WINNERS & LOSERS PT 5

I hasted myself and ran away from April the moment the ship arrived at Orbis station.

“Jake! Where are you going…?” April’s voice traced away as I ducked past masses of people and kept running, not wanting to ever see anyone I recognised anymore.

I was a failure…I was a loser…I was good for nothing…

Tears blinded my eyes as I pictured April living in the future without me. Her greatest burden was no longer there- how could she not be happy?

Mom, dad, please forgive me. I’ve let you all down…

I grabbed an incantation scroll and teleported down the Orbis tower. In a blinding flash, I fell into deep snow at the bottom of the tower. I was at my destination.

I took a deep breath and examined the scenery. It was beautiful. I knew that it would have been a pity to die there but I had no choice. I had blocked out all other alternatives from my mind.

With heavy footsteps I threaded through the thick snow. Cold winds swept the land and I shivered under the extreme cold. I forced myself to continue moving, one step at a time. For several hours I walked around aimlessly, wandering at the speed of a snail.

It seemed like hours, or even days, before I found a suitable place. As I approached it, a line between the snow and the sky seemed to split up.

I crouched down by the cliff and peered off it. The ground below was not visible, only an empty darkness silencing the valley below. How deep would my fall be? I piled up a snowball and let it drop. The snowball became smaller and smaller until it was completely enveloped in the abyss below. That was one long fall.

Well this is it. No more questions, no more answers, only death. This is how my life will end.

I let loose of my body control and tilted forward. My body arched at a 45 degree bend and finally, lost touch of the ground. I stared upwards like a lifeless body as I plummeted down.

“Nooo please do something!” Aprils face suddenly appeared from beyond the cliff horizon, one of despair and worry.

A sticky web immediately shot down from the cliff. What was happening? In a split second it wrapped me up and broke my fall. My attempt to die was a failure…

“Jake how could you!” April slapped me, her face stained with red marks. My head was low and I absorbed to pain in silence. Behind April was her father, a hermit, who had rescued me with spider web a few minutes ago. The hermit then left us to resolve the matter ourselves.

“April…I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s my entire fault. If you had not followed me to Ossyria none of this would have happened. I know how to make up! I’ll treat you to a meal or something.”

“No don’t make me feel bad.”

“I insist.”

“Well okay then.”

We both went back to Orbis, my mood now much lighter and free. I still had a chance with April. I watched April closely as we headed towards the nearest bar. She still seemed to be showing symptoms of stress and discomfort. I could not blame her. Her boyfriend had dumped her the day before, her brother had died in the morning and I almost committed suicide.

We opened the glass doors of the bar and a stench of liquor filled our lungs. Men were acting like complete lunatics and the only girls around (besides April of course) were there to entertain the drunkards and gain dirty money.

“What an unrefined place!” I rolled my eyes and casually remarked.

Suddenly a big sized gangster tugged April’s hand roughly and shoved me aside. “Hey there hottie! Here’s 1k mesos, now get into your undergarments and start dancing right here in front of me!”

April flared and slapped him. I quickly rested my dragon tail on his neck and gave him a threatening look. “Leave her alone or else…” I calmly responded. I owed my life to April and I would have to repay her.

“Hey look this loser wants a fight!” The gangster sneered at me. “C’mon let’s show him how to fight proper!” Laughter spread through the confined area and several other men got out of their seats. They were carrying pathetic weapons such as razorhead and field daggers, I noticed.

Seven men immediately surrounded me, with the oversized geek by the side. “Charge!” The seven men ran towards me like mad bulls towards a red cloth. I quickly jumped over them and they smashed into each other. Talk about self destruction!

I then whacked the leader with the blunt side of my dagger and he was out cold. “April I do not think this place is safe. Let’s go somewhere else.” I then purchased a large pack of 20 beer bottles and we left the chaotic madness of people ravaging how I easily beat the gang up.

That night we went for a leisurely stroll in Orbis Park. We chatted about current events and laughed at each other’s lame jokes. We then settled down and drank the beer.

“I challenge you to see who can finish the most beer!” I spurted out without thinking. BIG mistake…

“Deal!”

We started drinking away; gulping down liquor till our minds were blurred and our heads were blocked. I felt so high, so trouble less, so happy…so horny.

“When’s the last time you ever made love to someone?” I heard myself say.

“Dunno, I think yesterday.”

We both started laughing loudly.

“How bout you?”

“When I’m 83!”

We started laughing again, unaware that I was not even answering the question.

Then the alcohol began to kick in a little more and the sounds I heard started to get muffled. My vision also deteriorated greatly. My mind could only vaguely make out the subsequent events and my body seemed to have a life of its own. If my conscience was still there I would not ever have made the greatest mistake of my life. If only it was still there…

“Hey April, I dare you to take off all your clothes and make love to me now.”

“Deal…”