonchalance. "Well at least we don't have to make you pancakes just like you like them anymore."

They giggled with mirth. Logan's and Sophie's playful banter betrayed their emotions as I saw various flavours pass by in front of me. Both of their souls matched a light blue flickering to grey. The boy clenched his fists and unclenched them, gritting his teeth.

He watched them. "Hey, can you give me a moment?"

They looked at each other and then hugged him in turns. "We'll be at the café opposite, alright?"

He nodded, as his breath caught in his throat. As they went out, he breathed out, slowly, shaking slightly.

"James Parker is...that guy too, you all," he muttered softly to himself. I was pretty sure he didn't realise yet we were here, or was too wrapped up in his own world to make sense.

"Well, finally!" Layla screamed, startling the both of us. I wanted to stop Layla, to tell her to give it a rest; he was shaking slightly, quite imperceptibly. And then I saw it.

His soul, flickering through a myriad of salty seawater, bright raging forest fires that tore anything that came in their way, purple thunderstorms that unleashed fury on anyone who dared defy, and, I couldn't be sure I saw it, but it seemed for just a beat, even sunflowers passed through them.

"What do you want?" he looked away. "I have no intentions of being...matched with you. I did it out of pure curiosity. Leave me alone."

"Well, it's not like I wanted this either, it was quite an accident," I replied monotonous. I saw him flinch and felt something odd pass through me before it swept away, leaving me with a sense of something that I missed but couldn't quite place.

Layla frowned. "Well, I think I'll give up pursuing him for now..." she trailed off.

"Are you going to be following me everywhere?" he noted bitterly.

"Well, I have orders to do so, because I saved you instead of taking your soul, like I should."

"And? Should I get on..." he looked away as my gaze burned into his. "Look, I'm thankful for that, but I feel so stressed right now."

"Who's James?" Layla blurted out.

"Why should I tell you any of that?" he muttered. "This is my life and you can tag along or whatever but I would like some privacy."

I got close to him, and laid my arm around his shoulder. "You see, we would love to strike you a fancy deal. It seems you hate this man, and I would know right, because I'm Death. So, how about we help you and you help us, in return for me saving you?" 

I whispered the deal, and then observed his face. It held a blank look, as he scraped his shoe on the mat, thinking. It might just work. Humans were fickle creatures; if something with enough worth was presented to them, they would fall. I could make him fall. 

I looked at my black nails, which had dulled considerably, an effect of scraping them off with my other fingers. They weren't dark enough, I noted. "So is it a deal?"

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Annnnndd, new chapter! Hope you love it! We are so close to 8k, but I'm pretty slow, the deadline is soon eeek! I'm working on it!

Vote and comment your thoughts lovelies!