"Good evening, Bobby."
A red fog taints the cemetery. A silhouette of a monk floats towards me. The man is black all over with only white lines where his facial features should be. His eyes are shut. He comes to me and opens his eyes. He bows. The shadows melt away to reveal a mystical demon.
His pale human appearance makes me shiver. "Who are you?"
He grins. "I am Shiku Mortem: a simple genie."
"What do you want?" If he wants to kill me – please be quick. I should be dead by now.
Shiku jumps towards me with his rotten hands open. "You – I have a gift for you."
I shake my head and run. "I'm not interested. I don't want to be in this world anymore."
Shiku blocks the path and grips me. Chains emerge from the ground. They're no different to the chains that trap me in this vicious circle of depression. "I know why you did it. And I know what you want – but you can't have it. Which is why I am going to grant you four wishes."
"My only wish is to die!" My lips tremble and my voice strains. Overwhelmed with tears, my body is dragged to the floor. "I have nobody. I have nothing. PLEASE." I'm choking on my own tearful pleas. "Just let me die."
"YOU CANNOT DIE!" Shiku slams his fists together and unleashes a white aura that wipes out the whole cemetery so it's just us and this white space. "If you do die, I will revive you. Call me and I shall grant your wish."
"What's the catch?"
"You cannot eliminate your past."
"This is not fair."
"Life isn't fair. Like I said, I'm just a simple genie."
"I don't want your wishes. Go away!"
YOU ARE READING
Pen Beneath The Bush
Cerita PendekA collection of Flash fictions and short stories including fanfiction I've written over the years.
