The Lie of Life the Truth of Death
Tears cascaded down her face as she struggled against the straitjacket that confined her. The padded walls felt like they were moving in on her. A dark figure with gleaming red eyes and sharp claws stepped out of the shadows. She wanted to scream, she wanted to run, but no one would believe her so she stayed quiet. She looked into its eyes and knew she was going to die. Memories of what had happened in the last weeks flashed in her mind and she left reality behind and got lost in her memories.
It had all started a little less than a month ago. Since than she had been running for her life. Anna was just an average joe with higher than average grades. She had a boyfriend and a loving family. Her life was fine as it was. And then that day happened.
Her boyfriend, Cole, and her were taking a stroll in downtown Denver. It was a warm day in July. The florescent green tree leaves rustled in the breeze. The sun reflected off of the metallic buildings. People milled around, window shopping, or just enjoying the weather. A bell-like laughter bounced off of the buildings and into the open sky.
"No wait, Cole stop that tickles!" Anna squealed as her and her boyfriend ran down the street. Cole kept tickling her sides as they continued down the sidewalk. She wiggled out of his grasp again and ran towards an ally. Cole chasing after her. She got up against a wall, her breath slightly labored from running. Cole appeared in front of her and grabbed her waist. She let out another small squeal.
Suddenly Cole stiffened and a slight trickle of blood ran out the side of his mouth. Anna's violet eyes widened as she looked down. Protruding from Cole's stomach were a pair of claws. Blood dripped off the tips and onto the concrete in between her and Cole. She shakily looked up and over Cole's shoulder. She saw a blurry outline about the size of a man. Yet whatever it was had claws (still impaled in Cole's stomach) where its fingers should be and crimson eyes. The claws pulled out of his stomach and Cole fell back. His cold dead hands brushing against her face. That was when she snapped.
She ran. That was all she could do. Anna looked over her shoulder to see if that thing was chasing her. In the entrance of the ally it stood, its crimson eyes following her every movement. The ruby colored blood dripping onto the ground. If she was close enough she could have heard the blood fall to the ground with a small drip. She looked forward and kept going. Not looking back, only looking at what was in front of her.
By the time she had gotten to her car tears were escaping her eyes. She screwed them tightly shut trying to prevent anymore tears from falling. She tried to make sense of what she had just seen, but the only thing that came to mind were those eyes. They haunted her vision. They were forever burned into her memory. She got into her car and drove home. Trying to get what she had just seen out of her head.
She got onto the highway and sped up. She had to get home. She had to leave. She didn't think she was supposed to be there and witnessed what had happened. She was next. No witnesses's right? No one else saw it. No one would believe her even if she told them. It was just a little too far fetched. She would have laughed at anyone if they had told her that they had just seen that.
When she got home she saw her parents were sitting on the couch weeping. "Cole Smith was found dead a little over an hour ago. His girlfriend Anna McCartney is assumed to be dead as well. I am sorry I really can't do this. What monster would ever do this to two kids?" the news reporter said as she walked off the screen.
Anna walked into the living room and behind the couch. She tapped her parents on their shoulders to get their attention. They turned around and gave her a questioning look.
"I am sorry Miss may we help you?" Anna's mother asked her.
As much as she hated the fact that her own parents couldn't recognize her. It made it easier for her to leave. For her to survive and to get away from what was after her.
"I am sorry to bother you but I am with the police. I would like to check your daughter's room to see if your daughter and her boyfriend had any reason to be killed," she said in a quiet voice.
"Of course come this way."
It seemed as if luck was on her side just this once, for her parents left the room. She knew that what she was doing was against the law, but maybe if she got caught she would be protected. The possibility seemed to slim so she packed, trying to leave town as fast as she could. Grabbing a duffel bag from underneath her bed she began to pack. A week's worth of clothes; toiletries; a phone charger; and a wallet were all thrown haphazardly into the bag.
She scanned her room once again to make sure she didn't forget anything. Her eyes landed on the teddy bear from her childhood. Any time a nightmare would wake her up she would hug the bear, and it would calm her down. She tossed the bear in the bag as well. Hoping this was all just a vivid dream that her child mind had made up. But this was reality and she was not a child anymore.
Throwing the packed bag over her shoulder she looked for a way to get out of the room. If she went past her parents with a duffel bag with clothes and other things is would only cause suspicion. As she looked she spotted a tree just outside of her window. It was all she needed to get out of her room. As oddly convenient as it was. She took the chance and used the tree as an escape.
Anna went over to the window and opened it. She climbed out the window and onto the branch. It bounced a small amount as the combined weight of Anna and the duffel bag jostled it. She climbed down from one branch to another. Almost falling twice for the weight of the bag threw her balance off just slightly.
She landed on the ground with a soft thud, before she walked to her car. Starting the car she drove off from her house. Away from her past life, and to somewhere she hoped to be safe.
