New York, March 15th 2017
A young lad was walking down an alley, the only illumination he had in the cloudy dark night were the street lamps. He was whistling to himself a tune he had heard from a commercial.
His curly brown hair was bouncing in rythm with his steps, while his green eyes were scanning his surroundings. Although it was already spring, it still became chilly at night so the man wore a thick grey hoodie and blue jeans, while carrying a backpack.
Suddenly his phone started to vibrate, which was followed by a sweet tune of a great classic. "Speak to me." he answered.
"Hey Danny!" answered back a cheerfull voice. "You at the place yet?"
"Yeah. I just have to turn the corner and I'll have it in my sight."
"Good, call me when you're done."
"Sure thing. Hear ya later Matt."
"See ya."
Yep, that lad is me. Danny Evergreen. A college drop-out and a small time burglar. I work with my friend Matt. He finds a place worth stealing from, lets me know about it, I steal and then he sells it. It's has its risks, but the outcome is worth it.
What? You thought I was some kind of hero? Heh, fat chance. Too much work, too little pay.
Anyway, my next target was a small apartment complex. My bro Matt found out that a semi-wealthy couple was spending their evening at their parents, so now I'm on my way to clean the place out.
Like I said to Matt before, as soon as I rounded the corner I was in front of the building. Looking around, I made sure there were no coppers or good-hearted neighbours that would mess with my job. Seeing I was in the clear I made my way across the road and into an alleyway next to the apartment.
"Second floor, third window to the right." I recited what Matt told me. Ascending the fire escape stairs, I made it to the window and looked inside.
The place was tidy, which was good, since it made finding valuables much easier. I took out my pocket knife and with it unlocked the window. Slowly climbing in I turned on my flashlight, that I took out of my backpack and looked around.
The place was nice, you could immidiatelly feel the love nest vibe this place was exuding. The apartment had a single bedroom, a bathroom, living room and kitchen. I quickly and quietly made my way over to the bedroom and searched around.
And like I thought, inside one of the dressers was a jewelry box filled with, well, jewelry. In one fell swoop, I emptied the contents of the box and put it back where it was before. I looked around some more, but found nothing else that was worth stealing, so I went into the livingroom.
The first thing I saw in there was an XboxOne. "Come to papa." I whispered as I snatched it up and put it in my backpack. Seeing nothing else in clear sight I started to rummage through drawers and lucky me, I found ten Hamiltons and four Jacksons. With a massive grin I decided to have a look into the kitchen as well, to see if they had silverware or at the very least a good snack.
Unfortunately there was no silver, but I did find a couple of Twinkies. Putting them in my pocket I concluded, that I was done here and decided to leave. Just as I made my way to the window, a faint glimmer caught my eye. Looking at one of the drawers I looked through, I saw one of the wickedest medallions I've ever seen.
I contemplated for a bit, if I should take it or not. In the end I took it. If it was worth money I would sell it, if not I'd still have a kickass medallion. Quickly grabbing it I made my escape through the window and began to walk back to my home.
***
Next day
I was merrily walking down the street, towards Matts place. Last nights haul was happilyy clinking inside my backpack and it made me smile. Another great day, I thought as I rubbed the medallion and hummed one of Queens songs. Soon I reached my desired destination and knocked on the door of Matts apartment.
"Who's there?" asked a voice from behind the doors.
"Your mama." I said. The doors opened and I stepped inside.
"We really need to change the password man." he complained as I dropped off my backpack and sat into his couch.
Matt was the same age as me, but unlike me he was still in college. He was your stereotypicall ginger. Red hair, freckles all of it. He wore thick rimmed glasses on top of his, as he liked to call it, 'perfect nose' (I can't lie, it really was the most perfect nose I've ever seen). He was a tall guy, easily 6'11'' and was kind of on the chubby side. He wasn't fat by any means, just a little rounded around the stomach region.
"Why? I think it's perfect." I countered. Ignoring my comment, Matt made his way over to my backpack and had a look inside.
"Holy shit dude!" he exclaimed. "This is one of the best hauls you've ever brought back."
"You know it baby." I soaked in his praise, like I was a sponge.
He continued to look at every piece of jewelry and the Xbox. After some mental calculations he told me how much it was worth. "You've probably snatched around 1000$."
"Aw yeah, I'm having pizza tonight." I celebrated. It was then that I remembered that I had something else to show to my friend. "Hey!" I called him, gaining his attention. "How much do you think this is worth?"
I took off the medallion and gave it to him. He gave it a look over and even bitten into it. When he was done observing it, he handed it back to me. "I think it's just a piece of metal made to look pretty." he gave me his judgement.
"Oh well, at least it looks cool right?" I said as I looked at Matt, putting the medallion back on my neck.
"It sure does." Matt agreed with me. "Want some beer?" he offered.
"Hell yeah, lay it on me. We celebratin' tonight." I said as he handed me a bottle.
***
It was close to midnight when I left Matts place. We had quite a drinking session, but I was still mostly sober, just slightly dizzy, if anything. I was leisurly walking back to my apartment, when I heard the sound of a car engine.
I paid it no mind, since I did live in one of the biggest cities in the world after all. However the sound of the car grew louder and I could tell the driver was going fast. I stole a glance behind me and before I knew it, the sounds of breaks echoed through the vicinity. I had no time to react, as the car hit it me and I rolled over it.
As I rolled over the hood and roof of the car I couldn't see or hear anything, but I could feel indescribable pain coursing through me. It seemed like minutes passed, before I hit the hard concrete. The pain was unbearable. My vision faded in and out of darkness, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. With the last of my strength i glanced at the car. I hoped the driver would get out of the vehicle and call the ambulance. To my horror, the engine roared to life again and with screeching tires the driver drove off.
