Jake woke up in cold sweat, his breath heavy and stifled. His delirious mind could barely understand where he is. According to logic, he should be in his cheap and small apartment, lying in his comfortable bed that costs more than a year's worth of rent. He always put his personal comfort above the aesthetical part of things. 

Slowly recovering from his delirious state, Jake Fox realized that he is, indeed, where he should be. His room was as compact as ever, and his orthopedic pillow as comfy as ever. Does it matter, though, considering his current state? 

Jake's body ignored most of his commands. Even lifting a finger would be wishful thinking. He could barely breathe as if something heavy was put on his chest. His whole body was burning, but his sweat was icy cold. 

This wasn't the first time he experienced those symptoms. In the last couple of months, just after his 22nd birthday, his fits became increasingly frequent. Before, attacks weren't more often than once per year. Now he couldn't even spend a week without one. Jake Fox knew it - he is out of time. 

Living to his twenties was already more than he expected. The last few years were full of happiness for him. Knowing that he wasn't going to live for long, Jake didn't have worries that troubled countless other people. He didn't have to save money for his older days. He didn't need to worry about ruining himself with nicotine, alcohol, or even drugs (though he avoided some more addictive ones as they could destroy your mind way faster than your body). Sometimes, he could sleep with more women in one month than an average man would in his whole life. He ate all sorts of food, drank all sorts of beverages, traveled to all sorts of places. He didn't lack friends and buddies to have fun with, though he never truly opened up to any male either. Most importantly, there were two people whose existence gave the true meaning to his life...

When Jake noticed how he started to reminiscent his past life, something inside told him - he wouldn't have any more fits after this. It was the last one. 

Did he have any regrets? Of course, he did. Everyone does. Nonetheless, he felt that for a cursed existence like him, life already gifted him more than he ever deserved. Jake Fox always knew that life isn't fair. He always thought that he was one of the people who took a short stick, but he changed his mind in the last couple of years. Now, Jake felt that he won a jackpot, instead. The main problem was that he didn't have enough time to enjoy his prize properly. 

Just as Jake Fox felt his lungs cease any movement, he gently smiled.

I bet Darlene would be royally pissed off when she learns that I actually didn't leave on vacation and instead waited for my final moments in solitude, he thought. Would she cry for me? Nah, no way. I can't even imagine how her crying face would look like. It would be hella fun to see, though. Maybe becoming a ghost isn't so bad then, haha. A peeking ghost Jake...

Even in his final moments, Jake Fox didn't take himself seriously. Someone could say that his life was a tragedy, but, instead, it was a comedy to him. His genetic code was specifically designed to make him into a killing machine; most of his lifespan was sacrificed exactly for this. But he never killed any single person. Instead, he became a "pussy slayer", gifting pleasure to lonely women of the world. 

To Jake, it was too fucking funny. His predatory instincts forced him to learn how to get what he wants from people through communication. It was so much better than risking a direct confrontation, which could lead to him losing control and killing someone for real. And those communication skills were more often used for seduction rather than to solve any conflicts. One thing led to another, and he ended up being who he is. All because of the people who wanted to make him their pawn, their mindless puppet that killed without asking any questions.

Before Jake's life completely ended were was just one doubt, one question left:

What if his life went a different way and he actually became the predator they wanted him to be?