Tears. I forgot what this felt like. For the first time in four hundred years my hears was tearing and I began crying. I guess the thought of finally being free got to me. Maybe I could finally rest and be free. As sad as I was remembering the past, these were tears of joy.
" So, how—how would you kill me " I said stumbling over my words
The words muffled and flat as I heard myself. What a truly odd question to ask, but I couldn't be bothered with embarrassment now. Even if there was a slime chance he could kill me...How would he kill me though? I've been trying to kill myself for over a hundred years. I've tried everything from hanging to drowning, there isn't a path I hadn't tried. When I cut my self, the blood would never drained completely, when I hung myself or tried to drown I could feel my lungs still working. I tried jumping in a burning house, but it didn't work. My skin burned and flaked off, but I never passed out or died. I tried every method and yet nothing worked, so I gave up. Deep down I didn't believe him no matter how much I wanted it—needed it to be possible.
" C'mon don't be shy, I wouldn't hate you or anything, c'mon just kill me "
It sounded weird even from my mouth, but this is what I had desired for so long.
" No "
" Huh? "
" I said no. I refuse "
He refused, why? For what reason!? how could he dangle it in front of me and just take it away. How dare he.
" C'mon now, don't go back on your word "
" But you can go back on yours? "
" Huh?! What does that even mean?! "
" I actually like you this way, begging and squirming on the ground. But, you can still think, still move, you're still sane. I won't grant you death, not until you've felt true sorrow. It seems like you're almost there. Maybe I should leave you to marinate for a few hundred years. "
What is going on. What is he talking about. Fear.
When he looked at me, my hair where on end. This was true fear. The fear of a prey running for its life, the fear felt by man on the moon, the fear felt when staring at death. This was undescribable cosmic horror. I wanted to run, as far away from this person as possible...but that means, I'm on the right track.
" Come on, men shouldn't go back on their words, get on with it, at least try "
I was getting desperate, now I was sure he could kill me. At least try to kill me, make an attempt on my life, maybe I'll get lucky.
" You consider yourself a man‽ "
" What's that meant to mean "
He was beginning to cross a line.
" Men, protect their families, look after the people they care about, would damn near kill themselves if it means they could keep the people most prescious to them alive. You left your children to burn, I should know I was there "
" What are you implying, that I'm a bad person " I said with anger boiling. It didn't matter how scary he was, I won't stand by and let him insult my suffering.
" No I could never " he said standing up
" You see, bad people have things they hold dear. Infact. Calling you a person is an insult to the human race. Hmmm...You're more like a leech, a parasite that feeds of others. Just like you leeched off your wife until she died "
" HOW DARE YOU!!! " I said lunging forward and grabbing his collar.
" I'LL KILL YOU!! " I yelled.
While holding his collar I squeezed at his neck, tightening my grip. Just then. It occurred to me. We've been outside for almost an hour, yelling and crying and shouting, outside a cafe no less, and now I'm grabbing him by the collar. How has no anyone noticed us except once. Slowly my anger turned to curiosity and I turned towards the people walking in the streets. I was holding his neck, squeezing it, I yelled, ' I'll kill you ' yet they didn't stop me,they didn't even turn to face us. It's almost as if we didn't exist. Now I was sure something was wrong with this person, this entire scenario. I didn't ask to meet here, he did, he knew me, very well. This thing, what was he. Suddenly he grabbed my wrist and a black cloudy mark began to spread from the place he touched me. It spread past my wrist to my arm and my shoulders. It hurt, it really hurt. In my conquest to commit suicide, I've subjected myself to a plethora of pain, I've stabbed myself hundreds of times, I've been struck by lightening thrice, I've even tried burning myself, yet none of them compared to the pain I felt in this moment. It was as though every painful experience got bundled into one. It was indescribable, yet I didn't scream or cry, it was more pain than the human body could handle, hence, it couldn't respond.
" Hurts doesn't it, you probably can't think of anything else but the pain. Let me take away the pain, can't have you dying now. "
" No! " I said
" But it hurts, doesn't it? "
It did, it really hurts, but I'll bear it. I turned to face him, rage boiling in my eyes as tears welled up from pain.
" Let me take the pain away " he said decisively.
" What do you know about my pain! huh! About losing everything you've ever held dear and not being able to remember them. What do you know of the struggle of feeling empty because there's nothing to look forward to. How dare you call me a parasite when you don't even know me?! "
I said as all my emotions poured out as anger. At this point I had nothing but hatred for him. Putting my hand aside he smiled, and began laughing.
" I don't know you " he said with a giggle
" I know you better than you know yourself. I've been watching you since you were born, I've been watching everyone. From the poorest to the kings themselves. From the most powerful to the wretches. Even the supposed gods. I know everything about them, what, when, how, where they eat, sleep, play, work. So trust me when I say I know you "
Speechless I looked at him. I was inclined to believe him, after everything that's happened.
" Now let me ask you something.... do you know who you are? "
" Wha— " I replied visibly confused
" Do you know, where you were born, your home town, your wife's face...your name. You can't remember can you? Fine then, let me ask a simpler one. Do you know why you were cursed in the first place? "
Why I was cursed? How would he know why, then I realized, the pain in my hand was gone. Now I was concerned.What could this entity be, what kind of threat does he pose to man.
" What are you? "