The Game

"Do you wanna play a game?" She says sultry-like, walking into the white room.

The room has two chairs and a table in the middle. The corner houses a black piano and the opposite wall has a room has no windows and only a single door.

She closes the door and lets it dissapear into the rooms wall.

"Well do you?" She says to the man in the right chair.

"Yes I'm in the mood for a game." He says.

"Dont you want to know what the game is first?" She reaches into her dress and pulls out four aces letting them fall to the floor. Taking off her top hat and rests it onto the table taking in the image of the man. He was different. He had long red hair that he wore in spikes and wore a black suit and leather shoes. His eyes were the color of green emeralds.

"Most men like to know what thier getting themselves into."

She sits atop the table letting the slit in her dress reveal some of her legs.

"Name to me your favorite game."

He folds his legs and leans back in the chair getting comfortable.

"I am not most my dear, I like surprises and I'm not partial to any one game."

"Well that explains why your here Not many people come to visit me anymore...They all go insane from meeting me or hearing my music." She lifts her hat off of the table and a dove flies out from under the brim. Walking over to the piano she opens it and pullsout a deck of cards and a bottle of wine. Leaving it and returning to the table sitting down she pulls out two glasses fron under the chair, and turns toward the man.

"Do you drink?"

He stands and walks towards the woman. "I'd love a drink, but what to?"

"To insanity.." And she slyly adds "To the game."

"Of which I suspect my match." He takes a swig from his glass
"Shall we get underway?"

"Ah yes the game is simple. It is the game of life. The consequences are if you lose I win your heart. If you win I am freed from this prison."
She drinks the rest of her glass and makes her way over to the piano.
"Are you ready? Any questions?"

He joins her at the piano inches from her face.
"Only one, is there a bad out come to this game?" He asks smirking and cocking his eyebrow.

"The only thing bad is the game istelf. Or if I win your heart of course and you are forced to be my marionette. I'm ready are you?"

She takes her place at the piano and lifts her hat over her head in position to play in a very peculiar manner.

"If youd be so kind to sit in the middle of the room" She turns around and gestures with the hat hand the table that was in the middle of the room. The table and other chair having dissapeared in thin air.

A calm double take confirms the odd trick. He gives the woman a quizzical, interested glance and takes his seat at the table.

"Oh so you see the table is still there?" She smirks at the promise of being freed "Thats a first. Well lets begin!"

She throws her hat into the air and screams begining to play maniacally. A form of canon and jazz smashed together. The hat burst into cards surrounding the man. Circling him and enveloping him in a cyclone.

"What's your name?" The cards ask pleadingly.

"Should I answer them?" He yells to the woman over the sound of her musical mania.

"It's all a part of the game my dear sir, and please dont shout I can hear you just fine!" With a wave of her hand the cards shift and change direction repeating the question.

"Axel" He says to the cards

"Axel..Lexa...Axel...Lexa" The cards repeat.
"Such a good name different for sure not another stephen or nhoj. Do you like the seasons? Life? What about music?"

"I like the seasons and life, music is second to most." He replies thinking what an odd start to a game.

"Oh we're only getting started." The cards change and stack up in a line circling him and making a single wall of cards, projecting the image of a woman beckoning to him.

"Will you follow the pleasure or stay and enjoy the company?"

The music suddenly stops and the woman walks out of the cards and straddles his lap.

Blood running fast, but nerves calm he leans around the woman whispering in her ear and says:
"I think I'll stay, I get the feeling there's better pleasure than that of the flesh in this game."

The woman lifts her hand and strokes his chin nodding slightly and simply dissapears.

"Do you wish to continue?"

"Yes please the man replies , slightly red in the face.

The woman begins playing a slightly softer tune at a more bearable level. A more familiar song called moonlight sonata.

"I assume you to be the first not to ask my name..thats to be figured as a man like you cares not for the flesh but perhaps for the mind. Correct?"

"Yes indeed." He replies "And as far as for your name mystery and trai helps for a stronger bond. I assumed you would tell me as you wish."

"Don't lie you know my name. For you've just spoken it. My name is mystery. But onto the game."

She cojures her hat and throws it onto the table. With a loud thunk! It lifts up to reveal a chess set with people instead of pieces.

"So now the game is chess?" He asks.

"Or checkers if you wish." She clunks her hat back onto the pieces and they turn red and white.

"Checker is fine with me thank you." He says turning an intrigued eye to the small colored people on the board.

The woman leaves the piano keys playing and changing on thier own will. She walks over to the table and sits on the edge.

"Would you like to go first or would you rather I? Dont worry you wont hurt them just point to where you want them to walk."

"Ladies first" He replies with a chivalrous wave of his hand.

She chooses the left corner piece and takes the standard two square jump as her first move.
"Your turn. What is your schooling fo choice?"

"Schooling?"

"Of course! Mathematics, courtesy, English, Ballroom, Dance, Woodworking, English, and etcetera."

"Middle piece, upper left jump and my favorite lessons would be english and history. What of you?" He says as said piece moves into the upper left square in its front.

"My favorite was ball room dancing and herbology" She moves her next piece in anticipation of his next move. "Middle piece step catty corner left."

"Right end piece to upper left front." The piece moves as he turns to the woman. "Mystery, if I may call you by it, how does a woman like you come to be able to do all these things?"

"It's been forever since I've been asked that. I do remember dying on a rainy day and waking up here. I don't dream or need sleep. Nor do I require food or drink. I am merely existing now. For this room the piano and the men found wandering here are all I have known for a long time. My magic has been taught to me by this top hat. I found it inside of the piano one day. The window and my wings dissapeared that day...never to return. I wish them both back for they gave me comfort and warmth along with color. But with my magic I lead those who have strayed from thier path to be my company. And I play this game. Don't ask why because I'm afraid that is one question I just can't answer. They have gone insane and become my puppets to lead others into thier own destruction. Middle piece capture white piece." The red piece walks in and kills the whit piece having it crumble to dust and ruse into the air.

"How lovely..." He says now staring intently at her. "Die one day, control miniature people the next...Well I LIKE IT!" Then he frown letting it sink in a bit. "Not a very nice existance though I'm sure, left middle piece capture red , anything I can do to brighten your time? Or am i already doing that by being here in this game? he says forming a small friendly grin as the white piece beats the red to dust.