Prologue.
Finally, evening, thinks Darius O'Vert, picking up the glass into which he had just poured milk a few moments ago.
Then he takes the plate containing the boy's most delicious "dish" from the table - cookies.
He himself smiles, thinking about how pitiful he must look now.
If my mother found out what I'm drinking and eating now, she'd probably think I'm crazy, the boy tells himself under his breath.
Then he looks around the room for a few seconds, surprising himself that he's finally starting to like his mother's exaggerated desire for white.
In fact, looking at the white walls and the matching white floor and ceiling, he thinks that everything really looks normal.
However, Darius' father's opinion about such colors is still the opposite: he says that everything here reminds him of a hospital.
But can he judge his mother? She works in a hospital, so it's safe to say that it's in her blood.
Enough thinking about colors, Darius. It's time to watch your favorite series, the guy tells himself.
He walks through the dining room, which is also white, until, turning right, he reaches the living room, which is (finally!) gray. Darius sits down on a gray armchair, spreading his legs wide, and, picking up the TV remote, turns on the channel that should be showing his favorite series.
The TV comes to life and just in time, the subtitles pop up on the TV screen, announcing that they will now be showing another episode of "Dexter."
Finally, something normal, he mutters quietly.
A new series starts, but suddenly Darius's phone comes to life and notifies him of a new message. The guy glances angrily at his mobile.
"God, what now?" he asks himself out loud, standing up from his comfortable armchair.
Then he goes to the dresser, on which his phone lies beautifully and dismissively placed. When he touches the screen with his finger, it pops up that a new message has come from an “unknown number”.
Darius frowns.
“Hello, Darius.” – The message sounds completely harmless, but for some reason it causes an inhuman and inexorable feeling that this is not a good sign. Nevertheless, Darius, being brave, writes back to the stranger.
“What is this?” – the guy quickly presses the buttons on the screen. He is about to throw the phone back on the dresser, but he is stopped by another sound, this time not a message. And the sound of a ringing bell. The guy slowly looks at his mobile. The screen shows that a stranger is calling him.
Are you kidding me, he whispers angrily to himself.
Then he takes the phone in his hands. He answers, holding the screen to his ear.
The cold glass passes through his entire body and makes him shiver.
"Hello?" Darius greets, trying to look completely neutral, as his parents taught him.
"Hello, Darius," a cold and unfamiliar voice is heard.
It doesn’t take him long to realize that it’s a voice changer.
Why would someone need to change their voice, he asks himself, not understanding.
"Maybe I could find out who I’m talking to?" he asks, but only gets an indifferent giggle.
"Wouldn’t you like to play a little?" the stranger says in a disappointed voice.
"Not anymore," Darius retorts.
"Too bad," the interlocutor mutters. "I thought you were braver, Darius." The human says.
"I’ll play when you tell me who you are." The guy retorts, not even intending to give up.
"Oh, how I like such human courage... acceptable," as if the person is praising him.
Darius frowns. He suddenly feels uncomfortable.
He feels... watched.
"Then tell me what you want," Darius speaks after a few minutes, concentrating on the new one.
The person laughs darkly.
"I told you so," the stranger repeats. "I want to play a game."
After thinking for a second, Darius sighs deeply, realizing that he can choose one of two things: first, he can disconnect from the conversation and forget all about it, and, second, he can play this damn game and understand who he is talking to.
No matter how much he wants to choose not to play, someone is still inviting him to play, because he realizes that this can be an extraordinary game.
"Okay," Darius finally gives up, and falls silent.
A person claps his hands.
"That’s amazing," he says. "That’s what I expected from you, Darius."
"So… what’s the first question?" the guy squeezes it out a little differently, wanting everything to end as quickly as possible.
The series is now completely forgotten.
"Don’t lose this momentum throughout our conversation." The human advises. "And the first question: why are you trying to take away the person I love?" Darius is momentarily confused.
The question throws him off track.
If he expected anything, it’s just a simple question about how you live, or how you want to die, but… this question is different.
"I-I’m sorry?" Darius asks, stammering a bit.
"Why are you trying to take away the person I love?" the human repeats in an icy tone.
