Chapter 9

Playing the Devil in pool for your soul. Only below Pacific.

Chapter 9

 

      Frekka sang to him in a deep accent “It's okay. Calm down stop crying. Now pick up your stick and make the shot.”

A young Freddy begged, “ I don't want to. I don't want to make the shot.”

Frekka said, “It's time you became a man. Do it!” 

Freddy picked up his stick and aimed and hit the cue ball off the Eight ball. The black ball rolled slowly into the left corner pocket. Frekka walks over him and bent down to one knee, “You beat me. The table and this place is yours.”

 He put his stick on the table and walked out of the bar.

“He died about a month later. He never played the game he loved again.” Freddy said staring off toward the Jukebox.

James tried to look through his chest. Freddy pat him on the back,

“So you see I can't leave this table. It was given to me. To watch over and to keep the legacy going.”

 The actor frowned and tagged  Freddy on his shoulder,

 “I'll see you next Tuesday.”

“Tuesday is good. Take care and practice on what I told you.” Freddy called back.

    At that moment a short man in a jean jacket entered the bar through the front door. He had ear length gray hair and a white mustache. He appeared Latino and owned a wide smile that traveled from ear to ear. In his hand was a leather a pool stick case. He yelled throughout the bar.

“Hey, is there a Fred Tomavich in here?”

     Freddy leaned on the bar enjoying a glass of water. The Latino player approached the counter, pointed to Freddy and smiled.

“Hey are you Freddy Tomavich?”

     An irritated Freddy answered him sharply.

“Who wants to know?”

“I have been looking for you all over the place. The Rose room, Junes, I was down on Sixth St.”

“Anyone who knows me knows I only play here.”

“Yeah, that's what I heard. I heard you where pretty good.”

     Freddy tossed a stare of disbelief to him,

“I'm the best!”

“In Pedro?”

“Anywhere my friend. The best in the world come down to this little dive to play me. I have never lost here.”

“Whoa you sound good. You want a drink?”

“I don't drink buddy. I have to have my senses. At anytime a champion might walk through that door. I have to be ready.”

    The Latino pool player motioned to the bartender, a short Korean lady. Ms Lui answered his call,

“Can I help you sir?”

“151 straight up.”

    The order shocked Freddy,

“Whoa little buddy. That's a little strong isn't it? Its kind of early?”

     He lifted the drink coolly from the bar and downed it like water. Without making eye contact with the bartender he said,

“Keep them coming. I'll run a tab.”

     The pool player turned his attention to Freddy and cracked a grin.

“Hey you want to play a few games? I'm pretty good.”

      Freddy laughed as he sipped the water.

“Naw I'm cool buddy. You better play one of these low-level chum buckets. I might make you quit the game.”

“I got money. If you win it will be worth your while.”

     Freddy’s attention was piqued as he returned the cup of water to the surface of the bar.

 “You got money? How much?”

“A lot man. A-lot.”

“What's your name?”

     He laughed out loud and opened his stick case.

“Names are not important.”

“I just want to know. I like to know the victim.

     He chalked the top of his long black stick and held it like a weapon,

“You have a good sense of humor.”

“Here's another joke for you senor. Five thousand a game.”

His pool-playing foe pulled out a suitcase and unlatched it slowly. The suitcase popped open to reveal stacks of hundreds. Freddy's eyes lit up.

“So what do you want?”

He shrugged his shoulders,

 “Open ended. What ever I want. Okay?”

     Freddy laughed while chalking his hands.

“Well since you will not win. I don’t have to worry. You’re on.”

     The bar became eerily quiet as though the air was sucked through the windows and doors. The bar was empty and Ms Lui had left for the night. Freddy scanned the room with quizzical eyes. The pool player stands before with a vicious expression,

 “Can I break?”

“Go ahead knock yourself out.”

     The older pool player racked the balls, bent over and focused on his shot.

“Where you from?”

“That's not important.”

     Freddy was struck by an unfamiliar vibe deep in his gut warning him, but his pride won. He had been caught in the middle of a hustle he thought.

