Game On

My eyes are blank all night. I couldn't feel the cold or Kyler's warm touch on my arm. I couldn't feel my heartbeat, my breath, or my blood flow. My eyes are in one direction, only one direction. The gurney with the body lying on it was covered by a white cloth.

"Elsie, you have to go home."

I raised my hand, turned to Kyler and stabbed him with a menacing glare. He sighed softly, decided to give in and retreated backwards, leaving me standing where I was continuing my activities in this morgue. Standing for a full hour looking straight ahead.

"That's my daughter! That's my daughter!"

In a semi-conscious state, between being in the real world and the parallel, I heard Mom's voice strafing behind me. Followed by the sound of furious footsteps. My puffy eyes caught the figure of Mom running away with several hospital staff around her. He screamed hysterically beside the bum. He opened the white blanket and revealed Cleopatra's pale face.

my brother.

"This is my daughter…" Mom said between sobs. "Hone, wake up, I'm coming." His hand that I remember feeling soft touched Cleopatra's pale cheek, looked at her with changing eyes, then hugged the stiff body while crying loudly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Wake up, Honey. Wake up!"

The rumbling in my chest formed again. Something was squeezing my lungs, making it hard for me to breathe. I took a deep breath, then blinked my eyes letting the hot liquid run down my cheeks again with lips quivering in anger. My fist formed again, I can even be sure it succeeded in making my blood flow stop. I turned around, leaving Mom still screaming hysterically in front of Cleopatra's body, brushing Kyler's shoulder and ignoring his calls, increasing my pace towards the highway. Faster, faster, and now I'm running like a madman through the darkness of the hospital corridor, rushing forward.

My arms stretched out in the middle of the road, causing an expensive Porsche to suddenly stop in front of me followed by the sound of its horn. The owner of the car, a middle-aged man, got out of the car and cursed me profusely. Insults that did not make it into my senses of hearing because all my five senses didn't seem to work. I walked up to the middle-aged man, then beat him until he fell on the road. I ignored the screams of pain. I took the car, sat in the driver's seat and drove the car home.

Yes. To the house. By hitting a man and taking his car.

The speedometer needle in this car rose drastically, almost touching the last digit. I pressed the gas pedal deeper, speeding through the busy streets to get home as soon as possible. Several cars speeding around me honked their horns in unison. But I don't care. All I want right now is one. House.

I slammed the steering wheel to the right, accelerating to the last limit in the middle of the empty road. I'm not sure I'm still alive. It feels like a dream because I can't feel anything. My spirit seemed to have flown away from my body. But I'm a little happy because God no longer gives me pain like before. This is much better.

This stolen car stopped in my yard. Immediately, I jumped down from inside and walked furiously inside. The door opened, revealing two maids bowing their heads at me. I walked faster towards the spiral staircase of this house. Walk faster, faster, and finally reach the room. I knocked on my bedroom door with one rough kick. Like a madman, I burst into my desk drawer. Ruin things in there.

And in the end found one gun. The pistol is a Walther P99 type. My eyes stare straight ahead. In this hand, he held the gun that Dad often carried. Now, I am the owner. I'll be using it too.

To kill them.

"Game on."

*

If I don't miscalculate, I've been standing at this burial site for about half an hour after the people attending the funeral one by one avoided leaving. Including my mother who had to be removed from this place because she kept crying. I rubbed my shoulders gently, straightening my chin at the rectangular rock that stood not far from Dad's grave. And the writing engraved there, very, very never nudged my mind. Not even in my worst nightmares.

REST IN PEACE CLEOPATRA CAVERN

My sense of hearing caught the sound of someone's footsteps behind me, suddenly making my head turn back, saw Jeff walking slowly past me, then stopped in front of the rectangular stone to place a bouquet of red roses. He crouched down without taking his eyes off the rows of letters engraved on the stone layers. Something that was previously in his hand was placed beside the bouquet of red roses earlier. And only then did I know what thing he put there. A red velvet box I believe contains the ring he was about to give her.

I understand how he feels now.

"Don't be whinny," I said flatly. "Sadness will only make you weak and easily crushed by the enemy."

There was no response except for the sound of short sighs. He looked up at me in return, looking suspicious at my current expression. Blank expression. It was as if no ink could fill it.

