The metal felt uncomfortable in my mouth, it didn’t belong there. My younger sister and her son were on the floor behind me, petrified, not making a sound. It was difficult for me to tell whether or not they were actually breathing. The man shoved the metal object deeper into my face.
“Ain’t you lissnin’ man? I said drop all yer cash bfor I drop you.”
“Aigh maa, juhs reyax,” (Alright man, just relax) it was difficult to articulate words with a barrel between my teeth.
I reached into my back pocket to get my wallet -- BAM!
Warm liquid trickled down the back of my neck as I fell backwards. I was shot.
I think as he pushed the gun towards the back of my throat, my head forcibly turned ever so slightly enough so that I wouldn't die instantly... but the back-left quarter of my head and part of my neck had been blown off. Blood quickly filled the potholes in the alleyway, and bits of flesh could be seen on the dumpsters and along the wall. I knew this was the end of me.
My vision grew darker as he stepped closer to my sister and nephew.
I had invited them to see a musical in the newly built theatre I helped pay for. We had planned to go on the 5th but I had business in Seattle Washington the day before, so we got tickets to see the show on the evening of the 1st.
I wanted to apologize to her, November nights can get chilly in Oregon yet my stubbornness pushed her to come and bring my nephew.
The naivety of me thought the night couldn’t get worse after she’d lost the necklace mom left her. But each step he took, I felt more and more naive, and just as pathetic. I had riches, fame, and everything it came with, but despite all my possessions I couldn’t protect the last bit of family I had.
As the last bit of light in my eyes faded, I shamefully felt relieved to see that my sister and nephew had fainted. If they were going to be killed, I’d much rather it be while they were sleeping.
I’d wanted her to live a long life, and someday die in the arms of her husband with many children and even more grandchildren at her bedside to see her off. It was wishful thinking.
I didn’t want to see them die, but I didn’t want to die without looking at them one more time. Once the man had reached them, he took something out of his pocket, but I couldn’t stay. The light finally faded with a single tear. I was dead…
…or so I thought?
“Oh? You’re up earlier than I expected.”
I was in a room, covered in… white? It was a room, if you could call it that. I couldn’t distinguish the walls from the ceiling. Or even the floor for that matter, but I was standing up, so I knew there had to be one.
A few feet ahead of me there was a oval shaped table that looked like the stump of an enormous tree. It was about 50-60 inches wide, 120-130 inches long, and a comfortable 30-ish inches high.
The thick roots formed benches along the long sides of the table with the tops cut flat to make for comfortable seating. On the ends of the stump were chairs, no, thrones which looked to be made of intertwining branches. Leaves were sprouting out the tops of the thrones, and a soft, dry looking moss covered the seat, backrest, and armrests like cushions.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
On the top of the table there were cakes, cookies, teas, and various other snacks. Flowers bloomed from the rings of the tree, here and there, with various vibrant shades of red and blue, each different sizes, and each more appealing than the previous. There were many, but it wasn’t imposing, it was rather beautiful.
Two flowers stood at the center. The stems were thick and curved to opposite sides, they looked like a sports-brand swoosh, it made a perfect heart which could be seen from either of the thrones on the ends.
Flower petals hang beautifully at the tips, one bloom was a deep blue, the other a pale red. Every few seconds lights would emit from them, it looked like a luminescent pollen but it disappeared after traveling a few inches away from the bloom.
One of the flowers’ lights slowly flew up, while the other fell in a feather like fashion. The pale red, rose pink lights. While the deep blue, sank turquoise lights. It was mesmerizing to say the least.
{Just what kind of flower is this?}
“It’s called an Amoredo Lores (uh-mor-ay-doe lor-ez), Amore for short. It’s a flower of my design that grows on a planet similar to Venus of your universe.”
A girl sat at one of the thrones. She looked in her early twenties or late teens. When our eyes met she stood. {Wait… did she just -}
“Yes, I can read your mind. No, I can’t really see the future even though I cut you off mid-thought, I mean, I can, but not in the same way you think I can, or could… I can’t see the future to see what you’re going to say in the next few seconds, mainly because you cant see sounds… typically… well you can in some cases, then again it’d be more accurate to say you see the results of sound, but it was obvious what your line of thought was.”
{Wow, she sure can talk. I’ll give her that much. This is gonna be a pain. sigh}
“Be annoyed as much as you like, filthy pleb. I will talk as much as I need to get my message across. One of the most painful inevitabilities of life isn’t the pain of not being understood, but the pain of being understood incorrectly.”
{uwah, what a cheeseball.}
The moment after I said that, I caught myself from any other ridiculing remarks. I could tell she was frustrated with my thoughts from the puffed cheeks and red face she was making.
Now that I look at her. A frilly toga covered her torso and most of her lower body. It slanted to a point near her right calf. The color of it matched the Amore flower. A pale red starting from the top, transitioning to a deep blue going towards the lower tip.
Thin gold belts were stylishly tied around parts of her torso and waist, and shiny golden strands and fine chains loosely droop from them, forming shiny golden semi-circles. She wore a large silk, scarf-like garment over her shoulders that curled around her arms and dropped down, almost touching the floor. The scarf matched the lights the of the Amore flower: the middle being pink, gradually leading to turquoise tips.
Her dark-blonde hair had streaks of blonde woven in, and was held up by a gold band in a wavy bun on the back of her head near the top. The front of her hair had two thin braids that started from the middle, fell down a little while going towards the back of her ears, and finally meeting under the bun on the back of her head.
She had large, silver, upturned eyes that, when mixed with her pale skin, could entice any man. Yet, she gave off a very innocent and playful aura. All in all {she’s quite the beauty-} I cover my mouth as if I’d said something I know I’d regret.
“hohoo~” Her cheeks widened, giving way to a close-mouthed eerie smile. “A beauty huh?”
{Shit, I knew I’d regret it.} I couldn’t understand why, just yet.
“Even if you think I’m a beauty, it’d be all for naught young lad. Your 5 lifetimes too young to even think of me being at your side. Perish the thought.”
“5 lifetimes my foot, how old are you? 19, 20?”
“Older than you know, youngin’” She said with a smirk. “What does it matter to you anyways? Aren’t you gonna ask about what this place is, or who I am?”
Now that I think about it, I died just moments ago. Everything was so overwhelming that I forgot about my own death. Traumatic memories flow into my mind almost breaking it; the pain, fear, dying, and… My family! I rush to the girl and shake her 5’4” body, “What about my Sister?! and my Nephew?! are they alive?! are they okay?!”
“CaLm DoWn AlReAdY, ThEy’Re FiNe!” She said, just before breaking my constant shaking, “GET OFF!!”
“...” She’s stronger than she looks. And coming to the realization of what I had done…{... boing? ... her breasts are amazing} I cover my mouth again.
She blushes but tries to hide the fact that she heard my shameless thought, “ahem, A civil officer was patrolling on foot nearby and heard the gunshot. They came right on time, well... not right on time, you were still shot, but right on time for them. They weren’t hurt.”
“Thank God.” The relief that fell upon me was so strong, I nearly lost the strength to stay standing. “Good, so… where is this place? How do I get Ba--
Ignoring my voice she says, “I’d show you proof, but I spent most of my energy bringing your soul here and making the binding contract.”
--ck?" ... {hah?} “bringing my what here and making the whating whatrack?”
“Bringing your soul here, and making the binding contract. You’re now my slave… kind of. hehe”
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