The last time I was truly free was the evening after my father’s funeral.
It was quite a tragic loss. He’d “accidentally” shot himself the previous week. Everyone said they didn’t see it coming but if we’re being totally honest, all the signs were there. I’d do anything to change what happened.
“Do you want to play a game?”
I didn’t realise the man was a demon when he first approached me. He looked like any other person you’d encounter at the bus stop. A tall man, jet black suit, perhaps he worked in finance. His question made me assume it was probably sales.
“Sorry, not interested” I mumbled.
“I’m not trying to sell you anything sir”
His persistence irked me. I fumbled my hands as my knuckles tightened with rage.
“Not today thanks”
“Just a quick game?”
I snapped.
“I’m not in the mood for games today!”
The man went silent and stared ahead. It was here I noticed his unusual yellow eyes. I exhaled, relieved that he’d finally received the message. Or so I thought. He tilted his head and tried a new angle.
“What if I showed you what we’re playing for?”
The man clicked his fingers.
SNAP.
The world shifted around me. No longer was I sitting at a bus stop. Instead, I sat at a chess table in a darkly lit garage. My father’s garage.
The stranger was seated at the opposing end, facing me. Black pieces were perfectly positioned on the squares in front of him.
I heard movement from behind. The sound of a metallic click. I followed its direction. There I found my father fiddling with a shotgun.
“Dad?”
“He can’t hear you” chimed the stranger.
My father placed the shotgun in his mouth. I didn’t want to see this. Nobody should have to see this.
“DAD!”
The stranger clicked his fingers once again.
SNAP
My father stopped. Frozen in time. It was like he had been put on pause.
“White goes first”
I flashed the man a bewildered look.
“What?”
“In chess. White goes first. Now that you know what we’re playing for…let’s begin!”
I was speechless. I glanced down at the white pieces in front of me before turning back to the man. I said nothing.
“You do know how to play?” He asked.
“I don’t understand”
“Chess, you know how to pla-“
“Yes, I know how to play chess. I just don’t understand what the hell is going on here!”
My voice bounced of the concrete floor. The man chuckled before extending a hand out to me.
“Okay. If I must introduce myself, you can refer to me as the Demon of Death.”
I nervously glanced at his palm. I was unsure of interacting with this man. I was unsure of everything. I left him hanging.
He pulled his hand away.
“Clever man. A touch from Death can kill you!”
He laughed at his own comment before gesturing back to the board.
“The rules state that every couple of millennia, very rarely that is, a miracle is allowed to occur. But it must be earned. Won in a game.”
He tapped the board with a pointed fingernail.
“As the bringer of death, the universe allows me to choose which miracle, opponent and game”
He looked at my father.
“The miracle.”
He gestured to me.
“The opponent”
Finally, with a touch of showmanship, he circled his two hands over the table.
“The game. Now let’s play. Your father’s life is on the line”
I started to connect the dots.
“You mean if I win-“
“Your father gets to live. Yes. Time will readjust and a miracle will be allowed to occur.”
I considered what was being proposed. An idea formed in my head. I’d never been the type of person to follow the rules. In fact, most people would very rarely play games with me as I’d always find a sneaky way to win. Call it cheating, call it getting your way. If this was a chance to save my father…I had to take it.
I slid my first pawn out onto the board. The game had officially started.
From the early onset it was clear I was on the backfoot. This Demon of Death was clearly a master of the game and wasn’t slowing down for me.
In a matter of minutes I had lost both rooks and one of my horses. I could sense a surprise checkmate was around the corner. None of it mattered. I had another strategy in mind.
As the pieces were being moved I eyed my father’s shotgun. I figured if this Demon of Death was partly responsible for my father’s demise then there was a way to make him reconsider.
I placed my queen directly in the path of his bishop. I knew it was a horrible move but I needed to distract him with the game to buy a few seconds. Exactly as desired, the demon jumped forward to claim my piece. This gave me ample time to rise from my seat, snatch the shotgun from my father’s hands and point it towards my opponent.
The demon smiled and slowly raised his hands.
“Well, well, looks like we have a bit of a stalemate my friend”
I remained focused with my plan, determined not to be swayed by his demeanour.
“You’re gonna let both me and my father out of this place alive”
“Am I now?”
The demon didn’t seem shaken. This unnerved me but I pushed those feelings aside. He continued.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that my friend. You see it’s against the rules.”
“Well you better forget those rules, cause the alternative is me pulling this trigger.”
“You think by killing Death…a natural constant in this universe…both you and your father will survive?”
My finger trembled over the trigger.
“Eliminating the Demon of Death has got to do something, right?”
He stared at me for a long moment. His expression finally shifted to one of defeat.
“Alright you got me.”
His hands tilted outwards as he shrugged.
“I’m sick of this gig anyway. Been doing it for too long.”
He shuffled in his chair.
“Would you believe being responsible for death means you end up seeing a lot of death? I’m tired.”
I moved the gun forward, pushing the barrell into his chest. He was talking too much. I really didn’t trust the guy. He remained unbothered in his tone.
“I can’t change the rules sir. You’re gonna have to shoot me if you want this to work.”
A wide grin possessed his face.
BANG!
Smoke dispersed out of the shotgun’s barrel. The demon dropped to the floor. I walked over to his body and watched as blood pooled out of the wound. His chest was rapidly rising and falling. Still breathing. No.
He was laughing.
“Knew you’d do that.” He whispered.
“You shouldn’t have done it but I wanted you to do it.”
His amber eyes began to fade to a grey wash. He uttered his final words.
“Why do you think I chose you, the “world’s best cheater” to play me?”
His chest stopped moving. Slowly his body began to fade away. Erased from existence.
I pivoted back towards my father. Time still remained frozen.
A dark wave suddenly washed over my body. I gazed down at my torso and observed a jet black suit grow out of my flesh. It was exactly like the one worn by the demon. I ran over to the garage windows and studied my reflection. My iris colour had changed to a deep yellow. Pointed tips formed on my nails.
I recalled the demon’s words…
“A natural constant in this universe”
I understood what game the demon was playing now. I think he wanted out of this depressing job. Now it was my turn.
I placed the shotgun back in my father’s hands. There was a choice to be made.
Remain stuck in this frozen moment forever? Allow time to continue with the snap of my fingers?
Either way, my father was gone and at some point, in this preserved instant, I would eventually come to accept that.
SNAP.