Death's Game

A well dressed man sat behind the antique desk as he entered, “Mr. Ray please come in, take a seat.” He gestured to the seat in front of him, Paul sat cautiously. “Well Mr. Ray it seems your second chance didn’t go so well. You only have one left.” He looked confused, a sly smile crossed the man’s face. “I know, each time you’ve sat here you have had that look. The first time you had a certain arrogance about you as well.” The man spoke elegantly.

“Who are you?” he asked the man. “An unfortunate side effect of the game, Mr. Ray let me tell you where we are at. You stood here the first time and agreed to play my game for a chance at a heavenly reward.” A small flicker of his memories came back. “Your second try, a chance to live again.” a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. “You had a month the first time, a week the second, you’ll only have a day this time.” Paul felt physically ill. “To do what?” he meekly asked.

The man gave a sly smile, “Why, to find the most valuable thing of course.” Paul looked confused, some memories were there but they were muddled. “Mr. Ray, I do delight in these talks but time is a valuable thing, even to me. I understand your confusion, and I am not an unreasonable being, so let me share with you that the first time I sent you back you destroyed your father and took his company much to the horror of your mother. The heart attack shortly after was your fault not that you cared.” The memory returned. “You argued money and power were the ultimate thing. You were wrong.”

“Your second attempt was a week. So you decided to contact your ex wives, several of them actually, you tried to win their love once again. You didn’t realize several had become friends so they of course knew you were wooing several ladies at once in an attempt to win their love, again. The sight of them confronting you all at once was a thing of comedic beauty I admit.” The man laughed and again the memories forced their way in.

The man offered Paul a time to relive the moment. “Mr. Ray, those women outgrew you. They were no longer toys for you to play with. You argued love was the most valuable thing that time. It was closer than the first I admit, but alas no.” The man stood and walked to a parchment on a nearby shelf which he set on the desk in front of Paul. “As you can see here in our agreement you have one more chance.” Paul looked the document over, he remembered signing now, he remembered being arrogant when signing it thinking it would only take him a day to win.

Paul gulped and read the contract over and over, “Who are you?” Paul finally asked. The man handed Paul a heart shaped locket with numbers on it. “If you lose this you lose. It’s your anchor and your timer for your last chance. Your time begins now.” And with that the numbers began counting down.

“Who are you?” Paul asked, trying to be forceful. The man stood and smiled as a dark mist engulfed him “I’m Death Paul, now get a move on you don’t have much time left.” Paul then felt dizzy and the room spun around for a moment and Paul found himself on a familiar street near his home.

He looked, realizing he still held the locket. He took a good look at it, it was old, almost looking like an antique but the numbers were unnatural looking, he felt his heart beating and realized the locket was in rhythm with his heart. He recoiled in horror at the realization. He realized this was all too real as a dark and sinister laugh echoed in his head.

Paul began running back to his house, determined to find the answer and beat death. He raced to his computer and began searching the web, seeking answers, begging for help. His son David stopped by. “Going out.” he said almost distantly, Paul waved him on. He heard the boy sigh. He had to find the answer he had no time for anything else.

Paul began getting desperate. Only one person, a shaman, agreed to meet him. He was at the house in less than an hour. Paul was a wreck, he explained the situation and showed him the locket desperately hoping the man could help. “No my friend, this locket I can not touch. It is all that keeps you on the mortal plane. I have no desire to take your damnation upon my own soul.” the shaman said softly. “So giving the locket to someone else will remove the curse? I’ll live?” He asked.

“This is why you are cursed. I do not know what it would do, but it would not be good.” the shaman explained, “If you refuse to play his game then put your affairs in order. There is nothing else that can be done for your soul.” Paul was furious. “Get out, I don’t have time for your superstitions.” Paul yelled. “My friend, one like you will never figure it out. Your heart is beyond corrupt, and your soul is painted blacker than hell. You destroyed people for money and power.” The shaman said, throwing a photo on the coffee table.

“What the hell is this!” Paul screamed, beyond irate at the situation. “It’s a photo of my parents.” Paul looked at the photo, “Okay, why do I care?” he barked. “Because your company, your lawyers, and your thugs killed them for their land. You forced poverty upon them when they wouldn’t sell. They couldn’t get clean water, electricity, or basic human needs because of you.” The shaman shook his head, “I thought seeing the hell you were experiencing would ease my suffering but I was wrong. They will be missed, but you… you not so much.” The shaman said before walking out the door.

