The Deceit of Death

At first, it seemed as if it was not the end for her. The light of the moon was luminous and and its reflection stared at her on the perfect still lake. And then he happened. The truth is, you never know when it might be your last moments of existence, just like it did for her.

As she realized she had met her end, a pang of loneliness and deceit resonated within her. It’s as if she was blinked out of existence. And as for you, it might not be too late to warn you about him. You might not be able to resist, but beware of the path you would take if you succumb to his allure.

The sun shone upon the long and lonely road, seemingly endless. She was on a journey with no time to stop to ponder about everything else. No, it was impossible to stop; for the world she dwelled in demanded a fast-paced nature of living.

A man in a black suit appeared as she neared the path of the upward hill. His face hidden by silhouettes as light slowly fades. A glinting silver light reflecting from the pocket watch dangling in his left hand. She became unaware of everything else, an invisible pull tethering her towards him. The ticking of the clock of his pocket watch became insistent. As soon as she gazed upon a pair of silvery-grey eyes that seemed to glow, she was unable to think.

He held out his hand and spoke in a magnetic voice that lulled her towards him, “It’s time.” Time for what? She wanted to ask but could not say, there was only the pull she felt that urged her to take his hand.

As soon as they soared off the ground, she knew he was not of this world.

It felt like a blur as he took her to places, lifting her with merely just the tips of his fingers as they went on a flight. He brought her to the tall field of green grass with beads of dew sparkling during a fresh day of Spring with multi-coloured flowers surrounding her. They went across the tides of oceans and flew over the roads with the sun setting behind them. She laughed a gleeful laugh without a care in the world.

Suddenly, the skies became darker and a chill permeating in the air caused the hair on her skin to stand at its end. They were finally back on the ground and a dark forest looming beyond the path.

She was too occupied by the dreary setting that she failed to notice him pluck a single white rose from the black-leafed bushes. He handed it to her, pressed the tips of her fingers with its large thick thorns until she bled against them. She held on to the petals until it was no longer white but tainted by the dark red of her blood.

He then led her to the path that leads inside the dark, treacherous looking forest. The twisted and gnarled limbs of the trees loomed over her, threatening almost.

The trees cleared and gave way for a beautiful scenery, the lake and everything bathed under the moon’s glow. She felt him take her hand as they went by the edge of the water.

She faced him, his physical appearance suddenly becoming god-like and more enthralling than ever. He leans in close and she felt something cold as ice touched her lips and devoured far more than she felt. It was then in that moment, she felt the cold sinking deeper inside her body until it became her. It’s as if all the warmth was ripped out and something was taken away from her.

It was then she realized she was irreversibly dead. Staring at the still reflection of the lake, she watches as her own body was being lowered to the ground. Death had claimed her.

In an instant, everything had vanished before her eyes. Ahead of her the only path available leading to the forest with no other way to go. And she walked towards the path of uncertainty, alone, wondering if it will lead her to a next life or a new world.