Like What You See?

 As I frantically sprinted through the town, I was filled to the brim with fear; it coursed through my veins, and fueled my heart along with my mind. Every neuron that fired was a cannon shot nipping the nerves in my feet coaxing my screaming lungs on breath after aching breath. Like a pack of feral dogs biting at my heels urging my aching body onward. Ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum went my heart in rapid fire, and it was the only thing I could hear even though I was surrounded by ambient noise. An entire uncaring world that went on working despite my terrifying endeavors.

With a ringing shot my ears cleared. It was like chewing gum while in a plane rising higher and higher. I saw them then, and the world halted like a top that was stopped by an overly-eager yet impatient child. The best way to describe the feeling is that moment in your dreams when it feels as though your swimming in a vat of molasses and therefore you know you will be caught by the thing chasing you, that’s what this felt like. The People stared at me smiling with eyes too dark and teeth too bright an all together off-putting appearance. Each one resembled one of my friends. The friends I didn't want to face after what I did to them. Screaming was all I could think to do.

But, when I opened my mouth to do so blood poured out with the intensity of a plane ramming itself into a tower while everyone watched on in silence. My older brother always explained things with a clarity at which I could comprehend. He understood that I was capable of deep analysis, but instead chose words that grabbed reality by the throat and pushed it up against the wall. “There are god-awful people in this world, who are annoying as hell at a car crash. That’s why it’s taking us an hour to get where we want to go. These people have no life, and are afraid of change. So, when something bad happens (fires, crashes, murders) they just love to slowly go on by and gawk at others misfortune. Then they turn it into a life lesson for their own stupid spawn. They live their life through others, fearful of taking a risk. Don’t be like these idiots. Just drive past the fires or car crashes you aren’t doing any good by staring and pointing.”

I closed my mouth slowly staring at the waterfall cascading from me the deep red puddle at my feet. looking up all The People looked back at me waiting. When I opened my mouth again I coughed up dust. I could smell the blood, and taste the iron, but excluding the puddle I was standing in it was all gone. No more blood dripped from the caverns of my body. When I dared to speak my voice was was cold and raspy that of an adult who has lived as a mute slave all their life finally attempting to verbally communicate. “Why won’t you leave me alone? I’ve done what you’ve asked countless times, and I’m a great person. If you’re going to keep this up just kill me.” I gave a cursory glance over each face. The one I dreaded the most approached confidently.

“Didn’t you know?” she questioned. “Know what” Was my pithy reply. “That we already did that; we already took our justice.” Her voice was sonorous, and she said it with a bright smile. It was a breath of cold winter air after escaping a coffin. She holds up a mirror. Looking deep inside I saw many people’s worse nightmare. I had no teeth, hair. Or eyes. My eyelids in fact were sewn close, and my right ear was hanging half off, like it was chewed on by a dog. The entirety of the left side of my face was peeling away while all my mouth looked like I drank a bottle of acid for fun. My nose had a melted appearance and looked as though it was dripping down my face.

The person’s mouth, no my mouth, in the mirror creaked open as if it was a hinge that needed oil. She spoke in my voice, “Hi Marie like what you see.” She cackled as The People laughed on as well. Gripped in terror I shook like a leaf in a tornado. One of The People had a long blade like that off the grim reaper. She too had a hooded black cloak. She peeled back the hood, and looked into my eyes with a vacuous stare. She swung the blade just above my head, and instantly I fell to the ground, as if I was a marionette with cut strings. My inert body laid there helpless to their every plan. "You spend a long enough time being a narcissistic sociopath, essentially dead inside, and your facades melt away revealing your true self. Marie, this is what you really look like. Something so gross that not even a mother could love you, and such a coward that it's just too easy to notice that everyone else pulls your strings and makes you dance, and you just let them." With that they walked away. In my minds eye I saw the face they had shown me, my face. Echoing in my head were the painful words, "do you like what you see?" No, I really don't. Tears escaped my eyes dripping down my face, as I layed in the deafening silence.