The Pianist

Chapter Ten - It's In The Eyes

I stormed out of the bathroom and headed towards the exit of the building. I couldn't put up with this shit, I just wanted to be left alone. Why wouldn't anyone listen? They're better off not trying to be my friend. Now Phil was going to start pestering me about my fucking blood and my note-sending with :) was officially over.

I took a familiar path home and found exactly what I'd needed along the way. Chris and PJ's alleyway. Tucked behind the back door to a crappy old take out store, was the games alley. Milk crates for chairs, an old barrel for a table, and a cardboard box hidden behind the dumpster full of second hand games and cards, plastic wrapped for protection. Fortunately, Chris and PJ were in the alley.

"Hey Dan!" PJ greeted me.

We didn't hang out persay, but I knew they'd always be here if I needed them. I still hadn't spoken to them since the sleepover.

"Hey..." I'd already ruined by 9-year no-talking streak with Phillipe fucking Lester, so I might as well speak to Chris and Peej. I could see them spark up at the sound of my voice, but neither of them actively acknowledged it.

We chatted for a while just to catch up. It'd been about a year since I last saw either of them. I asked them about the rest of the gang. Jeffrey and Markiplier had drifted away into other friend groups even though they went to the same high school as Chris and Peej. I'd expected as much. It's easy to go along with anyone when you're kids, but as teenagers your interests really divide you. I'm still not really sure what's happened to Euanio.

"Euanio? Oh! Yeah, he gets everyone to call him 'Vanilla Ice' now. Last time I checked, he was really interested in vampires. You remember Diggy? His dog? Well rumour has it, he abandoned his Stand in favour of beating Diggy to death with his bare hands and feet while blaming the dog for everything. Crazy stuff, man" PJ said.

"Oh! Peej got some new dice, Dan!" Chris announced. On queue, PJ revealed a little bag, tied shut with string. He opened it to expose a set of lustrous dice inside.

"Got 'em from a weird little shop I found when I visited my grandparents last week" PJ said while pouring the dice onto the table. "But we probably shouldn't use them, the shop owner said that if you get snake eyes, you get cursed."

I scoffed. "As if I could ever roll a double with my bad luck." I sat down and grabbed two of the dice to prove my point. The dice stopped rolling and landed on two 1's.

I felt my soul contract, my eyes rolling back into my head. I was weightless and saw nothing but black smoke. The smoke cleared but I was in a vacant blank void. I tried to move but my ankles were flaccid. Chris and PJ were gone, but a man appeared before me. It was the Devil. A shiver rolled down my spine and I watched as the ground got further and further away- I was beginning to float. I tried to move my legs but I was frozen solid, like in a state of sleep paralysis, only standing. I rose uncontrollably.

Thwip!

The strings keeping me above the ground were cut and I crash landed back into reality. I could sense Chris and PJ's presences beside me. My vision blurred like TV static- I felt like I was about to throw up.

"Dan!" I heard someone call my name. A warm touch against my arm brought me back to my sanity. The static cleared and I saw Chris beside me. I looked to him for reassurance but he jolted as if he'd been electrocuted. Chris fell to the ground, limp on the asphalt by the dumpster. I didn't have enough control of my body to do anything. I could only watch as PJ leaped from his seat and checked for Chris' pulse.