me and the devil - kai parker

15

Against popular belief, dying and coming back to life was not as easy and painless as it might seem. Madelene whined as the bones in her spine cracked. She moved her head in a circular motion with a groan as the pain made her neck stiff. Her palm massaged the soaring spot as she walked along the aisles of a convenience store.

It was a big store packed with various items to the brim, starting from the entrance with a fridge display of sandwiches, Madelene immediately jumped behind the counter and ate three of them. Another thing no one tells you about coming back to life is the immense hunger, it feels like your stomach will jump out of your body and start eating on its own. After drowning the food down with a can of coke, she moved on to the further part of the shop which was Los Angeles memorabilia for tourists.

The girl scanned through the racks of clothing in search of something remotely normal but ended up having to settle on a big white men's t-shirt with "I <3 LA" printed on the front and a pair of jean shorts reaching just above her knee. She ditched the heavy shoes on her feet and grabbed a pair of the most plain, white sneakers and a black cap with the same print as the shirt. Madelene could not help but chuckle at the ridiculous outfit as she moved towards the back. Just as she hoped, bathrooms were at the very back.

She slowly walked in and closed the door, checking twice if the lock worked before taking off her blood-stained clothes. The fabric of her shirt was sticking to her bare stomach and it made her cringe.

She looked at her naked body in the mirror and suppressed the tears that were coming up. She did not recognize the person staring back at her. Her once long, shiny raven hair was tangled in knots and dull, blood was smeared all over her face and neck, and the dark circles under her eyes made her look like a horror movie character.

Madelene quickly shook her head and started washing off the blood in the small skink with the help of a half-empty bottle of hand sanitizer. Even though her wounds were healed, her body ached, and every touch hurt. The ancestors wanted her to be healed, but they also wanted the suffering to stay.

The clothes looked ridiculous, she looked like somebody's dad, but that wasn't important.

She picked her jacket off the floor and swung it over her shoulders. She was done here. Walking out of the bathroom and through the snack aisle, the girl picked out a bag of cookies and stuffed them into the jacket pocket, when she felt something unfamiliar in her pocket, a thin cardboard square. With a raised eyebrow Madelene took it out of her pocket as she stopped walking. Her heart sank as she saw the carefully folded postcard.

Greetings from Los Angeles, California

Read the front, adorned with palm trees and a picture of the HOLLYWOOD sign on the hill overlooking the city.

If you are reading this, surprise! You're alive, well duh, did you really think I would have killed you if I didn't now we can't die here? well, I didn't know for sure but I assumed it's the same case for both of us, I really am hoping it worked... If not, well RIP Maddie Bear, we had a blast and you had amazing boobs.

I'm assuming you're very mad right now, I love that. Get the anger out. Come find me, prove to me how different we are. I'm headed to Sin City.

XOXO Always Yours, Kai

Madelene's hands shook slightly as she read the note. A mix of emotions washed over her: confusion, anger, and a hint of nostalgia tugging at her heart. She clenched the postcard, crumpling it slightly, her mind racing with questions and the urge to confront Kai. He knew