Seven Days Left Till Death

"Oi Leo! Get over here. We've been waiting for ten minutes." I heard my friend call out to me as I approached the fountain at the mall's center confusedly. I knew I was running slightly late, but it definitely hasn't been that long. Sure enough, when I looked at my phone to check, It was only 11:03. We had planned to meet at 11. Slightly dissatisfied, I look up from my phone before smiling at my friend with a playful glint in my eye. 

"What are you on about Marcus? It's only been three minutes since our agreed meeting time. If you had to wait ten minutes, that's your fault for getting here so early... I swear man, would it kill you to be late for once? If you're always so early how will you ever get a girlfriend?" 

Marcus, the man at the end of the barrage of metaphorical bullets, slumps backward, feigning injury before falling to his knees dramatically. A false tremor is present in his voice as he responds to my quips. "Easy for you to say, you've had at least two dates every week for the past year you indecisive prick. With looks like yours, I'm surprised you haven't started anything serious yet. When you finally do, may god have mercy on you. I just hope you don't get stabbed by a bunch of heartbroken girls like in some horror movie."

Marcus's words weren't any less piercing than my own, and I fell back into thought. He isn't wrong about the looks, as I was complimented on them often, but if my last relationship was any sign, looks aren't everything. Besides what are the odds that a girl would really kill someone for me? The risks are so much more than the reward. Though if they were that devoted, would I even be able to resist their advances? Or would I just think they were crazy for ever conceiving such an idea?

Choosing to ignore my deviating thoughts, I figured it was time to focus back on the present. If I didn't I'm afraid I might actually begin to fantasize about such a scenario. I just haven't found the right girl yet that's all.

Marcus is still kneeling there with a smirk on his face. Maybe this was his plan all along "You know Marc, we came here to have fun. If you stay there on the floor, someone might think I'm robbing you." Reacting to my retort, Marcus quickly stood up before walking towards my side. Now that our play has come to an end, he dropped his facade and took on a more relaxed attitude. "Yes sir!" he says Jokingly, as we began our venture into the labyrinth of people some people call a mall

We spent about an hour looking around whilst buying a couple of things. Marcus bought a few outfits, and I bought a pair of shoes along with a video game that recently came out. It was the long-awaited sequel of my favorite series and the secondary reason I came to the mall today.

Thinking about playing the game when I got home, noon approached rapidly. With that in mind, It was only natural for our stomachs to growl. We decided to put an end to our shopping and to go grab lunch before calling it for the day. Marcus had class later, and I had a new game to play.

Marcus and I passed many unfamiliar people as he continued to tell me about his latest target of affection. While scanning my surroundings in an attempt to occupy myself, one person in particular caught my eye. She was walking in the same direction as us and was slightly ahead. She had black hair down to her thighs with a silverish-white steak acting as an accent. Her attire could only be described as Gothic, and she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. 

Although her looks were pretty, I wasn't one to stare needlessly. With that in mind, I decided to take one last good look at her before turning away. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough as her gaze met mine. When did she start watching me? My question went unanswered, but as we stared at each other, another voice entered my ear.

(Ten seconds till death. Cause: Stabbing)

As the emotionless voice echoed in my surroundings, I searched frantically for the source. "What are you looking for Leo?" Marcus seemed to notice my abnormality and questioned my behavior. "You didn't hear that?" I asked him. "Hear what?" He responded. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" I was about to inform him of the voice I heard when a gut-wrenching scream echoed through the street. Turning towards the source of the scream, a bone-chilling site was waiting for us. There the goth girl, whose name remained unknown, was lying on the ground, with a knife sticking out of her back. Next to her, a cloaked figure stood with blood-covering black gloves weaved from silk.

With the time it took anyone to react, the cloaked figure had already made a break for it while leaving a few words as he ran. "That'll keep you away from that bastard for good you bitch." with the street stunned in silence, the assassin's words seemed to echo in the hearts of the bystanders, leaving only one question for the most attentive. Who is the bastard he seemed so angry about?

As the cloaked figure finally disappeared, and his footsteps faded out into the distance, the scene, once frozen, defrosted at once. Many of the observers could be heard gasping and exclaiming in surprise. The more sensible ones called an ambulance, and Marcus and I checked the body.

"Leo check the pulse, I'll look for signs of breathing." Not in the mood to joke around I followed Marcus's command and put two fingers on the veins of the lady's neck. Five seconds go by and not a single beat is felt. Ten seconds go by with similar results. After 15 minutes with nothing, I turned to Marcus shaking my head before uttering my verdict in a grave voice. "Nothing. She's dead."

Another wave of gasps fills the street as spectators listen to my verdict. Marcus's checkup yielded similar results, as with no pulse how could she possibly have been breathing? It wasn't long before paramedics showed up with police officers accompanying them.

Marcus and I were brought away to be questioned by the police while the body was taken away by the paramedics, most likely heading for autopsy. Not that it was needed, even a child could tell how she died.

With that thought remaining in my mind, I turned my attention back to the police and began answering their questions to the best of my ability, leaving out the part of the voice, as I didn't want to be seen as crazy.

Minutes passed, and the officer wrote down our testimony before letting us go. Unsure of what to do, Marcus and I continued on our original path toward lunch. The only difference was that this time a deafening silence accompanied us along with a tension that was palpable.

Luckily the trip was uneventful, as minutes went by in our continued silence. before long we arrive at our destination. I talk to the waitress saying as little as needed, because that's all I'm able to muster, and she leads us to our table. Marcus sits across from me as we continue to stare at each other unsure of how to continue with our conversation from earlier. Preparing myself I take a deep breath

"How the fu-" I was the first to break the silence but was immediately re-silenced as a familiar emotionless voice once again echoed in my surroundings as my gaze remained locked on my friend. The contents of which could only be referred to as a grave omen.

(Seven days left till death. Cause: Train)