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"Would you like to play a game?"
The girl stared at the voice. She couldn't see his face, hidden by a black top hat, like a true gentleman in the 1800s or so, and the rest of his suit was in a similar fashion. His cane had the head of some animal, but she could not make it out clearly. He stood like a magician, or rather a sorcerer. He stood out from the crowd, yet no one seemed to be bothered by him, or even notice him, for that matter.
Well, except for two people besides her.
The gentleman didn't seem to address his words to any of them in particular, yet it felt as if he had. He spoke airily, as if addressing three random women like that was completely normal and definitely not creepily out-of-the-ordinary.
"Are you mad or what? What is that even supposed to mean? Play with you, it seems. Who do you think I am?" One of them snapped. She had an air of self-imposed superiority to her, her sequined dress and neat hair contrasting the shopping bag in her hand. Something not too uncommon in wealthy landladies, those who did not have to gruel under a boss or sacrifice their sleep to bring food on the table.
Well, it wasn't like she had to, either. All she had to do, could do, really, was study, while both of her parents battled for their lives For the sake of the family, they said.
The other woman stared at her, unsure whether to ask her to be polite or not. The gentleman didn't seem to pay heed either to the lady nor to the girl's distracted mind. "Join me, and I can assure you one wish in your heart will be fulfilled. But only if you win, that is."
The landlady wasn't impressed by the offer. She scoffed as she walked away. The other woman, however, seemed to be mildly interested. It was obvious, with the bag in her hand and the bags under her eyes, what she would ask for: the rest of her life to pass in leisure, without the worry of money. The gentleman smirked, amused at the sudden change in interest in the two remaining participants.
Well, not exactly a change, in the girl's case. She was looking for something to break the monotony anyway, to stop the voices in her head, and the blood from her skin just wasn't cutting it. A wish granted just ended up being a bonus to her. The two participants nodded, simultaneously it seemed.
"Very well then. The rules are quite simple. All you have to do is head to the gate that leads outside the city, and then back. There are a few rules for both the journeys. However,be warned, if you dare to walk off from the game, or break the rules, the result will be...", he pointed at the landlady.
For a moment, everything seemed fine.
Then, a crash.
The tomatoes rolled from the shopping bag, and the neat hair formed a maze on the road. The middle-aged woman yelped. Not the girl though. A chance of death, it was. She wasn't sure if she smirked, but her mouth had twisted.
"Oh, I didn't mean that. Or did I? Just kidding. Anyways, are you still in?"
What a cruel question. And only one right answer to that.
"Oh, you're still in? Let's go then!" The gentleman sounded too cheery for the situation, but oh well, the girl thought. Let's just get it over with.
The three began the game.
It was a rather quiet walk at the beginning, with the only sound being the gentleman's whistle. Nothing like the adventure she had hoped for. It might have been an hour, or more, the girl couldn't tell, when suddenly the gentleman broke the silence.
"Oo-kay! Are you two ready for the surprise rule? Ready or not, here it is!
Do you two see that man out there? He will be your new companion now. Oh, but he doesn't know that. Do you get what I mean? Oh, you don't? Just follow him without him knowing of your existence. Gah, you lot are so boring. Anyway, off you go now."
It took the girl's entire willpower not to roll her eyes. Still, they had to continue, their lives were on the stake. So they began being on the man's heel. There was nothing that would warrant the little espionage they were committing though. The man was bald, bald as a man could be, and hid his shiny head with the most ridiculous hat she had seen. And short, shorter than even the teenage girl. He would occasionally sneeze, or complain to himself about the 'horrible state of the world'. She would much rather have had the strange gentleman's company.
The woman with her interrupted her thoughts. "I know the man doesn't seem to notice us, but two people following someone warrants a lot of eyes on us. So, can we hold a conversation, to break off the suspicion?" And the tension, the woman's eyes said.
The girl agreed. There wasn't much she could do anyway. Besides, the woman appeared to be better than both the companions she had heard so far. Rejecting her didn't seem fair. "Uh, what would you like to talk about?"
"Oh well, I...I am not so sure, really. Maybe you could start with, say, what brought you here in the first place?"
"Huh. Ok, uh...I was bored. Yeah, that's it. I was bored."
"What about your parents, then? Surly they would be worried about you. And what if something happened to you?"