"Asshole." I said in a weak whisper, before the darkness consumed me.
Floating in nothingness I felt calm and at peace. "So this is dying, huh? Ain't so bad." I continued to float and take in the serenity of the place. My eyes were then drawn to the only source of light there was. It was warm and welcoming. I began to float to it and as I got closer the warmth grew.
"Maybe it won't be so bad."
Suddenly the light was obscured by a wall of orange fire. I halted my approach, but it didn't help as my body was consumed by it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" I screamed as my body was burnt away. I tried to grasp the light in hopes of saving myself from the flames, but it disappeared and darkness was now illuminated by only the fire.
***
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" I shouted as my body jolted upwards. The fire and the darkness were gone and instead were replaced by the familiar skyscrapers and street lamps. My breathing was ragged and sweat fell down my body like a waterfall.
I looked around myself and saw that I wasn't on the sidewalk where the car hit me, but in a small alleyway. Quickly tapping my body to see if anything hurt, I realised that I was fine.
"Holy shit!" I cursed out loud. "Note to self, never drink beer before scotch." Slowly standing up to my wobbly legs I started to make my way out of the alley. But as I reached the end the sight that was before me, made me stare in shock.
The street was the same one I had been walking down, before I was hit. And what was even more terrifying, there was a small puddle of blood where I had hit the ground. Shaking my head I thought I was seeing things, but no matter how much I tried the stain remained there.
I looked down as I reached into my pocket, to retrive my phone, when my gaze fell on something even more usettling. There was a blood stain on my hoodie. Tapping around my neck I realised the medallion was gone and all that it left was a small burn mark on my chest and a hole in my hoodie.
Having enough of this shit I took out my phone and called the only person I could think of at the moment, Matt.
"Pick up, pick, pick up." I chanted nervously, my head hurting from all that happened.
"Hello?" When I heard his voice I sighed in relief.
"Dude Matt you won't believe what happened. I was walking down the street, when this asshole in his car drove down it and-"
"I'm sorry who is this?"
Confused at his question I thought he was trying to play a joke on me. "Very funny Matt. It's me Danny."
"Danny who?" he asked.
"Danny Evergreen. You know? Your best friend, your partner in crime. Danny."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know anyone by that name. Sorry."
I stood in the middle of street in shock. I sensed no joking intent in his voice and that unnerved me.
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
"I said I don't know anyone by that name. You must've gotten the wrong number pal." Matt apologised.
"Don't screw with me!" I yelled and balled my fist. "Your name is Matthew Rain, right?"
"How do you-?"
"Because we've been friends since highschool. We've done everything together. You can't just say you don't remember me!"
"Look, I don't know how you know my name or how you got my number, but I'll hang up now and kindly ask you to never call me again." he warned.
"Matt wait!" I tried to stop him, but he'd already hung up. I gripped the phone tightly and gritted my teeth. "WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!" I shouted. "Who the fuck does he take me for?" Angrily I began to walk back to his place, while spewing every insult I could think of. "I'll sock him right into his perfect nose. He thinks he's fucking funny. I've just been ran over by a car (I think) and he decides to make fun of me."
It took me about fifteen minutes, before I reached his place. I walked to his floor and stopped in front of his apartment door. I knocked violently.
"Who's there?" asked Matt from the other side.
"Pizza delivery." I lied.
The sound of doors unlocking reached my ears, as the doors began to slowly open. "I didn't order any pi-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as I pushed through the door into the room. I stood in the middle and crossed my arms and glared at my friend.
"Explain fucker!" I threatened. Matt just looked at me with confusion and horror plastered across his face.
"Who are you and why did you just break into my home?" he screamed.
"Will you stop fucking with me! It's me. Danny." I shouted back.
Matt raised a brow, trying to figure out who I was until it dawned on him. "You're the guy who was calling me earlier." he said.
"Yeah, and I'm also your best friend." I claimed. "What the fuck is wrong with you man, I've just been ran over by a car and you're here pretending you don't know me."
"One, I really don't know you and two, if you really were ran over by a car, then how come you're not bleeding or have any visible injuries, beside the hoodie?" he argued. I couldn't answer to his second question, since I didn't know myself how that was possible.
"I don't know. I just remember the car, how it sped at me and then the darkness. When I woke up I was fine and the car was gone." I recounted. "But that doesn't matter now. What I want to know is why you're still pretending."
"I keep telling you I'm not pretending. I honest to god don't know you, I'm sure we've never even met." he tried to reason with me, but I didn't listen.
"Oh yeah?" I challenged. "If we've never met, then how I know your favorite game is Devil May Cry, your favorite color is green and that you once had a teddy bear by the name of Colonel Sanders?"
Matts expression switched from confused to pure terror. "H-how do you know all that?" he asked with a shaky voice.
"Because we are best friends. Look over there." I said as I pointed toward a picture frame on one of his shelves. "We even took a picture together before I dropped out." I took it off the shelf and began to wave it around. "See right here, this is us in front of our favorite hang... out." I trailed off, as I only now looked at the picture. Where there was supposed to be me was an empty spot and only Matt was in the picture. "What the fuck?" I mumbled.
My attention was the drawn back to Matt, as I heard a soft click. When my eyes settled back on him, they widened when I saw what he had inhis hand. A gun.
"I'm giving you one chance to get the hell out of here and never return." he said as he pulled back the hammer. "Leave! Now!"
