UN

Jack crawled through the hallway window and, like a tight rope walker, eased towards the bedroom. Slowly and sneakily he opened the door, it had been left unlocked. She lay before him, drowned in sleep and effervescently beautiful. The serene atmosphere brought a grin to his prematurely weathered face as he crept toward the bed, careful not to rouse her. He thought to himself, this was the last time.

Her head poked out from under the satin sheets, just far enough to expose the olive skin wrapped around her tepid throat. Jack uncoiled his fists and grabbed tight onto the white bed covers, their purity mocked his criminal intent and he held his hot breath; cautious not to make a sound. But she stirred.

“…Jack…….How was the game?”

“Good sweetie good, I had a great time with the guys.” He lied “Now go back to sleep baby, you’re tired.”

In truth he was exhausted. His prior immoral endeavors had rid him of sleep, and been constantly weighing on his conscience. Now he just wanted to sleep; smoky eyelids sealed in his sight and he began to dream.

He was in them midst of some large brick enclosure. The courtyards wall crawled with dying ivy, only a few large windows recessed into the stone were exposed. He stood on a vacant path, cut into the tall grass surrounding him. The walkway extended out in front of him and passed under a bridge, the path continued, exiting the arena. It poured into the outside world, Jack couldn’t see much further than the bridge, but he could plainly tell that the path led out. A light blazed brightly through the opening drawing his attention and curiosity. He slowly walked down the dirt road – people began appearing around him. There was a clown with painted face and bright red hair, walking hand in hand with a man dressed all in yellow. Behind them followed a priest who, shockingly, sported small points on his head and dragged a long tail behind him. The rest of them seemed distant, unnoticeable; they blended into the surroundings, grey faced and plain. Just as they had appeared, they vanished, all of them melting back into his reality. As his new fellow travelers disappeared he found himself outside the courtyard. He was greeted by a large road sign, yellow and rectangular; it read “EYE RANK DUO”. Below it an elder man appeared, his stature was like a hunchback and his face and hands were like a skeleton’s. He offered his bony hand in friendship.

Jack asked. “Do I know you; you look like someone I’ve met?”

“You have met me.”

“Yes, but when?”

“Just Now”

“No, when I was younger”

“I have not lived as long as you.”

“But are you not aged?”

“I am aged yes, but not old.”

After saying this, the man turned to leave. Jack noticed a sort of arrogance in his voice. What had he meant, “I am aged but not old”. He pondered for a moment before noticing the man’s sudden absence.

“Wait”, Jack blurted, “Where am I, what’s happening?”

The old man reappeared and turned slowly to look, first at Jack, then up to the yellow sign.

“This is your life.” He whispered, then vanished into the surroundings.

Jack looked up at the sign, the letters shifted, evolved to create a new message. The sign read “YOURE NAKED”

All at once the crowd of gray-faces was back, and laughing. Their scornful jests sounded like a millions pigeons squawking as they taunted his shamefulness.

Jack looked around frantically for something to cover his flesh, but saw nothing. Bullets of salty shame shot down his brow and he tasted his own nakedness. His mind whirled and his eyes darted around at the blank faces, bouncing with mirth and merriment.

In front of him now he spotted a robe, it was purple and tattered. He crouched to hide himself under it only to see that beneath its protection lay a child; an infant no larger than his foot, its face covered by a cloth. He bent in to grab the robe away—and it bit him. It latched onto his finger and tore off a bit of flesh; he pulled back his hand in pain and angrily kicked the child.

The laughter ceased and now a contemptuous silence was all that Jack heard. The child now twice it’s original size removed the head-cloth. It revealed a hideous face, marred with burns and scars, and shining with eyes aglow. Chiseled misshapen teeth hung from its mouth like horrific stalactites, small pieces of skin and flesh stuck to them. It let out a breath of noxious air accompanied by a low gargling sound, like someone was drowning in its throat. The next sound it made was different however, for when it opened its poisonous maw a second time, a sound like that of a ringing telephone was what Jack heard.

He slipped back into consciousness.

“Jack honey, will you get that?”

“Huh? Wha…Oh…Uh huh….Hello?” Jack was still a bit groggy from a lack of sleep, and disturbed by his dream.

“Ok…yeah… I’ll be right there.”

End Chapter One