Finders, weepers
Daniel was a scumbag. A no-good waste of existence who profited from the misery of others. He was a vicious bastard. A cardboard gangster and thief who everyone hated, but more feared. In the end, you reap what you sow. Few if any shed a tear when they heard he was gone. But even his most ardent enemies would have shivered at the details of his demise.
I heard the story fresh from Davie. The look on his face hid nothing of the horror he claimed to have witnessed. He was hysterical when I bumped into him that night. Pure terror contorted his face as he grabbed onto me and spewed a tirade of nonsensical fear. I tried to calm him down and soon he was able to articulate his thoughts better. As he composed himself, he told me what happened. It turned out he owed Daniel some money — most people did. When Daniel didn’t come collecting, Davie decided to take the money to him. He knew a late payment only added interest regardless of who was at fault and he favoured both his kneecaps. So, he took the money and walked down to Daniel’s house. When he managed to pluck up the courage to knock on the door, he was greeted without reply. Still, ever fearful of those interest rates, Davie didn’t take the absence as a blessing. He stood trembling, wondering what to do when he noticed the door was ajar. He pushed the door open and called for Daniel. The TV was on so he assumed Daniel was in and didn’t hear him. He entered the house and made his way down the hall.
Then the stench hit him. A thick pungent smell of blood filled the air and polluted his lungs. Davie said it reminded him of the slaughterhouse he used to work in as a teenager. The whiff of death was so familiar. He entered the living room and felt his own blood chill. Shredded skin and chunks of meat covered the walls and ceiling. Dark red blood stained the room, forming fresh puddles as it dripped down. Right in the middle of the floor, presented like a gruesome offering lay Daniel’s face, peeled from its absent skull. A nail right through the forehead pinned it to the crimson drenched carpet
Davie’s story was completely fantastical and he sounded off his face. But I believed him. I had my reasons for doing so. I made my way towards Daniel’s house but the police had already arrived. I had to stop, I had no reason I could tell them for being there. No reason I wanted to tell them, at least. Within seconds a police officer ran from the house. Fresh vomit stained his nice uniform. Davie hadn’t embellished his story. It didn’t take long for a crowd to form. I liked that, I could blend in better. We watched as different officials entered the house and the crowd gasped as they exited, ashen-faced and queasy. I could almost hear Daniel’s dying screams linger in the air.
A lot of people were glad that Daniel died. Many debts erased in an instant. Including my own. Yet in death, he found himself indebted to me. If it wasn’t for his overwhelming greed, he may not have smashed my face and ransacked my house when I was short that week. He could take the TV, the PlayStation. It didn’t matter. But when he noticed the silver necklace I wore; his curiosity got the better of him. He ripped it from me and eyed the light blue gem that dangled from it. That, I couldn’t just allow him to have. I cursed the bastard as he casually played with it in his hand, unaware of what he held. Daniel was much bigger than me, and with my nose already broken, there was little I could do. But I had to try. His fist landed on my jaw and I hit the floor again. He fractured one of my ribs with a well-timed volley — the crack resonated in my head for days. I was wounded yet driven by rage. What he took meant nothing to him, yet everything to me.
I planned my revenge meticulously. I’d kill the bastard and reclaim what was mine. I didn’t have to. You see, it wasn’t his to take and it wasn’t best pleased with being stolen. It would appear to have loathed Daniel’s lack of respect and taught him some manners. It might still be in the house. Either that or the police will have it. It was a concern, I admit. It seemed so inaccessible. But our bond is too strong and it will lash out again as it calls to be reunited with me. Daniel was a warning that was not heeded. Next time, the consequences will be greater. I must remain patient and wait. It’s better for all that I am reunited with my owner.