I put the picture down and raised my hands. "Matt, dude. Calm down. This game has gone on long enough. So how about you stop before-"
"I told you already I'm not playing, I honest to god don't know you." Tears began to well in his eyes as he stared me down. "Last warning! Leave!"
"Dude, seriously. We can talk about this." I said in a calm tone and slowly approached him. "So if you'd just put the gun away and sit down-"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" he yelled, before a loud bang sounded off. I felt a sharp pain in my chest and when I looked down I saw a blood stain growing on my shirt. I shifted my gaze back to Matt and looked at him in disbelief. I tried to say something, but only blood escaped my mouth. I collapsed, my legs no longer having any strength and the world grew dark.
***
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I once again awoke from the same dream I had when the car ran me over. I panted as sweat rolled down my forehead. I quickly began to inspect my chest to see if there was any wound. To my surprise and relief there weren't any, beside the blood stain. I looked around myself, expecting to be in Matts apartment, but I wasn't. I was lying in what I suspected was a broom closet. With shaky legs I stood up and opened the door.
I imideatelly recognised the place. I was still in Matts apartment complex. "That fucker!" I growled and ran back to his apartment. I knocked even harder than the first time.
"Who's there?"
"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR MATT!!!" I shouted, probably waking up his neighbours. The doors opened and I looked at my 'friend'.
"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" he asked confused. His gaze then went to the blood stained hoodie and his eyes widened. "Oh my god, are you OK?"
My right eye twitched and my anger rose to a new degree. "AGAIN WITH THIS SHIT? FIRST YOU PRETEND YOU DON'T KNOW ME, THEN YOU SHOOT ME, STUFF ME IN THE BROOM CLOSET AND NOW YOU'RE PRETENDING LIKE NONE OF THAT EVER HAPPENED?" I lashed out at him, while he just stood there petrified.
I panted heavily, waiting for his response. After a few seconds he broke out of stunned gaze and looked at me with worry. "Sir, are you alright? Have you been drinking too much or something?"
I think it was at that point that I realised he wasn't kidding. I've known him for years and I knew he couldn't handle a stressful situation. He would even crack if there was a salesman at his door, so there is no way he could stay calm like this after shooting someone. I stared at him disbelief, unable to comprehend what was happening, but there was one thing I was sure of. Something weird was going on.
"You really don't remember me, do you?" I asked in a defeated tone.
"I'm sorry, but should I?" he wondered with a raised brow.
"Heh." I smiled to myself as I turned away from him. "Nah, I'm sorry for scaring you like this. I was at a friends party and maybe I had one too many to drink. Again I apologise for scaring you, have a good night."
"You too." he answered back and closed the door.
I don't know what exactly happened afterwards, all I can recall is me wandering around the city lost in thought. When I came back from my daydreaming I headed back home. Once I arrived I threw myself onto my bed and fell asleep, thinking over what had happened in the last few hours.
***
The sunlight poured through my window and conveniently landed on my face. With a groan I began to wake up. I streched my back and smacked my lips. The events of last night still ran through my head as I tried to figure out what exactly had happened. But no matter how hard I thought, it always ended in the same conclusion. I just had to prove it and I knew exactly how to do that.
I quickly changed my clothes and ran out, straight to the lobby. There at the reception stood Mr. Wayken the landlord. I approached him in such a way that it seemed like I just arrived from the outside. When he finally spotted me he smiled and greeted me.
"Good day to you sir. How may I help you?" he said with a huge smile.
Mr. Wayken was a man in his mid-forties. His hair had already began to turn grey, as did his moustache. His black hair was slicked back and his dark brown eyes scanned me from top to bottom, trying to figure out if I was a potential costumer or just a passerby. I liked Mr. Wayken, he was kind and very tolerant, but he had a nasty tendency to put his nose in other peoples business.
"Noon Mr. Wayken." I greeted back.
He looked at me curiously. "Oh my, have we met before?" At that point I began to realise that my suspicions were correct, but I had to be sure.
"Ah no, we haven't. I'm actually new in the city and a friend of mine suggested that this place was a good place to stay at." I lied. Wayken smiled in glee and he nodded his head.
"Then your friend is quite right. This is one of the best places to settle down." he spoke in a joyus tone. That was another thing I liked about the guy. He was always so cheerful.
But before he could continue with his banter I interjected. "I'm curious about one of the rooms though." I said.
Wayken looked at in curiosity. "Which one would that be?" he asked.
"Room 249." I replied. That was the number of my room. Wayken thought over, trying to remember the room.
"Ah that one." he said as he snapped his fingers. "That room was abandoned by its previous owner. He left all of his things behind and took the key with him. Though I can't seem to recall what his name was or even his face for that matter." He then shot me a look of suspicion. "Why are you interested in that room anyway?"
"Well you see that room belonged to my friend I told you about. He was suddenly transferred to another branch of the company he works in and he didn't have time to pack most of his things and even took the key with him. He realised his mistake when I spoke to him about my living arrangements and he said I could take his room and all the stuff he had in it." I told the landlord.
He gave me a skeptical look trying to see if I was lying, but luckily for me I was very good at it. Eventually he deemed that I was trustworthy and began to lead me to my 'new' room. "So that is what happened. Well I'm just glad the key was returned and that I won't have to look after his things from now on." he sighed in relief.
When we arrived I whipped out my key and opened the door. We both walked in and saw the fully furnished room. "This is the living room, over there is the kitchen and next to it is-"
I rasied my hand stopped the man from continuing. "My friend already told all about the place, I just had to see it before I settled in." I acted as if i was checking the place out and then turned to the man. "I'll take it."
"Excellent." Mr. Wayken said as he clapped lightly. "We just have to sort out your rent and all the legal documents and you can settle in ASAP."
