1 Twisted Game

The same dream repeats again and again. It happens each night, and I can't change a thing about it. It happens so often, that I almost forgot what it was like to have a normal dream.

The scene displayed before me was a starry sky blanketed in the dead of night, with the ocean reflecting the pale moonlight as the waves gently washed over the sand of the lifeless beach. It was calming, almost relaxing. But, the eerie nature of it all left me in a worried state of mind. The moon drew attention to a little girl wearing a white dress, with her fingers carefully clinging to a card that was held in front of her chest.

The card was blank, a thick border of blood red around the edge. She stared at it, with vibrant emerald eyes filled with wonder. I recognized the item in her hands, it was something I always had with me.

After all the times this dream has played out, not once have I been able to answer two questions: Why she had it, and who was she? I've been told in the past that my memory was pretty good, especially when it came to faces, but that girl that held a precious item of mine in her hands I could not remember. The mystery behind her often kept me up at night after waking up in a cold sweat after what came next.

The whole time, my body never responded to me. Not a single part of me moved even a centimeter, all I could do was watch in a prison of flesh and bone, forced to watch what came next.

The mysterious child looked up at me, and her once gentle and pure features had warped, along with her frail figure. She had distorted into that of a ravenous beast that charged forward and devoured me whole without an ounce of hesitation.

"Sh-... Shit. It happened again," I spoke under my breath, raising my head from my pillow with a hand pressed against the side of my head.

A splitting headache always followed. "Same time, too. Like always.

5:15 AM. I always woke up at that exact same time each night. It forced me to just never have an alarm set, as I can never return to my slumber. The stress that accompanied my forced awakening was far too strong. I just got out of bed and walked in the dark to start my day.

It always starts with a quick shower. It helped alleviate the stress, and I can give myself some time to think about the rest of my day. Because of how often the dream happens, my sleep schedule and my plans for the day have been made to accommodate for it.

Since it has been five in the morning every time, I go to bed at around seven or eight at night. With that I do on a daily basis, it's gotten easier to go to sleep since it's so tiring to the point it gets hard to even keep my eyelids open when the night rolls around. It does mean that my friends don't get to go out and have fun with me, since they prefer to have everyone together until the next morning sun rises.

But, at least I try to have some fun before I say, "See ya," and sprint to my apartment.

With it being summertime right now, as it just started, I only have to worry about saving as much money as possible for when college finally rolls around. Though, knowing me, I'll probably decide to just take a year off.

If I can't find a new job soon, I'll be stuck taking people's orders for sub-par coffee and watching them have fun on the computers the cafe has opened up. I just try my best with the hours I have and see if anyone bothers to tip me.

But, I can't really hate it too much. The job itself is pretty easy, and the weekends hit hardest the most since so many people just use our computers to play online games. They play for hours, which means more money for us at the end of the shift.

After leaving the shower, drying myself off, and getting dressed, I look at myself in the mirror. Silver highlights and red locks make up my hair. With how wild it is, I can't be bothered to even think about trying to get a brush or a comb, since even using gel will cause it to inevitably break out of its forced position and spring back to make me look like I just got electrocuted or something.

It really is just a song and dance which has no pay off. The slightly dark rings under my eyes are noticeable if you look directly into them. I got used to them. I've had them for a long time to begin with. I'm always tired, really.

Then, on the dot, my phone rings at 6:00 AM. Same person, too. It's Oliver, and they always have the same thing to say.

"Yeah?" I ask as I pick up the call and click on the speaker setting.

"You still got the card?" He answers with another question, and I grumble in my throat before a sigh is exhaled.

"I always have the card."

"Anything different?"

"It hasn't changed since I got it from Vanessa before she left. Same red border and everything, with nothing on the back or the front."

"Damn. I thought today would be the day. Just keep checking every few hours or so. I'm still certain it's connected to those rumors that have been coming up recently!"

"These 'rumors' you keep talking about… why can't you just explain to me what they are?"

"I keep telling you not to worry about it. Once the card changes, call me the moment you notice anything an' I'll tell you everything!"

Our conversations on the phone never linger on for too long, and he is always the one to hang up at the worst of times. He really needs a hobby or a job to keep himself busy. I can't stand it at this point.

The card is usually sat on my nightstand, kept within a small glass case on a small stand. I always leave it there and I take it off the case and leave it in my pocket. I've dropped it a few times, but not a single scratch or crack has shown up on it. I never have the time to really check to see what it is made out of, so I only shrug it off and walk out the door after putting on my jacket.

It's pretty commonplace for me to be the one to open the cafe since I wake up the earliest. Everyone else has a key for when it is time to close up, since our schedules are never the same each week, except for mine.

