Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

by Ana Cristina

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As I walked towards my assignment, I crossed paths with a black cat. Cats are the only living thing that can sense my presence. Most agents don’t like them, as they prefer being anonymous and don’t welcome the attention from these furry felines, but I had no such hang-ups.

“Hey, little fella,” I called softly, and he came up immediately, nuzzling my ankle. I gave him a good scratch behind the ears and kept walking.

The ambulance beat me there. I slid up the banister into apartment 2-B, slipping past a paramedic carrying a defibrillator.

Another paramedic knelt beside a girl who lay unconscious on the kitchen floor. She was lovely, if you liked blondes. He spoke without looking up: “Another f’ing overdose.”

The paramedic with the defibrillator walked over and began working on the girl. “Poor thing,” he sighed. “She’s just a kid.”

I sat on top of a bookshelf waiting for the girl on the floor to untangle herself from this mortal coil. Knowing I had some time to kill, I decided to play a game of solitaire.

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Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    Mistress Elsha Hawk's Buddy Icon Mistress Elsha Hawk

    Posted about 1 month ago

    This is fabulous! A series I’m definitely following! I love that he slides up the banister. Perfect detail that cats can sense him, and I love his nonchalant ways. I love the image of the girl untangling herself from her “mortal coil”. I just love it!

  2. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    SKermitgorf's Buddy Icon SKermitgorf

    Posted about 1 month ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Very causal.. like the line.. time to kill.. would make an awesome tv series.

  3. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    Music-Hearted's Buddy Icon Music-Hearted

    Posted about 1 month ago

    I agree with Kermitgorf… it’s so casual. And oh, the irony: “Knowing I had some time to kill, I decided to play a game of solitaire”. Haha, love it. Great job.

  4. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    The Unnamable's Buddy Icon The Unnamable

    Posted about 1 month ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I have always had the impression that cats can see things that just aren’t in the human visual range.

  5. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    BARomero's Buddy Icon BARomero

    Posted about 1 month ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    defibrillator… The title drew me in, and reminded me of a Woody Allen one-act called “Death Knocks” – sort of a spoof on Bergman’s The Seventh Sign. This story has nothing to do with that one (he plays gin against his mark, not solitaire), so I’ll end my tangent here. Good fun reading! On to the next one…

  6. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    BARomero's Buddy Icon BARomero

    Posted about 1 month ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    defibrillator… The title drew me in, and reminded me of a Woody Allen one-act called “Death Knocks” – sort of a spoof on Bergman’s The Seventh Sign. This story has nothing to do with that one (he plays gin against his mark, not solitaire), so I’ll end my tangent here. Good fun reading! On to the next one…

  7. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    Ana Cristina's Buddy Icon Ana Cristina

    Posted about 1 month ago

    Stupid internet site that gave me the wrong word… Thanks for the edit, BARomero!

  8. Death Plays a Game of Solitaire

    ALRO613 ♪ LoA ♫'s Buddy Icon ALRO613 ♪ LoA ♫

    Posted about 1 month ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    what a great concept! very constantinesque…

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