BEING

1. BEING

I like nightime. There's something peaceful about the sort of quiet a sleeping town has when it's night. The roads are nearly deserted, and it feels like almost everything and everyone is asleep. Whenever I venture into a park at the dead of night, I feel like I'm alone in the universe -  spine-chilling but fascinating.

Tonight is like any other night, albeit chilly. The leaves are turning into shades of red and orange. Wherever I walk there's a crunch from the leaves below. It's a little sad that I have to go to work, but I will come back tomorrow.

Today's errand is to collect an old man. I only really do this for the special ones. This particular one, I have to fetch myself. You see, he's been a very very bad man. There was a time in his youth where he has made other people's lives a living hell. He stalked, tortured, and killed. And yet, he has never been caught. It pains me to think about the suffering he has bought into this world. And now that he has lived to the end of his life span, I will take his soul. I have to make sure it suffers before it reaches the cycle of rebirth. Not that it will remember anything when it's back to life, but it will have a sense of dread the next time it attempts at it's previous bad habits. I feel like burning it will not be enough, maybe feeding it to the void will do.

But ah, I see you're confused. Now, I'm sure you're wondering what I am. To be completely honest with you, I do not know. I have been here a long time, even before humans were humans. There are plenty of us, if you must know. But we're not social. Sadly. Much like everyone else, all I know is that my job is to bring life and take life. We don't have to do much really. These things take their natural course. Sometimes we have to nudge here and there, but otherwise, we're pretty free, and we're everywhere in the universe. You must not think that this is the only one that houses souls. Actually I think you'd be surpised if you were to learn what you were in your past life... Ah it's time.

You run along now. And next time, don't jog at such a late a time as tonight. Good thing, the old man is at the end of his life, else he would've already gagged you.   

--

"A man has been found lying in a ditch by the park last night; dead and decomposing. He's been missing from his cul de sac home for more than a year. The authorities has been looking for the 55 years old man after his home has been raided and evidence has been found linking him to a serial rapist and murderer 20 years ago. ID's, jewelries and other missing items from the victims has been found on a well hidden compartment on his wardrobe. It has been speculated that the perpetrator must have been jailed or killed or otherwise indesposed of since the raping and the murders with his modus operandi ceased. But with the evidence resurfaced, DNA evidence points to non other than this decomposed man to be the prime suspect. What do you think Jer.."

Lucy shuts off the radio and proceeded to do a u-turn, on her way driving back home. Despite her focus, she can't help but shiver as she remembered her last late night jogging. She recalls how when she was prepping for her usual night jog in her usual route, she felt eerie and scared. Undettered, she went on and jogged.

In the middle of the jog, she rememberred suddenly being in the presence of a being. She knew it wasn't human, but for some reason she wasn't scared. Everything about the being was a mystery and yet, its existence made sense at her very core. So when it talked to her, she listened. It gave her an advice of not jogging so late at night, and she heeded it.   

"So that was the old man" Lucy murmured as she was taking a turn.

"Yes." Says the voice of the being on the passenger seat "That was the old man"

Lucy, wide eyed and mouth agape, looked at the familiar face beside her.

"You're here for me"

"Yes"  He replied as a speeding truck totalled onto the side of the car. 

There was a conundrum of police, and traffic enforcers after the accident. Beyond the yellow tape people gathered to try and get a look onto the wreckage. The being reappeared on the sidewalk, holding a small light in both of his palms. None of the passers by nor the curious ones noticed him.

"I'll be sure to walk you through the park tonight before you go back"  He said in a mild tone almost a happy one.  

The light sparked and the being dissolved into thin air.