With a full tank of gas she drove onto the interstate heading east. The direction she chose never came to mind. She just wanted to get as far away as possible, and east sounded like a good idea at the time. As she thought about where she could stay when she got to the coast, Baltimore came to mind. It was a place she had always wanted to visit, and with the threat of death looming over her head it pushed her to go.
So she drove. Three hours inside her cramped car with just herself. She had no one to talk to or vent her problems on. It was just her. The only sound was the wind on the highway and the music from the radio.
It was agonizing only being with herself. At some moments she would find herself having conversations with nobody. She would always have to remind herself that no one was there to listen. No one would respond, and talking to herself only made her feel like she was losing her sanity. She was grateful for the times she would have to stop and get gas. There were people at the gas station that she could talk to. It was real human interaction and the people would respond.
But she would find herself being paranoid when she left her car. She would look over her shoulder at every chance she got. And each time that thing got closer and closer. "Miss? Would you like me to check you out?" asked the cashier at the most recent gas station she stopped at. No one else was there so she thought she might as well talk the the kind women. It could help ease her nerves.
"Yes that would be lovely," she responded. "So would you happen to know anything in this town that any tourist would want to do?"
"Well we have a small museum here that has our town history."
"Thank you for the suggestion I will be sure to check it out." she grabbed her bag from the kind lady and walked out of the convenience store at the gas station and to her car that was parked in front. She couldn't help herself, she looked in the corner of the store. Unlocking the door she put the bag next to her duffel.
She entered the museum. When she began to look around she noticed a photo of a man and women. The people in the photo are not what caught her eye it was the thing in the background that looked just like what killed Cole. "John and Abigail Hofferson from Oakbrook, Kentucky. Though in their lives the only significant thing for the town was donating money. What makes them go down in history is their death. Not much is known about it. These two people went missing on a Wednesday and were found dead later that week. No one is sure of who killed them and it is still a mystery to this day."
Anna's eyes widened the more she read. And the thing in the photo is what she has seen for the past few days. All she could think about was that the same story she was living through right now has gone on in the past. And she was probably not the only one who has been chased by this thing.
After reading the article about the Hofferson's, Anna rushed out of the museum. She ran to her car and got in it as fast as she could. She saw it in the car mirror. What looked like a smirk graced its blurry mouth. She didn't dare look back at the small little town as she fled again.
She didn't stop unless necessary. Even if she did start to talk to herself she didn't find it crazy anymore it was almost comforting. She was the only one who knew the truth while everyone else were fools.
After nonstop driving for two days she had finally reached Baltimore. The water that was on the edge of the city glistened in the sunlight. People went through the city at ease. Nothing was there to hurt them. It was serene. Seeing this made her feel like she had reached a safe haven. She looked over her shoulder and let out an audible sigh when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Her stomach let out a grumble and she laughed. Feeling like her old self. Maybe this new start was all she needed. But in the back of her mind there was a little nagging voice saying that it wasn't all right and this was just the calm before, the storm.
Anna arrived at a store and began walking down aisle after aisle. As she neared the checkout she glanced over her shoulder. She didn't see anything and turned back around. Her paranoia evaporating as time passed. But when she looked in front of her the monster was right there maybe an inch away.
"Isn't it just so sad that your parents don't remember your? You saw me kill that young man. He was supposed to be alone in that alley. I can't have any witnesses now can I? I don't want the balance of life and death to go out of sync. But I can't leave you alive"
"W-who are you?" Anna asked her voice trembling.
"Who am I? I go by many names, some call me the Grim Reaper, Thanatos, and many more. But my true name is Death."
"Just because I saw you kill someone? I wouldn't have told anyone they wouldn't believe me even if I did. Why can't you fulfill your sick joy of killing people with someone else. So why can't you just go away!" Anna said as her fear changed into anger.
"Miss who are you talking to?" an employee asked her.
"Can't you see him? He is standing right next to me! I can't stand it anymore why can I only see him. Please tell me I am not going crazy please tell me you can see him!" Anna yelled at the poor employee.
A second employee edged away from the scene and to a phone. "Hello 911, we have a person shouting about an invisible person in the store and they need to be removed."
Anna dropped to the ground and curled into a ball. She didn't notice the when the police arrived. Unable to register what was going on outside of her mind.
"Miss you need to come with us," the police officer said.
"Can't you see him? I know I'm not crazy! He is standing right next to me!"
"Miss we are going to have to sedate you if you don't come with us calmly." Two men picked her up by the arms and began to drag her out of the store.
"I don't care what you do. Even if you do lock me up Death will still come for me. My death will be on your conscience." A small needle poked her arm and the world began to blur before turning black.
"We have her and are heading back to the station now," one of the officers said into the radio. Death frowned at the scene that had played out before him. Then disappeared into the shadows.
Anna didn't recognize where she was when she woke up. After a few seconds a man, wearing a suit and tie, walked into the room.
"Why am I here? I haven't done anything wrong." Anna told the man that now sat in front of her.
"Well hello to you too . The reason that you are here is because you had a meltdown at the store and had to be forcibly removed. Now tell me why were you causing a disturbance in the store?" the man said.