Obviously, it's because of the dream I keep having, so my boss was nice enough to tweak it a bit so that I could be in good shape each day; or rather, as good a shape you can get after waking up at five in the morning.

"Well, let's see what's in store for me," I said to myself, opening my front door and locking it. I live on the third floor, but the walk down the stairs hasn't been too bad. It only sucks when I have to come back home. I dread it each night, but I manage regardless.

The walk to work isn't too bad, either. After walking three blocks down the street, the large sign and the many windows that line the walls are hard to miss. No one has come to the place yet, which gives me some time to set up and get ready for the day.

With a turn of the key, I enter the cafe and pass by the many cubicles and turned off monitors. I go through the side door and just like that, I'm almost ready for work.

The rest is pretty simple. All I have to do is prepare the machines and sit down in a chair in the corner. The others usually come in around half an hour later, no doubt with their expressions of dread on their faces, and their slumped over and tired postures.

"Morning, Aiden," greeted a rather small female who opened the front door. Her soft voice was nice to hear. I knew who it was without even looking, but I still lifted my head and gave a quick wave. "Hey, Natalia. The usual again, or are you gonna try something other than a large black coffee every morning?" I ask, now standing up and preparing a large cup. To my surprise, the girl that approached me started to shake her head.

"I might go for something sweet and refreshing, honestly. I need the jolt. Can I have a large lemonade?" She asks, presenting a few dollar bills on the counter. I slid it over to my side and got to work on her drink.

Natalia was a pretty sweet girl, at least on the outside. She works as an editor for some content creators online. She tells me that it pays pretty well. While Natalia works at home, she comes to the cafe to make the finishing touches. With the laptop she has, she just goes to the tables next to the windows and sits herself on the stools. Besides our brief conversations, I don't really know much about her.

Not too long after Natalia, the other two arrive. Like I expected, they looked like they were pretty worn out. From their breath as they passed by me with their short greetings, they were definitely out drinking last night.

They were brother and sister. Their facial features showed that much, since they were identical twins, but their hair colors didn't match. The brother, Jack, had hair that was as pale as the styrofoam that I poured the coffee into. The sister, Mary, had dark brown hair that went past her shoulders. The both of them carried the same dark eyes.

Despite their tired states, it never lasted. Knowing them, they'll find something to argue over in just a few minutes.

"Did you use my toothbrush?"

Or not.

"Why the hell would I use your toothbrush, Mary? Gross."

"I dunno, but do you wanna explain to me why it was wet when I touched the bristles?"

Not talking to them is the easy part, but ignoring them? I'm always forced to toss them into the back room. Luckily, their sibling banters end pretty fast. It saves me from getting any headaches.

Well, at least it's a Tuesday. Work never gets too crazy on those days. It gives me plenty of time to relax.

A sudden ring hits my ear drums. It came from the phone on the counter. It was an old wired one. It's never been replaced since the boss refuses to do so. She says, "It ain't broke, so it doesn't need to be replaced. It works just fine!" if you say anything bad about it. I have to give her credit, since it really hasn't had any problems ever since I started working here.

With the twins in the back, I'm left to pick it up and see who it is. It's usually someone who wants to buy some food and have it delivered.

However, by the silence after I say, "Thank you for calling Delta, how can I help you?" I am greeted by a low growl.

An angry customer? No, the vibe this interaction gives off makes me think that there is something much worse. I can't bring myself to hang up, like I was being taken control of by some unknown force.

"That card. It ain't yours. You shouldn't have it. You don't deserve it! When the sun finally sets beneath the horizon… I'll come and take it. Watch yourself, kid. Because you made the biggest mistake of your life for keeping that thing so close to you."

By his voice and tone, he sounded like some crazed lunatic. I wasn't even able to form any words, and even if I did, I wasn't even given the chance to make anything come out. The stranger on the other side of the line had hung up, leaving me in a state lingering between the line of confusion and terror.

I just stood there in silence before the twins knocked me back to reality so I could continue my shift. I had to do something to take my mind off things.

Though, I still left myself with a few lingering thoughts.

The threat was too sinister, and they mentioned my card. No, this was Vanessa's card. He knew that, and he swore to take it from me after sunset.

What choices do I have to get out of this?

Sure enough, the only choice I can't decide on is to just ditch the card and run.

Because the card was something important to Vanessa. For some unknown reason, my own sister lent this blank card to me. I refuse to even consider letting anyone take it. I just need to find some way to prepare. Knowing the severity of the threat, that lunatic would probably stalk me to the ends of the earth if it meant taking the card and leaving my corpse in some back alley.

And I can't help but think that the whole "when the sun finally sets beneath the horizon" line is something that I've heard of before.