Paul ran to the door, but he was gone. No trace of him. He went to yell for him but realized he never even knew his name. The photo on the coffee table was gone, the image now burned into his memory. How many had he killed in his rise to power? How many people hated him enough to watch him burn in the hell he was on the verge of entering? He couldn’t think about that now, he was running out of time. He had to remain focused.

Looking at his locket he was running out of time. He stepped to his corvette, he needed to move fast. He revved up the car and began to race to his office, and decided to blow through a light because he didn’t have time. He soon heard a Lexus plowing into the tail of his car, throwing him around hard inside the car. The locket was still in his hand somehow.

His eyes opened slowly as he began to come to, he could see his son standing over him. He had no real emotions on his face. David was just looking at him. “All I ever wanted was for you to love me Dad.” he began, “You made me hate you because you never wanted me. You treated me like an inconvenience, you got mad when I asked what would happen to the people you were throwing out. You treated others like servants. You drove Mom into suicide because she wasn’t good enough for you. Hell you married your lover weeks after her death. People died Dad, and you didn’t care. You poisoned the land they lived on to buy it cheaper.”

A doctor stepped in with some kind of paperwork. David signed it and the doctor asked if he needed a minute. “No, the man didn’t have a minute for me in life, I doubt he has one for me now.” David spoke softly. “I’m going to fix everything you tore down, every life you shattered. I couldn’t make you proud, I couldn’t even get you to like me let alone love me. I can’t be like you were so I am going to do something about it.” David looked down at Paul one last time, “Goodby Paul Ray.” and with that he walked out, the doctor right behind him. Paul didn’t understand why David talked like he was dead. Suddenly the rhythmic beat of the heart monitor changed. A solid flatline tone. He looked at the monitor hooked up to him, it was his monitor. His heart stopped and the nurse shut off the machine.

A small clapping began in the corner of the room. “Mr. Ray, you do not disappoint. I knew watching you would be fun, I bet you could figure it out but you didn’t. How does it feel to lose?” Death asked as walked over to him. “What? I still have time left…” He looked at the locket realizing it was out of time. His life was forfeit.

“I’m afraid so Mr. Ray. You spent all your time looking for a thing. You didn’t even realize the answer was your son. When you tried to win love on your second try it was close like I said, but had you decided to spend your last day with him he would have forgiven you and he would have loved you. You both would make the world a better place.” Death spoke softly.

“Will he be okay?” Paul asked. “Not that you actually care but yes. In fact I’ve seen what happens. He will do things a father would be proud of. Unfortunately for you you're not really a father, you're just the man that was burdened with a boy you forced a woman to have for another trophy. His mother suggested this game to me, I had bet you would figure it out but she knew you wouldn’t. I don’t lose often… ah that reminds me.” he snapped his fingers.

“What the?” Paul asked. A familiar lady began to take shape. It was David’s mom. “As we agreed Pam. Enjoy your reward.” Paul still didn’t understand. “You drove me to kill myself so I wasn’t allowed into heaven. I bet you wouldn’t figure it out and I won. So now I get to go serve heaven to help people instead of rotting in hell.” She said before fading away. “Girl knows how to make an exit.” Death chuckled, “Time to go.” Paul was about to object but was instantly transported to a barren wasteland. He looked about seeing the faces in the shadows.

“Mr. Ray as you lost it’s my discretion of what happens. I don’t like to lose bets. As such I am far less than excited that you could not figure out basic human instinct and be a father. So I have decided you will remain in the veil between life and death, a personal hell. You can’t interact with the living and those you have wronged will watch your misery, your suffering, and enjoy seeing your soul fall into madness as no one will ever interact with you again. In short you get to watch the world, see people happy, and never actually experience it. You’ll view the misery you caused and the happiness you’ll never experience.” Death explained.

A yoke slowly formed around his neck and hands. “You will walk until I am tired and I never tire sir.” Death whispered. Chains shot out into the darkness. An unseen force now pulled him into the darkness. Death's eyes glowed with the fire burning in them, “these will be the last words spoken to you Mr. Ray, God will have no mercy to share with you because you had none yourself.” With that he was forced to walk into the desolate darkness of the unknown world.