Like the Game of Hanged-Man: Give Your Lifespan for A Change
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Character Introduction:
-Aurellia Graham
-Rufus Benedict
-Flay Bloothorn
-Atelier Graham
-Linette Brooklynn
-Mr. & Mrs. Graham
-Mr. & Mrs. Bloothorn
Hello again, guys. Thanks for
reading the 1st chapter of this story.
& now I’m gonna post up this;
the 2nd chapter! ^^
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CHAPTER 2
I’m waking up
on an entirely white place. Not like before, when I’m waking up in a dim room
decorated with blood splatter. This time this place is completely pure white, I
guess you can say that there aren’t any single stains that dropped on this room,
or even a trace of filth. It’s really like, I’m here in a hallow space. Or
heaven. Ah, whichever it is, one thing I know: I’m already dead. Why, you
asked? If I remembered what Linette just did to me; pierced her sword right towards
my heart, is there really a chance that I might still alive? 0% percent of my
chance to live.
“Aurel,” A
voice’s calling out my name vaguely gently from nowhere.
“Who’s that?” I
said as I sit on the ground. I looked everywhere for that voice, but I guess it
seems impossible for any person other than me to be here. Why you asked? Well
because there isn’t any single door or hole for entering this place; nor to
exit from this place. “I guess…I was imagining things… After all, I’m dead for sure…”
I sighed.
“Don’t be so
sure of yourself,” said that voice again, a bit scolding and it’s much clearer
than before.
“Who’s that?!” I
said full of caution as I look around me once again to search for the source of
that voice.
Moments after I
heard that sound, strange silhouettes with creepy smiles & horrible sounds
appeared flying around the room, as if they are trying to scare me off to dead.
Yes, it did scare me, but because I’m still traumatized a bit because I saw the
killings in front of my own bare eyes, I’m only feels the fear a bit. But
that’s enough to make my body paralyzed. I closed my eyes and covered my ears
with both of my hand to prevent myself from seeing and hearing those creepy
silhouettes.
Suddenly, the
silhouettes disappeared as thick black mist appeared in front of me. I coughed,
as it really suffocates me, because it’s covering my whole body. No, actually,
the whole place is covered with it. The pure-white space became darker. As I
tried to breathe, many black doors appeared in around me.
The mist slowly
fades away as one door―the most grand of all―opened. A guy silhouette
appears from the space of the opened door. “Aurel,” said that voice again.
So this is the
person that’s been calling out my name. I tried to speak a word, but somehow I
can’t say a thing. It’s like I’m being paralyzed by his existence.
“Aurel,” said
that voice again with a bit of worry in his tone. As he walks closer towards
me, I could see his face more clearly.
I was nailed in
my place when I saw his face. “…Rufus?” I said with a trembling voice because I
can’t believe that I could see him once again. “Is…that…really you?” I said as
I reached him out with my hand, as if he was out of my reach.
Rufus is my best
friend. He’s been with me since we were a child. Actually I, he, and Flay
usually made a trio in all activities. But since my family and Flay’s decided
to engage us, he tried his best to understand this, since from the moment we’ve
been engaged to each other, Flay is trying to separates us several times. Well,
maybe that’s just his plan to get things done quickly, so no one interfere when
he done his killing.
“Yes, it is me,
Aurel,” he said as he smiled bitterly. That eyes, that smile, that’s definitely
him. He kneeled in front of me and touches my face with both of his hands. His
expression is sad somehow when I look at him now.
I still can’t
believe my eyes. “…Rufus…” My eyes feel warm. “Where… were you earlier?” As I
finished my sentences, I can feel beads of tears starting to run down on my
cheeks.
“Oh my dear.
Were you scared?” He wiped my cheeks with his finger. “I’m sorry.” He smiled
bitterly again.
Wait…. Rufus
being here… No, don’t tell me. Is that mean he… “Rufus, if you’re here with me…
is that mean that you’re also dead?”
“Why are you
saying that, Aurel?”
“Because… I’m
already dead… Flay killed me and―”
He fell into
silence for a short while, then he smirked and laugh. “Dead? Are you kidding
me? You are not dead yet, Missy.” He stood up while he still laughing and turn
around. “Oh my, Aurel. You’re so naïve.”
…Eh? I don’t
understand what he said. Why am I so naïve? I’m already dead for good. And…
that wasn’t like Rufus at all, laughing at other people.
“You still think
that you are dead, eh, Aurel my dear?” He turned around and lowered his head to
face me. No way. He’s not Rufus. His face changes. “Who is Rufus?” He smiled
evilly.
He got me
confused even more. “…Who are you? Give Rufus back!”
He laughed
again. “See? You are so naïve.” He smirked. “Do you want to know a secret,
Milady?”
“…Secret?”
“Yes, secret,”
he chuckled. “I am actually your beloved friend, Rufus.” He whispered to me.
“Don’t joke
around!”
“Oh, I am not.
