The Game

Chapter 6

I watched at the life drained from her eyes. Once again I was alone. I had lost someone close to me again. There was no words to be said. I know who has done the deed. I stood and left the room, closing the oak doors behind me. I quickly raced to the library to find my gift, in hopes he might lighten my mood.

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I entered the library but he was not there. I looked through the rows of books and found what I was looking for: The Raven

It is my favorite poem, and was lying on the floor next to a pool of crimson liquid. I quickly picked it up and placed it back on the shelf. Once again though I felt those eyes that vexed me. I still could not place them. I decided to move along. There is no reason I should not be able to clean myself up. I head for my room to clean myself up as the sun began to set.

After quickly freshening up I sat my towels down on my bed only to see a note from my dear brother. It read:

"Maria have fun playing The Game.

~your dear brother."

I heard my door open as I sat the note back on my bed. I spun around and saw that tonight I wasn't alone. Tonight I had gain excruciating pain but also joy. There behind me stood a David, who looked quite well considering the state he must have been in earlier today. I could see pure hatred in his eyes, although he looked quite shaken up and I wouldn't blame him. By the looks of him, I would guess that Ave put up quite the fight in order to survive. His body was still slowly oozing the crimson liquid. A smile began to spread across my face and his own. Unlike his mine slowly fade as I saw something shimmering in the moonlight. He had something behind his back, which shone in the moonlight.

"You know it's not fun if you play dirty" I said but he stood silent.

It felt like an eternity as we both stood there, still and silent but suddenly David took a step back, and then lunged at me with a long and slender French knife in an attempt to finish me off. With catlike reflexes, I jumped out of the way as the knife barely missed me. A reappearing Cheshire Cat-like smile became plastered on my face as I ran away in anticipation of The Game as I heard heavy footsteps of another in pursuit.

He continued to chase me around the manor. I ran into The Room with David right behind me. The doors slammed shut behind us. They were locked and would stay that way until one of us had won. David started to catch his breath and I took this chance to wave at my dear brother, who was sitting up in the balcony overlooking the inside of this room. Edgar must have heard us start and came to watch. Then it hit me, those eyes the one of jealousy and greed, they belonged to father. It was father that had sat upon the balcony and looked the same way Edgar did that night and it was his presence I felt. The greed though was different in Edgar than father. Edgars was of to have only me while father was of mother.

David ran screaming at me with his long, slender knife, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I dodged. A laugh erupted from me as once again he missed. How I loved The Game. The thrill it gives me. Again, David tried to stab me. Over and over he attempted to stab me, but I just kept dodging, just beyond his reach. My mind wondered if dear brother was enjoying The Game. I turned around to see him with a small smile, but that smile slowly faded away as the pain in my back grew. He had finally got me, as I watched the pointed end of the knife poke through my chest. As quickly as it had appeared, the knife was gone from its place in my chest.

There was a bang of a gun. David fell to the ground still clutching the knife. It all felt so unreal. I prodded with my finger where the knife had been. Poking a finger at the spewing crimson liquid surging out of me, I crumpled towards the ground only to be caught by my dear brother. He must have jumped from the balcony after he shot the man. My dear brother held me in his arms. For the first time ever my dear brother sobbed.

"Don't leave me! You're not finished! The Game isn't over!" he yelled at me. I slowly seized the knife and then plunged it into his chest.

"Who said I was done, dear brother?" I whispered with a smile on my face.

He smiled back and we both fell into the deep sleep that is death.

Looking out the window one last time I caught a glimpse of the Lilac tree,which perhaps our tree was doomed to wilt from the start.

Some say dying is sad, but for some strange reason, we were happy; perhaps, because we had finally ended this nightmare called The Game.

~Fin~