Promises

“Do you remember what you promised?”
Zero had been awoken from a deep sleep, disturbed as always by the bloody echoes of his past. He rolled over on the bed that he had bought from the thrift store. It was surprisingly firm and he had managed to make it more to his taste with a set of red satin sheets which he’d spied in the shop’s bargain bin. Red satin sheets? He sighed—sometimes he was almost a parody of himself. Shaking his head to clear it of the clutter of thoughts born of almost three hundred years walking the Earth, he hastily recalled that a voice had woken him. Looking hastily around him, his eyes widened as they found his double standing still and expectant at the end of the bed.

“Who…?” He stared at the man who was identical to him in every way, even down to the small signet ring on his left pinkie finger.
“I’m Lucius, Zero.” The man told him in a voice exactly like his own.
“Lucius? But you’re…me.” Zero sat up in bed.
Lucius smiled. “In some ways, Zero. Certainly in appearance. But in other ways, I’m your polar opposite.”
“Are you a vampire?” Zero climbed out of bed and wrapped himself in his black satin bathrobe. Standing up and on an equal footing at last, he looked Lucius in the eye.
Again Lucius smiled patiently. “No. As I said…I’m your polar opposite.” He stared at Zero waiting for him to guess. Zero shrugged. “Ok…you’re God, are you?” This guy was starting to get on his nerves.
Clearly the feeling was mutual. “Don’t flatter yourself.” He replied. “I’m an angel.”
Zero looked at him. “You’re an angel? But…”
Lucius eyed him sarcastically. “What? I should be all in white with big wings on my back?”
“Well, I didn’t expect you to be all in black.” Zero shot back.
“By that rationale, you should be wearing a black cape and have two fangs hanging out of your mouth!” Lucius spat out.
“Ok, ok. Calm down. It’s just that you’re my double and I’m a vampire. It’s kind of weird. Anyway. Why are you here?”
“Well, well, well…you may want to take a seat, Zero. We have some things to discuss. Some promises you made.” Lucius had entirely calmed down and was now in fact smiling broadly.
“Promises?” Zero asked, his brow furrowing. “What promises?”