The Soul Game

by McQueen, K. T.

  ‘Oh, that’s kinda sad, though. Not the dressing up part. I love to dress up fancy. But I think you must go somewhere nice, not this dive.’ She was smiling cheekily at him.

  ‘Does your boyfriend take you nice places?’ he asked, wondering whether that was overstepping some unspoken line.

  ‘That’s my brother. He just got back from a tour and wanted to catch up. He’s meeting his mates in a bit. And going for a night out that will have him rolling home in the early hours. Completely out of it.’ She waved over her shoulder at him. He waved back.

  ‘Oh, your brother,’ Oliver said.

  ‘Yup.’

  ‘So what are you doing when he goes off with his mates? Are you meeting friends too?’

  ‘Nope thought I’d go home, run a bath, and catch up on some TV.’

  ‘Well if you don’t fancy calling it a night too early, you could join me and Kyle. I’d like to buy you a drink.’ He wasn’t sure where this was coming from. He was being obvious and maybe a little too forward. Considering he’d never, ever, spoken to her before.

  ‘Aw, that would be nice. I’ll see how late his friends turn up. I have to work in the morning and I don’t want to be too out of it.’ It felt like a brush off.

  ‘No worries,’ he said with a grin, a little tighter than it had been. ‘If not tonight maybe next time?’

  ‘Tell you what, I’ll give you my number and if I can’t stay you can give me a ring. We could go somewhere that suit will fit in better.’ She grinned and waited for him to hand over his phone. It took him a minute to realise.

  ‘Oh, I dropped my mobile down the toilet.’

  ‘That was silly,’ she giggled. Leaning over the bar she grabbed a napkin and pen and scribbled on it before handing it over. He found out her name was Leilah.

  ‘Thanks, Leilah,’ he said as she walked away, a single glance over her shoulder. What an amazing name. He forgot to get the drinks and went back to Kyle.

  ‘You got her number?’ Kyle was shocked. ‘But no drinks?’

  ‘Oh yeah, shit, sorry. Be right back.’

  She came to tell him she was heading home when her brother’s mates turned up. It was near midnight and Oliver and Kyle were about to call it a night too. Kyle had been ready to go home half an hour earlier but Oliver had convinced him to stick around. She kissed his cheek and he promised to ring her the following day.

  Task: Today you must get others to want what you have. Perhaps they will try to take it from you, or maybe must go and get one for themselves to parade in front of you. A complication will arise today, each of you will be given an extra task. Each of you will be asked to do something that you won’t want to do. You will be given a sign, a note, a letter, a message, that will show you exactly what you must do.

  He was sure he knew how he could complete his next task. Running himself a hot bath he scrubbed and cleaned, shaved, clipped his nails. Exfoliated with something interesting the bitch had left behind. Then he got out and powdered himself, cleaned his teeth until they shone.

  He felt so clean he wasn’t sure he wanted to sit down in case the seat got him dirty. But figuring he didn’t have much else to do he put on a movie and took a nap on the sofa. At 5 pm he picked up the phone and called Leilah.

  ‘I wondered if you’d be free to go out tonight?’ he asked.

  ‘It’s a bit short notice.’ She sounded like she was smiling.

  ‘We can do another night if you’d prefer but I heard it’s easy to get a table at Gino’s. And since you said we should go somewhere fancy…’

  ‘You’re going to wear that suit two nights in a row?’ crap he hadn’t thought of that.

  ‘I have another one.’ He waited but she didn’t say anything. ‘Do you want to go?’

  ‘I’d love to go to Gino’s; it’s just been a long day at work and I have to be here again first thing tomorrow. I’m not going to be great company.’

  ‘You have to eat, don’t you? We can just get dinner and get to know each other a little.’

  ‘Okay, sure, I’ll meet you there at seven.’

  ‘Great,’ he said.

  He rang for a cab. He was going to have to go to the retail park and hope he could get a suit before they closed. He was spending more money than he had when he’d been in a relationship. He knew he couldn’t afford any of it and yet somehow the money was always there. And he wanted to impress Leilah.

