8

GAME OVER GAME OVER, GAME OVER.

December kept on losing every single game she played.

" do I keep on losing?" December kicked the poor arcade machine lightly. "Because all you have in mind is success and you cannot think of losing under any circumstances," Said the bartender as he was now standing just a step away from her.

"What do you mean by that?" December raised her guard against the man.

"I mean you haven't changed, not at all, you are still the same girl who kept on ruining lives just because you thought you had to win,"

"Even at the expense of a life—an innocent life."He replied calmly as if trying to break the concrete wall that she had built to keep herself strong.

"I don't know what you mean by that, I-I am leaving" December ran back to the counter and picked up her bag. She was about to leave when she heard the bartender speak again.

"If you feel like crying, comeback! only I can lend you a shoulder" His voice was genuine, he meant every word he spoke but December didn't want to accept that she too wished to cry and she too wanted to repent. December left the bar in a rush during the harsh weather. As the door swung because of the wild wind that blew outside, the bartender looked into the endless darkness outside.

"You will come back, and I wish it is not too late by then," he mumbled to himself.

In the dark and stormy night, the club gave out a feeling of agony as there was only a single light except for the one blinking over Bartender's head, making it feel as if it was the only hope left for the person sitting under it, the bartender who was cleaning the Arcade machine with a piece of cloth.

"We have a long way to go! buddy!"

RUMBLE…

The sky occasionally showed signs of lightning, the rain was still falling slowly as a splashing voice of water echoed in the neighborhood, someone was running through the street, from inside of the windows of the tiny houses, children looked at the running image with horror as it looked like a ghost haunting the street at night.

Beep, beep, beep—

December opened the door of her shabby apartment, With shaking hands, she closed the door and ran towards the washroom. The sound of water flowing was heard outside the washroom.

December stood there holding onto the sink, her eyeliner all smudged and her face showing clear signs of grief and agony, her nails were trying to dig into the sold sink but could not, every part of her body showed that she was sorry for her wrongdoings, that she wished to fix everything, even if it meant her life but her eyes that were staring at the mirror were dry as barren land, a land that once had flowers blooming on it.

"This time I will surely finish this pain," She spoke in a hoarse voice and turned off the tap, she slowly walked out of the washroom and into her room, she walked like her insides were dead and only a soul was left that kept on dragging it around because it couldn't free itself from the heavy body it was caged into.

December opened the wardrobe and threw all the clothes out of it, with shaking hands she reached out to the small cabinet behind the clothes, it was a safe, Her face as pale as snow and her lips dried out because of fear, December pressed the code with her trembling hand and it opened and inside of it was a gun. Her shaking hands approached the gun and her unsteady heartbeat became rapid.

Slowly she took the gun into her both hands as stared at it for a long time before lifting it to her temple. Her room gave off a haunted vibe as she looked around for the last time.

"Haah...one last time! (inhale) This time I sure will end this nightmare, I will free myself for sure." her throat was all dried up because of her fear but still she kept her finger on the trigger, and the gun on her temple, December breathed heavily as it was difficult for her to end her life. Neither she could live nor she wanted to die, She sat on her bed mustering up the courage to pull the trigger but a portion of herself still wanted to live which made her double-minded, but suddenly her past flashed before her eyes, she saw faces that haunted her at nights, the faces she had ruined herself, their cries when she ruined their lives, everything came before her eyes which were very hard to ignore.

"I don't deserve to live ...hah. (Inhale)" with the last breath of air sucked into her lungs, she pulled the trigger and wished that it was finally her end.

BAM!! the sound roared through the apartment along with the loud sound of thunder, nobody noticed the gunshot in the neighborhood as it was silenced by the cruel thunders.

Suddenly the faint smell of blood invaded the room. Her body lay on the bed covering the white sheets with the color red, It was the end she had wished for.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk—" A man in a long black coat stood outside the apartment with a timepiece in one hand and an umbrella in the other through which water was dripping.

"You never learn my Love!" He tapped his umbrella on the door twice and it clicked open.

"And you are careless as always!" He stepped into the apartment and walked around while making a ticking sound with his mouth.

"TicToc I walked around, Tik Tok I turn around, TicToc I bring you back—Tic Tok look who's back—" he sang as he did his movement which matched his lyrics, like a mad man he kept on moving back and forth in the apartment with no fear.

He walked casually into the bedroom where December was lying dead "Oh, dear." He looked at the blood-filled bed and the perfect white bedsheets painted red.

"You have made such a mess out of this place" He walked over to the windows and drew the curtains.

"Wacky wake Love!! how long are you planning on sleeping?" as he drew the curtains the expected dark weather from a while ago was expected but rather than rain sunlight entered the room, and struck on December's eyelids which made her open her eyes in horror.

"Dear me! did I disturb your beauty sleep?" With a grin, he asked her.