Tales of Horror

Dance of Death

I do not think that I am dead, but I am sure that my older brother is.

I remember the squeal of tires, the crunch of the cars roof as we rolled, the tinkling of glass on pavement. I remember blood running into my eyes. I remember seeing Sean crumpled at unnatural angles on the pavement a few yards away. Now, when I come back to myself, when I cling to that thread, I hear the sounds of a hospital; machines beeping, the squeak of nurses shoes on tiles. I think I should be in pain, but I feel nothing. I only smell the antiseptic and the blood and my mothers shampoo as she cries on my gently moving chest.

But when I loosen my grip, when I allow myself to float away from that bitter reality, I see Sean. He flits between trees in dark forests and disappears into fields filled with flowers before I can reach him. Now, I allow myself to float back to him, to seek him out so he can tell me what I need to hear. I know it will be important; Sean never does anything without a reason.

I am in the forest. I look around, searching for that familiar flash of blond hair, or the sound of running footsteps, but there is nothing. I am not worried; I know Sean wouldn't abandon me in this place. Reality here is different; I can see it in the trees and in the air, a slight shimmer that sets itself apart from the world where I lay in a hospital bed. I turn and see sunlight burning through the gaps between the trees, and start towards it.

I find myself standing on the edge of a large clearing. It is surrounded by forest, but it is not empty. There are a number of brightly colored tents with yellow or red stripes set up in the middle of the field. Carnival music and the smell of popcorn wafts across the field towards me, and a chorus of joyful voices bubble up from the tents. A figure with blond hair runs into the crowd, disappearing between the tents. I feel a smile tug at my lips as I chase after him. I can feel that this is where Sean wanted me to go, this is where I will find him.

The carnival is crowded; men, women and children stroll between the tents, carrying stuffed animals won at game stands or wads of cotton candy the size of their heads. I feel the joy surrounding me like water, but there is something at the edges of it, too. I'm not sure what it is, but I allow myself to soak in the happiness, letting a laugh bubble from my chest. I turn and see the top of a red and white striped tent jutting above all the others. The music seems to be coming from there, and my curiosity gets the better of me. I weave through the crowds, past smiling face after smiling face. The sensation on the edges of joy is pressing in closer now, and I pick at it with the edges of my mind. What is it?

Before I can dwell too much on it, the red and white tent comes into view, and the music coming from within it is beautiful, haunting. It rises above the din of the carnival. I see Sean slip inside, and break into a run to reach him before he disappears again. Bursting into the tent, I expect to see a show of some sort, people crowding the stands, but instead the tent is filled with people dancing. The music is incredibly loud, but I cannot see where it is coming from. The people in the room twirl and spin and leap, a sort of strange choreography they all seem to know the steps too. The music is a strange, warbling tune, pitching up then falling down like wind through the trees or the cries of someone lost. It unnerves me, raising the hairs on my arms.

I spot Sean in the midst of the dance; he has a huge smile on his face as he twirls from one partner to another. He sees me, and spins toward me. I take a step forward, but something holds me back.

"Dance with me, Vivi!" he shouts, using the nickname only he used. Again, I take a step forward; I want to join him, but something is off.

"Come on Vivi!" Sean cries. "You'll never want to stop!"

I take a step backwards, and suddenly Sean is no longer dancing; people spin around him, seemingly unconcerned with his sudden stillness.

"Don't you want to dance with me?" he asks, his smile gone. "Won't you miss me?"

"Yes," I choke. The music speeds up, and people are dancing out of control. This is wrong, wrong, wrong- it sings through my blood, and I wonder how I couldn't have seen it sooner.

"Sean," I say, "this isn't right."

Then the music is gone, and the dancing is over. I do not see the people stop dancing, they simply do, and they are all staring at me.

"Sean?" I ask.

"You've been a sleep for a long time now," the people all say in unison.

Now Sean steps forward and tells me what I have been waiting to hear.

"You'd better wake up now," he whispers, "before you forget how to."

My eyes flash open. The drop ceiling of the hospital is above me, my mother gasps.

I am not dead, but my brother Sean is.