The Game of Life

Chapter 6

"I'm sorry. I just assumed this place to look," Nate hesitated, "different."

Tony placed both palms onto the counter. His black clothing contrasted the fresh white counter. His body seemed to convulse under the strain of his next words. "How may I help you..Nate."

Nate felt his heart rate meet an uncomfortable level and just stood there. Tony dropped lower by placing his elbows onto the counter. He looked intensely at Nate. His green eyes sparkled like a clean emerald. His words soothing and eerie all at once. Nate felt enveloped by Tony's aura. Something about him, although creepy, was relaxing. Nate felt more comfortable and his muscles relaxed. Tony's smile went from startling to gentle. His features no longer tall and hollow as a skeleton but now with a vivacious life that seemed to seep through the air around him.

"So," Tony spoke again and Nate moved ever so slightly towards him, "Your TV isn't working is it?"

Nate had forgotten all about the TV. How could he have forgotten about Ariel. He snapped out of whatever funk he was being led into. Nate looked straight back into his green eyes.

"I," Nate's voice lowered.

"Yes?" replied Tony with his grin.

Nate blurted out, "I need someone to fix the TV in our place." He had said it with such force and had practically screamed at Tony. He instantly regretted it. Tony's grin no longer greeted Nate, but a sour scowl now occupied his face. It seemed as if something within the man had snapped. All sanity had left his body. He twisted and shook. Tony ran into the back office and slammed the door. Nate could only hear the crashing and breaking of what seemed to be everything that could have been in that room. A wretched screaming of a thousand demons occupied Nate's ears. The noises whirling around inside his head. Nate had dropped to the ground in a fetal position. His hands covered his ears. He only wished to run but his body was petrified.

Then all fell silent.

"Um sir?" It was not Tony's voice. Nate opened his eyes to be staring at a cockroach. He jumped up quickly and looked around bewildered. Nate looked towards the office and desk and Tony was gone. The place no longer smelled of lavender but of its original smell. The Stink now stood before him. He had a worried look on his face as he gazed upon the sight of an insane Nate.

"Are you okay?" The Stink's breath escaped towards Nate and brought him to reality. Nate's heart pounded fast. "Do I need to call 911?"

Nate was out of breath, "What..What happened?

The Stink looked worried but tried to explain what he had witnessed, "You came in here screaming and squirming. I didn't know what to do. You screamed about a TV and a guy named Tony. Then you get screaming 'Don't tell her. Don't tell her," over and over again.

Nate, feeling overwhelmed, fainted.

Ariel had been waiting for Nate for 2 hours. She had gotten the TV to work. The stupid thing wasn't plugged in right. She had been halfway through Aladdin before a knock came on the door. Ariel was happy that Nate had finally come back and they could watch their movies together, but when she opened the door, it wasn't Nate.

It was Damien.

"Hey girlie."

"Damien? What are you doing here?"

"Not a lot of time for questions. Where's Nate?"

"He just went to the office to try and get our TV working, but I already got it. What's this all about?" Ariel had begun to get worried about Nate. He hadn't been back for a while and it didn't take that long to get to the office.

"You might want to sit down."

Nate came to in a new place. He was on his back. The cold floor of whatever he was in chilled his spine. It was extremely dark wherever he was. Only a small ray of strange light came from a circle hole barred across with an x pattern. His headache was worse than ever. Nate decided to stand up and look through the hole. What he saw made his stomach jump. The world was pitch black. The only thing to be seen was a large flame. Nothing underneath the fire gave it strength but it seemed to blare indefinitely. It's light stretched out into the darkness but to no avail. The fire seemed to realize it's uselessness and searched around for anything to grab a hold of. A sound of footsteps had begun and could be heard walking around the fire in the darkness. The fire reacted and followed the noise. It leaned towards the sound in anticipation. The footsteps stopped and the fire leaped out of its position with great force, charging into the darkness. It burned a whole in the void and brought light to the noise. The tall being that created the noise was now engulfed in flames. A guttural scream emitted from the figure as the fire ate away at it. It had crouched down on hands and knees. Nate screamed at the fire as if to save the poor helpless creature but to no success.

A sharp whistle frightened Nate and the fire. It left the creature and flowed back to where it once stood. The fire waving normally as if nothing had happened.

"Tisk tisk. It's a shame you couldn't save it." Tony's words stabbed Nate. His heart became weak and his legs lost their strength. Nate held to the bars in the window to keep himself up.

The creature breathed heavy, "Nate. Help. Me." It was Ariel's voice. The burned creature was Ariel. Nate screamed and tears flew down his face. He banged on the wall of the window and threw himself up against it.

Nate yelled, "What have you done to her!"

"As of right now," Tony paused, "Nothing. But I must warn you, don't tell her about any of this or what you see will come to pass."

The wall with the window collapsed forward and the flame leaned towards Nate. It seemed to look back towards Tony as if asking for permission.

Tony nodded and the flame jumped towards Nate's body.