The Soul Game

by McQueen, K. T.

  ‘Window cleaner,’ he muttered as he made himself cereal.

  ‘Make sure and wash that when you’re done,’ Stacey told him as she carried two mugs back to Paul’s room.

  ‘Yeah okay.’

  He couldn’t shake the feeling he was being watched and it wasn’t until a TV segment interviewed a teacher that he remembered who he would never, ever forgive.

  Mr. Sinclair.

  He had detested the man. No matter how hard he’d worked, or how many times he’d redone homework the teacher would never give him higher than a D. Kept telling him he would never amount to anything. Would never be anything, that he should consider a trade instead of a college course. Despite acceptable marks in every other class.

  Mr. Sinclair who hated teaching had prevented him from following his dreams. It wasn’t until years later when he’d retaken the class that he realised it wasn’t his own inability holding him back. He’d never had any idea why the guy had been so hard on him.

  He would track him down today and go visit the old guy. He would be old now, he was old then, but now he would be ancient. He took his cereal to the computer to begin his search. But what he found, was an obituary. He felt guilty for laughing when he read how beloved he’d been to his students and how they’d all turned up to his memorial.

  He couldn’t get revenge. What could he do to a dead guy?

  Shit he could only award himself five points for that task.

  He sulked for the rest of the day.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE: MAËL

  The darker it got the louder the thunder became and he began to wonder if it was an omen. He’d spent hardly any time in the Demon realms, his mother had kept him away. Stan had taken him to a few places back in the day, when all they did was party, drink, and take drugs. He could barely remember anything beyond the crazy club scene.

  He lay in the claw footed bath, the water dirty with sulphur, the curtains open to watch the storm. Lights out. He fell into a melancholy. Thinking about all the things he didn’t know about who he was, and should know. His mother had protected him too well, and right then he missed her terribly. She would have known what to do. She would have known what to say.

  An almost 1000-year-old Demon crying for his mother because things had got complicated. He sat up and slapped the water with the palm of his hand. Sending shards of liquid angling onto the wooden floor. A huge streak of lightening answered him. He glanced out the window as thunder rumbled. The glass rattled in its casing. Tipping his head so he could see more of the sky, he slapped the water harder. Forked lightning. Deafening thunder. He screamed into the darkness and the storm answered with an onslaught of lightning, thunder, and then torrential rain. So cold he could feel it through the window.

  The rain turned to hail. Pounding the window and bouncing off the sill. He put his hands on the sides of the bath and pushed himself out, water streaming down his torso, creating a rain storm inside. He stood, naked, watching the ferocity of the storm, the lightning throwing shadows around the room. He screamed again, putting all his emotions into it.

  The power went out in the city. What was happening? He got out and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he went to the living area. The view was impressive. The hail eased back to rain, and the lightning danced in whites, blues, and purples across the horizon. The thunder sounded less insistent as he took a seat on the sofa to watch the retreat. Cars below, lights bright through the rain, tried to navigate the streets without the street lights and stop signs. People dashed under umbrellas and newspapers from doorway to doorway. It was a storm more powerful than this city had seen in a long time.

  Had he made it? Created it? Had it been building ever since he’d got back, mirroring his frustration and confusion. Maybe this was how hell would freeze over – he’d get so mad it would just snow, in Hell. There were a few ex-girlfriends that had made promises that would only happen when hell froze over.

  He chuckled to himself and relaxed. He hadn’t created the storm; it had just been a coincidence. He watched as it dissipated and wondered why he’d never considered buying somewhere near the ocean. It would be amazing to watch storms over the ocean. He toyed with the idea of selling up, using the money to buy something on the coast, as far away as he could convince Joy to go, leaving this city and everything behind.

  At midnight, the television flickered on, waking him from a dream. For a moment, he wasn’t sure where he was. But the lights coming on brought him back to reality. The news channel was reporting the recent power outage.

  Apparently, a bolt of lightning had hit one of the main power lines. See, he told himself, it hadn’t been him. He padded into the bathroom to find something to put on but the news brought him back into the room, jeans held in one hand.

  ‘The author of everyone’s favourite new self-help book, T.G. Master, is coming to our great city. Tickets go on sale at the end of the week at local bookstores.’ The presenter chuckled, secure in the knowledge that he would be attending one of the events. ‘The book has done wonders for those who’ve read it, and we urge anyone who hasn’t bought a copy to pick one up. The number of people who’ve been helped by this amazing system rises by the day. So, fabulous.’

  He sounded like he was talking out of his arse, but the female presenter alongside him was nodding like the sun shone out of it. Mike edged closer, their faces were as familiar as family but, now that he was paying attention, there was something missing, and something added. That didn’t make sense, but he’d never seen anyone who’d read the whole book before.

  ‘Shit!’ he hissed out loud. Wondering if the storm had been deliberate to make sure everyone was watching their televisions when the announcement was made.

  ‘Hi, Babe,’ Joy said from the door. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Oh, just watching the news. I er…’ He glanced around for an excuse and realised he was still holding his jeans. ‘A power line got hit by lightening, they just said.’

