One Day to Live

I am afraid. Someone is coming. That is, I think someone is coming, though I am not sure, and I pray I am wrong. I pray that this aching feeling in my gut is wrong.

Just then I heard the haunting sound of crackling leaves as if being stepped on behind me. I quickly turned around and stared into the black abyss of the empty street. My eyes search for something or someone. The wind slightly blew my hair in front of my face while leaves danced around me. Hearing nothing I started to turn around and go on my way,

“Hello… Ashley” said someone behind me with a deep voice.

I stopped and stood there frozen in fear while I heard the person slowly walking closer to me. He stood there in front of me; now I can see this mystery person’s face. He had blue eyes and dark almost blackened skin. He had to be at least 6 foot and was wearing very dirty, old clothes that smelt like gasoline.

“Wh… who are you?” I stuttered “How do you know my name?” 

“Oh how cute. You can’t talk because you’re scared” he said with a smirk on his face.

I stepped back a little but he grabbed my shoulder with his rough hand, the strength of it startles me and makes me worried about what’s next.

“are you trying to leave?” he asks, “That’s not very polite of you”

I stare at him with terror and by now my shoulder is starting to hurt from the grip of his hand. I try to get free but he was too strong.

“Let Go!” I yell at him.

 To my surprise he did, I fell back slightly but was able to catch myself.

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Ashley.” He said with a innocent, hurt sound in his voice.

“I’m sorry.” I replied to my own surprise. He smiled back.

What am I doing?! This guy is a complete psychopath! He may be trying to kill me or kidnap me! Ashley stop talking to him! Just turn and start running and don’t look back! Ok ready… one… two… the.

“Shall we go then?” he asked politely.

“Where?” I answered confused

“To your party… that is where you were going wasn’t it?”  I remembered that I was on my way to Sherry’s party.

“How did you know?” I asked in wonder

He chuckled “Silly, I know everything about you.” He started to walk away, “Well, are you coming?” 

I stood there confused and scared not knowing what to do. I followed him but made sure that he was in front of me so he couldn’t get me from behind. We were about five minutes from Sherry’s house and the whole time I had been thinking about what this guy might do to me if he took me; which I was almost certain he was going to. I had been so concentrated on all of this I hadn’t noticed that the guy had disappeared from in front of me. It stopped and looked around franticly; he wasn’t anywhere to be see. I started to run to Sherry’s. I passed a car that had looked like it had been in a crash. I remembered the distinct dint from somewhere, but I didn’t have time for that so I stopped thinking about it. When I got there no one was home. The door was vaguely ajar, I stepped in.

“Hello? Sherry?” There was no reply. I reached for the light and flicked the switch. “AAAAAA!” I screeched as I saw Sherry in the blue chair in the living room. She was mummified and her parents were as well, they were sitting there side-by-side on the couch.

“So sad really, they didn’t need to end this way. It’s all your fault really.” I heard the voice of the man from before say.

I turned sharply to see him sitting at the kitchen table, I started to walk toward him with hate and adrenalin rushing into my veins.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?! HOW IS THIS MY FAULT?!” I screamed at him with sever anger.

“Oh calm down already!” he said agitated, “they haven’t died their just frozen in time. Go into town and you’ll see everyone is like this”

“What…?” I slowly said in fear and disbelief.

“Yes,  go ahead and run and scream all you want and go for help cause no one will come.” He said with a devilish smile on his face.

I turned and started to run out of the house and down the street.

What’s happening?! Who is this guy? What does he want with me? Will Sherry and her family be ok? What does he mean by ‘this is your fault’

I asked myself these questions as I ran for my life. I had been running for so long that I had to stop and catch my breath. I went to the police station, rushing inside I saw that sure enough everyone was mummified. I went to one of the officers and tried to grab one of their guns, but it wouldn’t move. On a desk there was a newspaper clipping of a car crash from a few years back; it said it was really a hit-and-run and that the man hit dead in the hospital a few day after the crash. There was a picture of the car; it was the car I had passed when I was running to Sherry’s house! I started to have a flashback of a road trip with some of my friends but I couldn’t remember much else. It all seemed strange but familiar as if from a dream. Suddenly I heard footsteps outside, I hid behind the officer. The door swung opened and the man stepped in.

“Ashley… come out, come out.” He said in a low rough voice, I didn’t move.

He started to walk towards the officer and my eyes got wider with every step; soon he was stand directly in front of the mummified officer. I closed my eyes tightly and just wished it was all a dream. I felt a hand grab me from behind and abruptly drag me out into the street. I yelped and whaled my arms everywhere trying to get free. He threw me on the ground fiercely.

“Shut up!” he yelled, I did.

“What do you want with me?!” I asked starting to get annoyed and completely terrified by this whole thing.

“I want to kill you.” He answered so simply as if it was common sense.

“But why?” I responded.

“Because you killed me,” he said as he knelt beside me, “It’s your turn.”

It all started to come together, the car, the newspaper clipping, the flash back; it all made sense. I remembered! A couple of summers ago I was on a road trip with my friends, in that car! We had hit something at one point and stopped to see what it was but nothing was there. We figured it just walked off unharmed and we went on our way.

“You? We hit you?” asked in disbelief.

“Yes, now hold still.” He responded as he pulled out a knife from his pocket and opened it.

“NOO!” I screamed in terror as he lifted his hand slowly, I put my hands up to protect myself. He came down hard and quick.

I sat up rapidly panting. I was at home in my bed. “It was just a dream!” I sighed in relief. I lied back down.

“Hello Ashley.” I sat up to see the man from my ‘dream’ standing in my doorway. “Time to die,” He smiled, “Again.”