"Father's off for war, and mother's battling an illness. I doubt either will survive long enough to worry about me. Not that they plan to either."
"What in the heavens does that mean?"
"Seriously? Well, if you must know. Mother told the doctors to let her pass on instead of becoming a burden. Euthanasia, she said. However, father plans to sacrifice himself, as families of martyrs get compensated much handsomely. Funny, isn't it? So much sacrifice, lifting off the burden from the other's shoulders, yet so selfish so as to end it all, never bothered for the other person's feelings, never bothered about the burden they leave on the people they claim to love. Don't they think, or don't care?"
Silence hung between the two, as the girl realised that she might have said that last part a little too loudly. Not that it mattered. The man was yet busy in his monologue, and the passing crowd seemed more annoyed at the display of emotions.
The woman finally spoke, "If you do manage to win, what will you wish for, then?"
Such a simple question. Yet it stumped her. She hadn't planned to win, only to live the thrill of beating someone. Then what?
She thought, and finally, barely whispered, "I'd wish my parents understood, that they communicate their heart and mind." Then, feeling impolite, she asked, "And what about you?"
The woman simply smiled. "You already know the answer to that, do you not? Oh dear. Well, I would like the luxury of a purpose. It is exhausting to work for the future, yet never truly have a goal."
That was not what she had expected.
Pause, for what felt like a second, and an eternity. Then she continued, " It was never always like that. I used to have someone I wanted to give the world to. He was lively, yet so inspired. He would solve the greatest puzzles with no resolve. He was alive, yet wished for the sweet release of death. Well, he got what he wanted, after all. And so cruelly, so naively, he asked me to live with purpose, for him. He was just as old as you are now, you know? My child, you would have been such great friends."
She couldn't comprehend the woman, after all. She could only nod and smile back, though her heart ached with the shared pain of loss. Had they known each other before, would it have changed anything?
They shared that moment, of understanding, of bonding, before the gentleman stole it from them again. "You two, you look weird following him for so long. Can you just walk in front of him? You have the same destination, you know?"
He had quite the nerve to call them 'weird', didn't he? But orders were orders. They discreetly crossed the bald man, though they still maintained some proximity. The girl would glance at any reflective surface she could find to make sure he was still there. Can't take any chances, she assured herself, as creepy as it may sound.
Yet, she couldn't get her mind off of the woman. She wanted to talk to her, to know her, what she felt and how she thought. It was all fascinating to her. As such, she had an idea. Anything to keep the conversation going. "Miss, what did you want to say to that other lady? Did you know her?"
The woman almost froze. "Why...why do you think I knew her?"
"Well, you looked at her like wanted to say something when she snapped on the man, but couldn't speak to her, out of guilt, perhaps? Or maybe consciousness?"
The woman stared as if she was a mind reader, before barely composing herself, and replied, "We were friends in school, nothing more. Though I doubt she even remembered me. Pity, I was there when she lost her first friend. Crashed into a car, just like she did." She didn't seem too keen to elaborate further.
Well, it didn't matter, as they had almost reached the city gates. Half of their journey would be over now, and the road back home would be far easier and more familiar. A guest of cool wind blew, almost as if nature herself celebrated the victory. And in an act of mischief, it also took the bald man's hat, who promptly chased after it.
She wasn't too interested in sharing so much as a glimpse of the man. Let it fly away, it will have its new life, she mused. Luckily for him, the woman caught the hat and rushed towards the man. "Here", she offered it back to him with a smile. The man, however, simply huffed and snatched the hat. Not an ounce of pleasantries in him, the girl thought. It won't be surprising if he tripped over his ego for being such a huge pumpkin head.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the gentleman, who looked disappointed, but also amused, all while shaking his head knowingly. She remembered part of one of his rules: follow him without him knowing of your existence. Surly it wasn't that serious. He barely saw them, in all of his rudeness. Besides, they had followed him for what, two hours? He knew nothing of that. Surly a simple exchange of a hat would not be breaking any rules, right? Surly it didn't warrant a punishment.
How wrong she was.
As soon as they reached the gate, chaos struck. Policemen rushed out of their hidden places, and promptly with assistance from the guards, arrested the rude man, as well as the woman.
