reality hits

The clock ticked in an almost humorous fashion, as if it, too, had witnessed the events that had just unfolded. I stood over the body, breath hitching as reality sank in: I'd killed him. Not in a fit of rage or panic, but with cold resolve. He had known too much.

The sharp glint of the knife on the floor caught my eye, a chill racing down my spine. My vision glew blurry, but I didn't have time to panic. I had to act quickly, and with trembling hands, I clutched the body with my fists tightened around his shirt, dragging it to the back of the house and into the open cellar as I'd originally planned.

I hurled the lifeless corpse into the darkness, and the air seemed to close around me, thich with secrets and regret. I took a shaky breath, preparing to burn the evidence. Fire would cleanse my hands. Erase this crime.

I struck the match with ease, but my body froze to the sound of a chilling whisper from the shadows, "Nice try..."

Tears welling up in my eyes, I looked around, but there was nobody there. My own mind was playing tricks on me, my guilty conscience punishing me for what I'd done. Without wasting any more tine, I tossed the stick at the cellar, fire erupting due to the gasoline that was pre-poured. The flames danced wildly, but as they roared to life, the room twisted.

Suddenly, the face of the man appeared in the flames, contorted in rage. "You think you can bury me?" he hissed, his eyes burning with a fierce light.

I staggered back, realizing with horror that this was my new reality. The fire was feeding on more than just the evidence, but my mind as a whole, and every fear I'd had suddenly came to truth.

In that moment, I understood: the true sin was not the murder, but the pact I'd unknowingly forged. As the flames engulfed the room, I felt the darkness seep into my soul, knowing there was no going back now.

The fire consumed everything, but as the last of the flames flickered out, a new voice echoed in my mind, smooth and seductive. “Welcome to eternity. You’ll never be alone again.”