"Glad to hear that." I followed him outside and closed the door. "But before we get to the paperwork, mind if I stop by someplace first?"
"Most certainly Mr. ummm..."
"Evergreen. Danny Evergreen."
"Mr. Evergreen, I see. By the time you get back I'll have everything ready for you to sign." he said as we parted.
"See you later then."
***
I was now once again in my room, staring at the ceiling. After my meet with Mr. Wayken, I headed straight for my bank to check if my account was still valid. I wasn't surprised when I found out that it never even existed, but I sure as hell was pissed. Luckily I don't trust banks that much, so I store most of my cash at home.
But now I was absolutely certain. After the accident it seems that my existence was simply erased. No one remembered me and any account or document I had was now null.
"That's going to be a pain." I said to myself as I continued to lay in my bed. I had no friends or family I could rely on, since no one remembers me anymore. I sighed in frustration. "What the fuck happened to me?" I once again began to recount the events that led up to this. The robbery, the accident, my confrontation with Matt, getting shot, confronting Matt again...
It then occured to me that there was a slight pattern. Everytime I thought I had died... what if I did actually die, but was somehow brought back? And when I came back everyones memories were gone and my existence erased.
"Nah, it can't be." I tried to deny my thought, but no matter what I couldn't come up with a better reasoning. "Once you eliminate every impossible outcome, the only thing that remains, no matter how ludicrous, must be the truth, huh."
There was only one sure way to prove that. I looked at the nightstand beside my bed. I opened the drawer and pulled out my M9 and held it in front of my face. "Only one way." I thought as I put the barrel against my head and put a finger onto the trigger.
I suddenly could hear my heartbeat and my rapid breathing. I tried to calm down, but stray thoughts ran through my head.
"What if I'm wrong? What if it only counts if I'm murdered? What if I end up in even worse situation than death?"
These and many more plagued my mind and my hand began to shake. I quickly pulled the gun away from my head and breathed deepley. I put the gun back into the drawer and closed it.
"I can't do it. I can't." I murmured to myself. And even if I could, that wouldn't explain how it happened.
In that moment it occured to me. "The medallion." I remembered that it was gone when I woke up after the car crash and it was the only thing that I had on me at the time, that I didn't previously owned.
Immediatelly getting out of bed I ran to my laptop and began to search for any clue about the medallion.
***
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." I moaned. I spent the whole night searching through every website, every blog, every forum in hopes I would find a clue, but I found nothing. The only thing that gave me some closure was about the bird on the medallion. Apperantely it was a phoenix, a magical bird made out of fire, that had the ability, that once it died, it turned to ashes and was then reborn from said ashes. Sounds familiar?
I was in a dead end. I had no idea how it happened, who was responsible for this or even if I truly had the same ability as a phoenix.
"What now?" I wondered to myself. "Maybe I should try the gun after all, just to see if I really can't die?" I got that gun from a guy who said that the previous owner used it in an armed robbery. It was cheap and I wanted to feel safe.
"Wait a minute!" I said as I stood up. "Previous owner..." I smacked my forehead with my hand. "Why didn't I just ask the owners where they got that accursed thing? I'm such an idiot." I ran out of my apartment, greeting Mr. Wayken on my way out.
It took me an hour to find the place, because I didn't memorize the location, but when I found it I knew it was the right place. "Second floor, third window to the right." I walked in through the front door this time. I projected the outside image of the building and quickly found the place I was looking for.
I knocked and the door was opened by a man around my age, maybe older. "Yes?" he asked when he saw me.
"Good afternoon, sir. My name is Roy Campbell, I work at an antique pawn shop, Pawn'em." I greeted and introduced myself.
"So? What do you want from us?" the man wondered, in a condescending tone.
"I have recently learned from one of my friends that he saw an object that my employer has been searching for quite a while and it was in your possesion." My face remained unchanged through our entire exchange, giving the man the sense that I wasn't lying.
"What is this thing you're looking for then and how much are you willing to pay for it?" the man said, now intrigued by my reason for being here.
I gave a small smile, knowing he took the bait. "It's a medallion actually. It's big enough to fit into your palm, made out of gold and has a phoenix sculpted on it." I described the neckwear.
The guy mulled over, trying to remember if he had something like that. "Doesn't ring a bell. Maybe Pamela knows. Step inside." he invited me in and I kindly accepted. "I've got to warn you though, we've been robbed, so maybe your trinket is gone now."
"How terrible." I said, faking my sympathy. "You can't trust anyone in this city anymore, can you?"
"You said it." We walked into the living room, where a young woman was sitting on a couch watching the TV. "Hey Pam." The guy called out, getting the attention of the girl. "This guy is looking for a medallion he wants to buy for..." He looked at me as he tried to remember where I told him I work at. "Pwn'em was it?"
"Pawn'em actually." I corrected him. "My name is Roy Campbell and I'm looking for a certain medallion that I learned you have."
The woman stood up from the couch and approached me. "Pamela Johnson." she said as she shook my hand. "You've already met my partner, Ronald."
"I did."
She let go of my hand and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but we've been robbed not too long ago, so the chances of us still having it is slim."
"Yes I've been told so, but I just want to make sure." I said in a light-hearted tone. "The medallion I'm looking for is about as big as a top of a soda can, is made of gold and has been crafted so it has a phoenix on it, which has one wing pointing up, while the other is pointing down. You know what a phoenix is right?"
"I do know." she began to ponder, but ultimately she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we don't have it."
"Ah rats." I said in mock anger. "Well while I'm here, could you at least tell me where you got it and what it's called, so I can give my employer at least something."
