Reap

"Everything I have ever done was for you… All of you. None of you could have ever known, but the things I’ve done. The things I have seen… to get us to where we are now… I am sorry I could not have been exactly the family man you expected of me. You all deserved better, so I am sure you will get that one day. I HOPE that you get that one day… No, there is nothing that any of you could have done, I’ve done some dirty deeds. Made some shaky deals here and there but, you’ve lived comfortably right? Know that I have always loved every single one of you… but I can’t sleep. I can’t eat and as I write this I continue to deteriorate.”

His pen slips from his hand and falls to the floor. He grumbles as he fumbles to bring the pen back to his shaky palms. He reaches again, fingers searching under the desk; but was met with cold. Cold, wet fingers reach out to grab his wrist. He jumps back, collapsing his folding chair and making his cheap desk lamp fall over. From the shadow it created reached a pale dead arm. White eyes, glazed, fixed upon his figure cowering on the floor. Slowly creeping from the shadows, a gaunt face appeared with snarled grotesque features. It barely looked human and as black liquid oozed from its slit throat it let out a loud feral scream. The pale creature screeched as it grew ever closer to the trembling man until the light from the lamp grazed its overstretched limb and it disappeared into thin air.

The man gathered himself together as best as he could, wiped the sweat dripping from his brow and went back to work.

There is still more to be done! Get it together!

He positioned himself and the chair back at the desk provided by the hotel he was staying at. He left several clues back at the estate to where they could all find his last will and testament. His everything, his life and soon, his corpse. He took off his coat, took a sip from his brand new bottle of whiskey and began again.

“I am sorry to leave you like this. But if I don’t do something now, it will spread, it will continue… it will grow and feed. On you. And the young ones. Everyone until there are none of us left. Might I be forgiven? May I have redemption? Who is to say, but now all I see is red.

Incarnadine in my eyes. But I’ve put it there, it was all my doing. I have no one else to blame. We lived in turmoil for so long though, we starved, we were honest good people… but money does something to you. Its evil… it can be… we are evil. Humans… we are a disease… we will get what's coming to us one day. I’ve seen a glimpse of what is to come if we do not stop. Mother Earth is not pleased… and she will have blood…”

10:47pm

Bright, red numbers of the hotel clock flash across the room. Nervously, he sips from the bottle again. He takes the knife from his pocket and begins to carve symbols into the wooden desk. Ancient symbols, magical symbols, dead symbols, cursed symbols. He engraved until his sigil was complete. The ritual had to begin at the precise time. When the moon was just right. No earlier, no later.

11:20pm

“There isn’t much time left. Just know, the money is yours. All of it, after this it will no longer be dirty. There are things out there, you cannot even imagine. But I’ll protect you… all of you. My life eternally bound. There will be nothing to worry about. I can’t tell you where I got it… or how I got it… because you’ll try to reverse it and… I just can’t have you risk your life like I have. This is not your destiny, nor your fate. I made my choices and not all of them light. There is magic in this world and I know its hard for you to believe. But trust me in this, open your mind… for me? Open your eyes to the possibilities!”

11:36pm

“M-my demons have caught up with me, so please... Trust no one… I’ve already signed a proper will and testament with the appropriate people, you’ll get a letter in the mail… This is more of a… explanation. The whys and the whats. I don’t have enough time to give you all the details, but I have left clues all around for you. Trust in yourself, trust in your strength…”

11:48pm

“Just know that whatever you need, you will not be without. I left all the money in safe hands and you will be greatly taken care of. I wish we had more time together, I really do… I wish we could have made more memories with one another. My one true love, my soul mate. I regret never having told you any of this but then again, I don’t. For I would not wish this upon anyone. This madness, the cries, and anguish, the pain and suffering… its unbearable… so please, just live your life. Help and love everyone for me… I’ll be there in spirit I promise…”

11:54pm

Another sip from the bottle and his head began to swim. His eyes welled with tears. There just wasn’t enough time to get what he wanted down onto paper. Not enough time or material to prepare them for the world beyond worlds. He saw eternity once upon a time and it has since haunted his existence. His soul now damned, body cursed, mind possessed and it was time to pay the toll.

