It was midnight. Usually you would have returned home early but today you got late. You were walking on an empty street with dimly lit streetlights, when you noticed two rats emerging from a gutter and going in an alleyway. Then another, but that rat was carrying a shiny red gemstone on its back. It stumbled and the gemstone fell in your feet. The rat upon seeing a human squeaked and ran into the alleyway, leaving the gem behind in fear. You picked up the stone and with cautious steps headed to the dark alleyway.

When you went there, you saw a man standing there, leaning against the wall and was shuffling some cards. Suddenly he stopped. Maybe he noticed you, the thought made you stiff in your place. But then you noticed a rat sitting on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear on which he looked at you with his sharp red eyes that were glowing in the dark.

He walked over to you with silent steps and stopped Infront of you. Then he gently bowed and kissed your hand, taking the gem swiftly and straightening up.

"what are you doing here, mademoiselle?"

Upon seeing your silence he smirked and took out the deck of cards, shuffling them with swift hands then spreading them he forwarded them to you

"pick one." He spoke calmly.

You took a card in confusion and looked at it, a queen of hearts. But when you looked back he wasn't there anymore. Only you.