A thud was suddenly heard outside the front door. Sophie was swaying convulsively from side to side. Her legs were thrashing against each other in convulsions, her hands were trying to free her neck from the tight wire around her. Sophie's body wanted to live, but her soul didn't want to.

The blows on the door grew louder and louder, then became quite frequent and unbearable. Sophie was beating in her death spasms, already weaker. The beat of her heart was gradually fading away, as was the spark of life in her green eyes. It seemed that the locks on the doors were about to break, and it would open wide until the pounding suddenly stopped. The pounding of her heart.

Silence. Sophie hung down, swaying slightly. Her glassy eyes were directed towards the front door. The neck froze in an unnatural position under the pressure of the wire that dug deep into her skin. Nearby were laying the red shoes that Sophie had dropped when she jerked her legs to the sides, and at the same time there was a wooden chair, which fell immediately after her fatal decision.

Click. And the heavy front door began to open, creaking softly.

A leisurely step. Another step. He went inside. A handsome, dark-haired man. Usually, such an appearance is inherent in actors playing the role of "flawless". Orange-brown eyes were precisely combined with thick black eyebrows hanging languidly over the eyelids. The thin line of his lips curved neatly into a sarcastic grin. The dark short hair was carelessly parted into unequal parts and combed back a little.

His image was complemented by a black tuxedo, so perfectly emphasizing the square shoulders of the man.

He walked slowly forward, leaving clear dirty footprints on the floor. It seemed strange that there was not even a speck of dust on the shoes themselves.

- Sophie, - he whispered, going up to her still swaying body, - Sophie, - the man repeated, clasping her slender wrist with his big hand.

He didn't turn his eyes away from her, as if he was waiting for an answer from her lips, slightly twisted by death spasms.

- Come on, Sophie, - he said, recoiling a little. - Stop pretending.

But she continued to hang immobile, staring at the front door.

- It's okay, - the man stepped aside and looking back saw a shabby blue armchair, - I have a lot of time, I will wait.

He sat down neatly, crossing his legs and leaned back.

Now there is absolute silence. One might think that time had stopped in this room, if not for the quiet ticking of the clock, so obsessively disturbing it.

- You have a nice apartment, - the man spoke in a bass voice raising an eyebrow, - Are you not going to treat me to tea?

The wire on which Sophie was hanging squeaked a little and began to slowly turn her body towards the man sitting in the armchair. And, as soon as it fully turned Sophie, it immediately stopped.

- It's high time, - the man reacted, calmly crossing his arms over his chest.

Sophie's dull green eyes suddenly closed, and she fell to the floor without making a sound.

- Does it hurt? - the man leaned forward and with interest flashed the spark of his beastly eyes. 

- Who are you? - Sophie scarily looked into his eyes tucking her bare feet under her, - Who am I?

- Let's do everything in order, - the man soothed her, - Your name was Sophie, - he touched her neck which had distinct red stripes, - Do you feel it?

- Nothing at all, - she whispered. - Was my name Sophie?

- If you want you can forget your name, - the man grabbed her chin and looked into her bright green eyes, - Do you want to choose another one? 

- No, I like that, - she answered, clearly pulling away from his hand. - Who are you?

- You don't have to worry about it, - he removed his hand and leaned back, - I remember talking about making it...

Sophie raised her eyebrow and tucked her red hair behind her ear, touching her tortured neck, never realizing how she should feel.

- I'm sorry that you didn't do what you once dreamed of, - the man continued, without taking his eyes off her. - You knew everything from the very beginning, but you kept walking... Until you stopped breathing.

- It's hard for me to move! - Sophie screamed trying to get up.

- Soon everything will pass, - the man whispered bending down again, now almost to her face, - For now you should listen to my every word.

- I'm cold! - Sophie yelled, huddling on the floor.

The man took off his jacket and threw it over her shoulders. - You were so silly. But it worked in my favor. You just obeyed it.

- What's happening?! - Sophie tried to cry, but tears didn't flow from her eyes.

- I'd been waiting for you for so long, although I have always been there. Closer than you think, - he grabbed her head with both hands and slowly turned back, so that her chin could touch the spine, - Look at you.

Sophie opened her eyes and saw a body hanging down on a wire. This was her body.

- It's not me! - she screamed loudly, trying to turn away, but the man gripped her head too tightly.

Then she tried to close her eyes, but her eyelids seemed to be frozen.

- It's you. You just can't believe it yet, - he let go of her head, and it immediately returned to its previous position, - I know you're tired, but just believe what is happening. You will feel better, I promise.

- Help me! - Sophie begged touching her neck, - It's hard to breathe!

- Soon you will stop feeling it. It was just a shell that you got rid of. You wanted to disappear, but only your body died, not your soul.

The man took his jacket and put it on again, glaring at Sophie, which exhausted by hysteria.

- I can't be a ghost! - she shouted, and a loud echo was heard around, - I don't believe in it!

- The wires took everything from you, and now you are completely mine, - the man rejoiced arrogantly looking down at the poor girl.

Sophie suddenly calmed down and stopped moving, - Kill me...

- You already did it yourself.

- Kill me again, - she insisted, grabbing her neck.

- Unfortunately or fortunately, the soul cannot be killed, - he squatted down and put his hand on her slightly bare shoulder, - You had a choice. Now you know where we are going.

Sophie suddenly began to rise slowly, but she's still holding on to her throat, - I will not go with you.

- Now you have no choice. - He walked over to her body and slightly pushed it so that it began to swing from side to side.

Sophie slowly walked to the table while the man watched the body swinging on the wire.

- You're right. It's beyond my control now, - without taking her eyes off him, Sophie quietly grabbed something from the table and clenched her hand into a fist.

- How long had I been waiting, - he smiled sarcastically and turned to Sophie's soul. - Are you ready?

The man held out his hand to her. His orange-brown eyes sparkled again, but this time they were filled with hope. The hope that Sophie will leave with him.

- No! - Sophie snapped confidently, - I know that I'm still alive! - She unclenched her hand, and there was a blue pill, which Sophie swallowed immediately.

- What have you done?!

The man ran towards Sophie's soul so that she wouldn't have time to swallow the pill, but a large black abyss suddenly formed under her body, from which wires crawled like worms. They began to wrap the man from head to toe and pull him to the edge of the hole, and no matter how he was resisting... The wires got the best of him.

- This time I won the game! - Sophie shouted watching the falling down man, - I'm sorry that you didn't it! True!

She was happy, but when the man was no longer visible, the abyss suddenly began to narrow and then disappeared. And Sophie's body fell exactly to the floor. The wire no longer held her.

Sophie opened her eyes and saw a wooden chair and her red shoes in front of her. She stood up carefully and walked over to the mirror. There were no marks on the neck. Looking around, Sophie realized that it was just a dream and decided that a cold shower would clarify her thoughts better than anything else if she hadn't seen distinct traces of dirt all over the floor.

- The wires have weakened for a while, - Sophie said sadly, - He will come for me again and, someday, will take me straight to hell. But I already know this game, and I won't give up again.