"I… I’m not trying to take away anything." The guy tries to make excuses, not even knowing exactly why.
The man chuckles darkly.
"Really?" the man asks in disbelief. "I see how you look at him." The interlocutor continues to accuse.
"I have no idea what kind of person we are talking about exactly." Darius admits.
The man answers only after a few minutes.
"Then I will ask another question..." the man continues mysteriously. "Who do you think is in your house now?" the conversation suddenly stops, leaving Darius completely unable to understand what he just needed to understand.
Is there someone else in my house, he asks, feeling fear seeping through his skin.
The guy swallows hard.
Whoever he is, this person cannot be in my house, I am completely alone, Darius tries to calm himself, but, unfortunately, such thoughts do not help.
Suddenly, the guy hears some glass object fall and break in the next room, in the kitchen.
God, what's going on here, he mutters under his breath.
Not quite forcing himself, Darius takes a few steps closer to the kitchen. It's not far from the living room.
As he gets closer to the kitchen, something breaks again.
He jumps in fright, and his heart stops beating for a moment.
"God, get a grip, you idiot," he scolds himself silently.
Darius steps even closer.
He still has time to think about whether he shouldn't pick up something to protect himself when he enters the kitchen.
Since it's September, the room is pitch-black, so he has to find the light switch in the dark.
He finds it.
Turns it on.
He looks around...
Nothing. Completely empty.
Darius breathes easier.
God, this is just another pathetic nonsense... just a joke, he tells himself.
He returns to the living room, more firmly.
He sits down on the couch.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
Even though he’s just discovered that there’s no one in his house, Darius can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.
The guy decides to look around to make sure he’s alone. Darius looks back.
Nothing.
He breathes even easier; he’s about to pick up the TV remote to turn up the volume, but… it’s gone.
The guy turns to where the remote should have been, but it’s gone.
What the hell, he curses.
Darius looks around the couch again, touching every possible place it should be, but he can’t find it anywhere.
Where did that damn thing go, Darius asks, angry with himself for not remembering where he put the remote.
He gets up from the couch.
He takes one last look at it all.
Suddenly, the TV turns off and the guy flinches.
"What the hell is going on here?" he hisses under his breath.
Darius looks around the room, searching for the remote control, but unfortunately, it’s nowhere to be found.
"Is there anyone here?!" he exclaims in despair, but no matter how likely it seems, no one answers him.
So, he has only one option left: to search the other rooms.
The guy has already reached the kitchen when a shadow flashes before his eyes, metal gleaming in his hand.
A knife, Darius still has time to realize, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have time to react.
The shadow attacks him first, stabbing him straight in the stomach.
The guy feels a sharp and long knife dig into his skin and penetrate deeper.
He screams.
"Shit!" Darius shouts, looking at the shadow.
It turns out to be a man dressed as a jester, his mask resembling a burnt human face. The rest of his clothing is made of gold, only his shoes are black.
Without waiting, the man pulls out a knife.
Darius falls, but the man grabs him tightly to keep him from falling.
Then he stabs him again. This time in the ribs.
The boy feels the knife cut into the bone.
"Ah!" he screams in an agonized voice.
This is followed by another stab... and more.
Finally, the man lets go of him.
Darius falls painfully to the ground.
The gray living room floor is now stained with blood.
The boy tries to crawl, but the man approaches him too quickly.
He kneels down carefully, grabbing his hair.
And makes you look straight at his terrible mask.
"You are pathetic and disgusting, Darius." A familiar voice whispers.
A voice that Darius recognized.
He has heard it a million times.
Oh God... he mutters.
"T-that... t-you?" Darius groans.
The man laughs.
"Of course it’s me," the killer says, raising his hand with a bloody knife.
"But... why... me?" the boy asks, feeling blood gushing from the places where he was stabbed.
The man chuckles darkly, then sighs.
"I understand that you don’t understand why now." The killer agrees. "But you had to die, Darius. Because no one can be with him. Only me." With that, the man stabs himself one last time...
As he does so, he just manages to feel the blade of the knife sink into his left eye.
A final sound escapes his mouth... a final sigh.
And then he loses consciousness...
And only one thing remains...
Darkness.
