Page 26 of Break You

“I said, shut up! And if you could see where you were standing right now, you’d probably be quiet and concentrate on not falling. This game isn’t over. Not even close.”

What the fuck? Where was I? I took his advice and stood still, but for some reason, I couldn’t make my mouth do the same.

“Do you feel like the big man doing this? Hiding behind a mask and a fake voice? You’re a fucking coward, no doubt with a pencil dick. You pussy.”

“And you’re a stupid little girl with a death wish. One more word and I’ll push you over without a chance to save yourself. Now back to our little game. You remember this from when you were a kid, right? Hangman? Only this time, instead of spelling words, I’m going give you clues to a riddle. Every time you get the answer wrong, you’ll take a step forward. Five wrong answers and you’re over the edge.” I couldn’t believe what was happening. It was legit like a scene from a horror movie.

“Listen. You don’t have to do this. You can just let me go. I won’t breathe a word to anybody. I don’t know who you are, or what you want, anyway. Just let me go, and I’ll pretend this never happened.

“Shut. Your. Mouth. You don’t call the shots.”

Xavier

“This is your first clue.”

Hey, I hear a rhyme retelling

By mystic force and magic quelling

Celestial sprites explicate

And my own striving won’t escape

Although I couldn’t see the frown on her face, I could read it. She turned her head upward, her quivering lips pressed together in a tight line.

“What? I don’t… can you repeat it please?”

Hey, I hear a rhyme retelling

By mystic force and magic quelling

Celestial sprites explicate

And my own striving won’t escape

She chewed at her lip. I could feel the panic rising through her body.

“Time’s almost up.”

“Ghosts?”

“No. Take two steps.”

“Two? But you said one step per question.”

“I call the shots, remember? It was a trick question with two answers. Two wrong answers means you take two paces. Take. A. Fucking. Walk. And make sure the steps are big enough, or I’ll make you take more.” She shuffled forward, warily.

“Next riddle.”

I’m specifically unknown, and variably fixed,

Use me with love, between or betwixt.

“Umm… Fuck. I don’t know.”

“Final answer?” My voice through the distorter even sounded creepy to me. Rocky didn’t answer.

“I said. Is. That. Your. Final. Answer?” She nodded.

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