Thursday, January 17, 2013

Aretha Tesla: Hard and Uncaring

"Aretha, we're... Ok, I have no idea what we are, but you can't honestly expect me to kill you..." I could hear in Niccolo's voice that he knew that was exactly what I was expecting... He just didn't want to admit it.

"Please," I begged, tears streaming down my face, "You have to. It's the only way."

"No." His voice was firm. He wasn't going to kill me. I could feel my heart sinking. For about a minute I just broke down and sobbed, begging in between every few suddering breaths. All of a sudden I had an idea- one of my own, thank God. My eyes flew open wide and I stared, horrified, at the empty space just over Niccolo's shoulder.

"No, it can't be..." I whispered, fear thick in my voice. He whirled around, and in the same instant I rushed forward and grabbed a knife from where I knew he kept them in his coat. I raced backwards and he came after me, realizing immediately what I had done. I ran till I reached the corner where the wall of the station extended into the parking lot and turned on my heel. Niccolo froze in his tracks.

I stood in the corner, my back to the wall, and rested the cold, sharp end of the blade against the left side of my neck.

"Don't," he breathed, as a flicker of- could that be fear?- passed behind his eyes.

"I have to." I sniffled a bit, my lips curling in the feintest hint of a smile, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. "I'm sorry," I said softly, finding some form of peace within myself. Panic flashed across his face, and he lunged forward; just as I moved to drag the knife across my neck, his hand was in the way, and I sliced it open instead.

"There." He said, sounding rather pleased with himself, "Now, no pulling any more idiotic stunts on me, alright?" But I had his blood on the knife now, and before I even had time to think, I was licking the flat side of the blade. Suddently I realized what I was about to do and my eyes flew open wide in horror; I would  have screamed at him to run, to hide, to get away somehow- but now that his blood was in me there was no escape. I sorted out the bit of salty liquid in my mouth, isolating the red cells from the rest, and Niccolo's body slowly went limp as I drew the oxygen out of it.

"Promise me two things... Before I go..." He muttered, gasping for air that his blood could no longer circulate, "Don't blame yourself... And... Don't die inside. Don't... Become one of those people... Hard and uncaring... Like me." I watched as the rise and fall of his chest slowed, eventually ceasing altogether, and the light left his dark eyes. The train finally pulled into the station, and all the way to New York I curled into a ball and sobbed until there were no tears left to cry.

5 comments:

  1. [Shrieks]
    NOT COOL KILLING OFF YOUR CHARACTERS LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW!
    That said, quite the emotional hook.
    BUT I STILL HATE IT!!!!
    No, I don't really.
    [Makes capital letters shut up]

    ReplyDelete
  2. What?
    What?
    What just happened?
    Just no.
    Goodbye, I refuse to acknowledge this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
    This can't be right! No this can't be!
    *stares in utter shock*

    ReplyDelete