Short Story - The Worlds Game [RD]

“I have the god’s gifted luck,” Camlart told the stranger that sat besides him. He was at bar, celebrity his 19th survival from a brutal accident, he had told the stranger too. “five from gunshot, two plane crash, six car crash and lastly from all the six attempt of poisoning me, failed. My late wife did that, but I survived and she died.”

the man drink from his own cup and looked him, “You seem to be amused by it.” his voice hoarse, his eyes reddish and cold.

Camlart didn’t cared if the man was frightening or not, he trusted his luck more than ever. “Yes, I’m. Nineteen isn’t a small number, I’ll wager the next time I will survive as well.”

The stranger smiled and said, “Let’s have a challenge shall we? Survive the next time and I will hand over the fortune of thirty-four billion nino.”

Nino was as valuable as dollar was in the republic of Morviana, it was the second most valued internationally. Hearing about the value of nino he would receive, Camlart didn’t hesitated acceding, he was blind-fold by the luck he trusted. “And If I die?”

“Separation(Death) takes you. If you want---”

“I accept,” Said Camlart, his excitement and foolish confident had swathed his sense of awareness and half intellectual mind. “What do I have to do?”

“Nothing, wait by morrow.” the stranger was gone.

When the next morning came, Camlart didn’t woke and was still abed. He was breathing, but not hearing, his heart was beating but his mind not working. He was alone in his own house, so no one came to check. When Camlart opened his eyes, he was greeted with screams and enchantments.

The world was reddish and the alter where his laid was red too, eerie people circling the alter and singing in incoherent voices. Panicked and startled, Camlart recalled what the man from the yesterday had said. No, this is a dream but he didn’t want to believe. It felt real than surreal.

One of the creature garbed in red robe, brought a sheep. Everyone gathered around him, stabbing it again and again, it cried for help but no one was present to save it. Camlart got up and saw the creatures distracted, he glanced at the tunnel leading to somewhere. He gave it no second thought and crept towards the gloomy tunnel.

One of the creature saw him, and chased. Camlart darted, his mouth tightly closed and his pace getting faster and faster with every seventh step. It was until he saw light and his hope sparkled inside. As he exited, one of the creature pounced on him, he was small and had a dirk. He stabbed in Camlart shoulder, Camlart shoved the creature away, gritting his teeth in pain.

Outside was cloudy with faint light of the sun, everywhere about Camlart was forest, gloomy and threatening. Camlart was in pain and was feared of the chasers. He entered, running and running, not realizing his shin was scratched by a bush full of poisoned thorns. In the ceaseless, his breath turned shallow and he collapsed from exhaustion. Whacked, Camlart given in to the slumber and his eyes shut.

When his eyes opened, the world around him was not so familiar, he was in a yurt. He heard many footsteps, swift and slow, uncountable for his ears. A creature entered, his eyes white like snow and pointed like elves, his skin full of wrinkled but he wasn’t old.

“You fine. Mind I check your wound.” His tone polite.

Camlart dubiously nodded. The creature checked his shin and shoulder, “Where am I? Who are you.”

The creature, Atmi, give him a thoughtful glance, “You challenged separation (death), you in an upper sky (world/Dimension).” Atmi explained him everything, he was now a half soul with the other half linked with the body. When asked how he knew, Atmi responded, “Worlds too complicated and simple, you can’t understand.”

Camlart was taken out of the yurt, where he saw many similar one’s erected about. “How can I leave this world?”

“Win against angel of separation(death), many come like you but failed.” Atmi stroke a passing by child’s head, “You stay here, few days.”

Camlart did as bid. Day and night he was with the small tribe of few Atmion. In two days, his bond grow with them deeper, he come to learn there were more creature than he had imagined, many could come to there world without being seen. In the fifth day, Atmi called him. plopped at the river bank, Atmi told him, “Time has come, the world will chase you.”

“Atmi, do you fear death?”

Atmi smiled, his wrinkled formed deeper lines, “We see sky that you can’t, we see god the one you can’t. We fear no separation, we know there’s no end for us.” His voice suddenly lowered to a whisper, “Angle of Separation want show you something… you died, 19th time but you survived because it wasn’t you time.”

the next day, the tribe was attacked by the red creatures in red robes, they were many. Atmi took Camlart away and hid him in a massive crater, it remained unearthed due to leaves of strange color. Camlart heard agonizing shrieks of Atmions, he wanted to go out and do something but he couldn’t.

Two hours had passed when he came out from the underground, he saw burned yurt and bodies. He searched for Atmi, when he found him, his half face was melted and half smiling. Camlart looked away, woeful. He had gotten some happiness, such peaceful time only came with a few people he had been with.

It never lasted, even if I were to survival, they all die. He wanted to cry, Why…

regret and regret, that was all in his heart. If he shouldn’t have acceded the challenge maybe they would have lived longer.

His expedition began, he searched the forest and killed the unfathomable creatures. He survived again and again, but this time he dared not involve someone with him. He had lost the count of years, months, weeks and days. What remain in his heart was the will to defeat the angel of death.

“You came.” Camlart said in valtri. He was tall. His skin turned into crystals, they radiated purple light. He was no longer a human but the higher sky(world/dimension) being.

He sat on his throne in a vast chamber, and stared at the man strolling with foggy eyes.

“I always did,”

Camlart, now a supreme being after climbing higher sky, asked, “Why did you let me live? You could have taken my soul at any time?”

“Your fate led you here, and it is to end here. Give all you can, and try to win. I didn’t came here as the angel of Separation but as Separation itself.”

Camlart laughed, and strolled. He halted before him and than fell to his knees, “I might have a chance against the angel but the against the death. Just take me, I want to see…” he took a deep breath, “wife and to Atmi.”

“Your wife poised you.”

“Stupid she might be, but I never blamed her. She just wanted us to run away from the harsh reality. Am I right?”

Separation nodded, that caused the man to smile.

“I don’t blame anyone rather I’m grateful. Have me with you, I wish not to return in that world where you will let me live and take people of my life. I will be arrogant for that, I know too many secrets.”

And than separation took it.

[A rough experimental draft, and yes it’s completely ruins and dull. On the pretext of wanting to test things out, I would write more stories that are for experiment of my research, and also would like you to read them, just for fun.]