Page 81 of Deck of Scarlets
“I convinced Chloe to trade,” he said with a smile.
“He paid me a hundred bucks,” she deadpanned.
Baron began to laugh just as Kal’s face turned a striking shade of red. “In my defense—”
“Oh, please,” interrupted Chloe. “Your defense is as weak as your ability to stay away from her. Now, shut up and play.”
Ignoring her remarks, he handed me an orange ping pong ball. “Would you like to take some practice shots? It’ll help you warm up.”
Snorting a laugh, I lined up my shot and extended my arm with just enough force, flicking my wrist in a downward motion, landing it directly in the center cup. A low whistle came from Baron and a loud curse from Chloe.
Kal stood awestruck, rubbing his neck, and said, “I take back what I said.”
“Underestimating me was your first mistake.”
I stepped aside, watching Kal line up his shot, sinking it perfectly in the cup in front.
“We’re so screwed,” commented Baron, looking at the ceiling.
Baron carried his team, while Kal and I took turns sinking every shot, winning three solid games in a row. Chloe shouted at us for a rematch, determined to win at least one or get close.
We were at the very end of game four, and each team had one cup left, we kept missing our shot since Baron decided to add in tricks to show off. It was funny to watch Kal try and fail, throwing it behind his back, and hitting Chloe dead center in the forehead.
“Nice going, Kal,” she sneered, rubbing the spot.
Stifling my laugh with my hand, I tried my left, watching it sink effortlessly into the final cup. High fives were exchanged and jokes told, making us laugh. Kal slung his arm around my shoulder, a goofy smile on his face. “Anyone else want to try and take our throne?”
Baron gave him the middle finger. “Nobody wants to play with you anymore.”
Kal released his arm around my shoulder and strolled over to Baron. “You’re a sore loser.” They both began to bicker playfully, giving me a chance to make the slip and find a bathroom.
Ascending to the second floor, I found a line of females to the bathroom, extending just before the top of the staircase, most of the girls hanging over the banister, talking to a few others below. I stood behind a short girl with long black hair, swaying her hips to the music playing throughout the house, a red solo cup clenched in a perfect set of nails.
I tapped her lightly on the shoulder. “How long of a wait?”
She half turned in my direction and said, “I don’t know, girl. Whoever is in there is leaving a nasty smell.”
One of the girls up front protested for the wait and left, muttering curses to herself. A few more started to leave, trying to find another bathroom someplace else. Only me and the short girl I spoke to stood in line, the smell wafting from underneath the crack. I had no desire to find another bathroom, not when my bladder was about to explode.
Eventually, the girl before me left, not wanting to stick around and wait any longer. The smell intensified by the minute, and an uneasy sense of something bad crept under my skin. Nausea snuck up, twisting my stomach as the smell of rotting flesh invaded my space. I twisted the golden doorknob, the smell making my eyes water. When I entered, blood and black sludge coated the white tiles on the floor. My heart thumped erratically against my ribcage when my eyes landed on the distorted body of a female in the tub. A scream got caught in my throat, the wind completely knocked from my lungs. I wanted to fall on my knees, but my hand remained glued to the doorknob.
“Remi?” Oh, no. Why was he here? I knew that voice.
Petrified to move an inch in case the corpse came to life, Josh’s presence appeared over my shoulder, and he saw the same grotesque image.
“Fuck!” he hissed. Before I had time to process, he ushered us inside with the rotting body. I clung to the porcelain sink, slipping on sludge and blood.
“Try to keep yourself still. we can’t disrupt the evidence.”
“But you’re allowed to?” I remarked.
He ignored my comment as he knelt just before the tub, assessing the situation, a shaking hand running through his tousled, curly brown hair. “At a fucking party too.”
The walls were coated with the same bodily fluids and substance, staining the shower curtain and matching rug. Her eyes hung outside the sockets, her shirt ripped open, a giant hole protruding from her chest. Someone or something must’ve turned on the water, because the tub was half filled, with her organs floating to the top. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to this type of carnage, especially if it was once a living, breathing human.
“I don’t understand how this slipped past us,” Josh muttered.
I kept my mouth shut so I didn’t vomit, taking quick breaths through my nose.