Russian
Roulette
My name is Emerald, a woman with a
strong personality and will. I am a woman with big dreams in life and hope to
reach it someday. I live in a suburban place in the town of Gloomsville were
terror has struck the whole town since time immemorial. I work as bar tender
slash dishwasher slash waitress at Burke’s, s small disco bar and restaurant
eight kilometres away from my apartment. Burke’s serves breakfast and lunch and
turns into a disco bar at night, haven for Gloomsville people’s night life for
relaxing from a day’s hard work. I live by my own and renting a one- bedroom
apartment at an old five floor apartment building owned and managed by George
Laggen, a hopeless old man. I spend most of my entire time working at Burke’s
and got no time for others; my room is so untidy, dishes left unwashed on the
counter, cabinet opened and clothes hanged everywhere. I let out a heavy deep
breath and threw my bag on the table, fixed my blanket that I left unfolded
when I left for work this morning and rested my back on the bed, dust came out
of the mattress. This is hopeless; no
one would ever want to live in this shit hole. I reached up the telephone and
dialled the number. A couple of more rings and finally, my boss answered the
telephone. “Forgot something?” Rupert’s voice is on the other line. “Yeah, hi
Rupert! I’m just wondering maybe you could give me a rest tomorrow. This house
definitely needs a make-over.” I tried to sound friendly and pleasing. Rupert
paused for a moment then answered “Well, I’ve seen you worked hard this week
but I’m afraid all of you guys have a full schedule until next week.” “Come one
Rupert! I had the highest tips received this night” “Alright, Emerald. Let me
see what I can do, hold on one second…” a moment later, Rupert Burke came back
and delivered me a nice answer. “Jonny agreed to cover your shift tomorrow but
be sure to be back tomorrow night. Okay?” “Yes! Thanks boss! You’re the best!”
I squealed. “I know, gotta go dear, X is coming in a minute. Need a make-over
too!” “Okay. Good luck with X!” I answered Rupert and the line was dead.
Rupert
Burke owns the bar and restaurant where I am working. He is a good boss and a
close friend with all the other workers. We are like family. My boss is
currently dating a handsome masculine guy he loves to call X. But his real name
is Brixton Ames and he’s 29 or 30 years old. Rupert is 49 and is so in love
with this guy, he’s been hooking up with him for over a year now. My gay boss
is unaware that X is just digging up his money but who knows, maybe he learnt
to love Rupert all the way. I threw the telephone at my side and closed my
eyes, for how long I stayed lying on my
bed with my eyes closed I don’t know. I
just noticed it’s already five quarter in the morning. My hips still hurt but I
have to get up because I have a long day to work up my room. With my eyes half
opened, I opened the fridge and found it empty, perfect!
Gloomsville
streets are so busy at this early time of the day. People dressed up in suits
are hurrying to get a ride to taxi cabs looking so problematic. Some people are
already on the streets doing stuffs that I don’t seem to understand. Old
couples go out for a walk with their dogs. I see people with extreme amount of
fats in their bodies trying to lose some weight off their butts – a usual
Thursday morning at Gloomsville. I sat down on a comfortable chair in front of
the Black Garden’s Café and sipped my favourite cappuccino while looking at the
people passing by the street. I just had an early grocery at a nearby grocery
store and decided to have breakfast at Black Garden’s. A dirty old man appeared
in front of me while I was reading the newspaper. “Got a spare for me?” his
voice was so cold and seemed he hadn’t eaten for days. “Here, take some of my cookies and go
away...” “T-thanks. God bless you!” the man bowed his head and hurried away
munching my cookies. The number of beggars in town is extremely increasing
these days; an old abandoned building at the end of Kelvin Street is full of
them like canned sardines. I wonder why these people don’t have a home, did
they ran away from their families or their families have abandoned them? My
parents died when I was 10 and since then, gramps took care of me until eventually
she died of heart attack. Our properties including our house were taken by the
bank because gramps wasn’t able to pay the bill she used for my college. I was
forced to give up my dream of becoming a successful journalist and stopped
going to school. One more year and I will be graduating but I got no choice. I
decided to work at Burkes’ and Rupert readily accepted my application since I
am, majesty aside, beautiful and very hard working. I started my job right away
as a dishwasher and when Rupert saw my potential and dedication at work, he
placed me on the counter to serve wine and beer and entertain the customers.
I’ve been working at Burkes’ for almost three years now and though with a not
so high salary compared to a full-pledged journalist, I was able to rent a
house, buy a second hand car, I could buy myself a food and I can save a little
for my future. I managed to go on with my life. How can these people not do
what I just did to survive? Maybe they’re just too lazy to work their asses
out.
It’s
already lunch time when I finished cleaning the whole room. I still have the
bathroom left to clean but I decided to get some break. I turned off the loud
music playing on my cassette and opened a canned soda and gulped a large amount
of it. I went outside for some fresh air and to smoke. Four apartment doors
away, I saw a figure of a tall woman walking towards the staircase. The blonde
woman is wearing a furry red coat and a pair of shimmering black leather boots.
This woman must be a rich bitch but what is she doing in this cheap creepy
apartment? Her hips were so seductive as she sways it like swan. A thought came
out of my head and concluded maybe she’s visiting a friend residing in one of
these four doors. “Hey!” I shouted behind her. The curly blonde woman stopped
and turned her face to me. She turned around and I saw a Goddess. “You calling
at me, dear?” her soft voice was so formal. “Umm..y-yeah” I stuttered. “You
probably are new cos I don’t usually see you around here.” I walked
hesitatingly towards her and stopped three steps away from her. “I ahhh…forgot
to buy some lighter when I went to the grocery earlier today. Can I borrow
yours?” Dammit! What if she’s not a smoker? I exclaimed in my mind. I showed
her a pack of cigarette still unopened. She curled her lips and stepped towards
me, I could see her bountiful breast barely resting inside the red coat.
