Death Ends All - Short Story
07/07/11
Death ends all things. Though this time, death is where I begin. Where a new life is born. Born to a second chance of righting the wrongs of the past.
The falling of a gentle rain stirs me awake. I open my eyes. The muscles around them straining painfully as though I shut them too fast and too hard when last they closed. Before me my hazy sight slowly brings things into focus. A moon, large and bright perches lazily in the night sky, positioned between two adjacent rooftops to my left and right. But where am I?
Slowly I sit up and awkwardly raise myself off the ground and on to my feet. Feet that did not want to obey my commands, but after a few strides they soon enough remember their old master. My head heavy as I look around, I'm in an alley? What am I doing in an alley? Suddenly memories, painful memories rush through my mind. Acid poured into my brain, dissolving away the ambiguous metal cage that surrounded my memory, thick bars melted away as images began to escape and flood my mind. I remember being here. But why? What was I doing here? I stagger forward and find the nearest wall my only friend to lean on. Dark, wet bricks glisten in the poor light. I look down at a bloody shirt I'm wearing, a red stain on my chest, turns what feels like some sort of dream into a nightmare. Is this real? A cold panic fills me as I remember; "Oh good God – I was murdered here!"
I slide down the wall as images come back to me of a small white blade emerging from the darkness, and delivering me with but a moment's agony, into blinding light. Though not that I remained there for long. "But why? …Who?" I struggle but I can't remember. In the darkness I spy a suitcase not far from me lying on the ground. It seems strangely familiar somehow. With effort I force my limbs to move towards it. Every step I take seeming off balance, as though the ground was somehow raising and falling underfoot as I moved. I fall to my knees as I reach the wet, leather bound case. Spinning it round so the clasps face me, my fingers strangely know the combination as they deftly work the metallic ringed digits into their proper places. This was my case? It must have been my case! Is this the key to all this?
The click, loud and clear sets off church bells in my memory. The scene rolls out for me across my mind from when last this case was opened. I was holding the case here in this alley, showing the contents to…? The images on the inside of my eyes, brings with it recollections of a man. A man I'd gone to meet. "Yes…Yes... for a sale." – I think. He wanted to buy…? And I wanted to sell…? Something. This man shrouded in mystery stands before my mind's eye. Either featureless or simply to hazy to recognise I can't make him out. I remember him reaching into the case with one hand, and pulling a knife with the other. So quick it was. I wince as my mind makes the whole painful scene happen again. But who was he? And what was in this damn case?
Bright lights and loud horns pull my attention to the mouth of the alley behind me. I drop the case as I struggle to my feet and stumble to the alley's end, peering in all directions as cars race passed. A grand old building lies opposite. Huge and wide, with great pillars and large grey, stone steps. "The museum!" Of course. The museum, I work there. "No, I worked there." With that another realisation courses through my mind, I turn to look at the fallen brief case. That's what was in the case – the priceless ancient pharaoh's jewelled necklace. It was to be unveiled at the museum this week. I hang my head. The shame. The stupidity. I suddenly feel more unclean than any man could ever be. As though my soul was smeared with the filth ridden dirt of disgrace. I remember now. I was going to steal it away and sell it for enough money to buy a new life. And look what I ended up with!
An old man, slumped and heavy slowly makes his way down the street towards me. Is that him? I roar on the inside of my mind, Is that the man? Anger rushes through me, filling me with its contemptuous bile… But no, it's not him. Just some old, homeless. My tightly closed fits begin to uncurl and relax as I swallow down my anger, I can't go looking for just any face in the darkness! There's only one person to blame for this. It has to be him and him alone! But how will I find him? He's gone! He could be on the other side of the world by now.
The old man stops to look at me. Behind the lengths of his dirty beard, his worried expression tells me I must look like some crazy person. An assessment not far wrong at all. In fact I wish I were mad, I wish I had madness as an excuse for my actions! How many lies did I have to tell? How much trust did I betray so I could sneak in a take what wasn't mine? And for how long could I have lived on knowing that I'd done such wrong? That my soul was falling through the darkness into the depths of despair because of it. All so I could steal that damned necklace and sell it to the highest bidder. Why did I let myself be led? All those years, all that work… wasted. Oh, he will pay for this! For leading me off the right path, for trying to turn me into some lowly creature who revels in distrust. I was always a trustworthy man, before he came whispering in my ear. Oh yes, its all coming back to me now. I never thought I could change so, yet look how easily he corrupted me, lead me astray. With his vile, dark words – 'a lifetime of wealth' he said, '… for a moment of sin'. How I ate those words up, smiling to myself as I swallowed them down with the image of this new life glinting in my eyes. And just look how it almost ended! I'll make sure his sole burns in hell for his crimes! … The swelling anger in me begins to subside as a sobering thought comes racing to mind. Along with my own! I will burn in hell for this too.
…But wait. Could all this be…? Is this my second chance? I was a good person once… before all this. Could I be again? This could be my last chance to – "Save my sole." The words fall from my lips a whisper, yet defining and resolute. Their meaning resounding around the inside of my skull. The homeless man flinches at that, then steadies himself as he realises it's not to him I speak. He simply stands there and stares, and though I'm staring back my thoughts are elsewhere. There is only one way now. That much is clear to me. Whatever happens, I must save my soul. I have been brought for a reason, back so I can cleanse my soul of this awful stain. Even if I should spend the rest of this second chance behind bars, then so be it. I must do what's right! There is only one way to seek my revenge on him! Oh yes. Yes, I remember your face now! I remember your name, murderer! Even if I were to go after him alone, with only myself looking for him he could hide anywhere. I might never find him. But if it were the whole world…? Where would you hide if the whole world was calling your name, huh? If all of mankind was looking for you, where then would you run? Yes, this is the only way. I must tell confess my guilt. Yes, I will tell the truth to the world, I will stand before you all and tell of my shame with a hanging head. And in so doing, I'll bring justice down upon yours!
I step decidedly past the homeless man and his dirty beard and shabby clothes, giving him a nod as I went. His expression did not change but he returns the nod none the less, though any fool could see he wasn't sure why. Cars screech to a halt in the rain as I step into the road unannounced by any traffic light. My limbs still heavy as lead, I shuffle through the downpour to the other side and up the large, grey stone steps. The pillars cast long shadows as I pass them that the fill me with a strangely comforting fear. Continue on I do up to the large entrance doors. Locked, I bang on them with all my might. I holler as loud as I can. Already shaky hands slap and punch and slam against the heavy oak doors till shattering pain runs through them. Torchlight suddenly finds me as a voice calls out, "Oi! What are you doing there?"
I recognise that voice. I turn and look into the talking light, my vision completely filled by its ferocious glare, blind to all else. "Jenkins? Jenkins, is that you?" I demand as I reach a hand up to shield my eyes.
"Mr Reilly? What happened to you sir?"
"Hear me Jenkins. I have come back! I have come back to confess."
The end