Aces and Eights

I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting to see, but an eternal void of nothing was not in my deck of cards. The darkness writhes like a nest of snakes when it ain’t churning like a viscous goop. But mostly, it just stares back, like an abyss consuming my thoughts. Taking them from me one by one, they’re gone before I can even comprehend them. The only thing that has stuck with me is the hand that got me here in the first place. Even the cards are beginning to fade.

                                                                                                                           ***

When the lanky prick first walked into the saloon, I’d taken her for a fool. Just another sucker to add to the list of jokers I’d hustled with card tricks and poker chips. With hindsight being all that, a masked woman walking through the doors probably should have raised a red flag or two.

       Usually, my schtick had me fishing guppies from the bar, but the devil came and took a seat at my table all of her own accord. I never did catch her face, but the cloth beneath her big brown eyes hung low and looked to cover a mighty big nose. A nose that seemed to bounce and jiggle whenever she spoke.

       “You ever play with those cards, or do you just enjoy flicking them through your fingers?”

       “A little of both,” I replied. “But I don’t just play for the good times. You got something worth playing for?”

      She reached into her pocket and pulled out a watch made of blackened metal. It looked heavy, warped and not like any clock I’d ever seen. “How’s this suit your fancy?”

       As I reached out to take a closer look, she quickly recoiled, waggling her gloved finger at me.

       “Uh-uh-ah. Only winners get to touch.”

       I scoffed at her remark, “Alright. Well, what’s it worth to ya?”

       “Everything,” she replied, faster than the last words could leave my lips.

       “Everything?”

       “Yes. You, your body, your mind and your being.” I thought she was joking, but from the parts of her face that I could see, I could tell it was straighter than an arrow.

       “What are you desperate for a husband or somethin’?” I laughed. “Why don’t you just ask for my soul while you’re at it?”

      She threw her head back and cackled whilst the cloth billowed between her breaths. “Your soul? Sweetie, that comes with the package, but it’s of no interest to me.”

       Leaning back in my chair, I was both perplexed and amused. I cocked my head and chuckled, “You’re a strange one, Miss, but I’m game if you are.” At the end of the day, I was going to win anyway. Might as well win a weird ass looking watch.

       A cold draft blew through the batwings as she uttered the word, “Deal.”

       Room chills aside, after a little shuffle, I did as she asked and dealt the cards. “Five card poker. Five chips a head. One discard, one bet, winner takes the pot. Lose em all, lose the game. No folds. Sound fair?”

       “That’s an interesting way of playing poker, but it sounds fair to me.”

                                                                                                                          ***

It’s generally hard to tell someone’s poker face when said face is covered by a mask, but even her eyes showed no tell. They just stared at her cards and back at me the same way every time, without fail. The cloth would bounce on her face every so often, but other than that, there was no body language speaking to me whatsoever.

       After a little back and forth to make it look natural, being down to my last two chips seemed like a good time to start pulling the ‘right’ cards. It was her deal, and I’d already been given the majority of a straight, jacks through seven. Weirdly enough, the black four somehow fell down my sleeve and a red six then suddenly joined the party after a well-timed cough. Child’s play.

       “One’s the bet,” I tossed my chip to the middle of the table.

      “Not feeling bold enough to go all in?” she tossed in one of her chips. Her eyes were making that happy crescent shape they do when some people smile.

       “In a rush to lose your watch, eh?”

       “Hardly.”

       “Well, we’ll see about that,” I laid out my cards, “Read ‘em and weep.”

       “Sorry, Hun, but five hearts beats a straight,” she winked at me as she revealed her flush.

       I was slightly taken aback when she raked in the two chips, but rightfully so. She’d won them fair and square. How the hell was she so lucky though? “My deal,” I grumbled, snatching the cards from the table.

       “Nervous?”

       “No,” I pouted. “Eh, what’s it matter? If I win, I get a new watch. If I lose, what, we do some roleplay and I probably get laid. What’s to be nervous about?”

       “I think you misunderstood our wager, Hun. I don’t want to make nookie with you. I want your mind, body and being. Everything that is you, will be mine.”

       “You know slavery isn’t a thing anymore, right?”

       Her left brow raised a little, “Slave isn’t the word I’d use for it. In your tongue, I’d probably say thrall or better yet ...a vessel.”

       “Whatever weird crap you’re into, lady, it don’t matter. The game ain't over ‘til it’s over,” and I dealt out the cards.

       Unfortunately, the hand I’d dealt myself was a heap of rubbish. Not a damn thing to work with even under the table. I kept the one ace and threw the rest back. That’s when I noticed that she hadn’t even look at her cards.

       “Everything alright?” I asked.

       “Yup.”

       “You want me to deal you a new hand ...or...?

       “Nope. These cards are just fine.”

       “Suit yourself,” I dealt myself four new cards.

       “One’s the bet,” she tossed in a chip before I could even look at my cards. Hers were still face down on the table, undisturbed.

       “One ...to play,” I tossed in my chip. Seemed like I wouldn’t even have to get sly with my new hand. I’d just dealt myself three eights and another ace. She still hadn’t touched her cards for some reason. “You er ...you ready?”

       “I’m looking at you,” she replied. Her eyes were doing that crescent thing again.

       “Well okay, you can look at a full house,” and I proudly fanned out the cards.

      “That’s a shame,” she sighed. I was fairly sure I said ‘no folds’ and she’d already bet, so she had to play those untouched cards. Then one by one she flipped over a two, another two, a third two, a seven and eventually a fourth two. “Would you look at that? Four of a kind.”

    “Four twos?! How did you ...?” I couldn’t decide whether I was surprised, angry or impressed. I guess I don’t really remember anymore, as even the thought of what a playing card looks like is all but faded.

       The memory of her slipping off a glove and extending a cold, scaly hand toward me feels so distant, yet it just happened. I think. My nose is starting to itch, but all I feel is another hand curl its fingers into mine as I reach up to scratch it. There’s long, long fingers where my nose should be ...where my mouth should be. Those are new, I’m pretty sure. They seem to bounce and jiggle whenever I speak.

       I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was definitely not in my deck of cards.