Well, at least I am not him right now. Ah, yes, forgive my rudeness. I forgot
to tell you my name,” He bows to me. “My name is Eugene Black. I am a
time contractor.”
I fell into
silence when I heard his name. Eugene… Black? I’ve heard that name before…
“What is seems
to be the matter, Milady? I have not said nor done something that made you so
quiet like this, have I?”
“…Give Rufus back,”
I said as I stared at him.
He chuckles.
“Aha, you still do not believe me, do you?” He gave his hand. “Come on. Stand,
my dear.”
I take his hand
& stood up. …Eugene Black. A 180 cm tall guy that has a really perfect body
and face shape. He’s… the most handsome guy I’ve ever seen. …More than Flay, I
assure you. He’s so perfect, that even I can’t describe his appearance. But I
get this funny feeling when I near him. I don’t know why, whether because of
his… perfect presence, or… the dark aura that surrounds him. Or even his
strangely calm face expression.
“What do you
mean by that? You’re not Rufus at all.”
He chuckles
again. “Ah, you really do not believe me, do you? Well, I will prove it to
you,” he puts on a sly smile. “Do you remember that there are some markings on
his body?”
“Markings?” I
began to think it all over again. Markings, huh… Actually, he does have it. “As
I remember… he had small chained-roses tattoo throughout his shoulder…”
“And… how did
you know that?”
“Well… I happen
to see it when… he was taking off his clothes…”
“Happen to see
it when he is taking off his clothes? Wow, have you done something really
naughty to him?” He said with a teasing tone.
“N-no! I-it’s not what you think! It’s… when
he was saving me from getting drowned on the river…” I said as I feel my cheeks
feel began to warm up.
He chuckles
again. “I know, please do not get so agitated like that,” he smiled to me.
“That time, I was―I mean, Rufus was saving you when you got thrown over from
your horse when you were crossing the river stream, correct?”
“Yes… How did
you know that?”
“Because, I am
Rufus. Here, I will show you,” he said as he began to taking off his upper
clothes.
“W-wait, what
are you―!”
Then I noticed something black engraved on his shoulder. “That’s… Rufus’…!”
“Milady, this is
what you are talking about, correct?”
“…What are you
trying to pull here?” I began to questioned my death.
“Oh, well,
nothing much, actually,” he put his clothes back. “My dear, it seems that you
are just experiencing a horrible night, am I wrong?”
Ugh, he pointed
it out again. “…Yes,” I said as pressed down my chest because I feel it’s hurt
like it’s been pierced once again.
He smiled slyly.
“Well, in that case, do you want to change things before it all happen?”
“Eh? Change?
What do you mean?”
“To prevent this
all from happening, of course.” He smiled at me.
To prevent this
all… Of course I want it! “Yes, I want to. But how?”
“Well,
technically, I could offer you my best service to do it. But there is a little
price that you have to pay for every service that I have done for you.”
“I’ll do
anything! Just help me prevent this all from happening!”
He puts on a
devil smile. “Alright, I like the way you thinking everything out. Well then, I
shall explain how I work. For every service, you have to pay me with a little
something that comes out from you.”
“What’s the
price? Wealth? Fortune? My blood?”
“Well well, that
certainly intriguing, but no, I do not need all of those.” He walks closer
towards me. “All I need is―” He smirks. “―your life.”
He startled me
and I move backward quickly from him. What? My life? “Y-you’ve gotta be kidding
me!”
“Oh, but, you do
want my service, do you? It is a little price you have to pay considering all
those lives they take,” he said as he moves closer again. “Oh, wait, let me get
this straight,” he said as he touches my face with his hand. “I will take only
a few part of your life. Let us just say that… it is your lifespan. Like the
game of hanged-man we used to play when we were young. Every turn has its own
price until you got it all right. But in my place, I will keep taking out your
lifespan until it is run out, no matter you got it all fixed up or not.” His
devilishly smile somehow intrigued me to make contract with him.
Yeah, he’s right.
There’s a little price for everything that I’ve done. “…Alright, I accept it.”
He puts on a
wide devil smile. “Excellent, Milady. Now, let us make our contract.” He stared
at me with his dark black eyes that make my whole body paralyzed. His face moves
closer to mine and finally his lips touches mine, for a while. There’s a
strange feeling when he kissed me. “There you go; you have made your contract
with me. Just to make sure you are not running away from me―”
he ripped my clothes on the shoulder part & kissed it. “―I’ve
made a rose sign for our contract.”
What…have he
done…? I feel numb, as my face feels really hot. When I look at my clothes that
he just ripped, I don’t see any ripped off clothes or anything like that.
“…But…how…?”
He smiled. “My
magic is too powerful for you to notice. I will be helping you as Rufus, but I
will fade your memories away about our meeting today. But you will eventually
remember my true form again. Well then, off you go,” he said as he waved his
hand in front of my face, which makes me sleepy and then everything went black,
once again.
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To be continued
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