Making a Bet With Death

Lunch soon came to its inevitable conclusion, with Marcus and I continuing our silent confrontation. Not much was said between the two of us, as Marcus was still in disbelief while contemplating the events we just witnessed. He even asked me to pinch him to check if he was dreaming. I gave him a "light" tap on his stomach to make sure he wasn't.

Needless to say, Marcus doubled over in pain and curled up on the floor like a baby. It was a bit ruthless I know, but the pain perfectly assured him that what we had just experienced was in fact reality. The realization came as a shock.

The man himself started hyperventilating, so I gave him a glass of water to calm him down. It took a while but he finally calmed down in no small help to the beautiful waitress he was now shamelessly flirting with. Not my kind of thing, but hey whatever calms him down.

Marcus and I ordered some food and drinks but remained in relative silence until the food arrived. when it finally did, Marcus sent one last flirtatious glance at the waitress who shyly blushed before turning to his plate and digging in

I tried many times throughout our meal to convey to Marcus anything I could about the voices I was hearing. My efforts were to no avail, as anytime I tried to utter a form of explanation, I felt my entire body seize up and my muscles tighten.

After many repeated attempts to articulate my thoughts, an ethereal force seemed to take hold of my heart causing a chill to run through my body. Taking this feeling as a warning, I halted any further thoughts of mentioning the voice, while Marcus looked at me like I was crazy. And for all I know, maybe I was. 

Witnessing a beautiful woman get stabbed just moments after a voice described the events time and cause, does some damage to your psyche. Not to mention the fact that no one else could hear it but me.

Who else could have claimed to experience such a situation without being labeled as crazy? It wasn't like I could just chalk it up to hallucinations either especially after having witnessed a real-life murder. not even fifteen minutes ago.

But seriously, when the hell did that cloaked figure appear, was I so tunnel-visioned by the sight of the beautiful girl that I neglected my basic observation skills? I hope the police catch that man. An uncaught murderer on the loose who committed his crime in broad daylight, how scandalous. 

Just the thought of a situation left me in a flustered state. I felt myself panicking and could do nothing to calm myself down. Why did the man even kill her in the first place? Was it because she was staring at me? He did say something about a bastard. Will he come to kill me next?

Trying to distract myself from my thoughts before they entered a downward spiral, I analyzed the details of my current setting. I was observing the people around us. Nothing out of the ordinary happened at first, but as I began to focus on any one person in particular, a familiar, emotionless, and feminine voice echoed in my very soul, which only served to further my flustered emotional state.

(Six years left till death. Cause: Stroke)

(Forty days left till death. Cause: Heart attack)

(Five months left till death. Cause: Gunshot)

(Four years left till death...)

(Six months left till death...)

(Eighteen days left till death...)

...

I analyzed every person in my immediate surroundings before my eyes widened in surprise observing an elderly man in the corner of the diner. When I heard what the voice had to say, I nearly jumped out of my seat.

(Three minutes left till death. Cause: Asphyxiation)

"You ok Leo?" Marcus seemed to have noticed my surprise before he continued. "I've been trying to get your attention for the last minute. Why are you glaring at everyone surrounding us? You're looking at that grandpa over there like he ate your baby." 

I was unable to comment about the voice so I had to create some viable excuse. My eyes softened as I began my explanation. "Something seems off in our surroundings, don't you feel it too?" Marcus looked at me apprehensively before a coincidental event occurred putting our conversation to a halt.

In the corner where the old man sat, a thud was heard as he fell to the ground and began convulsing while gasping for air. Seeing this as the perfect escape, I rushed over to him hurriedly. 

Marcus followed as I began following the guidelines I had learned for such a situation. "Sir, are you choking?" I already knew that he was, but I had to maintain at least some facade of surprise. 

The old man nodded in response to my question so I lifted him and began performing the Heimlich maneuver. ten seconds go by with no luck, and this old man's clock is ticking. with one minute to spare, I finally succeed and the man spits out a chunk of steak, coughing excessively.

I handed a glass of water that was sitting on the table to the man who drank it down rapidly. while he was drinking it down to quench his thirst, I turned towards Marcus before I spoke. "Guess I was right about something being off earlier huh?" Marcus was surprised by my words before he recalled my earlier words and nodded. "I guess so, but how did you know?"

It was easy for me to bullshit my way through an explanation. Since I couldn't mention the voice, I made up a story about seeing panic in his eyes while he made a hoarse gasp. Marcus nodded after my explanation, and as if on cue the man set down the glass I had handed to him.

