Today

The flashback of the night, six months ago, ran through his head, as he stared at his phone. The only light in the room was from his phone screen. The phone flashed a picture of a happy family with their faces scratched away. A message under it read, "They know what you did." Realization dawned onto him. He knew none of them, except one. The one man, whose face was the cause of distress in his life. His face grew pale, a lump forming in his throat as he read the new message, "I'm coming for you. Today is the day, today is your day, today your past will catch up to you, today death will come to you."

He knew exactly what had caused this. He knew he could have prevented it. But he made a mistake and not all mistakes could be forgiven. Some were meant to be punished, like this one.

Branches clattered against the window. The leaves rustled and the wind howled in the silence of the night. His nerves were on the edge. Every little sound, every movement seemed like a warning. The room went still and silent for a moment, his senses heightened as he tried to be aware of each change in his surrounding. When suddenly *BANG*. He jumped at the sound of slamming against his window. Curious but frightened, he contemplated the options.

Should he go and check? He felt like he finally understood all those characters in horror movies whom he criticized so strongly. But even with all the risks, what other choice did he have but to go and check it out? Let the intruder make his way towards him? To wait until someone broke in through his window? Was it worth waiting and turning a blind eye if it meant putting the whole of his family in danger? Could he save his life at the cost of his family? Weighing his options and waiting around seemed like the stupidest thing to do.

He mustered the courage left in him and stood up, warily making his way towards the window with muffled and careful steps. He stopped a few inches from the cloth that separated him and a potential intruder, who came for the sole purpose to take his life. His life, which would soon be at the mercy of a revenge-seeking, vengeful soul.

His breath hitched as he tugged the curtain away slowly, revealing numerous red prints of a palm 🖐🏻 scattered across the glass window, new prints forming as the slamming continued without a single person in sight.

He shakily raised his hand aligning it with the print on the window and pressed it against the cold glass. He gulped before pulling away his hand. Terror visible in his eyes when he turned it over only to find his hand coated in red.

It was too late before he realized that the window was being slammed from the inside, by the one...standing behind him. He was panting and sweating, his panic-stricken eyes lingering on the glass window looking for any reflection behind him.

But before he could look any further, his search ended. "You could have saved him. You let him die. You let my life be ruined without him. You let our family suffer everyday without him. So will your's...from TODAY. Today is the day, today you can stop running from your past."

The words resonated through the cold, empty room, echoing in his mind, tears welled up in his eyes reflecting the consequences of his actions. Just then it all stopped. All the sound in his head was silenced. All the guilt, remorse, regret, suffering, anxiety, fear and most importantly his life, it all ended in a heartbeat. Everything went black.