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Disclaimer: Grim Fandango belongs to LucasArts. I'm not making money with this story and I'm not associated with the company in any way.
DYING SIGH
It was night.
Usually all sensible people were asleep at that time, but there was and would always be those who weren't. They either did it because they wanted to spend time at casinos and night clubs. Then there were those who werenot even given the choice.
Meche belonged to the latter group.
She was tired and more than ready to go to sleep, but Domino's instructions had been clear. She just didn't have the right to leave her desk before all papers had been gone through and broughtto the man's office in a neat heap.
Fortunately she had only five sheets left and she only needed to give them a fast glance before taking them to Domino and then she would take off to her room and rest.
Meche was glad she didn't have eyes anymore. She was sure that they would have ached if she was still watching the world through them.
Three papers left.
This wasn't really the kind of job Meche had wanted to do. When she had been alive she had never worked, she had dedicated her life to helping those in need and given away everything she had ever had. So her life had been pretty much perfect.
And yet she sat here, stuck in the Land of the Dead as the secretary of the biggest idiot in the world.
"I don't understand where these papers came from. We don't usually have this much paper work," she muttered tiredly to herself and got rid of another paper.
Only one left.
But for one thing she had to give Domino some credit and admitting that always made her feel somehow dirty. She didn't want to think anything good about the man. He represented everything she loathed.
And she couldn't afford to forget that he worked for Hector LeMans and was part of all this.
But that still wasn't enough to change the fact that Domino never asked her to do more than he did himself. Not even once he had gone to rest before her, but he always worked who knew how late yet being there before her the next morning.
Right now he was doing something in his office and Meche had no idea what it was. Not that she was even interested.
"All right," Meche sighed in relief after finishing every sheet of paper. She organised them neatly and checked everything was all right and the papers in the right order. Domino didn't like it if something wasn't perfect.
He probably should have looked at the mirror to see that nothing everwas perfect. Not even he.
Meche suppressed a yawn and stood up to take the papers to Domino and then leave as soon as possible. She stepped into the man's office noticing for the first time it was completely dark.
Maybe Domino had done an exception and was already gone?
Somehow the woman didn't think so, it had happened not even once during her time here. Besides, to get out of Domino's office you had to walk past her desk and she was sure no one had been in her little office during the last three hours.
She took a careful step in and tried to see ahead of her in the dark. It took some time before she saw anything, but then she noticed Domino's dark figure against the huge window.
"I brought your papers," Meche announced shortly, but didn't get an answer. She tilted her head in confusion and stepped closer uncertainly until she stood almost next to the man.
"Domino?" she asked not knowing what to expect.
The man turned to watch her as if he had just now noticed he wasn't alone. And yet he must have known all the time that the woman was there.
"Quite a night, isn't it?" he asked managing to sound like it was all his own doing. As he talked he nodded at the window and concentrated in watching out again.
Meche turned to see too and for the first time paid attention to the view. Of course she had always known it was there, but only now when Domino had mentioned it she let herself really see it.
The night was completely clear, not a single cloud could be seen against the dark sky, but it spread beyond the horizon like black silk. Thousands of stars specked it and Meche felt she was sinking somewhere behind them as she watched.
The light of the stars and moon made the masses of water below them glitter and the woman thought nothing could have been more beautiful at that time. And yet she knew how cold and dangerous it was to even touch it, it fell right over the Edge of the World disappearing forever and taking everything with it.
"It's beautiful," she breathed in fascination and let her gaze caress the lovely view.
"But ironic," Domino stated in amusement as if he knew something really funny only he could understand. Meche gave him a confused glance.
"What do you mean?" she wanted to know. Domino didn't look at her, but seemed to be totally lost in the view in front of them.
"You say this is beautiful. And yet, if you looked at it in the light of tomorrow you'd think it's only plain, ugly and gloomy. The darkness covers all flaws and hides the dirt creating the illusion that something beautiful really exists," the man said thoughtfully.
"Something in this world has to be beautiful," Meche insisted. She didn't like thinking that this whole world was corrupted and dirty.
Domino snorted.
"All those who still roam this world have done something terrible when they were alive. All innocent have travelled away in the Number Nine," he said.
"Except for those few," Mechepointed outmeaning the ones who worked as slaves at the sea bottom. It made Domino laugh.
"Yes, but you can't see them in the darkness of the night. The Land of the Dead is just like those who live here, evil, dirty and cold. It would probably be a blessing to be blind, but then you couldn't enjoy all that we have here," he said.
"Didn't you just say this world is ugly and merciless? How can you enjoy anything here?" Meche asked. She had never talked with Domino this long without losing her nerves.
It felt like she was doing something wrong.
"Don't be naive Meche. That is exactly why I enjoy this. Everything is evil and corrupted. People like you, those who care about others more than themselves, could never like this world. But I and others, who stand on the top of this game know how to get everythingout ofit," Domino said as if it really was that simple.
Meche snorted.
"And by doing that you destroy all thosearound you." she stated.
"So what? It is not my problem if everyone is not as strong as I am. You can't survive here if you aren't selfish," the man told her.
"In that case this place probably isn't for me," Meche snapped.
"It isn't and that is why you had a Double-N Ticket. All those who are weak and lack the strength to survive in the Land of the Dead are those who leave by train before getting into trouble."