"Thank you, young man. You have saved my life today. How can I repay you?" The man offered me words of gratitude. His words brought a smile to my face. Something about the sincerity in his voice made me feel good. It was like dopamine was injected straight into my veins. A tingly sensation washed over my body as I answered the man's original question.

"There's no need for you to reward me, kind sir. I only did what I thought was right for the situation." The old man smiled at my response but soon spoke up in rebuttal. "But that will not due. I must reward you in some way. How about this lunch is on me today."

At the mention of free food, Marcus's face lit up, and I knew there was no escaping this old man's hospitality. I silently nodded and the man smiled kindly. It would be rude for me to continue to refuse the man's good intentions.

I must admit, It was nice to not have to pay for food once in a while, and as much as I denied it, I appreciated the rewards my kind gesture gave me. Maybe I'm a bad person for it, but hey, none of us are without our flaws

Besides, I learned a very important thing today. I'm able to save these people from their fated deaths. And if that's the case, that means I can stop his as well. Taking another look at Marcus, his countdown was read to me once more. 

(Seven days left till death. Cause: Train)

A blaze of conviction lit in my soul. I knew I could do it, I just had to figure out how to. If I win he'll live. If I lose he'll die. If I don't fight, I can't win. So I choose to fight against fate. I choose to fight against death. And unlike with that girl in the streets, I'll win.

...

In a realm plunged in total darkness, a woman wearing a black kimono sat in a traditional Japanese Seiza position. The woman had flowing black hair that accentuated her silver eyes. The sclera of her eyes was pitch black, while the pupil itself was shaped like a skull. The only reason you could see her eyes at all was because of the silver coloring of the limbal ring.

The kimono she was wearing had an intricate clockwork design embroidered on the hem. The embroidery came to life as the gears and cogs revolved in unison, while the actual clocks ticked accordingly. Anyone who observed the motion would enter a trance-like state.

In the woman's lap laid a scythe that mirrored her aura of death. bone-like handle with a blade like a crow's wing, polished to perfection. In the reflection of the lady on the scythe's blade, a faint smile could be seen adorning her lips. She was staring at the object floating between her hands

Between her hands floated an orb mimicking a fortune teller's pearl. The fog within took the shape of a diner's interior. The same diner where Leo and Marcus were currently talking with the old man they had just saved.

"Now this is interesting, isn't it? I admit I'm a little upset about losing out on a ripe soul, but this will be far more entertaining." She spoke to no one in particular, her eyes fixed on the boy's outline. "You want to bet against me little one. You're far too young for that. But I wonder, what are you willing to put on the line for this friend of yours?"

The image in the pearl was enlarged. This time only Leo was present inside of it. On the right side of his chest overlapping with his heart, a silver wisp of ethereal flame burned brightly, casting a shadow on a figure at the flame's center. 

The shadow was a perfect copy of Leo himself. The body was the same as the real Leo, the blood inside the body was pumped from a real heart, and a tiny portion of the whispy white flame coated the body's exterior. Leo was willing to bet his Heart, Body, and Soul

A smile etched itself on the transcendental beauty's face accentuating her features as she laughed hypnotically. "My, My, My, This is interesting indeed. Usually, I only get the souls of the dead. Maybe this time, I'll get much more. After all, this boy is running out of time."

The lady turned her eyes to Leo and a web of spiritual threads wove a tapestry around the scene. The threads converged in response to the goddess's words, and a tsunami formed from the threads of fate assaulted the man unbeknownst to him.

In the pearl, an all too familiar set of words formed above Leo's head, woven from the threads of fate itself. As the letters took proper form, the threads came to a calm, and the goddess of death spoke up one last time in a voice that gave no room for argument. If Leo had heard this voice, he would have recognized it instantly.

"(Two days till death. Cause: Car Crash)" 

"Let's see how you overcome this dear challenger. The stakes of this bet are higher than you could possibly imagine. With the odds stacked in my favor, your reward upon victory would leave even the greatest of gods dumbfounded. After all, not a single one of them has dared to bet their origin with me." 

A faint smile could be seen on the cold beauty's face as a faint blush colored her cheeks. It seems these next few days would have her full attention. The threads of fate formed a chain between the two binding them by their thoughts. A human bet against the gods, and the goddess of death at that. With each of the beings betting themselves as the prize, the consequences of this bet could be drastic.

When everything finally settled, Lady Death spoke a few more words before vanishing into the darkness known as the void.

"Game on challenger. Or perhaps, I should call you Leon"