"The game."

My eyes dropped low as I tried removing my gaze from Adrian's dead body. I was still finding it hard to believe what just happened.

The five figures before me smirked at the same time and I was fighting the urge to scream.

The one at the middle which by now, I grew to know was the original or boss sat down and pulled me to him while fixing the chair beneath me. These moments were one of the worst I could ever imagine. My whole soul felt dead. I found it hard to look at the ugly figures before me.

After a while of waiting, apparently waiting for me to calm down, the demon twitched it neck from left to right which made some disgusting cracking sound. Satisfied, he faced me, without avoiding eye contact. It was too hard for me to hold his gaze, as he had holes instead of eyes. Half of its brain was opened and I could see its visible skull.

"I will ask three riddles. You have only two chances. Getting it wrong three times would demand a riddle from you to me. If I get it right, then I will take an eye of yours."

"What?" My eyes instinctively widened. There was no way I would let them take my eye. I can't even imagine the excruciating pain I would feel. I wasn't good at riddles, not a bit.

"I'm giving you a chance to live, so you might ask for another choice."

Another choice?

Yes, choice.

I needed another option. "What's it?"

His bloody fangs jerked out of its mouth and jerked in back, "The other option would cost you something less. You wouldn't have to answer any riddles."

I would do anything to save me, my eyes and save me from answering any riddles. I was so scared, there was no way I would get even a question at all.

"The other option is eating you completely. No riddle, and you would be whole but gone."

The way it sounded made my heart thump even louder. I would be whole but gone? He meant there wouldn't be any need to answer any questions and there wouldn't be any need to take my eye, he would just take my soul, whole. Complete.

"No, the riddle."

"Listen." He said. "An old woman who is weak to the bone calls her puppy from the opposite side of the river. The puppy crosses the river without getting wet, and without using a bridge or a boat. How?"

How?

There was no way anyone would cross a river without getting wet or without crossing through with a bridge or a boat.

I had no option in my head. I was oddly poor in verbal reasoning.

Amelia, calm down!

I repeated, "An old woman who is weak to the bone..."

"I won't repeat." The demon snapped and I felt like he was actually fighting the urge to tear me apart. To tear me apart as he did to Adrian. My former crush, Adrian.

I didn't even understand how this was related to my family's death and my boyfriend's death.

Adrian informed me that the only way to save them was to go into a deal with the demons. I must win the game. How would winning help me in waking them up? If I was right, My dad's head was chopped off. My mum's arms were gone, my little sister broke her nose and my boyfriend... he didn't tell me anything. Instead he was asking me of a silly game. Was this what they had encountered too?

Was this was Adrian told me about? That he sold his soul and he thought I was the only the one who could help him? He was a nerd and he still failed the game? How was I going to be any better?

He was right! I was nothing. I couldn't even fight for myself. I was daft, I had no brain. Nothing at all and this strange lunatic was asking if...if I could solve a riddle? What if he was actually forming up a riddle that was impossible to answer because it was a nonsensical question?

To be frank, there was no way the puppy could cross the river without getting wet. Else the old woman was a witch, who somehow teleported the dog to the other side. What was I saying? I was speaking out of logic.

Let's take it this way, since there was no bridge nor a boat, the dog could cross with a canoe right? Anything other than a boat and a bridge right? A canoe is a boat. So there was no way. What about a ship? A ship isn't a boat right?

When I was about to say my answer, one of the two demons staying behind me pushed me with the chair and I ended up hitting my face on the demon before me.

My eyes were rooted deeply into the holes of his and I suddenly jotted back.

My pierced face was bleeding. It looked like the blood vessels in my skin was beginning to rush out than before. I felt instantly warm. "Why...why did he do that?" I questioned the one who looked like the boss.

"You are too slow. I couldn't time you if I wanted to."

Was that a solid reason for that irresponsible behaviour?

I almost wanted to puke right before the ugly creature. My nose had almost touched his.

His bony head appeared more vibrant than ever when I was directly facing him.

"I'm thinking..."

"Think, else I would have no option than to react."

It might be a trick. Let's just put away options including boat or anything related.

The old woman could be wet if she had passed through the river. But not completely wet. Honestly, it depends on the depth of the river. A normal river could reach the old woman's waist. That was if the old woman was short or if the river was actually maybe an abnormal river. There must be a reason why the demon didn't mention the condition of the weather. If it was after a storm, then the river could reach her chest.

The demon didn't say that I wasn't allowed to ask questions right?

"Was...was it after a storm?"

"Nice of you to think of asking me a question about a riddle. There is always a clue to every riddle. The clue is, it was neither after a storm nor was it before a storm."

Before a storm? This hell thing couldn't be kidding me. What did it mean by before a storm. How sure was he that a storm wouldn't rise after they crossed or while they cross.

I shouldn't be over thinking but we were talking about an eye!!

My eye!

Maybe, it wasn't after a storm. So the river could be normal. The old weak woman could cross but by holding a non-wet puppy on her chest. By then she could be able to cross without the puppy getting damped.

This demon was actually thinking I wouldn't be smart. The trick in there was to make you think the old woman didn't cross with the puppy. The old woman could call upon the puppy and go back to help it cross right?

Right?

"My answer.."

"What's your answer, Amelia?" The demon asked. My eyes always crinkle itself whenever it mentions my name. My name. Was he trying to scare me?

Was he trying to make me think or rethink my right choice? Or...maybe...maybe...that was what he was trying to do. I wouldn't change it at all.

I cleaned my burst lips with my palm and sighed while gesturing my hands, "The only reason the puppy crossed the river without have a wet fur was because... the old weak woman helped it cross. That way, it couldn't get wet." I smiled.

I was dumb for smiling.

"Wrong. The river was frozen."

"What? No way...a riddle could have two answers. It only matters if both of them were right. I'm right, black hole." I hissed. My voice rising every second. Even at the same time, I was calming myself, not to say anything to anger this demon.

"You are wrong. Looks like I am on the way to getting your eye. You have two questions and a chance left. There is no way I would fail your question, know that."

Yes. There was no way he would but there was also no way you would be smarter than a girl right?

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Overall Words Count: 13,810