While walking to our next monument, I started to feel pain.
My heart beat as rapid as a bullet train. My chest ached and felt hollow.
Hot tears streamed down my eyes uncontrollably.
I glanced at the film of memories that we were passing by, looking for the cause of my misery. Through the blinding light of the tunnel, I barely made out ghastly silhouettes. Three were above average in height, lanky and tall.
The last one, rotund and short.
A, AC, F and the last one whose name I had forgotten.
I didn't need to see their faces to know who they were.
I tugged at Leo's wrist, he was a bit taller than me now.
"Doesn't this area need resolve too?"
I asked as I pointed at the ghosts.
Without glimpsing at them, he gave a long sigh and pulled me forward.
"They don't matter" He said.
"You've forgotten about one of them already, forget about the rest"
"But they hurt me" I raised my voice in protest.
"Yeah. There are bad people in life just as there are good people. They didn't care about you. As far as existence goes, you were both more responsible and effective than them. And you were the new guy around. They showed you their worst and you didn't know how to deal with it. You've had your share of mistakes too, but you've learned. Their words don't define you, simply because they didn't say it in order to help you or themselves. It was vengeance or war with words."
Leo paused for a minute.
"Kindness is hard" he continued, pulling me further away.
"If it's easy, it's not kindness, but social decency, depending on the dominant party.
You aren't competing against them. You're trying to fulfill a task. Don't be upset about what someone equal to you said. Be upset about your wrong behaviors and disobeying the task master's orders. He's been very giving as of late and you were short of respect"
"Can we at least silence them?" I argued
Leo stopped in his track and turned to the film of memories. He swiftly drew a blue and purple bow and arrow and shot it.
"What was that?" I asked
"Lack of care" he shouted, the eye sockets of his mask illuminating in bright cyan.
"There's nothing to be gained or lost from them. Regardless of whether or not the memory persists, why bother?"
The pain I felt subsided a little.
We continued pushing forward, heading to our next objective.
"Too much time wasted on ones who couldn't care less" Sal whispered.
And while I could argue with him, I knew he was right.
YOU ARE READING
Looking Back is Blinding
Short StoryThe past occasionally smiles back at us. But the smiles long passed may never return. At night, you'll lay alone, recalling adventures. Of beasts and fantasy. Blades and Magic. A single rose awaits it's bloom. Once in a blue moon. You'll uncover wha...