"I'm sorry, I didn't word that right. I'm not saying we don't have it anymore. I'm saying we've never had it in the first place."
I stared at her in disbelief. "Sorry, but what did you say?" I asked, confused.
" I said we've never owned such a medallion." she recited what she said before.
"No, no, no that's not possible. My friend told me you had it." I argued with her.
"Well, your friend must've been wrong, cause I know everything we have in this house and I would most certainly remember a piece of jewelry like that." she disagreed.
I couldn't control my temper, by now I've had it with this whole thing, and I lashed out. "DON'T BULLSHIT ME!" I yelled, scaring both of them. "I know you've had it. I know you've kept it on that drawer over there, for everyone to see." I said with a pointed finger. "Now tell me where did you get it and what it's called."
The woman backed off and the man jumped to her aid. "Hey! What the fuck dude?" he yelled back at me. "What is wrong with you screaming like that all of a sudden?"
I realized I had lost my cool, so I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself down. "I'm sorry." I apologized. "It's just, my whole job is on the line and I've had a stressful week..." The man seemed to have calmed down, but the woman was lost in thought.
"Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in realisation. "Why would a pawn owner want to know about an antique object from their owners? Don't they usually know these things in advance, especially when they send someone else to find it for them?"
Ronald looked at Pamela, as he realised she was right. I began to sweat as I tried to dig myself out of this hole. "Well, you see-"
"And how would you know where the medallion was kept, if you've never been in our home and never even met us?"
At that point I knew I was done for. Ronald thought over what his partner had said, when it clicked. "Wait a fucking minute. YOU MUST BE THE GUY WHO BROKE IN HERE!!!"
Knowing my cover was blown I made haste for the door. But ronald was faster then me. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back. I fell onto the floor and tried to get up. The guy helped me, by grabbing me by my shirt and lifting me off the ground and against the wall.
"Where is our stuff?" he demanded while glaring at me.
"Go fuck yourself." I rebuted, which didn't sit well with him. Letting go of me and letting me fall back onto the floor, he reared back his arm and delivered a powerful right hook. I fell over and everything around me was spinning. I grabbed by the counter in the kitchen and lifted myself up. Ifelt something running down my chin and i wiped it to see it was blood.
"Motherfucker." I thought as the pain in my cheek burned as hell.
"That was the wrong answer shitstain. I'll give you one more chance. Otherwise they'll be scraping what's left of you from the floor." Ronald threatedned, while cracking his knuckles.
I panted heavily as I turned towards him. I knew he must've been taking some form of martial art, boxing perhaps, casue I've been punched in the face before and I can tell you, those were like gentle pats compared to this guy. "Look, I don't have them anymore. They're already gone." I tried to reason with the guy. "I can't give you back what I don't have."
Ronalds eyes turned icy and he smiled sadistically. "Well then, I guess you're out of luck." Again he reared back his arm and delivered another punch, only this time into my gut. I was still disoriented from his previous attack, so I couldn't block this one and took it full force. All air left my lungs and I even felt some of my lunch go up my throat. Then in what seemed like minutes, but were actually seconds, his other fist came into my view and hit me straight in the face.
Again I was sent flying onto the floor. My vision faded in and out of focus, and darkness beagn to envelop my vision. I knew that if I pass out it was game over. But I couldn't take on this guy with my bare fists. I was more of a thinker than a fighter, relying on my silver tounge to get me out of sticky situations.
I don't know what went through my head at that time. I grabbed by the edge of the kitchen counter and pulled myself up. i saw the guy approach me and saying something, but it was all mumble to me, my hearing becoming impaired by his strike. In desperate attempt to flee my hand began to move on its own, trying to grab anything that could help me escape the brute.
I felt something landing in my grip and with a scream I swung it at the man. All went quiet. I didn't know what happened as I kept my eyes closed. Then the girl screamed. That made me open my eyes.
How I wish I hadn't.
The man was lying on the floor, a large gash across his gut. I glanced at the item in my hand and saw a large kitchen knife covered in blood. I continued to stare at it and the man in front of me.
I was drawn out of my stunned gaze by the woman again. "YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM!!!" she screamed as she began to cry.
"No! No! I-I didn't mean to! I was just..."
"MURDERER!!!" she continued to scream and I knew I couldn't stay here any longer.
I ran out the door and past multiple neighbours, who came out to see what the commotion was about. I countinued to run, out the building, through the streets, across numerous roads, until I could no longer run. When I stopped I saw I was under one of the bridges in Central Park, alone. I leaned against the wall of the bridge and slid myself down it.
"What have I done?" I mumbled to myself and grabbed my head. It was then that I noticed the knife that was still in my hand. I quickly threw it away from me and began to hyperventialte.
"I killed someone! I'm a murderer!" I talked to myself, trying to calm nerves. "I killed a guy! How? Why? I'll tell you why, he was attacking me. It was self defence. Yeah self defence. He tried to kill me." I tried to rationalize my actions, making myself the victim in my head, making my action justified. Slowly I began to calm down, but the vision of the man still lingered in my mind. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." I apologized as tears began to well in my eyes.
I don't know how long it lasted, before I was completely calm. Only to be reminded the consequences of my actions. "Shit!" I cursed. "I'm going to jail. I'm a wanted man now. She saw me and my face will be on TV." I wallowed. "I'm screwed."
Just then my eyes fell onto the knife that laid in front of me and I hesitantly picked it up and stared at it. "Maybe. Just maybe." I thought as I turned the knife, so the blade was pointing at me. "Time to see, if I'm right." I opened up my hoodie, so I wouldn't stain it, then plunged the knife into my gut and twisted it from side to side. Pain flared through my entire body. Right before I fainted from the shock I pulled the knife out and tossed into the water. Soon I was enveloped by darkness and I fell into deaths embrace.