Meche gave him a glance and returned to watch the dark view.
"And from that we get into the fact that my ticket is gone," she said.
"True, but you are here on this little island save from the corruption of the Land of the Dead. You should be grateful," Domino said in amuse and clearly enjoying this conversation.
"Oh, how generous you are," Meche said sarcastically. She wouldn't have been surprised if Domino had actually believed he was doing her a favour by keeping her trapped.
"Oh, don't be so pessimistic. It's for the better in both life and death not to expect the worst to happen," the man advised and his voice wasn't amused at all. It seemed as if he really tried to make Meche understand something.
"If you are pessimistic you don't ever have to be disappointed," the woman replied quietly. She had used to be cheerful too and believed tomorrow would bring something better, but she wasn't that sure anymore. At first she had lived her life as well as she could haveand given up many pleasures, then it all got horrible in afterlife and she was involved in a mess she understood nothing about.
And then there was Manny.
Meche hadn't spent enough time with the man to create a good image of what she thought of him. Something told her that Manny was a good man, but too much was hidden from her. Besides, it had been Manny who had said she wasn't good enough, hadn't it?
"You don't have to be disappointed as long as you are here," Domino stated waking her from her thoughts and Meche turned to see him not sure of what to say. She had never thought anything here was positive. Quite the contrary.She repeatedly told herself she did everything Domino ordered just to make sure he didn't hurt Pugsy and Bibi.
"And I can not be happy as long as I am here," she said with a bit too snobbish tone for her own liking.
"Then where would you be happier? In the corrupted night of Rubacava? On the dirty streets of Puerto Zapato? In the Petrified Forest? Admit it Meche, this little island is the only safe place for you," Domino replied and didn't seem to be bothered when Meche didn't agree with him.
"I..." Meche started certain that she would come up with something to say. There had to be a homey place for her in this world.
But there wasn't.
Within her she knew that Domino's words held much more truth than she wanted to admit. The Land of the Dead wasn't for ones like her, only corrupted, desperate and greedy souls were left there. All who really believed in the Ninth Underworld travelled there and didn't search happiness here.
"Learn to think positively. Like me," Domino said shortly not turning his gaze from the stars. Meche looked at him for a while before sighing.
Maybe Domino was right. Maybe she really ought to forget the past and concentrate in her future. Besides, there wasn't actually anything wrong in a positive attitude.
Now when she thought about it she noticed Domino actually stood behind his words. She had never seen him being depressed or desperate, every time something went wrong he looked like everything would turn better eventually. Of course it didn't work like that, but positive thinking usually made it all easier.
She snorted.
"All right, I'll try," she admitted and was surprised when Domino turned to stare at her as if he didn't believe what he had just head.
"You will?" he asked and Meche could easily hear the confusion in his voice. She laughed.
"What? Managed to surprise?" she asked and Domino shook his head to himself.
"Guess I'm too used to getting an answer to all of my advice in the form of a sarcastic comment. Interesting that someone actually listens," he said in amusement remembering how many times he had tried to make Manny realise that pessimists were destined to loose. The man had never seemed to get it, but this woman might have got the idea.
"It's a habit of mine to listen when people talk to me," Meche stated. She had never seen Domino this... confused. It made him almost look like...
She shook her head. Stupid...
"What?" Domino asked in curiosity. The woman was clearly thinking about something.
"Nothing, positive thinking gets my head all mixed up," Meche answered quickly.
"Good that even something. It is pretty hard to get really into a drunken fit in here," Domino said. He stood in front of the window staring at the sea and Meche didn't come up with anything to say. The man looked like a cold stone statue again. Just a moment ago when he had been confused Meche had seen him as almost human for a while.
She didn't know what created it, but that moment in the dark office felt suddenly like magic.
"Domino, do you believe in... love?" she asked suddenly when the thought hit her and before she managed to stop herself.
Domino laughed.
"Love? Of course not. Never have and never will. Love doesn't stand a chance in this world, as Manny once lectured. He used to say profound things when he was drunk. Why do you want to know?" the man asked in amusement and turned to see Meche.
The woman felt somehow really stupid and she was embarrassed. Why had she asked, really?
"I don't know... I..." she stuttered bewildered and lowering her gaze. God, she was stupid!
And why did this even bother her that much?
She flinched when she felt Domino's bone fingers on her cheek and raised her gaze again. The man watched her thoughtfully and seemed to be considering something.
Meche felt unreal, but not immediately uncomfortable. In fact, it felt kind of good standing here while Domino touched her.
After few seconds the spell was broken and she backed away from the man's touch.
"I... brought you these papers," she said quickly showing him the heap of papers in her hand. Domino was quiet for a while before gesturing at his desk.
"Leave them there. I will go through them tonight. You go to sleep," he said surprisingly softly and turned to stare out of the window again. The night really was special.
Meche felt as if she was completely empty, just a hollow shell carved from bone. She didn't know what to say and was afraid of stuttering something really stupid if she opened her mouth so she left the office almost running.
Once she was back in the light if her own office she fell in a heap of bones on her chair and shook her head. Then she looked around.
In the darkness of Domino's office everything had seemed so beautiful and somehow magical, but now when she sat under her bright lamp she saw how ugly and plain everything really was.
Domino had been right.
Meche leaned back in her chair and let out a long and heavy sigh.
The End
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