[A/N: Chapter soundtrack: The Weeknd - Heartless]
"I have no interest in playing games."
Aybel's response was flat, eyes still searching the crowd.
"Ouch, as blunt as ever... but you know..." Caine's voice trailed. "In a situation like this, it can be quite tempting to guess what these poor souls were up to before they, well, meet their maker."
"And who knows... Playing this game might trigger some forgotten memories for me."
"Besides, why not imagine the lives of others when I can no longer remember my own? It's not like we have anything better to do until we find our way out of here..."
"Plus!" He suddenly perked up. "It's an absolute fun way to pass the time. So, how about it?"
"I fail to see how this game would be of any help. But..." Reluctantly, Aybel sighed. "If it amuses you, I suppose I can play along."
Caine Clapped. "Excellent! Let's call it: Caine's Extraordinary Backstory Riddles! Falling Down Edition!"
"What a horrendous name."
"The Sins of Our Past?"
"Slightly better - make it quick."
"Ah! But before that, prizes! Whoever gets the closest gets to..." Caine paused for a moment, grinning mischievously as he tried to think of a reward.
"...To pick something from the person who loses, and they'll have to give it to you without complaining. How's that?"
"That doesn't sound very fair to me. You have nothing of value that I want."
"Is that right? Now, just where did I put it..." Caine muttered to himself as he searched through all of his pockets, turning the empty holes inside out.
"Ah, there it is!"
Finally, he pulled out a small notebook from his back pocket and flipped through the pages, then he held the notebook up triumphantly in front of Aybel.
"My only possession!"
Interest piqued, Aybel glanced at the notebook. Inwardly he couldn't help but smirk. What in the world does he have in there?
"Okay, and just what exactly is so important about that book?"
"That's a personal matter, you see." Caine replied casually.
"Alright. Of course, if you don't want to show me what's in there, that's perfectly fine as well. I don't plan to burst your bubble by saying this, but: I don't really care about that prize."
"Even if I did, there's no way for us to know for certain whether or not we would be correct with our guesses."
"Now, now, now. That's half the fun, don't you think? Besides... I have a feeling we'll know." He gave Aybel a wide smirk. "So, why don't we start off simple, hm?"
Caine stared thoughtfully at the falling masses. "How about..."
"Her! The one screaming her head off in absolute terror..." He smiled at Aybel.
"..."
Aybel gave an unimpressed sideways glance. "You'll have to be more specific."
"Hm...? Ah, of course. There..." He pointed above. "The middle aged woman with the flower print shirt."
Casually slipping his hands into his pockets, Aybel stared at the hysterical woman, eyes following her as she fell straight into the abyss below.
"From the way it's smeared on her hands and clothes, I can tell she was working with flour. My guess is that she was baking."
"Bread or pastry?"
"A fruit pie running late on delivery."
"Aha~ What kind? And how do you figure she wasn't just baking for her family?"
"Well, for starters, I don't think she has one. Though the way she's dressed does make her look like a housewife. A divorced one at that."
"How can you tell she's divorced?" Caine questioned Aybel's claim.
"It might be hard to notice, but there's a tan line where a ring used to be on her middle finger."
Adding onto his statement, he continued: "The bags under her eyes could mean she probably woke up at an ungodly hour to fill in orders. Not to mention the bubble wrap she's holding being pretty much a dead give away."
"And strawberry pie because, either those red stains on her fingers are blood or... strawberry syrup."
"Hmm..." Caine tilted his head. "Impressive. Very plausible, in fact."
"Plus, you're right about the whole divorced housewife thing."
He paused for a moment. Then he sighed, disappointed. "You know, if she were baking chicken fingers, I'd have been more interested. I'm more of a fingers guy myself."
Aybel glanced at him. Is this guy serious?
But then, Caine chuckled. "Still, what a shame no one's going to taste that pie. Okay, next up is my turn."
"...Red shirt. Pink nail polish." A flat reply from Aybel.
"Ah, this should be an interesting one." Caine rubbed both his palms as he spoke. "She reeks of self-destruction~! Okay, let's see..."
Stroking his chin, he began, his words slow and methodical: "Late twenties to early forties... fresh tattoo on her wrist... red highlights in her hair... Nicotine stain on her fingers, she's a smoke fiend - no question, maybe there's an addiction at play - Could be a trauma... or a toxic relationship?"
"Water spots on her clothes imply a recent contact with water, and her damp hair... On her appearance alone, I highly doubt she was swimming... In addition, her messy hair means that she was probably in a rush..."
"Alright, got it!~" He snapped his fingers turning to look at Aybel with a smirk.