"Elsie," he replied, finally, as he stood opposite me. "Believe me, your acting is terrible."

A pair of eyebrows raised when I heard his scornful tone. I chuckled for a while, before stopping him and replying, "Then teach me good acting, Mr. Bryant. I believe you are the master. Like when you covered up your grief, when Ellen was shot dead in front of your eyes…" My hand moved giving the interpretation of a gun being fired. "And now, when Cleopatra died the day before you intended to put the ring on her finger." I folded my arms across my chest, crossing my legs in my sarcastic reply. "Better I feel nothing. This makes me strong."

Reluctant to hear his reply, I turned around leaving Jeff standing frozen in place without a slight movement. I could feel his gaze piercing my back behind me, but I didn't really care about his pitying look. Instead, I think he needs to be pitied, not me. Twice tried to propose to the one he loved and failed. Failed by a tragic death. I'm not sure he could take it so casually. Because I know Jeff more than he ever thought.

He will not remain silent.

*

My yard is buzzing with the sound of bullets spewing from two different pistols in my hands. Extreme sports like this are my favorite sport. I haven't touched him in a long time, and now maybe I touch him more often to avenge the deaths of those around me. The names of Carter's friends were neatly arranged on a piece of paper that I had pasted on the bedroom wall. Those who went hiking yesterday and were involved in the indirect murder of my sister. I promised myself that I would repay him accordingly. Perfect revenge.

"Elsie!"

Impulsively, my right hand swung to the side, causing the muzzle of the gun I was holding to angle in front of Kyler's forehead, causing the bodyguard, driver, and my best friend to stop and raise their hands. I rolled my eyes, still keeping the muzzle of my gun against his forehead.

"Don't ever disturb me," I panted harshly.

"Sorry," he sighed apologetically. "I think you forgot your lunch."

The next second, I pulled away the gun I shoved at him, put the two guns in my hands where they belonged, then wiped my wet palms with a small towel.

"Thanks for your concern." I tossed the small towel on the table, choosing to sit down while crossing my legs and reaching for the nearest crystal glass. I stared at Kyler for a moment, then took a sip of the margarita in the crystal glass. "What?" I tilted my head to one side at the skeptical Kyler gave me.

"Your lunch, miss."

"IM not hungry."

"But I insist."

Snorting in annoyance, I placed the crystal glass in my hand on the table, shooting a threatening glare from behind my blue eyes warning. Instead of being scared like the maids here, Kyler just looked at me innocently. If only he wasn't my best friend, I'd be happy to stick the fruit knife in my hand into his chest.

"Then bring my food here." Ignoring him again, my hand reaches for the cigarette and lighter beside it. Before it slipped into my lips, Kyler nimbly grabbed it and dropped it under my feet. I looked at him angrily. "The fuck you did?"

"Are you insane?" he replied to me in an angry tone.

"What's wrong?" Disapproved of his impertinent attitude, I stood up from my seat, staring at Kyler sharply through the lens of my eye. "Don't be a dick, Kyler. You're not even my fucking father."

"But I care. Just stop, Elsie."

In response to his annoying sentence, my eyeballs rolled upwards. "Stop controlling my life." I picked up the Walther P99 over the small suitcase where Dad's armory was stored, then shoved the muzzle against Kyler's forehead. "You don't want to die silly, do you? No one can stop Elsie Cavern. Including you."

I read his gestures. Looks calm, as if the thing I'm pointing at him right now is just a plastic toy. Kyler shook his head, then chuckled a little.

"You don't have the guts to kill me."

"Really?" The corners of my lips curled into a hyperbolic honey sweet smile. The adrenaline in me rose higher and higher at the sound of his challenging tone. And it made my hand unceremoniously pull the hammer to make a clicking sound from it. "Watch your words, sir." My hand moves beyond expectation, swinging to the side to fire a random shot. The next second a bird fell sprawled next to my practice board with blood running down its head, practically making Kyler widen his eyes in disbelief. "Oops. Next time I'll make sure the bullet goes through your head." I smiled again, this time wider as if what I had done earlier was part of a small game.

As soon as I put the Walther P99 into the weapon storage case and locked it, I took the box with me and walked away, slapping Kyler's shoulder who shook his head in response.