11:59pm

“Stay strong… stay safe… I love you…”

Turning off the desk lamp; he closed his little black notebook for the last time, left it on the desk in the iridescent moonlight. It truly was a beautiful night out in the city. He smiled as he peered from his suite above, stars glittering in the space beyond, colored lights flashing from the cityscape below. He took his knife and cut his wrist, allowing the blood to fall upon his ritual. It began to glow and burn itself deeper into the wood.

12:00am

He took one last sip from his bottle, opened the window and walked off the ledge. The moon caressed his free falling body. Memories flood his brain of the life he once led. His family, his partner, his loved ones. All the good and bad times he had. The air whizzing past his ears, hair whipping about. Then… nothing. Silence, blackness.

12:01am

He lurches from his pillow awake, in a cold sweat. Breathing heavily, exhausted. Frantically, he searches around for any signs of light.

No… It can’t be…

There beside him, his phone began to flicker and ping. He turned it over to view a garishly bright screen, blinding him for a few seconds as his eyes adjusted to the sudden attack of light.

12:02am

He froze in place. Slowly, he turned his head to see a body laying beside him. The body moved and grabbed the blankets to cover itself. He stood from the bed and backed away slowly.

The ritual… it didn’t work!?

“Baby… what's wrong? Get back to bed…” a familiar voice emerged from the sleeping body.

“No… you’re not real… I’m not really here… what’s happened!?” he began to have a panic attack. Hyperventilating and crumbling down to the ground.

Silhouettes began to emerge from the ground, surrounding their estate. The windows starting to blackout all around. The sliding glass wall in front of their bed slammed open and wind whipped around the room like a storm. Shadows began to fill the room.

And the body in the bed rose. It stood tall, towering over the cowering man.

“Yes, you’re right… you’re not really here…” said the body, clothed in the blanket, hiding its face.

The voice sounded like it was spoken by more than one. It began to cackle as it shed the blanket to reveal a naked contorted corpse. From the hollow, white eyes to the unnerving twisted cruel grin it wore, truly a being of nightmares. As the blanket fell upon the fetal man, the ground beneath him began to crumble. Harsh red and orange lights engulfed his hundred million dollar estate, and within a matter of seconds the man and his mansion ceased to exist.

He screamed as the ground above him began to fill back up, sealing his fate forever.

THE NEXT WEEK

I was still in shock to find that my partner of several years perished in a freak accident. Apparently there was a gas leak within his estate and something ignited it. Nothing was salvageable. They still have to find his body, they say it could take some time though. But no traces, no parts, no pieces… it’s just weird if you ask me. I don’t know… all I know is as I look over the rubble… I miss him. Here I stand, on his pile of ashes and dirt, without him by my side. I continue to help search for any signs of him… because, how else are we supposed to have a burial?

What's this?

I think to myself as I search the ruins of my dearly departed. A small, what used to be black, notebook. I flip through the pages and see haunting images drawn about. Words written all over in an incoherent manner.

What happened to him? What is all this?

I hide the book within my backpack, to ensure no one else sees it. His family have not said a word to me about anything, I hardly believe if we find anything of him… they’ll let me attend his services.

Fucking prudes... conservative bigots, ignorant and selfish… all of them

Tears filled my eyes and blurred my vision for a second. I wiped my eyes and dried them when a man in all black, suit and tie, approached me.

“Did you know the deceased?” he asked.

“I did, yea --”

“And your relationship to him was?”

“I was his partner. He was the love of my life…”

“Here then… take this.” The man said; with a thin, wide, creepy smile. He was older and very sickly looking; gaunt and frail but he seemed to manage along fine without a cane. He reached out with a very long scrawny arm and handed me a small white envelope.

I opened it to see a coin and a letter inside. I folded the envelope back up and placed it into my bag. The mans’ smile faded and now looked a bit annoyed.

“Are you not going to read the letter?” he asked sternly.

“Perhaps a little later.”

“Fine!” he shouted and walked away stomping his feet.

The smell of sulphur filled the air, and birds began to fly about, away. I shook my head and walked toward the woods surrounding the property. I followed down the paths he used to take me, to see the nearby lake, embrace the local flora and fauna he saved from being destroyed. I smiled and breathed deep, closed my eyes with the envelope and notebook in hand. I held them close and wished to see him again with all my might.

“You comin’?” a voice asked.

It sounded so familiar.

Could it be?