The calendar year of 2011 draws to a close in a few days. I would like to present to all of you readers the last piece of the year. I felt it fitting that it should be a story, not just any mere rambling. Enjoy, and I'll see all of you again next year.
The library was always quiet at this time of night. Fluorescent tubes provided the only source of light, the sound of cockroaches scurrying along the walls the only sound to be heard. He turned yet another page of the book, immersed completely in his pursuit of knowledge. As he turned to yet another page, he realized an odd flickering of the fluorescent tube directly above him. He glanced up crossly just as all the tubes in the library failed and he was left alone in the darkness. He took a deep breath in, refusing to give in to the urge to slam on the table with his fist. Slowly, he got up and walked to the door, careful not to walk into any obstacles unlighted by the moon, shining bright through the large windows.
Once outside, he decided on a whim to take the short walk to the top of a nearby hill. It was a long walk, but finally he reached the summit. Sitting in the middle of a patch of lonely wild flowers, he looked up at the bright full moon and took in a deep breath. All of a sudden, a rustling sound from a stand of trees nearby made him startle and turn. He strained his eyes and squinted, but all he could see was nothing. Wait! There it was again! Just standing in the shadow of the tree. Barely able to make out its silhouette against the pale moonlight, he narrowed his eyes and focused hard on the apparition. It seemed to be making beckoning gestures towards him. He knew that no good was going to come out of this, but it was as if he was under a spell. Upon their own accord, he got up and staggered towards the figure. On closer inspection, it turned out that the figure was a girl. And boy, was she beautiful. He felt his heart speed up at the sight of her. Yet, there was something wrong with her. She looked familiar enough, but he just could not place it.
She smiled sweetly at him and bared her teeth. Teeth, that he noticed, ended in points. It was as though he was being drugged. He could not think clearly, nor could he see clearly. His vision was blurring, the image of the girl in his mind was swimming. He blinked furiously, trying to clear his mind.She was moving closer to him, letting him see her fully, and then he remembered. He knew her face now. He remembered the beach, at sunset. The fateful last conversation. The last meal. He closed his eyes and prayed that it would be over soon enough. As he sank to his knees, the last thing he heard was the sentence, "Never forgive, never forget."
She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and cleaned her blood-stained fingertips with a piece of tissue paper. She looked down at her handiwork, pleased with herself. She was sure that she had left an indelible enough mark, a mark that would remind people to never mess with the fairer sex. The mark was a mockery, a mere image of the turmoil in her. Yet, she felt extremely satisfied with her night's work and felt hope grow in her chest as her broken heart mended with the coming of the sun rising high into the sky.
That very day, a startling discovery was made. A man was found spread-eagled on the top of a hill, face towards the sun, a smile on his face. All was well, except for the fact that his chest was cracked open like a walnut and his heart was cut into two by what seemed to be a very serrated blade. As one police officer remarked, his heart was well and truly broken.
THE END
*This story is dedicated to a friend of mine. This one's for you, buddy.
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