A Short Collection of Short Stories

HIM

 There he was, standing tall and stoic before me. He was a silhouette against the pale moon, and his apparent omnipotence seemed almost illusory and unreal, but I knew it to be true. The trees around us became still, as if the wind itself halted at his very presence. To others, he was a lion among sheep. Something to be feared 'else he take his wrath upon you. Some even saw him as a God. But what is a God to a non-believer? Nothing but empty and meaningless whispers in a clouded sea of thought.

And yet, these words reign true, despite falling on deaf ears. This man that stood before me... his mere existence was proof of my ignorance. I spoke to him, my voice vastly inferior to the sheer volume of his presence.

"Are you here for me?" He remained unmoving in the seemingly eternal darkness. The remnants of my words echoed into oblivion. I already knew the answer.

As if reading my thoughts, he stretched out his hand and beckoned me to follow. I did not flinch. I knew this day was coming, and I had accepted its inevitability long ago. Despite the lifelessness of the wind, I could still smell the musty and wet odor of the forest. It was a small and insignificant detail, but I couldn't help but take notice of it. I made sure to burn it into my memory, for I knew that I'd never experience it again.

I took his hand in mine, his pale skin ice cold to the touch. He looked at me with an expressionless face. He felt nothing towards me. Not love, nor hatred. But it didn't really matter anyways. We walked without hesitation into the dark. I didn't look back.