“Let's get this over quick. I'm not one to beat around the bush.” Said the Pool player.

In seven shots he surgically removed all the stripped balls off the table. The Eight ball was trapped behind two solids but teetering on the lip of the corner pocket. Freddy smugly surveyed the table for his initial shot.

“You make that you’re a bad man.”

     Freddy’s opponent sank the cue ball, as it flew in the air and struck the Eight ball into the hole. The cue ball landed in Freddy's hand as he glanced up in fear,

“Who the f**k are you?”

     The pool player broke down his stick and placed it back into the case. He paced the room with arrogant hard steps,

“Have you not learned anything Frederick Tomavich? Never bet against a man who will not tell you his name. Never leave a wager and never ever underestimate your opponent.”    

     The man grew to Freddy's height with muscles and new broad powerful shoulders. His voice went from wispy to deep. His friendly eyes are dark with hate and rage. Freddy was scared for his life,

“So what do you want man? What do you want?”

    The man pulled out the briefcase again from out of nowhere, opening it quickly. The money that was inside was gone. In its place was a small contract. The man looked up at Freddy,

“Your soul!”

 “My soul?”

     Freddy laughed out loud,

“What are you talking about man? Get the f**k out of here!”

      The man snatched Freddy by the neck and lifted him in the air. His eyes had a red glaze around his dark pupil.

“Are you okay Freddy? Did I stutter? Your soul! You lost now sign the f*****g contract!”

     He released Freddy, dropping him to the ground. He grasped for air as he picked up the contract. In the corner of the paper it had: his age, name and address already on the contract. He became overwhelmed with terror.

“You planned this! You already knew me! Who are you?”

     He pulled out then handed Freddy a glowing pen.

“Sign the f*****g contract! Sign it !”

Freddy put his hand up defensively. He paused the regained his thoughts as a plan formed in his head.

 “Hold up man. Anyone can win a f*****g game. If your so f*****g great double or nothing. Or was this a one time fluke by someone who know a few Parlor tricks?

     The man bellowed deep laughter,

“I like you. I really like you. What do you have to wager? I already have everything. And I do mean everything.”

     At that unfortunate moment Octavious came to the door with a backpack in his hand. He was overly excited as he pulled out a paper with a smiling face drawn on it. On the front was a red A plus,

“Look Freddy. I got an A. I got an A!”

     Freddy yelled over to Octavious in a worried tone.

 “Why aren't you ins school? Go home!”

“It's half a day.”

     The child became hurt, as his heart broke,

“But Fred?”

     Freddy hollered at him again and took an aggressive step towards the door.

“I said go home!”

     Octavious lowered his head down and walked passed the bar. Freddy turned to the Latino man, who transformed into the small, chubby cheruh man that he had seen before.

“His soul.”

Freddy threw his stick against the wall,

“No way man. He's just a kid.”

“Does not matter to me.”

“What about Desmond’s soul?

“I already have his soul. He was coming to me one way or another. Ask him about the Pinball game.”

“Okay! You got it.”

     The mysterious player packed up the contract. He went to the bar and grabbed his drink. The glass lit on fire as he touched it. Freddy's mouth went agape as the Latino man laughed again.

 “What wrong haven't you ever seen a flaming shot. One week from today at two thirty. No one here but me and you. Anything goes wrong you forfeit.”

     Freddy faced the man but he was gone. In his place was Ms Lui wearing a stunned expression.

“Who are you talking to Freddy?”

     Freddy quickly scanned the empty bar,

“You didn't see him? The little Mexican man?”

Ms. Lui walked away mumbling to herself,

“No one here but me and you.”

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Edits, comments, advice. Anything please....

Reviews

[CrashQueen♛]

That was f*****g amazing, sorry for my vulgarity but I really enjoyed that, it drew me in and kept me interested till the end. Really have to go back and read other chapters if they are published.

5 by 5, dude.

[Dayran]

Vintage Judas Hammer. Excellent piece of conjuring ... and then landing it like two fists to the face. Nicely done buddy ... keep it up. I enjoyed this one.

[Leslie Philibert]

A good text that deserves a better review than I have time to write !