But I soon woke in a loud scream. Like before I checked myself to see if I still had the stab wound, but not too much to anyones surprise, it wasn't there. "So good so far." I said to myself. "Now to check if anyone remembers me." I stood up and zipped up my hoodie, to hide the blood that was left from my suicide.
I decided to make a bold move and went back to the scene of the crime. On my way there I kept thinking over every possible scenario and anytime I would pass a cop or their vehicles I would walk faster, just to get as far away fom them as possible. Eventually I reached the apartment complex and saw there were paramedics and cops already there, as well as a huge mass of people.
I went over to one of the standbyers and asked them. "What happened here?" The man gave me a quick glance, before returning his gaze back to the entrance where the paramedics were carrying a body bag. I gulped nervously and felt myself getting slightly lightheaded.
"Apperantly someone was stabbed by a burglar or something." the man began to explain. "The girl over there was his wife or of the sorts, and she was present when the man was murdered."
"Do the police know who they're looking for?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yeah they do. The girl gave the police an accurate description of the perpetrator, as well as numerous neighbours and passerbys."
At that point I began to sweat. "This was a bad idea." I thought to myself as I began to turn around to leave. As I was turning I locked eyes with the girl. My deepest fears began to surface, as I realised she would recognise me and tell the police. But she did nothing. She just continued to watch over the crowd and she left her gaze over me behind.
I couldn't believe it. I nearly jumped out of joy, but restrained myself. At that moment I was also reminded of what happened here and that I was responsible for it. "I'm sorry." I mumbled and began to walk away.
***
As the day before I once again had to get my apartment back, since I was forgotten again. It was becoming annoying to do so, but that was the price I paid for having immortality. I walked into the bathroom to take a long deserved. I took off my bloody and torn clothes and threw them into a garbage can.
I enjoyed every moment I spent in the bath, as the troubles of my day were literally and figuratively washed away. When I was done I stepped out of the bath and walked towards the doors. As I walked towards it, I passed a mirror and that amde me halt. Slowly turning around I faced the mirror and what I saw made me make a double take.
The face I saw in the reflection wasn't my own. My once short curly brown hair, was now long straight and black. my completely pale face, now had some tan on it and my eyes were now grayish blue. And I also had a goatee.
"What the fuck?!" I mumbled as I continued to stare. I quickly exited the room and headed into my living room and turned on the TV. I scrolled through the channels until I landed on a local news channel. I watched through it until the news about todays murder came on. They said they're still looking for the suspect, but they had an accurate description and even camera footage of the killer.
I nearly choked on the tea I was drinking as my face came on. Well my old face. "Holy crap!" I said under my breath. "Not only do I get forgotted, but if something like this happens, I even get a instant plastic surgery?" I couldn't believe my luck. I was unstoppable. I drank to my good fortune until I passed out.
***
A week has passed since the incident. And right now I was attending the funeral of the man I had killed. I felt guilty for what I did and I wanted to at least give the man the proper respect he deserved. My guilt was even so bad that I sent his wife/girlfriend half of my savings. I knew that didn't make up for what I did, but it made me feel better.
Over the week I had also thought over waht to do with my newfound powers. Should I be a hero and help those in need, to redeem myself for my past crimes? Hah. Yeah right. I already told you what I think of heroes, and I sure as hell wasn't one.
I chose that I would continue to steal, but this time on a slightly bigger scale.
With my goal set, I began to walk toward my new, bright future, not knowing that the light was, but a single candle, standing against a violent storm, that was about to crash onto my life.
New York, September 24th 2020
A red car stopped in front of the New York National Bank and out of it stepped a rather short man with spiky brown hair. He was wearing a black leather jacket over his red shirt and blue jeans. Sunglasses protected his grayish-blue eyes from the suns violent rays and a small backpack rested on his shoulders. He lifted his left sleeve and looked at the watch on his wrist.
"10 minutes till showtime." he mumbled with a smile and walked towards the door. Stepping through the door, he was welcomed by the sound of people talking. The bank wasn't so busy on this day, so there weren't that many people in it. He casually walked by the security guards and headed for the bathroom. All the while he was walking he looked in every direction, trying to catch as much as he could.
When he entered the bathroom he checked if he was alone, before pulling out a walkie-talkie. "Alpha to Beta, do you copy?" he said into the radio.
"Copy that Alpha, we hear you loud and clear." the other side responded.
Satisfied, the man nodded, before replying. "Roger that. Are you all in positions?" he asked.
One by one the others began to sound off. "Beta in place."
"Delta in position."
"Gamma ready."
"Epsilon on standby. Just say the word boss."
"Four minutes until we strike. Preapre men." Alpha said as he put down the walkie-talkie. He looked into the mirror, before giving big smile. "This is it Danny. We 'bout to make one of the biggest bank heists in history, you should be proud of yourself."
That's right I should be. Do you even know how long I've been planning this? Six months. Six months of grueling observation and recon, all for this day.
You're probably wondering what happened in the last two years, right? Well, long story short. Since the day when I received my immortality I've spent my days robbing.
At first it was the same shit as before I got my ability, braking into peoples homes and stealing their crap. But as time passed I got more cocky and decided to move up in life. I went from breaking into peoples homes to stores and from there to small time businesses. But don't think it was an easy road. I've died numerous times to get where I am now. But it was worth it.
