Retribution

In the darkness, you open your eyes. What has brought you out of your slumber?
You listen… but you hear no noise. An unnatural stillness has fallen over your home. Where are the sounds you normally hear in the middle of the night? No clock ticking, no house creaking, no water dripping from the leaky faucet you have neglected to fix for months. The eerie silence assaulting your ears tells you something is wrong. Are you awake or are you still dreaming? One can never be sure in moments like these.

You listen closer. Should you get up and turn on the light? Speaking of light, why isn't there any in your room? Usually the streetlight shines in your bedroom window irritating you every time you turn onto your right side. Your faithful pillow is always there waiting to be thrown over your head to block out the unwanted intruder... But tonight, that particular intruder is gone. The darkness surrounds you, robbing you of your sight.

You wait in the silence. The fear that woke you is now traveling down your back in the form of tiny beads of sweat. You feel them crawl down your spine to be lost in the waistband of your pajama bottoms.

What was that? Did something touch your foot? Don't be silly, you live alone and you have no pets. How could anything be touching your foot?

But still… There it is again. A tingling sensation caresses the top of your foot and it's moving upward. You're sweating profusely now. You can smell the stench of your own fear as the sweat pools in your navel. Once more, the feather light touch draws your attention. Something or someone is violating your skin.

You know you’re awake now. This is no dream. Alarmed, you throw off your covers and flee from your bed. You stumble as you search for the light switch. Relying on your memory, your trembling fingers grasp the switch.
Holding your breath, you flip it…. Nothing.

Up and down, you flip, but nothing happens. The power is gone. This is odd, the night is clear. There were no storms in the forecast when you watched the news earlier.

You hear something. What is that you hear? You listen closer. You can barely make it out. It sounds like a child crying. But it can't be, you know everyone in your building and no one has children. Your ears must be playing tricks on you.

You run for the door. In a panic now, you must escape this room. The door won't open. You have no lock on your bedroom door so there is no reason for the knob not to turn, but still, it will not budge. What is wrong with the door? Finally, you give up. The absurdity of the situation hits you. You laugh at yourself. Boy, you must have really tied one on last night. Nothing strange is happening and you are not going crazy, right?
Another noise assaults your ears and interrupts your musings.

Swish, creak, swish, creak, tap, tap.

"What is that?" you shiver, startled by the echo of your own voice. The noise is louder now. Fear has captured your soul, you cannot move. Your eyes stray to the closet in your room. You know the noise is coming from there.

A new noise licks your eardrums. You recognize the sound instantly. Your closet door is opening. With each second that passes, the door opens wider, emitting a bright light.Your eyes are drawn and captured. You cannot look away. Fright has paralyzed you.

The door is open now.

You can see a large shadowy figure standing next to a smaller child-sized murky image outlined in the doorway.

Great. Now you are hallucinating. Maybe you should stop drinking. The alcohol is affecting you even when you're sober. That's a sure sign you need to quit.

You close your eyes, you don't want to see anymore, but something forces your eyes open. Tiny imaginary fingers are prying your eyelids apart.

The shadows are standing before you now… They have come to say hello.

You are looking into the face of death. It's strange how you know this. He does not resemble your image of death, but somehow… you know it's him.

In your mind, death is the Grim Reaper, but this man is short and bald with enormous black eyes. He is holding the hand of a beautiful little girl.

You transfer your gaze to the child. Something about her is familiar, but you cannot place her. She meets your gaze with sorrow filled eyes as she clutches a blood soaked baby doll in her arms.

Your room is no longer dark. It is bathed in light from the glowing closet. You glance at your bed. A snake slithers from beneath your blankets and coils itself around your bedpost.
Death points a bony finger at you. The black eyes are staring, silently accusing you of something, but what? You wait but he does not speak.

You can't take it anymore; curiosity has driven your mouth open. "What do you want from me?" you scream.

A smile spreads across his hollow face. "I will have your soul."

Confusion overwhelms you. This makes no sense. "Am I sick? Am I dying?"

"No, I will kill you," he replies. His calm demeanor is frightening.

"I will take you now, before your time, for that is what you have brought upon yourself."

"But I am only twenty-five years old! I have my whole life ahead of me. I have done nothing to deserve this!"

"Really? You have done nothing? Are you sure?" he leans closer, peering into your eyes. You can smell the stench of death invading your room.

"Do you not recognize the child standing beside me? It is for her I seek justice." He states as he brings the child closer.

"She looks familiar but I cannot place her."

"Take her hand she will show you."

"No, I don't want to touch her."

The child clutches your hand. You try to resist but she is stronger. Instantly, you're transported back in time to earlier that day when you were driving home from the bar.

You see your car driving on the sidewalk. You see the little girl playing with her doll. You watch as her head disappears beneath the bumper of your car and you feel the bump as your tires roll over her little body.

You look in your rear-view mirror and you see her crumpled body lying in a pool of blood, but you do not care. You are on a mission. There is a bottle of vodka sitting on your counter calling your name. It whispers to you like a lover begging for your touch.

You only hear the call of the bottle. You do not care about the life you have taken.

Suddenly, you are back in your room. Shock and revulsion racks your body.

"Oh God, it wasn't a dream! It really happened. I ran her over!"

"Yes, you took the life of this child. I will take yours in return."

You look down into the eyes of the life you shattered for the sake of a drink.

Shame washes over you. "I am so sorry, little girl."

Silence meets your apology, but really… what did you expect?

You try again. Suddenly her forgiveness is vital to you. Down on your knees you reach for her hand. "Can you ever forgive me for what I have done?"

Two silent tears of blood seeping from the corner of her eyes is the only answer you receive.

Death responds for her. "Sure, you're sorry now… now that it's too late."

He lifts his hands. Your heart protests in pain as the icy fingers of death wrap around the pulsating muscle that sustains your life.

"You will not die quickly. The life you took suffered for three hours. That is how long I will take to squeeze the life from you."

"You will suffer each pain you inflicted on this child as well as the pain of your own death."

"That is your retribution."