Next morning came, and Andrei, the Boss, came with it. Let me get this out of the way - the man is as nuts as they come. I guess that's why I'm here.
"Sandy, Key called me yesterday. Says you want to work for me."
As I looked at him, I realized what I had said - what I had done. "Yeah, we talked yesterday, and... seems like I said so."
"Guess you're still not too convinced, are you?" He smiled.
"Dunno. I've tried to stay clean, over and over again. I've tried to do the Right Thing. But..."
He interrupted me. "Nonsense. You think too much, Sandy. You know, when life gives you lemons...."
"Life's given me the chance to quit a few times, Boss. But every single one, Key comes back, and I fall into her madness again."
"Maybe the lemons are not the chance to become a plant, boy." He grinned. "Key told me you'd like this."
He offered me a sports bag. I hesitatingly took it - it was quite heavy. I opened it. Inside, there was a bucket of red paint. I raised my face and stared at him. Andrei just kept grinning, and handed me a knife to open the gift. I paused, and stared at the bucket for a few seconds before thinking "screw it all" and opening it.
You see, the thing has an uncanny resemblance to actual blood. I took a deep breath, heart pounding fast as I inched my hands towards it.
Andrei kept smiling. "Let it go, Sandy."
I closed my eyes as my hand reached the edge, then let the red liquid brush my fingertips. It was warm to the touch. It felt exactly like blood.
All the memories came back at once. All the past, long locked inside my mind, came gushing, as if I had just teared its flesh. My heart was racing, my breath ragged, both unable to keep my mind's pace. I wasn't there anymore, I was having the psychedelic trip of my life - inside my own head. As I slowly dipped my hand ever-so-deeper, I heard all the screams, saw all the torn flesh, and for the first time since forever, I felt alive again.
I didn't realize I had brought my hands to my mouth, dripping red stuff everywhere, 'till I noticed Andrei, beaming at the sight. He saw I had come back and nodded at me. My heart flipped as I lost my mind to raw madness. I dipped my hands again and again, smearing it everywhere, starting by myself.
An hour later, the room - and everything inside it, us included - looked like there had been a carnage inside. I felt euphoric as Andrei led me to the bathroom and I took in the view of us both in the mirror. I smeared my hand over it too - adding to the sight. I stared at my reflection for a good twenty minutes while Andrei took a shower.
"You have to shower too, Sandy." He stated, fully wrapped in a bathrobe. "You can't go out looking like that. People will think you've killed someone."
I smirked at the remark, and got in the shower. The cold water felt good too - cleaning all the imaginary sins so I could do the real deed.
A while later, we were on our way to my new job.
