3guanoff

  "Jack."

  "Guanoff."

  The two men nodded at each other, both smiling. However, whereas the older man's lips kept twitching nervously, the younger man's face was completely rexed, devoid of worry.

  "You are a brave man, Guanoff."

  Guanoff chuckled awkwardly.

  "And awfully boring for someone who thought up such an interesting backstory for me."

  Guanoff's smile slipped and his expression turned pained.

  "I also thought of an ending to match."

  "And I waited. You kept me waiting."

  "It seems I will pay the price for that shortly, won't I?"

  Jack cocked his head to the side and put on a thoughtful expression.

  "Any good ideas for your death?"

  "I would prefer something boring."

  Jack raised an eyebrow at Guanoff.

  "The man who made my life such an interesting one cims he wants boredom? I am disappointed."

  "I fear pain."

  "See? You can be interesting. Tell me something else that I don't expect."

  "I do not fear you."

  Jack closed the distance between them in an instant. Space itself seemed to fold in on itself and then, there he was. His nose was just about to poke Guanoff's eye out. Indeed, as Guanoff thought so, the nose elongated and he could feel its unnaturally sharp tip brushing against his right eyeball.

  "I do fear the pain you can inflict, but any man can inflict pain upon another."

  "I am more capable than most."

  "I do not doubt it. Your abilities lend themselves to any endeavor, including torture."

  "They do not lend themselves to living."

  Again, Guanoff's expression turned pained. Jack retracted his nose and took a step back.

  "Do you pity me?"

  "No."

  "My miserable upbringing was your doing."

  "You turned out better than I would have. Considering your upbringing, you are not a bad man."

  "You know me."

  "I know you will torture me to death eventually. Your interest in me is fading already."

  "I know myself, too," Jack mused, his expression vaciting between boredom and pcid introspection.

  "You will be happy."

  Jack gave Guanoff a doubtful look.

  "What you are feeling now is not happiness."

  Jack grinned, and Guanoff let out an involuntary cry of pain as he cwed at his left hand. The nails on it had curved strangely, digging into their fingers. And they were growing at a visible pace, digging through flesh and bone alike.

  Guanoff sank to his knees, straining to breath through the pain. He considered severing the hand, but he knew it was pointless. After all, the man watching him amusedly could easily do the same to his other hand and his feet.

  Forcing himself to speak through gritted teeth, Guanoff looked up at his creation:

  "Since you are not making me an offer, I take it I will die here."

  "You won't beg..?"

  "I am sure... you could have me begging shortly."

  "Ha!" Jack let out a short ugh and regarded the cowardly insect at his feet. He seriously considered turning the man into an actual insect before dismissing the idea.

  "Too unoriginal... What sort of ending did you have pnned for me?"

  "I will do my very best not to tell you."

  "That's unexpected. You fear pain."

  "If you are curious, why don't you find out?"

  "My story has been on hiatus for ages."

  "Hardly..." Guanoff started before a painful cough wrecked his body, and he spit out a handful of bloody nails.

  "You know me."

  "You grow bored easily."

  Jack nodded.

  "The next time will be less pleasant."

  Guanoff wheezed before releasing another wet cough of phlegm, blood, and nails, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. When next he opened them, Jack was gone.

  Staring down at his left hand, he noticed five normal looking nails on five healthy fingers.

  Ignoring the blood and nails on the floor, Guanoff got to his feet and over to the table. He lifted the half-emptied bottle belled "XXX Moonshine" and walked it to the sink.

  Muttering a few more curses under his breath, he proceeded to empty the bottle into it.

  "Damned methanol, damned vapors..."

  For his peace of mind, reality had to remain real.

  3guanoff