Photograph | Mammon

Fourteen

He sighed at the last-minute cancellation from her... again. It had been a few days that she kept cancelling their appointments. He found it out of character but didn't want to force her into telling him why. Not that he had the confidence to confront her.

He rushes out of the hall, with his head low, trying to avoid the group of judgemental old women once again. He can feel someone looking at him, did they already see him!? It wasn't even the time that they come to this hall. He knew this as he kept track of their timetable just to avoid them.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder he was comforted that it wasn't the old ladies, but as he lifted his head his relief turned into a different type of concern.

It was Stephen. "Mark, right?"

Mammon wondered if he was looking for a fight regarding the photograph a few days ago. "Are you busy?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"You are busy?"

"...I meant no"

"Okay, a bit weird... but I heard you were a good physical worker—according to Milo"

"Just get to the point."

Stephen sighed trying to hide his annoyance. "I should've known trying to be cordial is useless on people such as yourself—help me with the boxes"

"And why would I?"

"...I'll tell you why she's avoiding you"

They sorted through the boxes in complete silence... for an unreasonable amount of time. As if he was stalling. "So--"

"SH!"

That was Mammon's final straw. "Look, I've been trying to be patient here but you're being a dickhead!"

"Am I now?" Stephen nonchalantly said as if to imply that he did no such thing.

"You're taking advantage of my desperation for an answer for her sudden avoidance—that's so fucked up!"

"...such a vile mouth"

"Is this over the photo? If you're trying to kill me, trust me, it's a waste of time"

"Why would I kill you here... and make a mess in my office? If I was going to kill you, I'd make you my patient and inject you with cyanide or something else" Doctors indeed were psychos.

"Then why? I doubt you have good intentions"

"It's about her."

His defence immediately drops. The tone was serious. And that was terrifying. Mammon instantly sat down before him.

"...it's not good news is it?"

Stephen fumbled with his fingers as he tries to work it as best he can, "...she's not doing well"

Those words hit Mammon. Really hard.

She's not doing well? in actuality she hadn't been doing well since they met, so what the hell did he mean? Scratch that. Mammon knew precisely what he meant.

She was going to die soon.

Mammon wanted to act surprised as if he was unaware of the rapid worsening... but he knew. He could even recall the exact moment the reality he tried to avoid became crystal clear.

"I love you" It fell silent, Mammon's words caused her to just blankly stare at him "...so that's your favourite Billy Eyelash song?"

"Got a problem with that?" He defensively snapped.

"No, I just didn't know you were into that type of music—you seem like a phonk type of guy"