I noticed a timer at the edge of my eye—one hour and six minutes.
TING!
Sixty-six minutes.
trial version was accepted, guide sent
Sixty-six…
TING!
My throat tightened.
Payment required.
"Black dust taking shape, something staring at me… Six hundred and sixty-six times my luck? Payment?"
I wasn't a fan of supernatural shit happening to myself. Never was. "What do you mean pa-"
Sharp pain passed through my head
A bitter laugh almost escaped but died halfway.I didn't want to admit it but I must've done something.
Something I couldn't walk back from.
The whispers of the grand casino brushed against my ear again. Just this time it was so loud I felt like my ears would burst any moment. The machines rang chaotically: clink-clang-ching-ching! A girl screamed somewhere down the hall, sharp and brittle. Someone shouted over a heated bet
Glasses collided. Coins spilled.
Muffled crying echoed under the cacophony. It all blended together, warped and amplified in my head. Everything felt too loud and close, even though I realized it was just my imagination .
Swiish.
Each passing car sent a tremor down my skull, a sharp buzz behind my eyes.
Swiish.
It hurt, it was sharp and I wanted it to stop.
Swiiiish.
It hurt, it was sharp and I wanted it to stop. I pressed my palms against my head, trying to block it all out.
I shook my head violently, teeth clenched.
My vision blurred.
The timer, the ringing machines… it wouldn't stop, then I noticed something silvery waving down my neck, a small cross I had around my neck. I let out a strangled groan, my palms pressed harder against my temples, trying to squeeze the noise out.
Every sound hit like a hammer.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch the world and make it shut up. Cold sweat slid down my forehead. My body shook.
I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. I felt whatever it was it wasn't of good nature, "They make systems look so tame in novels- So why, argh-" I coughed a bit forward, palm of blood.
'Please… just—stop…'
Noticing the shadow was getting closer I had enough, I clenched the cross and whispered weakly "IN the name of Jesus, king almighty of all humanity - whatever this evil is, leave me at once. For you shall not find a host."
While money was important, and I needed it. I wouldn't give myself to something evil, at least not yet.
At least not yet.
Then -
Nothing.
Everything went away.
The blue system windows disappeared, the hallucination of a casino disappeared and the shadow dissolved like it was never there.
"All passengers are required to leave, the following station is the last one." The voice through the bus speakers slightly made me flinch, then I looked around realizing I had long ago missed my station.
"What in the world.. Was that?"
I left the bus in a hurry, ignoring the bus DRIVER, ignoring everything. Cold morning air brushed against my cheeks, in a hurried pace I decided to take a walk home instead, to clear my mind. "Was I hallucinating? Is it really fatigue?"
Those thoughts spinned around my mind, who was the entity? What was the system? Did it disappear? Am I still lucky?
Then an answer came, I brushed against a young beautiful lady. We both bowed and apologized but as she turned around I noticed her purse on the ground. Brand new looking, marking of gucci most probably worth in a few thousands with more in the wallet.
I kneeled over and picked it up, noticing her wallet was opened. Each bill was 500 Dennars. I counted eleven bills in total. (One dennar is one euro), then looked at her back - "Excuse me, miss." She turned around, her red hair waving in the air "Yes?" She curiously asked me peeking with her soft blue eyes. I raised the purse
"This, it fell."
Her jaw slightly widened realizing the purse at her left side wasn't present. "Oh my-" She approached me lightly with a smile, she took back the purse gently brushing her warm fingers against mine which were kind of cold. She noticed slightly, peeking at my pale blue hands she asked "Thank you very much.. Excuse me though, are you alright?"
I nodded "I am." Then just turned around and departed,
'Was that luck increased? Is it trying to make me a thief? This lady though.. How rich is she?'
She was left behind still looking at my back, her purse in hand and one bill out "Im sorry Mr!" She yelled out, I raised my hand waving it "it's alright."
I could feel her brow raised, thinking how did he know? And I felt the same, how did I know she'll give me five hundred dennars as a reward for not taking the purse? Why could I sense it?
I touched the cross, I warded away the evil, right?
The system disappeared, right?
It was fatigue, right?
With racing thoughts I finally stood in front of the run down gates of my run down house missing the facade of orange-red bricks falling apart slowly yet surely.
'Whatever it was, I'm home now-'
I was sure to quickly research it online, System, demons? Senses heightened? I'll search everything to get an answer after some coffee and clearing my head.
opening the screechy gates, the window's curtain on the first floor slid open, a single eye appearing to watch me. "That—.. Still not at school, huh…?"
I shook my head a bit climbing up the already falling apart stone stairs, then opened the metallic white doors. "Im home."
Throwing my shoes away I entered the living room expecting to see her, little to no surprise she was hiding.
"Hey I saw you, stop hiding–" entering the kitchen I turned the rusty stove on, and placed a coffee pot on it when I felt a slight presence behind me.
The research will have to wait for a bit, she was more important.
I didn't turn my head around, instead focusing on the running stove. "Welcome home. Elder brother." I nodded "I'm back."
She stepped inside, "Do you want a cup of coffee as well?" I felt her pale hands slightly shaking while touching the strands of her beautiful and long white hair, not even turning around I could notice she was anxious.
My mind raced with one simple question, why? Why can I sense it?
"No.. I'm alright, I'd rather drink cocoa.. Did you buy the milk?"
I stopped for a bit remembering her earlier message, "Ahh-" I had a lingering feeling I forgot something… "Sorry, forgot."
She sat at a chair leaning back and crossing her long legs one over another. "Forgot, or didn't have enough…?"
Her words hit me as I turned towards her, slightly jerking the coffee mug Psshht! —- I raised the mug quickly before Coffee teetered slightly over the edge, threatening to spill over.