"Any last words?" The woman asked as she closed on him, pinning him against a nearby tree. Ryan's head meets the tree's bark.

"Yeah," Ryan said looking around for an opportunity to escape.

"Make it quick," She said hovering the knife before Ryan's face, just below his eyes.

"I-uh," Ryan stalled for time.

"I said, Make. It. Quick," she snarled.

"It's hard to concentrate when you're holding a knife just below my eye," Ryan groaned as he felt cold blood running down his neck. He fixes his eyes on a knife inside a pocket tied around her waist. But it's a little too far. He couldn't reach it without getting her attention

She quickly fixes the knifes position, directly in front of Ryan's eyes, "You have a tendency--"

"To get into trouble easily, yea I get it," Ryan said looking directly at her pocket. "I've been told that before," he murmured.

The woman lets out a cold laugh, "That's the reason why you're here,"

"What are you waiting for," Ryan said in a low voice, barely audible. "Kill me," Ryan slightly extended his hand to snatch the knife as he moved a little to his left so the knife wouldn't be directly facing his eye.

"You should really speak up," She said moving close to Ryan. "I can't--"

Ryan ripped the knife pocket with brute force, Grabbed the ack of her head and smacked it against the tree.

She clenched her head. "What are you doing," She groaned. As she tried getting back to her senses. He kneed her face as she tried getting up, hoping to slow her down.

Ryan ran up to the girl and started cutting the rope, he knew he didn't have too long before she gets back on her feet.

"Run, Run as fast as you, as far as you can," Ryan said cutting the rope.

"What about you," she said getting the rope off her.

"I'll be fine, Just--" he heard dry leaves raffling behind him, "GO," he pushed her as he cut the last piece of rope. An axe pierced the tree, just where the girl was a second ago.

The girl started running for her dear life as soon as she saw the axe piercing the tree.

Ryan tried grabbing the axe and releasing it, but it was deep inside the tree.

The woman limped toward Ryan, with a new set of knives in her hand.

"Where is she getting these from?"

"You really are a freak," Ryan said creating some distance between them. He heard the leaves raffling, filling the void of silence.

"I also have been told that a lot," She said with a sniff, making the blood flowing through her nose retreat.

"Cause you are one," Ryan said clenching the knife in his hand. "Come on," He said inviting death.

"ARGGGG," she screamed lunging toward Ryan holding a knife in her hand high up above her head.

"Oh-no," Ryan said retreating in another direction. Running for his life now, no matter where he went she followed him, like the dry leaf rustling as he moved.

"What's the matter with you!" Ryan yelled as he continued running.

"STOP!" She said impatiently, "YOU LET THAT DAMNED CHILD ESCAPE,"

She had no intention of slowing down, so did Ryan. He didn't dare to look behind him, he scanned the area for an escape route but all he had was trees, she would catch up before he could even start climbing. Ryan was not willing to lose his $18.25 now and a potential chance of losing his bike and half-eaten burger.

He heard a soft virring sound behind him, Ryan felt a sharp pain behind his back and stopped dead in his tracks. Two daggers found a place on Ryan's back, stabbing him.

Ryan turned back to face her, she stared at her, dead in the eye, her eyes wandered around as she gave a satisfactory smirk. Ryan fell to his knees.

"Don't be so happy," he said in a husky voice as he coughed out some blood. "I'll be back," He said reaching out for a dagger.

"You'll never find me again, if you did," She paused "You have no chance of fighting me," She smirked. She turned her back to Ryan. "You're an amateur," 

Ryan yanked the dagger from his back and threw it with all his might toward the woman.

It flew like an arrow finding a spot to land on her back, but lost momentum as it reached her and found a spot on her ankle.

"HRRG," She screamed as the knife landed, "Shit," She bent down and plucked the knife from her ankle. "Bad aim," she commented as she limped towards the fog which was forming out of nowhere.

Ryan lost balance and fell face-first on the ground, his face met the dirt, he inhaled sharply smelling the moist dirt. He was beginning to lose consciousness. Bye-bye $18.25, He thought. Hope he dies soon so he could respawn again.

He felt some leaves rustling near him. Is she back? A small hand touched his face.

"You okay?" A distinct voice spoke up.

The girl, she's back. What the fuck is she doing here. Ryan intended to say 'Go' but it never came out the right way from his mouth. He was speaking gibberish.

"I'll get help!" She exclaimed as she ran to get help.

'No, no, leave me alone, I'll be okay' Ryan intended to say but failed. He couldn't even open his eyes

Ryan tried getting up, but darkness surrounded him, he blacked out.

All the pain left his body,

"You were like a day in and you already died," The old man commented.

Great. Him again. Ryan opened his eyes and got on his feet again.

"It's been 2 days for your kind information," Ryan said scanning his back for injuries. He could feel nothing, not even a scar.

"Awesome," Ryan murmured touching his head.

"Awesome indeed," The man said.

"Am I losing my money?" Ryan asked.

"I'm pretty sure I've started the rules,"

"Is that a yes or a no?" Ryan asked frustratedly

"Yes, you'll be only left with a penny, again," The old man said.

"I thought I told you not to die," the old man continued

"What were you doing? Drinking a coffee? I was saving a good damned child," Ryan said angrily.

"When did you start caring about people who are not named Rhan Trahan?" The old man asked jokingly.

"Get me back, Open the thing,"

"As you wish," The old man opens up a portal.

"Don't make land face first," Ryan said bracing for impact. "I'm done getting my ass kicked for today,"

"Fine, I won't," The old man said as the portal sucks Ryan in.

Never believe an old man who fucked your life up by sending you another damned universe to battle demons with nothing but a penny.

Ryan landed face-first at the same place he was bathing in his own blood a second ago. Ryan got up back on his feet cursing under his breath. He stumbled to the lake.

He was processing everything which happened over the last few minutes, scary woman, child, daggers, death. He managed to get to the place where he had his burger, surprisingly enough it was still there, along with his bike. So he was right. The stuff he buys on earth can't be reset.

"You're okay!" A girl squealed.

He looked around for her, she emerged from a bush, running towards him.

"Yea... And you? Are you fine?" Ryan asked as she jumped on Ryan embracing him.

"Looks like you're alright to me," Ryan said. She looked pretty fazed, who could blame her? She's a 9-year-old girl who was on the brink of death a few minutes ago. "What's your name?"

"Layla," She said clenching on Ryan.

"It's okay," he comforted her "Let's get you back home, Who are your parents?" Ryan inquired.

"My father's name is Vincent Alfredo," She said. Alfredo? Where has he heard that before?