  ‘It was a crazy storm.’ She yawned.

  ‘Yeah. I’ll turn this off and come tuck you in.’ He smiled. ‘I had an idea I want to tell you, see what you think.’

  ‘You want a drink?’ she asked as she put her bag and coat on the rack.

  ‘Sure, just water please.’

  He pulled pyjama bottoms on in the bathroom, dumping the jeans in the hamper. And looked hard at himself in the mirror he making sure he could see no trace of his darkness before he went back through. She was already in bed, the side light the only one left on. Waiting for him and his big idea. She looked so comfortable, so happy.

  ‘Hard shift?’ He asked her as he climbed into the big bed.

  ‘Yeah, everyone was hiding from the storm.’ She frowned. ‘Did Mr. Sparky go home?’

  ‘He needed to feed his cat, and the neighbour said he would sit with him.’ He smiled. ‘I offered to do it but you know what old folk are like.’

  ‘Yeah, my Aunt Edna used to be dreadful about staying anywhere overnight.’ She snuggled closer.

  ‘So what’s your big idea?’ she asked prodding him when he was silent for too long.

  ‘Oh, yeah, I was watching the storm and thinking how nice it would be to live beside the sea. Somewhere warm and remote.’ He glanced down to see if she seemed open to the idea. ‘Would you like that? To live by the ocean?’

  ‘That would be amazing! Where were, you thinking of?’

  ‘I actually thought you’d be more reluctant than that.’ He laughed. ‘I didn’t have anywhere specific in mind, but I fancy a change of scenery. We could sell the apartment. Probably get something even bigger and with fewer stairs.’

  ‘Yeah let’s do that.’ She smiled, her tired eyes closing. ‘But what about your job? It took you ages to get it, and you’re doing so well.’

  ‘I can get another one, maybe teach surfing.’

  ‘You can’t surf,’ she laughed.

  ‘That company trip didn’t go so well. I can’t actually believe they’re responsible for a bo
ok that’s meant to change people’s lives,’ he said.

  ‘But it is changing lives. Tommy, he came in today and was telling me about it. Said the things you must do are so easy. And even before you complete the whole book everything just starts going right.’

  ‘Is that right?’ Mike said sarcastically.

  ‘It’s what he said.’ She was almost asleep. He wondered how long it would be before things stopped going so well for Tommy.

  He held her close, suddenly inexplicably afraid of losing her. If she found out what he’d done, never mind what he was, he would lose her forever.

  She snored gently into his chest.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR: BLACK

  She went for trashy rather than classy, Billy’s wasn’t known for its upmarket clientele, and she would have to outdo the regulars to even get noticed. It made her feel sick, ’cause even when she used to go there she didn’t dress like she was tonight. It had taken some serious wardrobe surfing to find the right combination of clothes and shoes.

  Her nerves were grasping at her insides, trying to pull her back. But she didn’t want to lose the game, she didn’t want to fail because she’d chickened out. She’d decided right at the beginning that if she was going to do it she’d have to do it all the way. There was no point not jumping off a bridge to play the game half-hearted.

  The double doors were heavy as she pulled them open. The waves of music washed over her, nudging the nerves into a deeper place. She took a moment before walking to the dance floor. Every movement in time with the deep throbbing beat. She gave in. This dance would be good; so good she didn’t need a dance partner or group of mates. She let the music move her and knew people would be watching.

  And didn’t care.

  No look could be worse than what they’d already said about her. What they’d already done to her. She danced like they were all there to watch her, and a little like a crazy mad woman. The music was that good.

  As the band’s set ended, and some piped-through-the-speakers’ music began, she made her way to the bar and ordered a tall glass of beer.

  ‘Didn’t think you’d show your face again,’ a guy stood to her right sneered.

  ‘I’m surprised you ever left the house your whole life with a face like that,’ she smirked back. He moved away to tell his buddies.

  ‘Some people can be total morons,’ the bartender told her. Kelly wasn’t sure whether she was being supportive or calling her a moron.

  ‘True,’ she agreed.

  She stuck to the edge of the dance floor when the band came back for their next set. She danced in front of a table of guys she vaguely recognised. They didn’t seem to have girlfriends with them, and cheered her on a bit. She knew she was getting annoyed glares from other girls trying to get their attention but she figured she’d ignore them and hope they didn’t try to start anything. She wasn’t the bar fighting kind.

  She ran out of steam and, getting another drink, plonked herself artistically at a nearby table. The later it got the more snogging couples there were. She was considering making a move on a guy when a skinny young lad sidled up and slid into the spare seat.

  ‘Anyone sitting here?’ he said, knowing full well there wasn’t.

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘I saw those pics of you.’ He smirked. ‘Pretty good for an amateur.’

  ‘Really?’ Kelly raised her eyebrows in mild annoyance, this was his play? She trying to figure out whether to tell him where to go when another guy joined them.

  ‘You need to clear off mate.’ The skinny guy didn’t argue.

  Kelly grinned.

  ‘Well, at least we know he can run,’ the guy said turning to her. ‘Seems you’re some kind of celebrity around here.’

