[ WP ] You are given a deal by a higher power that grants you eternal life . The catch ? You have to kill one person every year . If you fail do do so , even a minute too late , you will die .

December 24th. Christmas fucking Eve. Growing up as a forgotten orphan with no family, no tree and certainly no presents, I held a particular hatred for this holiday. Perhaps this was the reason I chose this day, every year without fail, to renew my life contract for another year. This was the day that the singe in the pit of my stomach became impossible to ignore. I had no choice but to face it; or at least face it within the next 7 days before…well, before I died? Recently I ’ ve begun to question that which was outlined to me over a decade ago. After all, I ’ m only 43 ( or 28 depending how you interpret the rules of “ eternal life ” ). Surely someone in my current state of health, with no medical history of any significance, wouldn ’ t just…expire. One second alive, the next a lifeless corpse. 
 
 Alcohol made it easier the first few years. A few swigs of some off brand, golden brown poison was enough to fool myself into thinking this wasn ’ t about death, but about life. I was choosing my life over that of some homeless beggar or miscreant who certainly brought no discernible value to humanity. In fact, I was purging the city of this waste! How noble of me! Even I couldn ’ t keep a straight face as that thought crossed my mind. This of course was the whiskey talking, as in reality I ’ d begun to consider my life just as worthless as the ones I took every year on the same day in December. This was the end though. I was finished stealing others lives to extend my own and willing to accept whatever fate lay ahead of me. I came to this decision a year ago to the day, merely minutes after executing my last pathetic ‘ sacrifice. ’ 
 
 Ding! At last the doors of the crowded elevator parted and out rushed the eager flow of arrogant Wall Street types and their mindless trophies. Christmas had come and gone and for the first time since I was granted this gift—no this burden—I had not committed the act that bestowed me with another year on this earth. It was New Years Eve and I had shelled out $ 1200 for a single ticket to city ’ s most spectacular rooftop gathering, with clear views of the Times Square ball drop. 11:58pm…I checked my watch as I dangled one leg over the edge of the high rise. Surely I had stolen the attention of the party goers from the countdown clock, but I gave little thought to looking back to see for myself. My typically steady breathing spiked as the realization surfaced that these breaths would be my last. 30 seconds until midnight. I could hear the crowd below me begin to count backwards. I was going to be dead in a matter of seconds regardless of whether or not I jumped, but I had somehow reasoned that taking my own life was partial justice for the 15 souls that I had taken. I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked in one last breath of cold air. 5 seconds. With a jolt, my hand, which had unconsciously made its way to the inside of my coat, clasped around the ivory handle of my father ’ s revolver. One shot in the head ended the life of the man nearest me; the same man that was attempting to coax me down from the ledge…to save my life. Of course unbeknownst to him, he succeeded in doing just that. Confetti cannons exploded along with cheers of “ happy new year! ” as I burst open the rooftop staircase door. 