Oliver never said anything about it, but my train of thought is definitely leading me to believe that the time is connected to those rumors that he keeps talking about every phone call we have. It might sound crazy, but it's the only piece of the puzzle I can connect, at least for now.

I need to call Oliver later. I need answers.

The rest of my shift was done in total silence, except for when a customer came by for a coffee or ordered a new one. Even then, words were only spoken when necessary.

WIth everything squared away, and with the final coffee poured before I had to check out, I took my leave and pulled out my cell phone. The fingerprint scanner turned on the screen and I went to call Oliver.

The series of ringing continued on for what seemed like forever. I walked down the street with the screen pressed against my ear, and I simply waited for the phone to be picked up.

But, there was no answer. Even the few times that I tried calling afterwards had been left with an abrupt end of the ringing. Without his voicemail set up, I couldn't even yell at him to pick up his phone the moment he hears the message. I was left with only one other option that could lead me to more answers: Oliver's home.

He lived in an apartment complex a few blocks away from me. It was a studio apartment, and from what I remember from the brief times I came by, it was often left empty aside from the bare necessities that he had lazily littered throughout the room. A bed in the middle of it, and everything else surrounding it like some wall of garbage.

One time, just a bit after I got the card, he told me his laptop's password. It really is times like this where I truly wonder if my memory is as good as people say, since I can't remember why he would even give me that kind of information in the first place. The good thing is that I do remember the password. With it, I might find something in some document hidden inside.

There has to be. Those rumors that he constantly refers to each time he calls me is definitely important enough for him to leave something behind. That laptop has to have something, and I'll be there to find it no matter what.

My brisk walk had quickly transitioned into a full sprint. Taking my time wasn't anything I could afford to do, not with my life at stake.

With the sun still high in the sky, I knew I had plenty of time to uncover the secrets hidden from me. Oliver's apartment was on the top floor of the five floor complex. I took the elevator that gave me the time to rest my legs some before the doors opened. His room was on the right in the middle of the long hallway.

I wondered if the door was locked. He mentioned to me before that it rarely is since he seldom leaves the room. Everything is delivered to his door, and all the exercise he does happens in the apartment.

With the turn of the door knob, the hinges squeaked as the door itself was opened with a light push.

None of the lights were on, and the only thing illuminating the room were the slightly drawn curtains that covered the windows. I could see the bed from here, and the laptop as well. It was closed, and was at the foot of the bed. Oliver's phone was on the floor, and his shoes were gone.

From the way the bed sheets and blankets were sprawled out, and the dirt marks from a person's shoe on them, he must have had something urgent to do. I knew that he was a big germaphobe, so an incident like this was unheard of. Something compelled him to forgo his phobia and rush out the door at a moment's notice.

"What the hell?"

The laptop was already unlocked. A web browser was opened, and several tabs were left on the top of the screen, with several overlapping one another. It was all disorganized. With the wireless mouse that was left next to the bed, I scrolled through twenty or so tabs before landing on one. It was filled with various folders and documents that were all related to the rumors. But, a few caught my eye. A certain group of folders was made, related to witness reports, interviews on podcasts and other forms of media, as well as a few articles. I tried searching for them, but nothing came up.

The idea of these being faked was out of the window, as Oliver had a keen eye for these sorts of things. Nothing really escapes him when it comes to investigating strange occurrences. It was a passion of his. Which meant that all of these things were saved before someone had them taken down.

Oliver was trying his best to figure out who was behind it all, as a few documents were filled with pages upon pages of him theorizing a number of different possibilities. He knew that someone was trying to cover any leads to whatever these rumors were about, and they definitely worked fast, but not as fast as the shut-in.

"All of them say the same thing…" I said under my breath, as walls of text scroll past me with a few audio clips from the interviews and eye witness reports. Each and every person talked about seeing someone hand them a strange card, telling them that they would eventually get what they wanted in due time. While anyone would think this cryptic situation was some joke, the people with the cards actually believed them somehow, and kept the cards.

What they said next made things change completely.

"I saw my pocket was faintly glowing, and it was where I put my card. When I took it out, the world around me changed! I can't even begin to explain what else happened! It was all so surreal!" Exclaimed the woman interviewed in one of the clips. Before anyone could ask anymore questions, the woman continued to ramble on her own.

It made me think if my card would eventually start to glow as well. I had to know more.

The same date kept coming up. Everyone said that on June 19th, at 8:30 PM, they started using strange abilities. One mentioned being able to move objects with their mind, another could control water, and someone had the ability to heal injuries almost instantly no matter the severity.

"Wait… that's today. Okay, just a bit more."

With what little additional information I could get from all the files, I knew that I was burning up precious seconds to get ready. Things were beginning to line up.