Once I had enough money I bought my own house, somewhere outside the city, somewhere isolated. From there I began to plan bigger and bigger jobs, eventually coming up with this heist. As I said before, I've been watching this place for months and I immediatelly knew I couldn't do this one alone. So I recruited some guys to help me out. They were some low time thugs, who already spent time in prison for various crimes. At first they were wary of me, but after I told them about my plan they were onboard.
Right now they were all waiting for the right time and then they'll strike. I've gone through this plan hundreds of times in my head and I knew it would go without a hitch.
Once again I picked up my walkie-talkie and pressed the button. "We have four guards watching the lobby and two more in the security room. I'll take out the two at the back, while team Beta handles the two in the front. Gamma you have security room."
"Roger."
"Ay-ay capn'."
The plan was simple on paper. There were five teams, each having two members with exception of Alpha and Epsilon, which only had one. I was Alpha, and my job was to scout the place and take out any guards that might cause troublea dn retrieve the money. Gamma and Beta had similar duties, while Delta was waiting outside in the van, ready to drive us off. Epsilon on the other hand wasn't present, since she was responsible for taking out their systems, so they'd have no way of calling for help or retaliate.
I was thrown out of my thoughts by my watchs alarm. And as if on cue, the lights went out and after checking my phone I saw I had no signal went silent, telling me that the jammers were activated.
"Show time." I said as I pulled a mask, a gun and a few flash grenades out of my backpack. As soon as I left the bathroom I tossed the grenades at where the two guards stood. After a loud flash and a bang, the guards were incapacitated. They pulled out their guns and tried to aim at the threat they didn't see. With ease I disarmed them and knocked them out with the handle of my gun.
At that point the people began to scream and tried to run outside, but were stopped by two bulky men who were dragging the other two guards by the hems of their shirts. The people began to retreat back into the building.
In the corner of my eye I saw how the employees were desperately trying to call the police and were pressing the silent alarm, thinking I didn't see them. As the civilians continued to panic I raised my gun and pressed the trigger. Two loud bangs echoed through the room and everyone stopped in their tracks.
Having their attention and settling them I took a deep breath before speaking. "Alright everyone, I know that all of you know what is happening, but even so I'll say it anyway. This is a robbery. Don't try to call for help. We cut off all of your systems and are jamming your phones." After hearing me say that, the people realised they were on their own. "Now, unless you want to end up hurt or worse I suggest all of you to walk into that office over there," I said as I pointed with my gun at the room in the back. "And let us do our job in peace. That way we both get what we want, m'kay?"
The people were hesitant, they weren't sure if I was lying or not. I didn't have time for their second thoughts, so I again shot into the air.
"NOW!!!" I shouted. With horrified expressions the people began to move into the room, while one of my teammates walked over to one of the workers and pulled her to the side.
"Not you." he said with a raspy voice. "You gonna help us, getting all of this money out, capish?" The worker nodded with vigor, fearing about his life. The man smiled under his mask. "Good, but before that you're gonna lock them up."
With shaky legs the man walked over to the room, took out his keys and locked the door, trapping the people inside the room. While he was doing that I pulled out my walkie-talkie and contacted Gamma.
"How's on your side?" I asked.
"Took them down like flies." sounded the reply.
"Good." I said with a nod. "Delta, any cops?"
"None." responded the man.
Excellent. Everything was going according to plan. I walked over to the worker and patted him on the back. "Alright, good job." I said to him in a cheerful tone. He looked at me with horror. "All you have to do now is open up the vault and you'll be done here, so you have no need to worry Jeff."
I thought he was terrified before, but now he seemed like he just saw a ghost. "H-H-How d-do you know m-my name?" he stammered out.
"We've had coffee before." I wasn't lying about that. Though I did die soon after that, so I know for certain he won't remember me. "Now move your ass over to the vault." I said to him, as I shoved him. We were followed by one of the two guys, while the other kept watch.
On the way to the vault we met up with Gamma, a man and a woman, and we simply nodded to each other as we headed towards the vault together. Once we arrived, the employee punched in the code and opened the door. When it was opened we were greeted with numerous stacks of money.
"Thank you." I said to Jeff. "And good night." As soon as I said that, one of the guys smacked him on the back of his head and he collapsed unconscious. We each walked inside and filled our bags full of cash. I don't know how much we ended up with, but I estimated around 7 million.
Once we were done, we headed back towards the lobby. But as we walked back, the sound of a gunshot resonated across the building. At that moment I knew, something was wrong. I picked up my pace, trying to see what had happened.
When I arrived, I couldn't believe my eyes. At the entrance laid a young man, not that much older than I was, blood pooling under him. My eyes then landed on one of my teammates and the smoking gun in his hands. I quickly ran towards the fallen man and as I came close I saw he wore the security uniform, blood seeping from his chest. His eyes were open and turning from side to side, telling me he was still alive.
"What happened?" I yelled as I began to press down onto his wound in hopes of trying to stop the bleeding.
"This fucker walked in, saying something about leaving something behind and when he saw me he tried to pull out his gun, but I was faster than him." the man explained as he and the others watched.
"Why the hell do you have live ammo? I thought we agreed we'd use blanks, to only scare them, not to kill them?" I yelled back as I continued to look at the man under my arms.
"That's what you said, but you didn't think about what would happen if we were forced to use them to defend ourselves, only to end up shot down without even putting up a fight." the man argued back.
"That's because I planned for that to never happen."
"Well what do you call this then?" When he said that, I realised he was right. Just this one guard could've ruined our plans. But even so...
"At least help me!" I begged. "He's going to die if we don't do something."
"That's not our problem." the man said nonchalantly. At that I looked at him in bewilderment.
"What?" I barely whispered out.
