Inevitable

Suddenly, I heard it. It was coming from the other side of the passage. That grotesque creature that had only been a figment of my imagination until two days ago, when my world started to burn. The low grumbling moan that was escaping its toothless mouth echoed down the hall, constantly getting closer to me, getting closer to ending me. My hands were quivering like a crying child, shuddering in waves, unable to successfully wipe away the tears that were streaming down my face. This couldn’t be real, it had to be fake. Some kind of lucid dream I’d trapped myself in or a trick played on myself by one of the darkest corners of my own subconscious. My eyes scanned the room. Hoping, begging, praying for a way to escape. There were sheets on the bed, but they were ridden with holes and all kinds of stains from over the years. Definitely not strong enough to lower me to the ground and there wasn’t even enough there to reach the second floor, let alone all the way down. Realizing that this might be my last few minutes on what we call Earth, I turned to face the window. I tried to subdue my shuddered breathing but to no avail. The tears refused to stop coming, so I let them fall. I stared out of the window, this place that had once been my home. The tears melted everything together, every colour, shade and hue. The blinding sunshine which had once been a love of mine now teased me, mocking my inability to escape. Then a click of a door being unlocked, and reality flooded back in.

Words failed to form, thoughts too. I stood there like a child being ridiculed of some petty crime. Shoulders shaking, teeth chattering. I slowly pivoted to face the door, but my eyes would not meet my visitor. All I could see was a bubbling black figure stood in front of me. Figure is probably the wrong word. Being. A humongous, charcoal being, with foaming flesh and blank eyes. The eyes were the only thing I could bring myself to look at, the only thing that didn’t look like evil incarnate. I could see myself in the gleaming fluid that coated them. I was its appetizer. And there we stood, studying each other. Master and servant, predator and prey, captor and hostage. There was absolutely nothing I could do. No powerful weapon to kill it with. Another sob escaped from my mouth and after a few seconds, my knees buckled. I sat there on the floor of this cell, crying. With each passing second, I was surprised to still be breathing. Why hadn’t it killed me yet? Here I was, the perfect game to take away and devour, yet it just stood there. Shoulders rising and falling, eyelids blinking, almost human. Maybe death would be more peaceful than I had imagined. Maybe he was kind. I nodded my head, surprisingly content with the situation. He moved closer towards me, even as I backed away I knew there was no need to be afraid. He placed a hand behind my neck and let me lie on the floor. A kiss was placed on my forehead as I pleasantly drifted, drifted, drifted…