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A few hours later, I wake up with a throw blanket covering me. Someone tucked me in, but I don’t trust that’sallthey did. I check under the blanket for a weird surprise and find nothing. I get up, stretch, and follow the sounds of the guys talking in the kitchen. When I enter, they all stopped chatting and grin.
Yeah. They did something to me.
I turn around, retrieve my purse from the living room, and pull out a compact mirror. Yep, they drew glasses and a mustache with my eyeliner.Real mature. I find a makeup wipe packet and remove theirart. I suppose I should be somewhat grateful they didn’t place my hand in warm water to make me pee myself.
Fresh-faced and irritable, I head back into the friendly fire for more punishment. Speaking of which, I have a question.
Without preamble, I ask, “So the contract mentionedseverepunishment, but it didn’t say what that entailed or what warranted it.” I want to add that it seems like I have been punished enough with these three, but I keep that to myself. If they bothered to read my mind, they would understand how I feel.
Evan and the other two stiffen. “We aren’t sure. No one we know has ever done anything to deserve a ‘severe’ punishment.”
“You mean no one has messed up?” I give them a suspicious glare.
“Sure, we all mess up in little ways, but the worst we have experienced is loss of our monthly stipend, or what we call time-outs.”
“Time-outs? Like being sent to your room?” I scoff. “What are we, children?”
“Karma must think so. I don’t like them.” Dante pouts with what sounds like firsthand experience.
“Why did I sense all the tension when I asked about it?”
“There are rumors,” Kurtis begins with a haunted look. It’s more chilling on his usually cocky face.
Are they screwing with me again? When no one volunteers more information, I prompt, “Rumors?”
“Agents have just disappeared,” Evan says with a blank look on his face.
“Dead?”
The three shrug.Are they messing with me?
My senses fan out, reading their legitimate anxiety, and I gulp. “Has anyonenotsigned the contract?”
Dante leaps from his seat at the bar, shouting, “You’re not—”
I stop him. “Calm down. I was just curious,” I say, “Well? Have you heard of it happening?”
They all glance at each other without a reply.
“Let me guess… You’ve heardrumors?”
Evan nods. “Same thing, never heard from again.”
“Some speculate that Karma barters with Death for our lives, and if we decline, Death claims us. We are living on borrowed time outside of the rest of the world, because our lifeline was supposed to end on the day Karma approached us.”
“That man was meant to take me out of the world,” I surmise. “So now I’m no longer part of it?”
“Yeah, and that’s why we are supposed to have limited contact with the world except for our targets, when we are acting on Karma’s behalf.”
“Because we are only an extension of Karma’s will now.” I look down at my palms. A psychic mentor of mine warned me that my life line was broken, and that I had to be careful of my ways. Now, Karma has used my bad choices and questionable life path against me. I’m paying my dues with a half-life. Well, according to their theories.
“Are you ready to sign and get your powers?” Evan asks.
I glance at the kitchen clock. “Is there a rush? Or can we have dinner first?”
“A woman after my own heart,” Dante says as he peruses the contents of the fridge. “Greta left a cheesy casserole in here, or there is always take out.” He looks at me for my input.
“Whatever you guys want.” I smile. “Is it alright if I finally take a shower?”
