short stories ღ

001 ღ victory

september 25, 2016
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The air was cold, typical for late October. Exhaling, I could see my breath swirl in the air in front of me. I buried my hands deeper into my pockets and shivered, my running shoes not doing much to keep my feet warm.

I knew where I was going by heart. We had gone here many times before. This was her favourite place on Earth. We had spent countless days running around the forest and sitting atop the large hill. It had been years since I had been there though, five to be exact. I had heard that there had been some construction, changing the beautiful woodland into a town. My hands balled into fists at the thought of it. I picked up speed, starting to jog down the familiar dirt path.

It wasn't until I neared the end of the path that I rose my eyes from the ground. Now, instead of a green forest, there was a small town. There must be at least fifty people living there. I started to walk around the area, knowing exactly where I had to go. The scenery may have changed, but the location hasn't. My walk turned into a jog, which turned into a run. Before I knew what I was doing, I was sprinting through the dimly lit streets.

Slowing to a stop, I turn to face a darkened back alley. I slowly start to walk forward, keeping an eye on my surroundings. I keep my footsteps silent, slowing my breathing. If she really had decided to come back, I wanted to see her before she saw me.

It wasn't long before I noticed a figure darting around the end of the alley. I pushed myself up against the wall, trying to remain invisible. I slowly crept closer, watching the shadowy outline of the stranger twitch and move around.

I watched, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. I noticed the figure was twitching more violently than before, and I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Then they turned around.

I let out a soft gasp, seeing the familiar face of one of my old acquaintances in front of me. Her dark brown hair was rigidly cut, and it was messy and unwashed. There were large bags under her brown eyes, making her look exhausted. I smiled slightly, letting my breathing go back to normal. That was when I noticed her eyes, really noticed them.

Her once light brown, sparkling eyes were now tinted with a violent glint. She looked... Mad. Her smile grew as she approached me, and a strong smell came over me. She brought a finger up to my chin, gently holding my head up. The smell was so violent, I thought I was going to throw up at any second.

She laughed, looking into my eyes with that crazy look from before. She never used to look like this. She used to always look happy and carefree, but that had obviously changed.

Before I realised what she was doing, I felt a sharp pain in my lower arm. I looked down, seeing she had a small pocket knife in her hand. I tried to scream, but her hand quickly moved from my chin to my mouth.

Digging the knife deeper into my arm, I felt tears spring into my eyes. This wasn't what I expected when she said she wanted to see me again. She said she wanted to talk. She said she wanted to become friends again.

She removed the knife from my arm, positioning it on my neck instead. In one swift movement she sliced open my throat, causing me to sink to the pavement. I tried to call out for help, but it was no use. The smell from before grew stronger, making me realise that it was blood. I looked up at her, her eyes looking more violent by the second. I couldn't move, and I knew I was dying.

Kneeling down beside me, she let out a quiet but terrifying laugh. She brushed a piece of hair out of my eyes, smiling even more than before. She started to giggle, and stared into my eyes. Her whole body was twitching. She started to laugh louder, until she was practically screaming.

"I win."