Chapter 8
The proposal
Oswald immediately arose from his throne like chair as I hesitantly entered the dimly lit room. The room was made for a king. He could sense I was fearful. Not so much of him, but of the situation. I had murdered someone and had to accept the fact that I would probably be on the run for the rest of my life now. I couldn't go back to see my friends or any of my family. I could feel myself welling up at the thought. Life was so uncertain now. I was fearful for the future. Standing there looking like a lost mouse, he limped up to me and put his hand on my arm. Strangely enough I wasn't scared of him. I didn't tense when he touched me. Not meaning to degrade him, but I struggled to believe he was the 'king of Gotham', that this man struck fear in the hearts of people when his name was spoken, that this man was the kingpin of the underworld. Oswald wore a long gold and black robe with a night hat to match, he was a gothic, vampire prince in the making. Sharp spikes of jet black hair clung to his forehead, the same way I remember them doing when I saw him for the first time. His nose was sharp and his eyes were the prettiest eyes I had ever come across, light, hazy green that came with long, delicate eyelashes. He was beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful person I could ever have imagined. 'I trust you're feeling better? Your first kill is always a little unsettling' He then preceded to look down and then smiled. 'Please... join me for dinner.' So, that is exactly what I did.
Food masked the entirety of the table. Fruits, wines, bread rolls, soups, salads, olives, if you can think of it, it was somewhere on the table (anything vegetarian that is!) Never if my life had I seen so much food in one place. You would have assumed that there was going to be a grand dinner party of thirty or forty, but in fact in was only me and Oswald. Oswald sat on the opposite end of the table from me, as the table was so long I doubted whether I would be able to hear him sufficiently. Heat radiated off the fire that was in the centre of the two of us. It was truly glorious. 'Thank you, Oswald, for helping me out and all of this,' I quivered, but I truly meant every word. 'After glugging some wine, he eagerly replied, 'you don't need to thank me, and you… you can stay here if you want, you might have to stay a while though, you're be the gcpds most wanted at the minute.' Shit, he was right, my head fell into my hands as I tried to shake the thought off. 'Oh no, I meant it as a joke,' He looked shocked and apologetic as he went on to explain, 'I mean, it's… it's Gotham for goodness sake, you're the least of their worries… trust me.'
Hours passed as Oswald enticed me with his fantastically thrilling stories and gripping tales of how he became to be the king of the city we both knew and loved. We laughed and ate, although I did not do much of the talking, as I had the constant worry of the gcpd in the back of my mind. However, the huskiness and softness of Oswald's voice and laughter was enough to put me at ease and I occasionally found myself forgetting about my reality as I dazed into his. 'May I propose something?' He spoke as he leaned in closer to the candle light on the table. The delicate glow of the candle mirrored off his ghostly, pale sharp and soft features. His eyes unwillingly captured my own. I was unable to look elsewhere, although I didn't mind because I didn't want to look anywhere else. 'Would you… work for me?' I nervously swallowed some of the bread I was chewing. What could he mean? What would he want me to do? What would he do if I refused? 'It's nothing too morally corrupt,' He smiled and pursed his lips together. His lips were delightfully thin and looked frightfully delicate. For a man of his stature and reputation he was surprisingly feminine, he had no shame and embraced this. The thought alone made my heart palpitate. A moment passed and I almost forgot where I was. 'I can see you're thinking, honestly you have nothing to worry about. All I need is someone who will help me, just to do some small errands, nothing bad. And you can stay here, with me, in my mansion. I, I will hide you and all you have to do is help me somewhat.' Oswald swirled his wine around in the glass then took a sip. I guess it's an offer I can't refuse. 'Okay,' I replied hesitantly, 'what's my first job?' Oswald mischievously smiled then gazed into my eyes from across the table. Oh god, What have I signed up for?