  The shop assistant was very helpful. Picking out a dark grey suit, saying it went well with his eyes. A pale blue shirt, belt, and socks. He wasn’t sure why socks mattered but he was glad he had suitable shoes at home. Or at least shoes he thought would be suitable, maybe he needed to get shoes too. The assistant insisted he shouldn’t wear a tie. Gino’s was a little too trendy for tie wearers. He splashed out and bought some new aftershave. It had been a while since he’d worn anything decent. Then he jumped back in a cab and made his way home to get ready.

  All dolled up and patiently waiting at the table he decided to have a glass of wine. He didn’t usually drink wine. He’d gotten there a little early and hadn’t expected her to be on time, he’d found women rarely were. But she was half an hour late and a quick call to her mobile had gone unanswered. He wasn’t sure whether that meant she was on her way or he was being stood up.

  He waited a little longer before accepting she wasn’t coming and ordering the steak. He was here, he might as well eat. He was sure there were people here with more money than him. More used to buying extravagant meals without having to count every penny to do so. A huge dessert followed. Designed for two, he thought the other clientele would envy him getting it all for himself. But they didn’t look impressed, more kind of disgusted. This wasn’t his kind of place.

  In the end, when he had paid the exorbitant bill, he began his walk home. A little part of him glad she hadn’t turned up. If he’d had to pay for two meals, he would be skint. As it was he might have to sell his comic collectibles just to make it to the end of the month. He wondered whether he could still take the suit back as he turned into the cemetery; almost a third of the way in before he began to grow concerned. Little noises in the dark were making him jump. He became convinced someone was following him. The noises had turned into regular rhythmic walking. He wasn’t sure whether to turn around or run.

  A tap on his shoulder made him scream.

  ‘I’m sorry I was late,’ Leilah said, ‘and sorry I scared you.’

  ‘Oh my god, I thought you were going to rob and murder me.’ He was bent over, gasping for breath.

  ‘I’d never rob you,’ she giggled.

  But there was something about the giggle. He glanced up at her. There was something very strange about her this evening. Almost like she wasn’t the same woman. Her eyes seemed greener and her hair blacker.

  ‘Did you…did you maybe want to go and get a drink? There’s a pub just on the other side of the cemetery. I could buy you one before we head home,’ he suggested more nervous than he’d wanted to sound.

  ‘Or we could just hang out in here. Get to know each other better.’

  She was getting closer, suggestively close. He’d never felt so unsure of a woman’s actions in his life. If a woman was coming onto you like this, you went with it. But there was something about her that was off-putting. Her eyes maybe, how they seemed to keep catching the light and glowing red. Like a dog’s eyes.

  ‘Near all these graves?’ his voice wasn’t cooperating. It sounded weak.

  ‘In the shadows, no one can see. Over there. Against that tree maybe?’ her raised eyebrow was sinister.

  ‘Actually, I’m pretty full and a little drunk. I just want to go home and sleep.’ Now he’d said it out loud he wondered if it was the drink that was making him see things. He tried to move off but she grabbed him. ‘Look, why don’t we go back to mine and get a coffee?’

  ‘Aw come on, this would be fun, right here in the graveyard. With the dead watching and the living just meters away, unaware.’

  ‘Graveyard
,’ he repeated stupidly.

  ‘Yeah, let’s get wild. A little crazy.’ She was rubbing up against him, and he’d never been less keen.

  ‘Do you know what, I don’t think so? I’m not into the kinky stuff and definitely not outdoors. Nobody needs to see that.’ He started to move away. ‘I think we should just call it quits and go home.’

  She walked him backwards a few paces. Her body pressed against his until he felt his back connect with the tree trunk. He hoped it wouldn’t ruin the suit.

  ‘I’m serious, I’m not into this.’ He pushed against her but she didn’t move.

  ‘Get off me!’ he snapped.

  ‘Why didn’t you complete the extra task?’ she asked coldly.

  ‘The extra…how do you know about that?’ her face seemed vicious, perfectly angled beauty and not pretty at all.

  ‘It doesn’t matter how, why didn’t you complete it?’

