Lifespan Deathwatch

[Damien McEwan]

Nivek hangs his apron in his locker and clocks out before leaving the break room.

Today is a good day.

He checks his bank account on the neural-net as he says goodbye to the other kitchen staff for the afternoon and exits the bar though the side door.

After a couple of weeks now, he finally has the money to move into the vacant apartment across the street.

'It's going to be nice to have a place to call my own again.' He thinks to himself, as he enters the shop to pay his new landlord.

He finds Joaquin leaning on the counter, playing a game of solitaire with a deck of tarot cards.

"The girls are upstairs moving you in already." He says to Nivek without looking up.

Nivek was confused.

"The previous tenant works for me out in the field now," Joaquin continued casually, "but the one before her, well, we moved his things down to the basement after he died."

"Ah. Ok, thanks. I appreciate the generosity." Said Nivek. "Keighley and Alia must be really tired of me playing musical couches between them every night."

"That's not it at all." Joaquin corrected him as he scooped up the cards and began shuffling the deck. "They really like having you around, and just want you settled in as quickly as possible."

Joaquin straightened the cards and placed them face-down on the counter in front of Nivek.

"Time to pay the Ferryman." he said.

"Right." Nivek replied, and pulled up his bank account, transferring funds for the deposit, along with first and last months rent.

The landlord verified payment, and encouraged his new tenant to cut the deck in front of them as he spoke: "I have only two hard and fast rules here. Don't sh*t where you eat, and don't even think about breaking your lease."

Nivek cut the deck and saw a look in Joaquin's eyes that, in spite of the landlords kind and easy-going nature, sent a chill of fear up the spine.

"Understood."

"Now," Joaquin continued as he spread the deck longways over the counter, "before you go, would you like to pick a card and see a glimpse of your future?"

He wasn't into it, but decided to play along and looked over the deck.

"Don't think. Just pick." Joaquin goaded.

Nivek chose a card & flipped it.



Nivek tries to be funny without trying hard enough and says, "Well, that doesn't really inspire confidence."

Joaquin smiled and shrugged. "The meanings of a tarot are very rarely taken at face value...I'd say for you, that it simply represents a new beginning.

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