"A brush with Death"

"A brush with Death"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

V walked into the bar and sat at the very edge. Once in awhile he would signal a drink from the pretty bartender and it would slide right over to him. The place was full enough where you can still move around and maybe even whisper a few suggestive things to that attractive stranger that seems to have caught your eye. V was not in the mood for any of that game tonight. He wanted his drink and he wanted a lot of it.

So when the group of 7 entered the bar and began their noisy chatter V had to look and it was among them that he saw her. Long black hair with the tips ending in silver and curled. He felt like he was punched in the gut. How can she be here of all places? He had to put down his drink and see who she was with. V did not know of the girls surrounding her but they seemed to be tightly packed that no one could approach her. A shield formation if he ever saw one. Of course that won't stop him if he chose. It was her that she was afraid of. If it was really her. He had to know for sure and there was only one way to find out.

A few seconds later a dagger went straight to the beautiful stranger much to the surprise of her companions and none on the part of V as she had caught it by the hilt and looked at the direction where it came from. V waved at her awkwardly and a smile broke across her face. A smile that he had not seen in over 60 years. It was really her. It was YuuA.

She had parted the wall that were her companions and went directly toward V. "Shouldn't you offer a lady a drink first before trying to murder them or have we lost our manners through the years V?" Her tone was serious but her eyes told him otherwise.

"Merely a test. Rusty warriors usually die before they are offered a drink."

"Fine. Now where is that drink?"

V waved to the bartender and 2 drinks slid in his direction. He clinked the shot glass at the one that YuuA did not pick up. "Cheers.To old friends."

YuuA drank the whole thing down and plunged her hand towards V's chest. "To old friends."

V spewed blood from his mouth as he felt the speed of his ex lovers attack.

"Just making sure you had a beating heart." The slender female said as he caressed the beating organ from within. "Now it is time to extinguish it."

YuuA was able to crush the mans heart with ease and he fell head first into the counter.

"I thought you would have lasted more than this V. Such a shame." The girl started to move toward her friends when the bartender stopped her. 

"You are picking up his tab." The woman behind the counter said  as if nothing happened. This was a place of death after all.

"With him. It might not even be much. He is fond of cheap whiskey and such. Go ahead and..."

V's laughter echoed in the crowded room. It was maniacal at best. Crazy at it's worst and he was standing up too with the hole in his chest now fully closed.

"What are you laughing about? I just killed you?"

"Killed. Past tense. I'm back. If only it were that easy then I won't even be here drinking."

YuuA sighed. "Come and join me and the girls then. I promise not to kill you tonight."

"I don't even know why I am turning that down. A night with a demon horde seems fun but not tonight."

"Fine. I'll kill you later?" The girl tilted her head sideways and made the threat seem cute with her eyes smiling at him.

"You can try. It was nice running into you."

"I can't say the same. You normally let me kill you at least three times. What's your problem?"

"What makes you think I have a problem?"

"Dead one time and now avoiding me."

V laughed.

"No longer attracted to death are we?"

"Why do you always make this about you?"

"Isn't everything going to be about me in the end?"

"It must bother you when that something does not end the way you want it."

YuuA's eyes narrowed into slits and with a motion that was too fast for mere mortals decapitated V whose blood spurt over the bar and some people , who promptly ignored the wet works.

The girl followed where the head flew and watched it turn into fine dust. V stood up with his head intact looking at his killer. 

"What were you saying?" YuuA asked.

"It does not end the way you want it."

And again the girl attacked but this time V blocked it with the shot glass he was holding.YuuA was surprised that the little glass did not shatter nor the few drops of alcohol in it move at all. He was doing it again. Absorbing time and everything else into this small thing.

"No new tricks? Always absorbing chaos magic like this?"

"Nope no new tricks for this old dog. Your friends seem bored. You might want to join them before they start biting some of the patrons heads."

"I honestly just want your company V. Why can't you get that?"

"I got it exactly 60 years ago when you left." V stood up and threw a Platinum card at the bartender."Here put the cost here. And the Demon horde over there can have anything they want on me."

The Bartender took the card and nodded.

"I will be seeing you."

"I know where you live."

"I knew but that doesn't mean you'd want to pay me a visit. Death often hates what it cannot kill."

"Doesn't mean I will stop trying though."

"You forgot about me for the last 60 years until now."

"You are right. It is so much fun and the night is still young."

"Don't cull too much ok? I still need a lot of mortals to go to work tomorrow."

"I would do the best that I can."

"Not good enough."

"Oh ok. I would just collect the dues and not put some icing on my cake."

"Make sure that you do."

V stepped out of the bar and into the street vendor across the street. A brush with death always gave him an appetite.