A Tutorial..._________________
I push open the door, and the sight of the nurse who kissed me greets me. Her crimson lips curl into a wicked smile as our eyes meet. The sharp scent of antiseptic invades my lungs, quickening my pulse, while her voice seeps into my veins like a slow-acting poison, "How's the situation?"
"Not great," I admit, feeling the weight of too many questions crowding my thoughts. "This is more than any human brain should be able to handle."
She sits in a sleek, black, revolving chair, and just beside her, a red chair spins lazily, as if beckoning me to sit. It's unsettling, like an empty throne waiting for the next fool to take the stage.
I step inside, my lips heavy with unspoken queries, and let the biggest one escape first, "So, what's happening to me?"
With a casual flick of her wrist, Death pushes the red chair toward me. "Sit and think before you ask something so broad. If I answered that question directly, your mind might just explode."
Fair enough.
I sink into the chair, "Am I dead?"
She crosses her alabaster legs, her smile widening. "Oh no, darling, you've never been dead. The dead don't chat, and they certainly don't get the luxury of being here."
Right...
"So, why put me in this situation?"
Why am I a tutor who finds himself trying to teach some unique students.
Her eyes are dark and empty, yet I feel their weight pressing down on me. "Because I wanted to."
…Okay? I guess she's not going to elaborate on that.
She examines her red-tipped nails, each one looking sharp enough to replace the knife that had stabbed me earlier. "The girls are dying."
They are? Last I saw them they looked fine. Though I don't know them like that.
"So was I, like, suppose to save them?" I ask.
"More or less, yes."
"And what if I failed?"
Her laugh is cold, almost mocking. "You have, now look at where you are."
She means… I'll just keep going back in time until I succeed. Is this what I think this means? I am somekind of time traveler now?
Can I not?
I guess I didn't have a choice to begin with.
My head spins as I try to grasp the absurdity of her story. "So, one day you see some girls die and decide to bring me into this mess to…fix it?"
She laughs softly, brushing a strand of long, black hair over her shoulder. "Exactly."
Well, I can't get mad with the way she's answering these questions shortly. She did answered.
She looks up at me, "Your curiosity is not helping you. You don't want to know everything."
It is true, you're life is a lot more easier to live in the dark. Take as a man standing under a huge weight that can fall anytime. If he never look up he can enjoy what he knows. The thing is, I am someone who looks up.
"Why me?" I ask, though I already know any answer she gives will be cryptic at best.
She leans forward, her voice dripping with amusement. "What do you think?"
"The size of my dick?" I mutter, half-joking, because what else can I say?
Death's smile widens. "Are you sure you still have it?"
...
That thought hits me like a brick. I am in someone else body now. Maybe I should check later.
She shrugs, almost dismissively. "Life chose you. If you want answers, go ask her—she's the optimistic one." She meets my eyes with a knowing look, "Me? I only see death. I don't even know what Life sees in you. But then again, Life is just another part of me. Trusting myself is better than trusting anyone else, don't you agree?"
I don't respond, but she continues as if it doesn't matter. "I don't know about her but to me choosing you was a gamble."
"A gamble?"
"You WERE dead but then I drag you back to her. In reality, I can't just pull any random human. It was amazing how you're still you after all that." Her tone turns darker, "But maybe you won't as time moves forward."
Her words are vague, but they confirm one thing: Life and Death aren't all-knowing, all-powerful beings. They don't know the future that's whys he picked the word gamble. They have limits.
And I know she can hear what I think.
But she didn't confront me instead Death avoids the topic with a chuckle. "You can think whatever about me."
Cool, then I think you're very pretty.
I shrug, "All right, I do what you guys want. How hard can it be, right?"
Now that I can keep trying unlimited time, eventually I will win. But no matter how much you make it sound like a gift, it feels more like a curse on my mental health.
Death looks at me funny as if I told her a joke.
She taps her chin thoughtfully, "Life won't like this but I can give you a little help."
She rummages through a cabinet, pulling out a small white cylinder, and hands it to me. I can't read the print but I can see Inside are white pills.
"There are few," she says.
I shake the bottle, frowning. "What are these? Contraceptive pills?"
She laughs, a chilling sound. "No, you take one of these, and you'll die instantly."
I try to look at her to figure out what kind of smile she has.
"How is this supposed to help?"
She tilts her head, as if I'm missing something obvious. "It's a quick painless death, it won't hurt your head."
"Can I get a different kind of help? Maybe a system or something?"
A voice echoes in my mind, "I gave you a system already..."
"Really?" I ask, hopeful. If she's right then there's so much I can do! System, open!
Then she continues:
"A solar system."
Oh... So it was a joke. You know sometimes I can't just tell if you're being serious or not you wears the same smile every time.
Death seems to agree. "I know, right?"
A knock on the door interrupts us. "Miss, may I come in?"
Death smiles at me, "It seems our time is up, Sunbae."
I stand, ready to leave.
"Oh, and a warning from Life—if you fail to become their tutor and are still alive when the final bell rings…I'll personally kill you."
"Can she not?"
Death shrugs, "She's always the positive one."
So she will... Okay.