The smell of smoke and the hot sweat woke me up.
The whole house is on fire!
I immediately ran out of my room. I have to get Shye! "Shye!" Unbelievably, I was able to break down the door, "We have to get out of here!". I grabbed his shaking hand. "Skye! Fire!"
"I know", my voice trailed off because of fear. "We need to-"
A burning piece of the ceiling fell between us. "Skye!". I could see him helplesly trying to stand. "Skye, where are you?!" I tried to get him, but my legs went numb. My legs moved on it's own..... or so I want to believe.
I ran away..... away from the fire, from Shye...
No, I told my legs, we're going the wrong way! Shye's still in there!
My legs didn't listen. It kept running. I heard a loud crashing sound from behind. I looked back.
The house was starting to crumble into ashes.
"Shye!"
Then I woke up.
------
I woke up back at the white room. But before I realized that, tears started running down my cheeks. I started to remember.
I had a brother. His name was Shye Astute. He was blind since birth, and naturally they'd take more time on him than me. But I didn't try to understand it that time. I felt jealous of him. He became the center of attention, and my parents started to set me aside. It felt really wrong. So I just stayed inside my room playing videogames, refusing to interact with my brother.
Those times under the mango tree were probably the only time I was able to talk to him properly. Little did I know it was the last....
Keep looking at the sky for me, okay?
I'm sorry Shye. I can't see the sky from here.....
"Have you made up you're mind?"
I failed to notice a guy in a black jacket leaning at a wall. He has grey hair and a pale skin, similar to Shye's. His white eyes were emotionless, yet peircing.
"Who are you?"
"Oh. I'm sure we're well acquainted. I'm Death.", his icy voice screeched across the room. "You really need to reconsider your choices".
"What?".
Death smiled and it was the creepiest smile I've ever seen. "You've been resisting me for, how long? 7? no, 6 months now. Surely, you've grown worn out. Tired. I could have given you rest so easily, but no. You've chosen the hard path. You've chosen to take the pain all over again. Why do you think it's worth it?"
A door appeared behind me. It wasn't like the door I first saw, or was it even a door. It was more like a gate.
A park entrance.
"Why?", his voice was somehow seething. "What is it that makes you want to go on?"
"Because I have to live!"
"But is that mortal life of yours worth living?", he retorted. "Because of that life of yours you've ruined others. If not, you've ended them!"
I remained silent. He's right. I could've saved him. I was a coward. It was my fault that he's dead....
"That's it", Death exclaimed. "I'm gonna do one thing I should've doon 6 monts earlier!"
He lunged towards me. Suddenly, he jolted backwards like he's hit some sort of invisible wall. Daeth sighed with a slight hint of irritation. "Conscience? I've had enough of your stupid tricks!"
I've heard a garbled up voice in my head.
Head towards the door, now! I can't hold him any longer!
"I will get you, Skye Astute!", Death hissed. "And I'll make sure you won't die peacefully!"
I ran towards the gate.
-/-/-/-/-