  ‘I didn’t get one.’ He tried to shove her away again but the force she was using to keep him in place was phenomenal.

  ‘Yes, you did.’ She hissed unfolding magnificent, shiny, leathery wings.

  ‘What are you?’ he whimpered.

  ‘Doesn’t matter, I’m here for what you owe.’ She moved back. Her hand, elongated, sharp manicured nails reaching into his chest. ‘I’ve come to collect your soul.’

  ‘No!’ he stammered, grasping at the light being pulled from him. Resembling him, the way he imagined he looked, the way he looked in his dreams. He tried to wrap his meaty hands around it. But it just kept slipping through. ‘No please.’

  His sobs mingled with the screams of his soul as it ripped out. Like strings being plucked inside him, snapping and stretching, one by one. Tears soaked Oliver’s face as his soul screams mingled with her happy, musical, laughter; the pair disappearing between the trees and into the dark night. He didn’t bother moving from the dirt he sat in. He wasn’t sure he would ever bother moving again. They could just dig him a grave and roll him in.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: MAËL

  ‘Okay I’m here, now what? Where is this?’ Stan asked, still managing to look like his usual well-groomed self.

  ‘The bookstore,’ Mike gestured and led the way.

  ‘It doesn’t look open,’ Stan pointed out. ‘Have you been trying to sell your books here?’

  ‘It’s not open. I had this vision this morning, made me sick, that the owner had been killed last night by two men, well one man, the other seemed to be some kind of winged demon,’ Mike explained, trepidation building, rubbing his bracelet. ‘He was at our apartment last night.’

  He didn’t mention the cat, for some reason he thought that fact would make Stan turn around and walk away. This whole escapade was based on the rubbing of a cat? No thanks mate. It would make Mike sound crazy on a whole new level.

  ‘So we’re going to find a dead body?’ Stan sounded surprised.

  ‘I don’t know. I just…shit, come on, just come in with me, if there’s nothing, you can go tell everyone about your crazy friend,’ Mike said annoyed.

  ‘Hey, I called in sick, said I’d witnessed a horrible accident. If this turns out to be nothing I get a day off.’ Stan held his hands up in supplication.

  They reached the bookstore and Mike gave the door a shove. Flies flew from the body, seeking escape, barrelling past Mike and Stan.

  ‘Gross!’ Stan put his hand to his face.

  Mike ignored him and pushed further. It was oppressive, the darkness, the mustiness coupled with the nasty copper smell of already congealing blood. But he had to check for a pulse, just in case. There was none, he’d known there wouldn’t be, but he had to be sure.

  ‘How are you so calm?’ Stan questioned.

  ‘I’m not. What do we do?’ Mike asked.

  ‘I’ll make a call. Is there anything I need to know about this? You two weren’t…you know…’ Stan asked waggling his eyebrows.

  ‘Ew no! He’s centuries older than me,’ Mike said. ‘Just call whoever needs to be called. I haven’t got a clue.’

  Mike moved away to the kitchen, a vague idea that he should check for clues – or at the very least cat food.

  ‘I’ve called the authorities; they’ll be here soon. They said not to move anything.’ Stan had followed him and found Mike peering into cupboards. ‘What are you looking for?’

  ‘Cat food, he had a cat. Haven’t seen it, though, thought we could maybe tempt it with food. Someone’s going to have to take care of it.’

  ‘Well, not me. Hate the furry little things. The way they look at you like they know stuff.’ Stan shivered, he’d never been good around cats. ‘Oh, hey, he was a Faroe Demon.’

  Stan was holding a postcard he’d pulled from the fridge. A pretty picture of some distant countryside adorned the front, but Stan was looking at the back.

  ‘How do you know?’ Mike asked. ‘That’s just a postcard.’

  ‘It’s pretty much spelled out on the back.’ He handed the card over just as the authorities arrived. Going through the place, bagging Sparky and removing the body, checking all the symbols for alterations. Making notes, asking questions, they were about to leave when one picked up a letter from the table. Mike slipped the postcard into his coat pocket.

  ‘Well, this is interesting,’ the woman said. ‘Last will and testament.’

