D!fferent L!fe

21

"So how do you play?"

"It's quite simple really." A sly grin creeped on Pucks face. He walked into the back room gesturing me to follow. I hesitated but stepped after him. The room we entered was obviously the back storage room of the shop. Boxes were stacked on shelves along the walls. A large garbage in the corner was filled with packing peanuts and bubble wrap. On the other side of the room there was a make shift bed. And a small pile of clothes.

"Stop looking around and sit." Puck had pulled out a small foldable table and two fold out chairs. He sat in one and pulled out a deck of cards. Walking over cautiously I sat down. "The game is simple once you know how to play. We each start with two cards. These two are face up and we can both see what they are. Then, we take turns drawing until you get as close to 21 as you can. If we both pass on cards we reveal and whoever's closer wins. If you go over. 21 you automatically lose. Clear?"

"Enough."

"We'll play a practice round." He dealt out two cards before putting the cards between us to my right. He flipped his so they were visible. A 3 and an 8. Flipping mine revealed a 7 and a 9. "I'll go first." He takes a card and looks at it putting it face down. My hand, slightly shaking, took one as well, 2. That puts me at 18. Three away from 21. Puck takes another. I pass.

"Well, I got 23. That means I lose. Unless you went over as well?" I flip my hidden card up.

"Nope 18."

"So you won."

"What do I get for winning?"

"A single question. It'll be a basic question unless... we put stakes in losing?" His smile grew.

"Okay? What stakes?"

"Oh come on don't make me think of everything!" He whined and pouted a bit.

"Well you seem to be the expert on this kinda stuff." I was repulsed by the idea but I want to know more about what's going on.

"How about this.  Every time you win I'll answers any question I'm allowed to. If I win how ever you get a punishment. Last time all you had to do was steal a little vial and someone got a little hurt... this time may not be so easy." His eyes went dark and a grin creeped on his face unsettling me.

"Any question?"

"Yes, with in my limits."

I thought for a moment. This punishment won't be easy... not just for me but for other people...

"Three rounds... that's all I'll play."

"Perfect" he took all the cards and shuffled them back in the deck. "Oh also. I took out the royals. They have no purpose in the simplified version we are playing." I nodded. he dealt out two more face up cards and I looked at them. 9 and 5. His where 7 and 5. He let me go first this time. I drew a card.

2, I was at 16.

He drew. I drew.

I got another 5, I was at 21. I lucked out.

He passes. I pass.

"I've got 20." He flips his cards revealing a total of 20. I breathed a sigh of relief as I flipped my 21. He looked impressed. "Fire away."

"What does E have to do with any of this?" I leaned back in the chair trying to act calm. Internally I was dying.

"She is the adoptive daughter of Archimedes Fate. Recently she was forced into hiding, her files were burned, her face was hidden, her memories erased. Few people know her identity. Myself, Ark himself, and Sighn being a visionary maiden. She is currently a pawn in this large game playing under control of someone else, maybe one day our little pawn will become a queen... Currently she is our way to eliminate outside influence. But she will return to her 'normal' life once that is taken care of. As long as the game is being played she will be a background character. You shouldn't be to concerned with her."

"Who is the outside influence?" My mind was racing with the new information but he wiggled his finger.

"Only one question." He shuffeled the cards again and in silence dealt them. The round ended and I had only 18 on my side. A lot of small cards had been used and I didn't want to risk it. He flipped his to reveal 19. My heart dropped and he smirked.

"Oh how fun." He picked up all the cards and started shuffling again silently.

"What about the punishment?" I didn't want it to happen but he seemed to ignore it.

"Oh you don't get punished. The people around you will. You don't give two shits about pain but the pain of others crawls under your skin. The best punishment I can give is hurting someone while you know it's your fault." I couldn't reply to that. The statement was so true I couldn't even fire something back. I was shocked. "Anyway." He placed two cards in front of me and then himself. "Last round."

We both drew three cards. We passed the same round and we revealed at the same time. We both had 19.

"Now what?"

"Well ether nothing happens or both outcomes happen. Chose wisely." He locked his fingers together and rested his head on them. I heard him hum a little tune that caught my attention. Very quietly while waiting for me to chose he hummed a slower version of 'You are My Sunshine.' My mind struggled to find a connection with the song. It was on the tip of my tongue...I brushed it off and made my choice.

"Who is writing the letters and why is this game even happening?" I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I can only reveal so much about the first half of that question. He has many links in this town, you simply need to find them, you have all the information and resources it requires to find his name. As for why this game is being played? That's because he's coming back... and he wants it to be with a bang. This game is meant to weaken the structures between people and make them tired. It's hard to fight when your completely broken to just your foundation. Some people's foundations are broken... taking out the walls permanently removes them from the game." I stood up and looked away. Anger incased my mind in a shell of steel.

"I'm done with your games. I'm leaving." I could feel the air get heavy. My mind was a mess but I could barely hear a voice in my head.

"Are you sure leaving now is a good idea?"

At first I though Puck had spoken but when I turned to look at him he was putting the cards away smirking smugly. He looked up.

"What?" He raises an eyebrow.

"He has answers to more questions you have... play again."

"Did you say something?" I turned completely towards him.

"Not a thing."  He stood putting the chairs away against the wall. I turned away and walked out of the back room.

"Play again!"

"You know you want to!"

"Who cares if someone gets hurt."

I forced my head to shut out what ever was happening. Throughly fucked mentally I left the shop and sighed hard. My head was is a moderate amount of pain that felt like echoing in my skull. Instead of stressing out and being a nervous wreck I went numb. My headache resonated with the rest of my body causing me to feel like I was internally being stabbed with spikes from the inside out. At least my head is empty. I made it back to the building with no interruptions. Dread swallowed me as I realized I endangered many people who I will have to see in a matter of minuets but I pressed on.

The closer I got the more guilt echoed in my head. Was I stupid to play his game? How did I even get in this position in the first place. My will power seems so twisted and misguided that I don't think I'm in control any more.

I don't think I ever was.