Guns Don't Kill People

I lowered the gun slowly, my eyes wide with fear. I didn't know what came over me. The gunshot must've been heard all around in this small town. The man laid there in a pool of his own blood, eyes wide and lifeless. I had just killed a man. But guns don't kill people, at least that's what Cecil said the other night on the community radio. Then is he really dead? Is the pale man in the pool of blood really lifeless?

I pocketed my gun, got into my car, and spoke into the microphone of my phone, knowing that the Sheriff's secret police will surely hear me. "Hello?" my voice was raspy and shaking with the fresh wave of shock. "This is Pandora Jacobsen. I am at the empty parking lot, and there seems to be a dead man here. I-I don't know what happened, but there was a mysterious man with a deerskin suitcase. I can't remember anything else, but there was a tan jacket and a deerskin suitcase. I think his name was Earl. Or was it Everette? I don't know. Please, come help. Please." I finished and set my phone down. Any minute now the secret police will be here.

Five minutes passed, and the secret police weren't here yet. "Where are they?" I asked out loud to myself. The man was still laying there, the pool of blood still fresh and spreading slowly. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then twenty. The secret police didn't come. Maybe the man wasn't dead after all. I debated with myself whether or not to drive away. Should I at least hide the body?

I got out of the car and walked quickly toward the body. What happened? I can't even remember what came over me when I pulled that trigger. Who was this man? Is he even a man? I stopped asking myself these questions and started to pull him by the legs towards the Whispering Forest. When I got there the trees started to whisper nice things to me. "Oh, what lovely eyes you have, Pandora! They definitely match that sweater you're wearing." I heard one say. I knew what happened to people who stayed too long in the forest, and I did not wish that fate for me. I dropped the man there, sure enough he was starting to change. Feet first, legs, hips, torso, chest, arms, neck, then head. He wasn't standing when this happened, so he was a fairly odd looking tree. I ran out of there right when I felt myself wanting to stay.

I got into my car and drove off. It was night, at least I think it was. Time isn't real in Night Vale. I clicked on the radio waiting for the soothing voice of Cecil to come on and tell me what's been going on. Soon enough the voice came on.

"Welcome to Night Vale," the voice said.