The Figure

CHAPTER 5: "Time To Move On"

     I guess it is time to explain what had happened. Lucius never saw David. He only imagined him to be there. He is the one who was haunting himself the entire time. He realizes that he was trying to kill himself out of guilt by imagining that it was David who is trying to take his life. He was never in physical danger caused by David. It was always been a danger caused by his excessive guilt. Lucius realizes that he was feeling excessively guilty for what has happened to David.

     That day after David's death, he changed. He could not get rid of David's lifeless body from his mind. He had a lot of restless nights and quiet moments. It took him many years before he could finally start to talk again. Even though in front of others he was okay, in reality, he was mentally unstable. He kept on imagining David trying to kill him. He never had a day in his life where he was at peace. Others never realized it for he kept it hidden so well. He tried to act everything is fine but his mental status was slowly going deep into insanity.

     After many years, it started to become worse. Nights became harder to sleep and David's voice haunted him. He tried to kill himself many times before this. He had many close calls to meet death but something within him kept on stopping him. He never succeeded in killing himself because of a voice that kept on telling him to stop. The voice is the reason why he's alive.

     Anna noticed his peculiar behavior which is why she always try to be near him. She never thought that it was something serious until she found him hanging himself. At this point, she tried to find many ways to help Lucius.

     Remember the time when David held him by his throat to choke him? In reality, it was the noose he tried to hang himself with is the one that did it. One evidence is the stool being pushed aside by "David". David disappeared that day because the noose managed to break when he tried to stop himself from killing himself.

     Remember the time when a hand grabbed him from below the lake and tried to drown him? There was never someone under that lake. It was him trying to drown himself.

     Remember the time when David tried to stab him? It was actually him who tried to stab himself. David was never there for he was part of his imagination.

     Remember the lines that were blank when you read this? Here are the actual lines:

     "Your friend here went to your house and sees you laying on the ground under a noose and beside a stool and it seems like you tried to kill yourself."

     "I saw you trying to kill yourself!"

     After realizing all of that, Lucius sighs and says, "It was guilt that drove me insane. It was never him." He feels disappointed and sad about what really has happened. He wants to berate himself and wants to be angry at himself but he did not for he finally decides to do one thing. He starts to walk around his house, he looks at the areas he tried to kill himself before reaching the framed class photo which does not include David. He takes it down and looks at it. "David, I'm sorry," he says. "I'm sorry for thinking that you had the gall to kill me," he adds. "My former friends killed themselves out of guilt but I'll live and move on." "It's time for me to leave the past." "It's time to atone for what I have done by living a better life with better choices."

     He places the photo back and proceeds to the door. He opens the door and sees Anna looking at him. "It's okay. I finally know," Lucius says. "For starters, I think I need a therapist," he adds. Anna happily hugs him which he hugs back. They both proceed towards the location of the therapist to start the mental healing.

     Years later, Lucius is no longer mentally unstable. He finally moved on from his past. With the help of Anna and the therapist, he has completely changed into a better person. He fulfills his promise to David that he'll live a better life. He wrote a book about his story that becomes viral. A lot of people start to move on easier and a lot of people start to become better. His book starts to change a lot of lives.

     While walking down the street, he sees Anna wearing fabulous clothes waving at him. Anna and Lucius are now married to one another. "Look who we have here," Anna says. "Who is this handsome lad?" she adds. Lucius laughs and says, "Who is this beautiful woman?" They both laugh and hug each other. Lucius appears to be more formal and healthier. A lot of bruises he inflicted on himself are no longer there. Anna's appearance also changed. She looks more dazzling and beautiful than before.

     Before they leave for their destination, Lucius spots a crying child. Both agree to ask the child if he is lost. The child nods and both decide to help the kid out. After some time, they manage to bring the child to his parents. The parents thank them and offer them a drink but they decline because they only want the child to grow bigger and grow friendlier when he grows up. The parents promise Anna and Lucius. Lucius notices David far from the back which he is shocked about. Unlike before, David has normal clothes, glowing skin, and a smile on his face. Lucius smiles and David fades which indicates that he is at peace with David now. The parents question him on what he is looking at and smiling about and he says, "I just remembered something happy." The parents are convinced by his statement but his wife, Anna, knows what he saw and smiles about it too.

     Lucius and Anna go to their destination as the parents and the child bid them farewell. While walking Anna spots someone looking at them behind a wall. She tells Lucius to go on without her. Lucius asks why and she says, "I need to do something. I will meet you there." Lucius agrees and goes ahead. Anna starts walking towards the wall and leans beside it. "You must love seeing me happy," Anna says. A woman with red long hair and black skin appears beside Anna. "He really changed didn't he?" the woman says. Anna nods and the woman sighs in relief.

     "Thanks, Ivory, for sharing those files back then," Anna says. "You know, for someone who saw everything go down, you surprisingly have no grudge against him," she adds. Ivory says, "Well, I believe in change and also that man deserves a second chance." "By the way, how did you know that I knew him back then? Anna says. "Well, for starters, I saw you together a lot," she replies. "Lastly, how did you know that he is not mentally fine?" she asks. Ivory sighs and replies, "I knew it from the start due to how he acted after David's death back then." "It surprises me that it took him this long to survive," she adds. Anna lightly punches her in the shoulder and Ivory shrugs it off. "Your darling husband's waiting," Ivory says. "Don't make him wait," she adds. After that, Anna agrees to Ivory before going to Lucius' location.

     It is revealed that Ivory is the stranger and both Anna and Ivory had times when they decided to get to know each other better. In the end, Anna and Lucius live a better life as David's spirit looks down at them, happy.