Death Comes

It was the smell that caught their attention, an entire street of people exited their homes to investigate the powerful smell of rot. A couple of dozen people walked into the street to talk to one another and discuss the origin of the smell. Over the sound of talking came a far more ominous sound, a sound of cracking, followed by crunching and finally a woman screaming from down the road "Run! For the love of god run!" Everyone there turned to look towards the commotion, to see a woman running up the road towards them. As she was running through the crowd of people, one of the men grabbed her "What's going on?" "Let go!" The woman slashed a knife at the mans hand. "What the hell is wrong with you lady?!" The man said, stepping away from the mad woman. "What the fuck?" One man said, looking in the direction the woman came from. Everyone turned their attention away from the woman, which she then used to run for her life. Horrified mouths were hung loose at the site they beheld. A large crowd of slow moving bodies were shambling through the street towards to onlookers, the smell of rot got stronger the closer they got. One of the men closest to the approaching crowd stepped back in fear, tripping and falling to the ground. Members of the shambling crowd surrounded the man who had begun to scream in fear and then in pain. A few brave souls rushed to the mans aid, only to be grabbed. And in front of the now truly horrified crowd, The mass of writhing, decaying bodies ripped and tore the now screaming bodies to pieces.

Dozens of people began running in any direction, as fast as they possibly could. Some ran up the road in the opposite direction in order to put as much space between themselves, and the mass of rotting horrors as they possibly could. While others ran into their houses to retrieve their family members, with the hope that they could all escape with their lives.

It was at this moment that a man running far ahead of the crowd looked to his right and instantly froze in fear, tears running down his face. From an open field behind a set of houses came a sound like thunder.

"Death comes for us," The man said falling to his knees, praying.

The thundering sound came closer, the closer it came the slower it got. And once the rest of the group of frantic people came in front of the field, one by one they all fell to their knees.

It was there, in the field for all to see. A massive creature, ten feet in height. A skeletal man covered in a black shroud was sat riding upon the back of a massive pale horse.

The head of the pale horse spoke, "We have another willing group."

Out of the mouth of the rider came nothing but a haunting wail.

"So be it, your will is that of his," The horse said, trotting towards the mass of crying, praying and trembling people.

"Mortals, my master wishes to have words with you."

It was that moment when a cold whisper started to creep into the minds of everyone before the pale horse and his unearthly rider.

"Children of dust, this island and many of those that call it home are to be purged in the fire of my lords embrace. He has judged this place to be beyond redemption, however there are still a small number of you that are undeserving of his fury. As such, the one above all others requests a trial." The rider raises his hand and points a bony finger towards one of the men in the crowd.

"Step forward Johnathan Michaels, stand before me and receive judgment."

A well dressed man with short brown hair stands up, trembling with every step he takes towards his judgment.

"Please, I'm a good man I don't deser-" He started to plead before his mouth was forced shut and then, sewn shut by unseen hands. The man fell to the ground in pain.

"Do not speak your lies to me, I am judging you first because I believe it right for your crimes to be revealed to a few of the mortals amongst your group." The rider pointed towards a house on the street, the home of Johnathan Michaels.

"Beneath the grounds of your home now lie the bones of several children, their lives were stolen due to your sick and depraved mind, for you there is no mercy. Your flesh will be ripped and torn, your soul will burn until the end of all things."

Johnathan tried to run, but was tackled by another man in the crowd.

"My Sam, you killed my Sam you son of a bitch." The man said, slamming Johnathan head into the ground.

The men were separated by the same unseen force before the Rider spoke once again.

"You are no better than he, Anthony McDonald, the blood of the women you have raped and murdered call for your destruction. You will meet the same fate."

Both men are lifted in the air, and with the flick of a wrist the rider sent them both into the swarm of walking, rotting bodies. The screams lasted only a moment before the heads of both men were thrown towards the pale horse, its massive mouth then opened and devoured them.

The people were stunned into silence, no more praying, no more crying. Many had excepted their fate, knowing the wrong they had done in their life. A man in his 60's turned to another man in his 20's, apologizing and then confessed to a hit and run that had killed his mother many years beforehand. The old man then pulled a pistol from his jacket, and shot himself dead. The man in his 20's then picked up the gun, turned to a woman and confessed that he had been stealing money from her. He then too shot himself. This pattern continued until there was only one person left.

A woman was sat crying in a pool of her neighbors blood, not out of fear, or for the deaths of her neighbors. No, she was crying with relief. She looked towards the rider and his horse. The rider spoke once more.

"Michelle Holloway, please rise and step forward for judgment."

Michelle rose to her feet, and with a smile on her face she stepped towards the rider.

She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again.

"You may speak child," The rider said.

"Thank you," Michelle said smiling towards the rider. She then stroked the side of the pale horses face. "Thank you both, so very much."

The rider began to rise from the pale horse, floating down to rest beside Michelle.

"Michelle, we know of your suffering. We also know of your kindness. Across the many people that lived on this island, you are the only one to have lost so much at the hands of others but give as much as you could for the well being of others. Your son, sister, husband and mother were all murdered. Your bother took his life, knowing that he would be judged for his theft. Yet you still show kindness."

The riders hand then began to glow with a brilliant golden aura.

"Go Michelle, be with your family. Endure for eternity surrounded by those you love. By those you lost."

The rider laid his hand upon her head, and in a flash of brilliant light sent her towards a place far better than the island she was forced to endure.

The pale horse sniffed the air.

"My master, I smell another group hiding in a warehouse on the south side of the Island."

The rider regained his position atop his steed. He let out a ghastly wail across the Island, beckoning the pale horse to ride through the blood of the wicked towards the next group to be judged.