A Pact Clandestine

""I've seen everything you've done"

On a particularly windy night, the leaves crunching below my boots, a strange occurrence befell me. I had just left the operating room after dealing with a rather squeamish college student. My button-down shirt still stained with splashes of red, untucked and flowing carelessly with the autumn breeze. I was in the middle of my ritual post-ceremonial night walk when a figure approached me. I assumed it was a transient and attempted to go around them, but that was when the form spoke:

"I've been watching you for some time now".

I couldn't respond. I could've sworn that was my father's voice. It was a long day, I thought it was my imagination. At least it seemed that way until he walked toward me.

It was him. As if nothing ever happened.

"What the fuck are you doing here? I watched you bleed like a pig!" I said, the words dropping nervously from my lips, quivering uncontrollably. "I've seen everything you've done" he replied, completely oblivious to my question. It can't be real. "How are you alive", I asked. "I've seen everything you've done" repeating himself. How is this possible. He's purposely fucking with me. I had no choice but to play along with this twisted situation. "And what, might I ask, do you plan on doing about it". "Well, I do owe you one, but I have something more interesting in mind".

"I'm listening".

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We arrived at an old cathedral-style church in an unfamiliar part of town. The stained glass windows somehow shone in the darkness, glittering magnificently in hues blue and purple. Its outer beauty in no way prepared me for the horror it kept inside.

He lead me in, insisting I go in first. I complied against my better judgement. The air was thick with the scent of decomposition. You could feel people had died there, possibly even dying right then, even though there were no bodies in sight. "Sit down, please" he insisted. That place was disgusting, I didn't want to sit, I wanted to burn it to the ground. Fuck him for making me come here. Even in death he's still getting on my fucking nerves. He took his place among the podium, behind him were two giant web-like forms on either side of him.

"Originally, I was going to drive your teeth into your skull, but I have a brilliant idea" he said. "Since you like murder so much-" I interrupted him "I do this planet a service". "Spin the tale anyway you want, if anyone knew what you were doing they would be inclined to disagree. As I was saying; since you love what you do so much, let's make a game out of it". I stared at him puzzled, "Explain."

"Well, we each go about our "business", but we bring back proof of each encounter. The person with the most proof wins." I might have been out of it, but it didn't seem like a bad idea. "What are we doing this for--the hell of it?" "A game wouldn't be a game without a proper end. If you win, I'll disappear forever" he said. "If I lose?" "You belong to me for all eternity." he said, his gaze turning cold in the process.

"What exactly constitutes "proof"?" I asked, as if I completely missed the last statement. "Bodies", he replied. "That's too risky, I'd have law enforcement all over me". "Fine, we'll choose a body part." "Body parts are too bountiful, the temptation to cheat would be overwhelming."

"What do you suggest then, xxxxx?" he said with a dose of contempt for my questioning.

"Hearts."

"Actually, I love the sound of that. It has a certain poetry about it." he replied. "After each encounter, we'll place our hearts on the webs you see behind me. Web #1 is mine, while Web #2 belongs to you. Sound reasonable?"

"Reasonable, no. Doable, yes. I accept."

He moved away from his podium to shake my hand, but I evaded. "No need for theatrics, you have my word. When do we begin?", I said.

"Well, shall we?"

xxxxx = name omitted