When Twin Flames Unite

Go Big or Go Home

The interior of the gambling den was bigger than it seemed from the outside. Round and shapeless, it went on forever. The maze of tables marked a path that led to nowhere. People wandered aimlessly through them, and when the bell of a winner rang, they briefly perked up. But the bells and whistles jostled Shen's brain. For it shocked his ears like nails on a chalkboard.

Dealers at tables gestured for him to join, and gamblers eyed his pockets greedily. Even the gaudy sort tried to tempt him with competition.

"You are a liar." Lennox said. His eyes were becoming glazed over. Shen threw an arm over his shoulder to keep him from wandering to a table.

"First rule of gambling: know how to bluff."

"Or be full of shit."

Lennox was angered at the loss of his pride. A server walked by carrying a tray of drinks, eager to mask his irritation he grabbed one. It was sweet and crisp. He felt sharp, heighted, eager to catch everything. His attention immediately taken by a woman shaking a dice with every fiber of her body.

Shen shook the bait, and offered it to him. If he were to work quickly, he could not spend the night keeping Lennox from danger.

"You must know how to see through illusions."

"You don't say."

Shen grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Do you want to be like these poor fools?"

On cue, a man threw himself across the tables. The cards falling a shrew. His fervent begging as his full bag of coins was deflated.

"Or will you be smart enough to get this?" Shen held up the coin again.

He would not let Shen trick him again, but his pride was in reach.

"Fine, show me how."

Shen placed two fingers on the center of Lennox's brow. Like brain freeze, a cold spike rushed through. It spread across his hazel eyes, through his eyelids, and settled in the center of his brow. Lennox closed his eyes in pain. It was as if that spot was caving in and splitting into two. When the hole finally split open, he looked at the den with new eyes.

A black mist had settled over the place. It hung down from the rafters. Peeked around the corners. Settled into every nook and cranny. It was as if time did not exist here. Not a single window to show day changing into night. Just the harsh glow of an artificial light. Patrons rocked in time to the flickering. As if it had a hypnotic draw. But Lennox felt no euphoria and sought reprieve.

A bitter taste filled his mouth, and he threw his drink to the wayside. Its inky contents spilling on the floor.

"You are human and this won't last long. Your mind could spontaneously collapse."

Lennox was so startled that he slipped.

"What? I was supposed to be smart, not mad!"

"The line between genius and madness is thin."

Lennox grabbed Shen by his collar.

"What are you?"

"A figment of someone's imagination."

Lennox said nothing, just stared in bewilderment.

"Don't worry about. It's just a joke the author is making. You should be worried because there is an indiscriminate time before you hallucinate, presumably by the end of this chapter. So, we must work fast."

Lennox's face faltered and a pit opened in his stomach. He was unnerved by Shen's presence, and even more so by what he had done to him. But he could no longer separate fiction from reality. An uncanny feeling told him everything Shen was saying was true, but his mind would not let him embrace it fully. But he could believe his mind would collapse, so he would do what the author or what Shen said.

"Alright, what are we doing?"

"Following that." Shen pointed to the cigar smoke that making a trail down the hall.

***

The smoke trail ended at another door. It was normal, unremarkable, ordinary.

"Is there some trick to this one?" Lennox was eager to know.

"Yes," Shen said.

He looked at Shen expectantly, as if he was waiting for another revelation.

Shen turned the knob.

Lennox followed behind him, his lips pressed in a grim line.

The room was just big enough to accommodate the two of them. In front of them sat a large golden statue. Seated in a lotus position, its body was solid gold. A stack of rings adorned each finger. Its hair threads of silk. It opened its eyes to reveal rubies. White smoke flowed out its mouth as it spoke. Its voice as if it was gasping for air.

"How do you wish to pay?" It asked.

Lennox became excited.

"Talking gold! Who knew such wonders existed?" Lennox walked up close to it, inspecting every crevice.

"There's more wonderous things than that. You just gotta play." Shen said, and lingered behind.

"It seems you were telling the truth. Give your wisdom again." Enamoured by its gleam, Lennox rubbed a hand across its surface.

Shen replied, "I bet 10 years of his life. Heads." He flipped the coin quickly before Lennox had time to protest.

A spark of electricity formed around Lennox. Shimmering gold light, that was pulled from him into the statue. The hair of his head raised from the static. With a final shock the energy condensed into a single point. Forming a jade the size of an apple.

"How do you feel?" Shen searched for any signs of distress.

Lennox was fixated on the jewel.

"Like a fool, that's no gold."

Shen appreciated his foolishness.

"Perhaps you need to try again?"

"10 years, heads."

He snatched the coin from Shen and flipped it.

This time a ruby.

"10 years, heads."

This time, a diamond.

Lennox banged on it in anger.

"Insanity, is doing the same thing over again expecting a different result." Shen chimed in.

"You're right. 12 years, heads."

An onyx flecked with gold.

"Go big or go home." Shen said.

"3-"

"Careful, the life expectancy of a human is 78 years."

"25 years. I'll have one year left to enjoy my gold."

A full piece of gold the size of an apple.

In a blink of an eye, the body of the statue faded, the room disappeared, and they were back at the entrance of the den. Shen took off running in the direction of the forest.

Lennox was overjoyed. So excited, that he wanted to run home. But when he lifted his feet, his bones ached, joints scrapped together, and his skin sagged. Frozen by shock, Shen had to guide him to walk into the forest.

"Is this the end of the chapter?" his voice came out thin and hoarse.

"Unfortunately, yes. We were having such a good time."

"I'm feeling very used right now,"

"You are, as a plot device," Shen replied.

Lennox did not respond. His mind had caved in on itself. Horribly existential, he wondered if he had another role in the story.