  ‘Yeah, a series of mistakes.’ She could feel it heading south again.

  ‘Don’t worry about it, everyone makes mistakes. If they’re so fussed about yours, it’s because theirs are worse, only they didn’t get caught.’ He grinned.

  ‘That’s what I keep telling myself.’ She smiled, maybe it wasn’t going south.

  ‘What changed?’

  ‘I didn’t jump,’ she replied cryptically before pulling him up, despite protests, to dance. She didn’t want to sit and chat. Besides, she didn’t reckon she’d ever see him again after tonight.

  They danced, they drank, and despite her best efforts, they chatted. Around midnight she decided she’d had more than enough and suggested he come back to hers. It was about the drunkest come on imaginable and she was laughing at herself as she did it.

  They climbed into his car and he pulled out of the car park. He’d been drinking too but now that she thought about it, he’d been giving her his drinks half the time, and she’d been drinking all sorts of variations. She began to feel stupid. He wasn’t even asking for directions, and they weren’t going in the direction of her caravan.

  ‘I think you’re going the wrong way.’

  ‘Nah babe, I know a great place, you’ll love it, trust me.’ He grinned, part of her screaming to be careful, to get out, to run. But she couldn’t, not at this speed.

  He pulled her over against him as they turned up a country track, the wheels bumping over the ruts until they pulled in behind a stand of trees. He turned the lights off and gestured out the front window as if he was showing her the wonders of the world. All she could see was farmland and cloud. Not even any stars. She gave a small smile.

  ‘Now come here.’ He pulled her over and starting reaching under her clothes. ‘I saw those pictures you know.’

  ‘I didn’t write that stuff and the damn pictures were photoshopped. It’s not what I like, I haven’t even done that stuff.’

  She tried to pull away but he was strong. No one ever believed her. They thought her ex was one of the good guys, always polite and helpful, he would never do something like that. She was sure she’d never trust a guy ever again and here she was in a car with a guy she didn’t know.

  ‘Of course, you’d say that, look at how you’re dressed. It’s clear that’s what you were out for tonight.’ He tried to kiss her.

  ‘You know you’re right, that’s exactly what I came out for tonight. To pull, to have no strings attached sex, to complete my task.’ She hadn’t mentioned the book, just the task. ‘And you seem real keen, so get your gear off. I’ll show you how it’s done.’

  Despite not knowing where she was, she was about to do something in equal parts smart and dumb. She pulled off her narrow belt.

  ‘Now go stand against that tree.’ She pointed as he got out excited but complaining it was cold. He was grinning as he pressed his back against the trunk. She gave him a wicked grin as she moved first one arm and then the other around the trunk. Bound his hands behind the tree with her belt.

  ‘Feels good, doesn’t it?’ she asked coming back to face him. He nodded eagerly as she stuffed his socks into his mouth. He hadn’t quite taken everything off; his jeans remained in place although unfastened. She dipped her hand in the pocket and grasped his keys. Extracting them, she smiled again, knowing she was totally over the limit and had no license.

  ‘See you later okay? I’ll send someone to find you.’ She waved and hopped in his car. It took her a minute to turn his car onto the track and point it back the way they’d come.

  Winding down the window with the power button was easy.

  ‘I had my first lesson today, not doing bad am I?’ she laughed as he groaned around the socks. She didn’t think it would be long before he managed to remove it and start yelling so she hit the accelerator and skidded down the track, just a little out of control and more than a little exhilarated.

  ‘You shouldn’t believe everything you read!’ she yelled.

  Out of sight she slowed when she reached the turning onto the main road and stopped the engine. Then leaning over she pulled out the phone she’d seen him stash in the glove box and rang the most called number.

  ‘Hello? Jaz what you ringing at this time for? You said you were staying with
Matt tonight,’ a sleepy woman’s voice said.

  ‘It’s not Jaz,’ Kelly responded. ‘Are you a friend of his?’

  ‘Yeah, his girlfriend, what’s happened to him? Is he alright?’ Kelly imagined she had sat up in bed and swung her legs off the edge.

  ‘Well, he’s currently tied up. Wanted to try something kinky but I don’t think he got what he was looking for. You’ll find his car at the old track after Bramble farm, just follow it up to the trees.’ Kelly was grinning ‘He never mentioned he had a girlfriend when he was plying me with drinks.’

  ‘I…that fucking dick…thanks.’ She hung up. Kelly hoped the girl wasn’t so mad she’d consider leaving him there longer to think about his actions. She locked the car and stashed the keys on the front tire.

  She knew where she was now and it was about a mile to the next bus stop. The alcohol in her system convinced her it wasn’t as cold as she thought it should be, and helped her ignore the agony her feet would be in.

  The bus stop was deserted as she took a seat. She must have dropped off because the next thing she knew she was being shaken awake.

  ‘There are no buses at this time of night luv,’ the guy was saying as she blinked awake. ‘You want a ride?’

  ‘I’ll wait for the bus.’

  ‘There isn’t another one till 8 tomorrow morning. You’ll freeze before then.’ He was getting her to her feet as he spoke. ‘I’m a cab driver Luv, just tell me where you live.’