Playing Death |ONC 2021 Longlister

Chapter 12

"Well, this is not how I expected to spend 2 a.m.," the boy growled, his sleepy eyes, tired, as he rubbed them to keep it open. We were on top of a roof, to his distaste as I prepared myself to outline the plan.

"Well, this is not what we wanted either," Layla scowled back. Her increasing displeasure at his disrespect did not go unnoticed either.

"Let us all calm down," I exhaled, gesturing widely. "Now I have been tasked to collect souls, and not just any souls. We have to collect naivetes which means they are not regular souls."

Layla smirked at him but as he looked away her mask fell off into concern.

"What are they?" he asked softly, picking at his shirt.

"They are souls...of innocent people..." I paused, gauging his reaction. "Of people who have not yet died."

His eyes widened as he gripped the railing below for support. He opened and closed his mouth, gasping slightly. "Is that what you do? Murder?"

"I have to, I did an unforgivable crime," I gritted my teeth. "I shouldn't have saved you at all."

"No, then this wouldn't be so hard for both of us," he got up with confidence but I saw him shake slightly as he sat back down again. He hugged his knees. "I do not like it."

"The best things are the hardest to achieve," Layla swiftly reprimanded him.

"I do not mind collecting souls of people who are dead, but I condone this," he bit his lips, whispering harshly as though the secret was too obscene to say properly.

"But that is not how the world works," Layla spat out just as I opened my mouth.

"Yes," I agreed. "And you will learn today how it does work."

"Nothing to worry, I will show you and then you can do it yourself," I found myself patting him awkwardly.

"I do not want to witness this!" he gasped and pulled away from my touch. I felt something tug in me and I shrugged the feeling away, bracing myself.

I decided to keep the remaining information from him and smiled venomously. "Well do you or not want to uproot James and his career?"

"I do, but I do not get how murder will solve this!" He was on the verge of screaming now as he faced me, despite his legs being wobbly and shaky from the interaction we just had.

"Think about it," I softly commented.

"I need a guarantee." He told me after a long time as I waited for his answer. "Then I will do what you want."

I looked at Layla as she nodded. "Sounds pretty fair to me."

I reached into me and pulled out a thin silver thread as Layla gasped and I laughed humorlessly. "Tug this and Aphrodite will come, to take me where Hades is."

He took it from me, a sticky, silver thread dipped in moonlight of Artemis and Aphrodite's beauty to call her instantly. "Well you will know when you use it. I trust you that you won't pull it for fun."

He looked hesitant, as I looked into his eyes. Fear and uncertainty basked in them and made it light brown like clean ponds infiltrated by dirt and mud. "Okay."

Layla looked panic stricken but I held up a hand to show it would be okay. The boy had a thing for risks but he wouldn't dare to.

"Well come on, don't you want to see how this works?" Layla showed off her whites.

***

"So, I check souls by seeing the color and flavor. Although I can't really taste and feel, I feel faint flavors of souls," I explained. We were at an obvious place, a park where children would come much more frequently.