"She got out of the shower getting ready for an outing... or perhaps a secret rendezvous with a mystery Ex~"
Genuinely impressed Aybel gave a weak nod of approval. However, his heart wasn't in it. As they played, he kept a watchful eye, searching every face...
"Ahhh~ So satisfying! It's like putting together a puzzle without using the picture."
"Now... This gentleman with the nice looking scar on his face seems interesting..." Caine suggested, his finger landing on a middle aged man who frantically tried to find something, anything to grab to stop his fall.
Aybel studied the man's panicky flailing body, before he became nothing more than a tiny, barely visible speck.
"There's soil stuck under his nails... Probably tending to his garden."
"Interesting, go on," Caine urged. Remaining completely still, Aybel obliged.
"His outfit doesn't look fresh. In fact, it seems like he already sweated in it. That means he already did his gardening, which would explain the dirt under his nails."
"Seeing how he has a slight hunch, it's a safe bet to think he does it every day... The worn-down leather shoes also speak volumes about the amount of time he spends in the dirt."
"His slight tan on one side means he probably enjoyed his routine near a window... maybe in an indoor garden. And finally, the scar on his face..."
Taking a hand out of his pockets, Aybel traced along his right cheek.
"That's quite the nasty scar. Clearly aged over time too, I'm guessing several months old. From its shape I'm assuming the scar is a reminder of how dangerous his hobby is-"
"I see... but what caused the scar?" Caine interrupted.
"Well, I figure if he was holding pruning shears above his face to prune a high branch, and accidentally slipped, the sharp blades could have easily left their mark like that on his face... It's just a hunch, but I think he was less experienced back then."
"Hmm, disappointing... I suppose not everyone has a dramatic backstory... ah, but she does!"
Caine gestured to a very young looking lady dressed in a white wedding gown, hair flowing in the wind as tear-stains ruined her make up.
"I guess the younger the bride the more dramatic the story, and this little miss clearly didn't get her happy ending... shame... you'd think she was going to heaven with that dress, but she really is just going down... down... down...~"
In a blink of an eye she vanished into the depths below.
"Oh well, on to the next."
As time ticked by, someone random would occasionally collide with the chandelier, threatening their balance as they took turns piecing together a psychological profile of sorts.
Caine's guesses ranged from a politician caught pants down, right in the act, to a freeloader taken mid fridge raid.
Aybel, on the other hand, focused mostly on his search. However, out of the blue, in the midst of their dark amusement, Caine slyly asked:
"Have you noticed yet...?" His voice trailed off, a smirk forming on his face.
Now accustomed to his innate nature for catching people off guard, Aybel stated matter-of-factly:
"I did, actually. A while ago..."
"You did? You're so focused on figuring out everyone's appearance, I was afraid you'd miss the little tidbit~"
Aybel stared out into the darkness.
With every passing second, more figures seemed to plummet toward the abyss. "They're falling in an age related pattern." He stated bluntly.
"The older ones fell first and apparently followed by a younger generation, then another."
"It's as if someone is starting at the top and working their way down... That, or it really is just a pure coincidence."
Caine smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "Very good... very perceptive. Ahhh, don't you just love to see it. The passing of time mirrored even in this mess. Quite fascinating..."
"In any case, this is getting boring. I say we find something more fun to do. So, shall we conclude our game with a final round?" He asked looking over to Aybel, but the other boy was already lost in his thoughts:
An order like this couldn't simply be by chance; or if it is, then the odds of it happening must be astronomical.
It's... too specific to be a coincidence, and I don't like that one bit. It creates a lot of questions.
The first of which being: What exactly is the reason for this pattern? I wouldn't be surprised if there is a correlation between age and the reason why all this is happening.
I mean, they're all just average citizens from all walks of life; from young to old, fat to thin, rich to poor, and all sorts of different races and backgrounds. What could it possibly accomplish?
Out of pure curiosity though, are the older generations more willing to accept their fate? Hmm... Well, they didn't seem like it.
However, the biggest question I have is: This seems like a deliberate 'intervention' of sorts... But why? And more importantly, by whom? Unless... perhaps, just perhaps... it's the act of a supernatural god...
Snap! Snap! Snap!
"Hey! Hey! Wake up! It's my turn to play! You can't leave me hanging!" Loud finger snaps from Caine stopped his wandering thoughts for a few seconds.
Though Aybel remained stoic on the surface, deep down, for some reason, looking at Caine now, like a yellow flashing sign, his instincts screamed: CAUTION!
"This game of speculation may amuse you, but it doesn't change our current situation..."
Caine sighed with a touch of sadness. "You're right, as always... Alas, if you're unwilling to continue, I still have one last deduction to make. As for my final turn..."
He looked at Aybel with an innocent smile on his face.
"I'll do you..."
To Be Continued...