It was all so sudden that the girl barely had time to process it, as she instead tried to defend the woman. "Why are you arresting her, sir?", she asked, calming herself as much as possible, though she couldn't stop shaking.
Most of them were unbothered by the girl's cries, but one officer explained, " This man has been accused of embezzlement of government funds, and we have reasons to believe that the woman is his accomplice."
She couldn't believe her ears. The sweet woman, committing such a crime. "But I know her! She can't do anything like that. Please, let her go!" She wanted to sob. Instead, she stayed rooted in her place, unable to save the woman who was so kind to her.
The officer simply announced, "If you know her, that makes you a suspect too. We have to bring you in for questioning too."
She couldn't speak a word, and would have been led to her doom, had the gentleman not stepped in. "Oh my dear daughter, where had you strayed off? Pardon me, she is so naive, she's worried about everyone. Thank you for your service. Good day!"
The man's eyes seemed to widen at the sight of the gentleman. He began screaming incoherently at him, as he was knocked down and dragged into the van.
The girl stared at the van as it drove off, the woman not meeting her gaze. The gentleman was stern. " What were you thinking? You were so practical, until you decided to lose it all for that wretched, emotional woman."
The girl suddenly realised something. "The man, he saw you. He recognised you. He had played this game too, right? And, and he must have failed. They both failed. And now you're punishing them for such a simple act."
The gentleman let off the slightest smirk. "You're smarter than you let on. Now, they will be brought to justice. Either at court where they will be sentenced to execution, or in a surprise attack where both of them tragically die. Either way, their crime was disobedience , and their punishment is death."
She couldn't bear it any longer. "How could you do this? She hadn't done anything wrong! They haven't done anything wrong! Why did you doom them? ANSWER ME!" She lurched forward, with no real plan, except to somehow beat the smirk off of his face.
She was no match for him though, who caught her immediately, and pulling her close, whispered in her ear, "Did you yourself not wish the man be punished for something as trivial as impolite behaviour? And did you not let the woman be taken to her own death? Did you try to save her? Tell me, are you any better than I am?"
The girl could not stop sobbing. He was right, he was so right. And she hated that. She wanted to say something, do something that would stop all of this. The gentleman comforted her, let her cry her heart out before she would see reason.
After she could shed tears no more, he asked her, "My dear, you are far too weak right now. Let me make this easier for you. Since you are the only one left, and you followed all of my instructions, you have two choices. Either you can stop the game and I will let you in on the complete secrets of my world, but you forgo of your wish; or you can continue and fulfill that one wish of yours, but you will remain ever so ignorant. What do you choose?"
She was left speechless. Of course, she did not want to ever be associated with the wretched gentleman, but knowing what exactly was going on felt strangely tempting. Maybe she could use it to her advantage, maybe a weakness she could exploit.
Ah, who was she kidding? She wasn't even smart enough to face her own situation, how would she even use any knowledge to her advantage? Besides, she still wanted her parents to live, to love again, even if it meant her own life be taken away.
"I'll continue.", she decided. The gentleman looked disheartened, as he always did, but agreed.
"Very well then. This challenge is simple enough. All you have to do is walk back home, without ever looking up. It is nighttime, so you may use this torch to navigate your way, but remember, do not, under any circumstances, look at anything but the ground. Wait till you hear my voice and my voice alone."
The girl all but rolled her eyes. "Anything else, sir?"
"Oh, yes. If you see the shadow of a crocodile, you should run away as fast as you can, for they are the souls of the damned. Or something like that, something about haunting. Too scary for you? Enjoy the thrill! Now off you go. Oh, the final part has already started, don't look up. You will not find anything that will save you now."
That didn't sound so bad. As long as she looked at the ground, all was well. At least, that's all she could hope.
The journey back home was much simpler. Sure a few ladies, those who called themselves the friends of her mother, asked her why she wouldn't look up. "Won't you be so polite as to stop for a chat?"
"I wish I could stop, but I've lost something too precious along the road, and I must look for it," she would excuse herself. They would engage in their own idle gossip after that. Good for her.
Just like that, she reached the safety of the walls of her house. Even the door opened too eagerly for her, as if welcoming her to finally rest. She almost jumped as she entered. Finally, she was free. Free from the torture she had to endure throughout the day. All she had to do was wait for that gentleman's words. Can't take any risks.