  ‘Just laying out on the table?’ the other asked.

  ‘Yup looks like it was only just written too.’

  ‘Best get it to the lawyers.’ The man turned to Stan and Mike. ‘I’m afraid we’ll have to ask you to vacate the premises. If there’s anything here of yours I suggest you take it now.’

  ‘Nothing of mine.’ Stan smiled and made his way to the front door.

  ‘I’ll just take the cat food,’ Mike said. ‘I’ll let the neighbour know to call me if it turns up. I’ll take care of it till it can be rehomed.’

  ‘Careful mate, your girlfriend might get attached and want to keep it.’ Stan laughed.

  The woman frowned. Looking like she wanted to say something but thinking better of it. He was getting accustomed to people looking like that at him.

  ‘Perhaps you should take your books back too,’ she said, gesturing to the pile on the table with the self-help guide on the top. Everything tied together with a length of string. ‘I’m going to ask the neighbours some questions so I’ll let them know about the cat. Just give me your number and go home.’

  ‘Go home?’ Mike handed over one of the cards he’d been given by the company, he might not be intending to keep working for them but it had his mobile number on.

  ‘I may need to contact you to ask more questions.’ She smiled warily.

  ‘Yes, of course, anything you need to know.’ He smiled.

  Then she ushered him, with his armload of books and cat food, out of the door. Closing it and sealing it with magic. Stan eyed the bundle in Mike’s arms. ‘Let’s get you a cab.’

  ‘What have you got planned for the rest of your free day then?’ Mike wondered if he should buy Stan a drink after forcing him to go find a dead body.

  ‘Well, actually there’s a girl I want to spend a little time getting to know. Think I’ll give her a call and do something fun. Take my mind off the show you just gave me.’ He laughed. ‘Now go home and await the summons to collect your new pet cat!’

  ‘Can’t believe I just agreed to that. What was I even thinking?’ Mike held out the food. ‘Don’t even know where to get this from.’

  ‘Ask a witch.’ Stan shook his head. ‘Right, I have a woman to conquer.’

  ‘You are so Dark Ages!’ Mike laughed and pulled the door of the cab shut. The driver was frowning. Mike smiled apologetically and gave him the address.

  They pulled up and Mike hopped out, his packages balanced on one arm as he paid the driver and walked up to the apartment door. He felt numb, the day had been so full and sad that he wasn’t sure what he was feeling. He’d hardly known Sparky and yet felt like they would have become great friends given t
ime. As he reached his front door he heard what sounded like the cat fighting with something.

  ‘What on earth is going on?’ he asked opening the door. Only to find the cat sound asleep in the middle of the dining table, dreaming, legs kicking, whiskers twitching, and tail going.

  He put the books down on the breakfast bar with the tins of cat food, except one, which he cracked open and spooned out into a dish. And somehow the cat was wide awake and getting in the way.

  ‘Eat up,’ he said for no obvious reason.

  ‘Meow.’

  He hoped, with all his heart, that Joy would be okay with this. They’d never talked about having pets before and he realised he didn’t even know if she was allergic.

  CHAPTER SIXTY: MAËL

  He’d spent most the day unable to get comfortable, waiting for something to happen, his phone to ring or a knock at the door. But there was nothing. Until Joy arrived.

  ‘Oh my god, you got a cat?’ Was the first thing she said.

  ‘It’s Bombardier, Sparky’s cat,’ he sighed knowing he was going to have to tell her. ‘He was…found dead this morning, they think it was his heart.’

  ‘Oh no, all that thunder must have frightened the life out of him,’ she looked sad.

  Bombardier was being all cute and cuddly for Joy. He really, really, wanted her to scratch his tummy, or at least it looked like that’s what he wanted. Mike got the distinct impression he was being given a look that said ‘I’ll help you out this time, but you have got to get a grip on this.’

  ‘Well we’ll make Bombardier feel right at home. Won’t we, you big softy. There’s a good kitty.’ Then she got up looking determined and grabbed her purse. ‘I’ll be back soon; this poor little man needs some special presents to cheer him up. What food does he need?’