“Sure.” She opened her diamond studded clutch bag and showed me a lipstick. I realised
it was a lighter when she ignited it. Her awesome red-painted nails are
glimmering on her hands. “Thanks! Nice nails.” She smiled and walked away from
me. “You’re welcome. And oh, I’m just visiting a friend here but it seemed he’s
not here.” Her voice was cold and alluring. My eyes followed her until she
reached a shining black car parked in front of the apartment and went inside.
The engine started and disappeared like bubble. This woman is obviously rich.
“Welcome
back, Emerald!” Susie, the waitress gave me a tight hug. “I’m so glad I won’t
be washing this pile of dishes alone” she said as I joined her in washing the
dishes. “Our customers are growing in number these days! I bet they love my
recipes, whatcha think?” said Mr. Vann, the restaurant’s cook giggled. Ludwig
Vann is undeniably the best cook in town. He makes his own recipes and shares
it to the people of Gloomsville. “Of course, Mr. Vann!” Susie agreed to the old
chef. Mr. Vann didn’t go into culinary school to master the art of cooking. He
just had a deep passion for cooking and started experimenting his own recipes
since then. “How about you, Emerald? When will you pursue your dream of
writing? You can be a well known novelist someday!” Alex, Vann’s assistant
turned the topic to me. “Yeah you know what, Alex is right. You can’t waste all
your time and talent in Rupert’s bar are you?” said Susie. They’re right. Three
years of working in this pub is good but I deserved better. “Guys, admire your
faith in me but writing a novel and getting it published in million copies is
way harder than handing people a glass of martini” I sighed. “I guess you’re
right” said Mr. Vann. “I also dreamt of becoming a professional chef and cook
a nice dish for the president but look at me, my world class recipes are found
in this cheap restaurant. But I’m still happy for at least I have a work!” We
all agreed to Mr. Vann’s thoughts. The time moved so fast that I didn’t notice
my shift was about to end. I checked the clock hanged on the wall, my ten hour
shift ended so fast. The bar contained only few late comers drinking beer and
the staff had already some time to rest. I took off my apron and washed my
hands, reached my locker and took the cigarette. I will take some smoke before
I head home, I demanded. I opened the backdoor and rested my head on the wooden
wall as I puffed some smoke. It’s getting colder and colder as the winter
season is fast approaching. I was enjoying the serenity of the moment when my
ears caught a weak moan from behind the woods. At first I ignored it but the
sound grew louder and louder. I got distracted so I focused my sense of hearing
and realised it was a voice of a woman from the woods. Hesitatingly, I walked
towards the woods trying not to make a sound at all. The moans grew louder as I
approached a big tree where I could see two people entwined with each other. I
hid myself on the shrubs and examined who these people are. The woman with a
curly blonde hair is standing at the foot of the tree, her dress on the ground.
Her white pinkish skin is glowing under the moonlight. The woman’s front is
covered by a naked guy kissing her like a hungry lion eating its prey. I could
tell that this man is oozing with hotness from the view of his back—biceps so
hard and masculine, his legs are in between the woman’s legs, his butt so firm
and gorgeous. The man started to thrust his own body to the woman and I could
hear the woman’s loud but measured satisfied moan. The man is groaning as he
penetrated his manhood through the woman’s sacred part. I held a deep breath as
I was enjoying what is happening behind the bushes I am hiding. I could feel a
warm liquid flowed down from in between my legs but I ignored it. I took a
close look to find out who are they, from the man’s hips, I saw a dragon tattoo
and from the moment I saw it, I knew this man is Brixton Ames, Rupert’s
boyfriend. They changed position, this time X is resting on the tree and he
carried the woman in his lap continuously thrusting from her depths of
insanity. The woman has also a big red rose tattoo on her shoulders. I was
watching them as they engaged to sex when I heard Susie calling me from the
backyard. I hurried back to the bar and Susie asked me what I was doing in the
woods. “My phone has a weak reception here. I needed to call someone and I
don’t wanna be distracted by the noise coming from the bar” I lied.
It’s
already seven in the morning when I pulled my car and stopped in front of my
apartment building. I noticed two police cars parked there and I wondered what
happened. When I reached the third floor, two policemen are standing in front
of the second door of third floor. “What happened?” I asked the police. “Do you
live here, Miss?” the police asked me back. “Yes, but in the fifth door on your
right.” “Do you know Mr. Comwell?” “Nope..” I answered trying to recall any
‘Mr. Comwell’ from the inside of my mind. “We found him dead inside his
apartment this morning” the police answered and entered the room. I followed
him inside and I saw two more police and a guy wearing glasses examining the
room. Mr. Comwell is lying dead on his bed, naked. His eyes are opened and it
seemed he just had sex with someone before he died. A knife was buried from his
chest through his heart and blood is still coming out of it. “What do you think
detective?” the other police asked the man with eyeglasses. He seemed to be the
detective investigating the scene. “This man died yesterday between 10:00 to
12:00 noon during his ecstasy with a woman he was having sex with. He was
murdered” he concluded…
One person dead…who killed Mr.
Comwell? Find out in the next episode of Russian Roulette…soon!
-The Seductress
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