Then, she would make her one wish. Then, she would finally, finally save her parents. Or maybe she would wish for the safety of the kind woman, at least she wanted to live. They could live together. It wasn't like she never was cared for, but her parents were too obsessed with their ideas of sacrifice.
Maybe her parents could learn a thing or two from the kind woman. Maybe the four of them could live together. Maybe they would be a happy family, like all the ones she had seen across the street.
All that was left was the gentleman's words.
The words, telling her it was over.
Tell her she could make her wish.
Her wish would be fulfilled.
But there was no fulfillment. There was no voice.
The gentleman never came.
Her chest twisted in a knot. Why hadn't he come yet? Why hadn't he knocked at the door? Or perhaps he would have already met her at the door. But he couldn't know her address, could he? How could he not? He controlled their lives. Surly he would know something as trivial as where she lived. What was going on? Was this a test? She was tired of these tests. Why couldn't she end the game, break the stupid rules and end the game, end it all, why...
"Dear, are you home?"
Her heart stopped. Mother? At home? How was this possible?
Unfortunately for her, at that exact moment, the lights went out. So what if she couldn't see? She followed the sound of her mother's calls, which came from the bedroom.
"My goodness, where were you? Have you seen the time?", she continued. "I have been waiting all day. You had me all worried, girl."
It couldn't be her. No, it wasn't her. Yet, there she was, her voice trembling, but gentle. She almost rushed to the room, unable to contain herself, her mother finally safe, her eyes almost ready to search for her-
-Do not, under any circumstances, look at anything but the ground.
But, but that was her mother, wasn't it? Damn with the rules. How does it matter now?
-What about your wish? Do you not want to save them? Will you be so selfish as to abandon them, abandon her like that?
Fine, just one confirmation.
She reached the room. Her mother's voice was ever so clear, "Come here to me, my darling."
She lifted the torch at the general direction of the voice, eyes fixated on the ground. There was nothing but the yellow light.
After all, humans, like most objects, cast their shadows. However, spirits were a different story.
"Why would you do this to me, to your own mother?" The voice shifted, distorted. The ghost of her dreams.
She ran as fast as she could. Away, away from the house. Somewhere, anywhere. She reached the door. By some dance of fate, it was stuck. The door was jammed. And the voice was approaching.
She hid in the nearby closet. Heaving breaths, a racing heartbeat, the futile attempt to be quiet and still.
She had no choice. She would die, then and there. She was going to lose, she was going to fail. She would never save her parents, never save the loving woman, she couldn't help anyone. She was never meant to win. No one was meant to beat this game. There was no end to it, only unfulfilled dreams that were snatched from them. Promises that were meant to be broken.
But now, she wanted to win. Not for her dear ones, not for a wishful thinking, but something else.
She wanted to break the game. Break that cruel man's smile, by hook or by crook. She would win, and make her final wish.
No one should ever suffer by the hands of the gentleman. No one would dance to his strings of fate again.
Even if the cost was her own life.
She steadied her breaths, setting the torch down. The flames had almost died down, but it didn't matter. She had to focus on the task at hand. Something that assured her safety.
Do not, under any circumstances, look at anything but the ground.
Fine then, she decided. She would never look at anything again.
Her hands trembled as she searched for a cloth, any cloth. She caressed every corner of the closest, before finding a large handkerchief. That would suffice the purpose. All she had to do was blindfold herself using the cloth.
She grabbed the dwindling fire before stepping out of the closest. She lifted her head, and called out, "Mother?"
The was no response.
Maybe, she was finally safe.
Her body finally gave up. She could search for the gentleman in the morning. Anyway, if he was not meant to be found, then looking for him in the darkness would be a fool's gamble.
All she wished for was to somehow end the game.
She closed her eyes, and drifted off to a faraway land.
She didn't remember waking up ever again.
Somewhere, the gentleman tapped his cane, illuminated by the overhead street lights. If one were to look at his face, they would swear something was wrong. But there were no scars, no blemishes on the smooth skin.
After all, spirits are a different story.
The gentleman let out a chuckle. That girl truly was something, smarter than anyone he had ever encountered. It was only a pity that she was too naive, too emotional to truly understand his true self. If only she would join him instead of hating him so.
The gentleman walked away.