Short Stories

Name Killer

Maddlynn fell behind the others, her guard sending her a questioning look, but slowed his pace as well. The others never noticed her missing and disappeared around the corner. Something felt off to her as she had neared the corner, but none of the others have noticed. She rather be safe than sorry and took the corner before them. The hallway was dim and dark. Her guard turned tense and put his hand to the silver handle of his sword. She breathed against the air. She didn't have much time. As much as she liked her guard, he could not come with her. She slipped the butter knife she had stolen before she had been summoned, then swung around toward her guard and stabbed him on his thigh. Then she sliced at his heel, he howled in pain and fell, the sword clattering against the white tiles. Breaking into a sprint, she made it to a metal door. She opened it and slipped inside, but the door slid shut with a click and as she tried to open it again, it remained shut. Locked.

Huffing, she tried to search the room, but to no avail. The room was pitch black. No light. Maddlynn then took a step and bright lights flickered on, illuminating a wooden desk in the otherwise empty room. Behind the desk, sat a man. He wore a white coat like a scientist. He had glasses. His blue eyes looked at her and he grinned.

"Maddlyn, welcome." His voice oddly deep. "We've been waiting."

Maddlyn scanned the rook again, but took no sign of this 'we'. The man motioned her over and she obeyed, mostly because she didn't know what else to do. She was trapped either way. As she sat, she noticed a glimmer between her and the man. She out a hand to touch it. "I wouldn't do that." He calmly advised, not looking up. Maddlyn put her hand down.

Finally the man finished and looked at her. "We have a simple rule and then we free you. The other's went through the process already and you decided to harm one of a very fine home. That may cost you in the future if you succeed. The rule is, this paper," he pauses and shows her a simple white sheet. "You will write a name and that person will die."

Maddlyn gaped at the man. Her thought tingling with apprehension. She didn't know anyone she really wanted to kill except the person in front to her, but she doesn't know his name. She knows the name of the others, but she couldn't kill those her age, those who have suffered along side her. She thought long and hard. But no solution came to her.

The man stared at her. His face neutral. Maddlyn wanted to think he didn't like this anymore than she, but as she continued this process in this network of people, she knew that ought to be a lie. She bit her lip, thinking of good possibilities.

Frustrated, she looked at the ceiling to realize, it was full of mirrors. She looked up and saw herself and all at once, she had her solution.

She grinned and held her out for the paper and a pen. The man nodded and slid it towards her as well as a black pen. She started to scribble slowing, drawing the name perfectly clear. It was only too late when the man noticed as she almost finished the first name.

"No, ma'am. Stop it. Stop it I said!" His voice hard and frantic. "You can't write your own name." He tried to grab the pen, but it was too late. Maddlyn had finished writing her name.

The man stared helplessly at Maddlyn as she sunk into the dark void of the beyond, killing herself. The others have improved while she had failed. Or maybe, where she had succeeded. For life is different now that they had to reduce population.