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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1254188-An-Irrational-Mind
by Edgar
Rated: E · Short Story · Death · #1254188
A conversation with a dead man
An Irrational Mind

The greatest hide and seek game ever would be between God, Waldo, and Osama Bin Laden. That would be epic. I would never find Waldo, I spent hours staring at a page but could never find him. I also never found God, and I figure if the entire United States Army can’t find Osama, he’s got to be good.
I like to walk at night, mostly because that’s when my mind is the most irrational. I can look up at the sky and even though the stars are limited, I still read a story. It’s even better, if you read the story from the puddles on the ground. There is a mist above the ground because a rain just rolled through, that’s how you know it’s perfect to walk. I enjoy the moon more than the sun because I can actually look at it without it hurting me. It loves to be seen and I could gaze at it forever. I made a decision to walk next to the parkway to get that eerie feeling. The parkway is a river hidden my trees and I am afraid of what I can’t see.
I take a detour onto a hidden path winding its way deep into the trees and can’t see more that 5 feet ahead of me. The path takes me next to the river. I can hear the soft roar right next to me. On a tree branch crossing over me I can see a dead man hanging. His feet are swaying right in front of my eyes. I could see him, so I wasn’t scared. He looked as thought he’d been there for a while. The rope was greenish and moldy. I admired how clean the noose was tied. I looked up to his face and asked “Did you tie that yourself?” when he didn’t respond I turned to walk away. But then I heard him talk.
“No” was all he said. When I turned around I still saw him swaying the crisp breeze, so I wasn’t scared.
“Who did?” Now I was looking at him from behind.
“My sister” His voice was soft and casual. “She was always my favorite”
“That’s unusual,” I walked over to face him then sat down on a nearby rock, it was cold and rigid, bit I didn’t think I would be there long. “she obviously didn’t like you very much.” The sound of the river next to us was relaxing
“She was Sick. She would get confused about life and do confusing things.”
“How did she get you up there?” I responded
“I was drugged.” My eyes started to get used to the lighting and I could see how pale he was. His eye sockets were black he didn’t have any eyes. He was wearing a suit and a tie, he had longer hair almost to his shoulders but it was tangled and greasy. He noticed I was looking him over. “My sister was blind, I used to tell her that if I could I would give her my own eyes.” He said this so casually. There was a small pause in our conversation, I was thinking over what had been just said.
“When did this happen?”
“Does it matter?”
“No”
“Then don’t worry about it.”
“If your sister was blind then how could that knot be so perfect?” I took another look at the knot, it was quality.
“I don’t know I never saw it.” There was another pause, this one was a little awkward. “Hey I have a question”
“Go for it”
“Can you cut me down? It’s kind of embarrassing just hanging here from my tree. Also my neck is very strained.
“I would imagine. Okay, I’ll cut you down. I don’t have a knife though.”
“I have one in my left back pocket if you’re willing to get it.” He was still talking casual. I took the knife out of the pocket. It was a blue buck knife. The tree he was hanging from was easy to climb. Anybody could have done it. When I climbed my way out towards the branch he was hanging from I hung myself from it with my legs getting a better angle at the rope. The rope was green and moldy and slimy to touch. But I began to cut it.
“Will it hurt when you fall?”
“Yes”
“Will you be able to get up and walk?”
“No”
“I’m almost through” I cut at the last strand of the disgusting rope slowly as if that would make him fall slower.
He still fell hard with a soggy flop and landed in an awkward position. I think he was still wet from the rain. “Are you all right?” I yelled
“I’m dead” He even said that casual.
“What do you want me to do with you?”
“Bury me?”
“I don’t’ have a shovel”
“It’s okay; just dump my body in the river then.”
“Before I do, what’s going to happen to you?”
“I don’t know. But I kinda want to find out” He looked to me to be in an odd sort of agony. I wanted to help him. I dropped from the tree. It wasn’t too high from the ground. At first I tried to pick him up and that wasn’t a good idea. He was too heavy from me and still wet from the rain. I decided to roll him into the river. I stopped right at the edge of the bank.
“Are you scared?”
“ Nah” He convinced me so I pushed him into the strong current. He was rushed away instantly. I watched until I couldn’t see him anymore. Then a small shiver of fear slithered down my back.
© Copyright 2007 Edgar (ericj89 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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