Lonely lamps light a dark and dismal road. The man lurking in the shadows pays them no mind. Opting instead to walk within the darkness. The shadows had always been good to him, hugging him closely and diverting the glances of would-be prying eyes. He glided gently through the empty streets, and were it not for the tap tap tap of his cane on the road. You might not have noticed him at all.. No place in particular came to his mind but he was sure that he would find what he was looking for. He had a knack for being exactly where he was supposed to be. Without rush the man walked. Tap tap tap.
As bars go, the one that the man came to wasn’t a big one, Even still the silence when he walked in was deafening. Tap tap tap. The man’s features were no less ambiguous in light as they were in darkness, The hood of his jacket rested lazily on the top of his head. The man didn’t speak. He just sat. The man across from him, however, had more than enough words for the both of them.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this y’know”, the man said, a soft southern lilt coloring his voice. The man appeared to be in his mid-forties. Surely he was once a handsome man, but now his face was ugly, angry, contorted. He lifted a bottle to his lips and took a long pull.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this” he said, He gave a soft chuckle and then with a sigh,
“I really do love her, you have to understand that. You have to understand. I wasn’t always an honest man, you see. I have my faults like anyone else, Gambling is my vice. I’m sure you have your own. It began as small bets, trying to guess who’ll win next week’s game and things like that, but these things tend to spiral don’t they and they spiraled me all the way down to the steps of that damned casino.
Do you have a particular game you like at the casino? No I don’t suppose you would. I’m a poker guy myself. I’m not the best by any means, but I could hold my own. I realize I may be getting ahead of myself, so let’s back up a little,
My wife was never a fan of gambling, My ex-wife I should say. I did it in secret though. Just small things. I never thought it was a big deal, just some harmless fun to pass the time. I continued that line of thinking all the way up to the point where I lost my job, I lost my wife soon after. I went job hunting, but I missed the interviews, and with the debt piling up I needed money quickly. Lucky me, I know a way to make a quick buck, “ He lets out a small chuckle, “I lost custody of my kid next. I know, boohoo, after what I probably put her through, it’s less punishment than deserved. I know. A stronger man would have taken a good hard look in the mirror, but I was too scared to do that. I don’t much like the person who looks at me in the mirror anymore. I lost a lot, but in my head I only needed one big win and I would get it all back y’know. My money, my daughter, my job, my wife, everything. It really is a sickness y’know.
A sickness that seemed to spread, because not too long after, my daughter was diagnosed with a rare blood disease. Treatable, but expensive. You can probably see where this story is going. Straight to that damned casino. Now as I said earlier, I’m not the best at poker, but I’ve won my fair share. When it comes down to it, I could hold my own against the average joe, but this wasn’t that kinda crowd.
First thing you notice when you walk in is how dark it is. The lighting was sparse. In some spots there was hardly any lighting at all. It definitely wasn’t the kind of casino you see in tv shows. Dust and cobwebs covered almost every surface, like macabre decorations. I found the poker table easily enough, so I sat down to play. I told myself that I needed the money for my daughter, but I needed the money for many reasons. I was broke, and in debt, with no job, and the bills wouldn’t pay for themselves. I felt the weight of the cards, and felt like I was carrying the whole world on my fingertips.
The chips were in front of me. I was never told what the chips were for. Nobody ever spoke in that room. They looked dead, as if life slowly ebbed away with every push of a chip, Turns out I wasn’t far off. Cards shuffled into dead hands, instinctively I guarded my cards, but the others did not spare so much as a glance my way. They cleaned me out. I was sure whatever I owed them was twice what I had , but when I went to try and work something out. The dealer smiled.
His smile unnerved me. It wasn’t until he smiled that I realized I hadn’t really noticed him at all, It wasn’t until he smiled that I was able to even acknowledge his existence. His voice was crisp, and sliced through the silence like hot knife
“Your debt has been paid,” he said.
I left quickly then. The place gave me the creeps, and I would have never stepped foot in that casino again if it hadn’t been for what I found out next. I walked in the front door of my house to find my ex wife on the couch. Eyes red, head in hand, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened. My daughter was dead. My ex-wife began to tell me about how my daughter had been doing well, maybe even improving but a few hours ago she started to decline. Bit, by bit, by bit. The dealer had said “Your debt has been paid”, and I imagined him smiling as I pushed chip after chip after chip until there was none left. “ Your debt has been paid”
I ran back out of the house, the guilt eating away at my stomach. I ran back down the steps of that damned casino, The casino had a for sale sign on it. I pounded on the door, screaming and yelling, I begged to see that damned dealer’s face. The shop owner next door came out and told me that the place had been abandoned for a long time, but then the weirdest thing happened. His face went slack and he told me to come here to this bar.
That’s when I met you” The man looks up from his bottle and stares at the hooded figure.
And the man under the hood smiled, his unnerving, unearthly smile.
“I suppose you’ve come to make a deal, then”, the dealer said “Unfortunately that’s not how casinos work”
“What about a trade, you take me and my daughter comes back, no strings attached.” The man said.
The dealer smiled, and pondered for a second before settling on an answer.
“Interesting offer, but why would I take a tainted soul, over a pure one, no I’d rather keep it. Although you’re more than welcome to play again. One big win, just like you’ve always wanted.”
“I don’t want that anymore” The man scowled,
“But of course you do,” The dealer said with a smile “ I’ll see you at the table”
The dealer stands up, he’s in no hurry. The dealer walked out the bar. No place in particular came to his mind, but he was sure he would find what he was looking for. He had a knack for being exactly where he was supposed to be. Without rush the man walked. Tap tap tap.
Tyrek's Writing 