Isolated

The Invisible Man

The crunching of leaves.
Ache of running feet.
The taste of moonlight danced on my tongue.
Heart pounding.
Sweaty palms and breath whispered from dry lips.

Darkness climbed onto the sky, painting cool colors and spattering stars, the only source of light was the darkness.

I ran harder and came to a small clearing where a rotting stump stood.
Mold covered the base and it was dappled with green fungi.
The moonlight seemed to form a spotlight, encouraging me to stop,take a rest.
It's moonbeams seemed to press into my back,shoving, no, forcing me to sit on the rough forest throne.
I kindly declined the offer and continued through the trees.

Branches grabbed at my hair and bushes bit at my ankles as I ran from the invisible man.
I could feel his frigid breath on the back of my neck and his bony knuckles brush against my bare arm.
His presence sent a shiver through my body.

I ran harder until I hit a stream.
I started to step in, as my toes hit an icy cold blast.
Too cold, I thought.

I decided quickly to follow upstream. My feet trudged along the muddy bank.
Sinking every few steps I became fatigued.
I was so scared.
He could grab me at any moment.
I was weak, so weak.
He was so much stronger.
One touch I could be turned to dust.

Crumble into nothingness, lost in oblivion.

My legs seemed to continue despite being exhausted.

My head ached,words and thoughts slammed inside, screaming to get out.
My mouth stood shut, my tongue stood guard, crushing the words before they could escape.
My calfs burned as I pulled my feet from the mud one last time. I ran closer to the edge of the trees now,fearful of sinking to the depths of nothingness.

Blisters formed on my toes, calluses grew on my heels.
I could feel his presence, hear his silent words, beckoning me.
"Come my dear child. Let me save you."
I could see his sickening grin every time I closed my eyes.

I could see his rotting face, hear his feet collide with the earth.

The rancid stench that emitted from his body burned in my nose.

I could picture his sunken eyes
looking into my heart,my soul, seeing my deepest secrets and invading my memories.

No one else can see him but I.

I am his next victim.
He is coming for me but I am faster.
I want to believe I am at least, that I am faster than his venomous touch.

But I know I am not.

I can hear him closing in, wrapping me in a blanket of darkness and wonder.

I am scared.
I am afraid.

I do not want to go with the Invisible Man, for he is Death, and my time is up.

I do not want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I do not want to be shoved under piles of dirt and left to rot.

I want to be alive.

I will run from Death but he will catch me, he always does.

I Run to the icy stream once again and stare into the glossy eyes of the Invisible man.
"I am ready." I whisper as one small tear falls from my face into the frozen water, rippling Death's bony features.

His cold hands reach from the river and grab my ankles.
His hands send a pulse of heat through my body and I can feel my soul fall silently into his lap.
He caresses it, cradling it like a young child.
He hugs it to his chest and his lips whisper a silent "thank you"

I struggle with the realization of what I've done and the wonder of what happens next.

He grabs my sweat beaded hand.
He holds me close to him as we ascend to a bright and inviting place.
I look around.
"Heaven?" I question.
He nods a silent reply.
He starts to leave me and a faint smile is left on my lips as he recedes back into the darkness.
I accepted where I was and what had happened.

"Goodbye" I whisper to no one in particular.
"Goodbye." The Invisible Man says, his smooth voice echoes out.
His appearance changed from a rotting corpse to a handsome young man.
He winks at me and unfolds his wings. "Death is what you make it to be." He says before vanishing.

He leaves me in a state of shock, as I walk up the stairway to heaven, unafraid of the journey to come.
My ripped clothes were transformed into a white gown as I continue to get closer to the top of the stairs.

I look back to where the Invisible  man stood one last time before I make my way to the pearly gates.

"Goodbye." I whisper, as the gates swing open to reveal a new adventure.

Death.