"You will not believe me if I tell you."
"It doesn't matter what I or any others believe in, it is the fact that you need tell me why you melted down in the store, if you don't I am sure there are other consequences waiting for you with a large sum of money to pay for your ticket or bail."
"I will tell you. I am not crazy, this is the truth. A little under a week ago my boyfriend and I were on a date in downtown Denver. Everything was fine, it was a normal date. We were joking around and running down the streets," Anna paused to collect herself "I ran into a alleyway with him chasing me. He grabbed my waist. Then before I even knew what happened blood tricked out of his mouth. I looked down and there were claws sticking out of his stomach. When I looked over his shoulder there was a outline of a man. The only things that I could make out were claws, and crimson eyes everything else were covered in shadows. I ran away after that."
"Do continue," the man motioned for her to keep telling her story before going back and furiously scribbling something down on a notepad.
"I got to my car and drove home. When I arrived the news was on. I leaned in to hear and the reporter was talking about how my boyfriend and I were killed. When I went to tell my parents that I was okay they didn't even recognize me," Anna broke down sobbing. "I went up to my room and packed a bag and ran away. I didn't last long alone in my own head. Every time I got gas I had to talk to people, and do something that involved me being able to talk to people. But when I was in a small town called Oakbrook I went to the museum. There were two people who got killed the same way I saw my boyfriend get killed. It scared me so bad that I didn't care if I talked to myself when I was in my car. I just kept driving. When I got I thought that Death would leave me alone. But I was wrong."
"Ms. McCartney that was a very good reason for how you got here but you never said why you melted down in the store."
"I was getting food. I looked over my shoulder and didn't see Death. When I turned around he was in front of me. He answered everything I asked and more. That is how I found out his name. After being chased by him for a week I couldn't take people being so ignorant to him. That was when I snapped. And tried to tell people about him, it whatever you would call that thing. Then the police came and now I am here," Anna said gesturing to herself than the room, the handcuff chains rattling.
"Thank you for that... story. . Now I just have one last question for you. This shadow of a man, you said his name was Death?"
"Yes. I thought he was a monster and was referring to him as a thing, until he told me his name."
"Thank you I will be leaving. Whatever happens next will be told to you in a few minutes." the man left the room after one final glance at Anna.
Worry after worry ran through her head as she waited. Would they think she was crazy? Would she get killed before anyone came back in? The only sounds were the clock ticking and the rustle of the handcuffs that attached her to the table.
After what felt like an eternity the man came back into the room. "Your story sounds like something that someone who is not in their sound mind would tell. Due to this you will be put under surveillance at Baltimore Asylum. You will be escorted there shortly."
She followed him numbly once she was free from the table. Her eyes downcast she followed him out of the room. The man talked to her the whole way to the front of the police station. Introducing himself as Dr. Mark Fitzsimmons. He told her how he was going to be her psychiatrist at the asylum. His words went right over her. She didn't comprehend anything he said. She was numb to all of it. She never would have imagined life like this, this a was not how her story should have gone.
Now here she is in a padded cell with a straitjacket. She was moved into solitary confinement because according to everyone here she was just too crazy to be around the other people. But she knew the truth, life and death were not all as they seemed. It was not something that happened to people. No, death was animated into a monster. And Anna could guess that life was out there somewhere in some form.
Now Death was walking out of the shadows ready to kill her. As he walked closer the door to her cell opened. Death made a hiss-like noise before vanishing back into the corner. walked into the room. Acting as crazy as when she first arrived. Sometimes she wondered if he was truly the crazy one.
"Hello Anna. I hope you are having wonderful day. Today we are going to talk about that imagination of yours. To think that no one caught your imagination. It just took your sanity to snap, and now we get to observe such a creative mind up close!"
Anna was not paying much attention to him though. She was looking over her shoulder. To her horror Death was back out of his home in the shadows. She began to struggle.
"Now dear, you know that you are safe. You imaginary creature can't get to you here. You are safe. Why don't you calm down now."
Dr. Fitzsimmons looked down at his clipboard. The sound of Anna struggling stopped soon after. Confused by the silence of the girl he looked back up. Instead of Anna struggling she sat on the ground lifeless. Claws sticking out of her stomach.
The claws pulled out of Anna's stomach and she fell backwards. Blood rushed out of the wound coloring the floor crimson. As she fell back blood splattered everywhere. It flew onto white coat staining the once perfectly white coat. Her thick brown hair began to dampen in her own blood. let out a bloodcurdling scream but no one heard him. Anna lay lifeless at his feet, her blood crept over his shoes staining them.
All the while Death stood in the corner a smirk gracing his lips. looked up at that thing once again. It flashed him its blood stained teeth. Those sharp claws dripping blood at what he assumed to be its feet. It put a bloodied claw up to its lips in a shush motion before walking into the shadowed corner of the cell. That was the last thing saw before his legs gave out and his eyesight went black.