"I said we don't care what happens to this guy. All we want is the money and nothing else."
"So you're just going to leave him to die. We can still save him." I countered, but the man simply raised his gun at my head.
"If we do that then the cops will bust our asses and none of us want that." he said with a threatening tone.
"So what? You're just going to shoot me?" I questioned. "If it wasn't for me, you'd never had been able to pull this whole thing off. So do as I say and help this guy."
The man and the others began to laugh. I just looked at them confused. "Kid, you're smart, I'll give you that. But you're so gullible." The other two grabbed my bag, that I dropped and walked outside, leaving me alone with the other guy. "From the begining I knew you were soft. You think that you'll get what you want without having to sacrifice anything. Well let me tell you something."
He leaned down and looked me in the eyes. "That's not how this world works. You have to ready to do unspeakable things, if you want to progress in the world. Betray, lie, cheat..." He slowly stood up and pointed the gun back at me. "Kill."
I took a moment to process what he had said. I glanced back down at the man beneath me and saw he longer breathed. I closed my eyes, holding back my tears. "Fine." I said as I stood up. "He's dead anyway. Let's just go."
"Ah ah ah." the man said as he pulled back the guns hammer. "I'll be going, you'll be staying here."
I turned around to face him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
The man chuckled, before replying. "You still don't get it? We planned to kill you and take your share from the beginning."
My eyes widened and I began to breath quickly. "W-why?" I stuttered.
"Cause," He pulled the trigger and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. The force of the blast knocked me down on my back and I could no longer move. I felt the familiar pain of a bullet going through me and the taste of blood in my mouth. My eyes were wide open, but I couldn't see clearly. All I could see was a shadow descending over me and the voice of the man speaking the last words I could hear. "You are the necessary sacrifice."
I didn't even see or hear him leave me, as darkness enveloped my vision and I was once again thrust into the grasp of death.
***
When I awoke, I was lying in an alleyway, behind a dumpster. I looked down at myself and saw only my bloody clothes, but no wound.
"SONS OF BITCHES!!!" I screamed while slamming my fist into the wall behind me. Anger consumed my senses as I slowly got up and began to walk out of the alley. When I got out of it I saw the bank that I robbed in front of me. It was swarmed by the police and reporters.
Over these three years I've learned a few things about my immortality. One is that I only resurrect in the same place I died when there are no witnesses around to see me come back from death. Otherwise I'm transported to a secluded location, without any prying eyes. Two, I always come back around 10 minutes after my death. Don't ask me why though. And lastly, my apperance changes from time to time, it's never consistent.
Speaking of which. I looked into the window of a nearby car and saw that I still had the same apperance as I had before. Satisfied with that I began to walk away from the scene, but not before catching a glimpse of the bodybag that was carried out of the bank. It made me sick. This was the second time someone died becasue of my actions, only this time it wasn't me who did the deed.
That thought reminded me of the betrayal I experienced and my anger returned. I stopped by a street phone and once I deposited the money, I dialed 911 and waited until someone picked up on the other side.
"Yes, hello, how may I help you?" the receptionist greeted.
"Hello, my name is Theo Morris. I'm a resident of the Lucky Star apartment complex. I would like to report strange behaviour from some of my neighbours." I responded, in as scared of a voice as I could.
"What kind of behaviour?" she asked, trying to get as many details as she could.
"Not too long ago one of my neighbours returned home, along with a bunch of his, what I would presume, are his friends. But the strange thing is that they all arrived in a black van and they were carrying some rather large bags, that looked filled with something."
"Sir, that alone doesn't mean that they're doing anything wrong. Maybe you're ju-"
"They also had guns." I quickly cut her off before she could argue. "They were all carrying guns and I even saw one of them having a clown mask hanging by his side. And when they saw me one of them approached me and threatened me, telling me that I didn't see anything." I stopped for a bit, so the receptionist could comprehend what I was telling her. "And even now I'm hearing them yelling something through the wall. Something about scoring a motherload." I took another pause and made a loud gulping sound. "I think they're the ones responsible for the robbery that happened in New York National today."
After a few moments the receptionist responded. "Understood sir. I'll send a dispatch to your area. Can you give exact location and the room number sir? As well as your name please."
"Theo Morris. I live in Lucky Star apartment complex, room 604. The people I told you about live right next to me in room 603." I answered, still putting up my act.
"Thank you sir. The police should be there in about ten minutes. In the meantime you stay put and lock the door if necessary." she advised.
"Thank you and I will." Finished I put the phone down and exhaled. I stared at the phone for a few seconds, before turning around and heading back to my car. I had to wait for a while, until the police dispersed.
As I waited I heard over my phones radio that the ones who were responsible for the robbery were found and put into custody, thanks to a good hearted samaritan. I chuckled at hearing the news. "That's what you get you fucking traitors." I thought to myself as I took out a cigarette and lit it. I took a deep breath and let the nicotine calm my nerves. But it didn't help calm my mind, as what the words of the guy who shot me ran through my mind.
How can he say things like that? How can he claim that the only way to achieve something is by sacrificing? How can he take a life so easily and not care at all? How can he betray his own comrades?
These and many more thoughts continued to plague my thoughts, but out of all of them, one stood out.
Will I end up like that?
The thought made me shiver. I was afraid of that ever happening. I shook my head as I cleared my head and continued my smoke. I didn't want to think about it, so I instead focused on what I will do.
I concluded that I'll no longer take on such big jobs, where I needed other people to help me. I didn't want to be betrayed again and end up in scenarios where other people got killed because of me.
But that was wishful thinking, for very soon I would be thrust into a situation where I had no chooice, but to kill.
