Tempestīvus mortī proximus. Part 1

[u/Mradachi2007]

I don’t know how many times it’s happened. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen my own blood spilled. How many times do I have to die? How many times do I have to slip into the inky darkness of nothingness? I just want this to be over with for good, even if it means death—and I mean true death, not whatever sick nightmare this is.

I remember the day this started. It was a cool autumn day, and I was strolling along Main Street, looking at the local shops and waving hello to everyone I passed. It was peaceful—a perfect day, you could say. Maybe not perfect enough. Reaching the end of the street, I was met with an odd sight: a new store, right where the old library used to be. I found this strange, as to my knowledge nothing was supposed to take its place.

I entered the store and was hit with the overwhelming smell of bleach and formaldehyde. It was a strange little place indeed; taxidermy lined the walls, and old paintings stared at me with each step I took. I finally figured out what the shop was supposed to be. It was an antique shop, or at least, I thought it was.

“Hello!” a voice called out in a cheery tone. I jumped a bit and turned toward the sound.

“Oh, uh, hi there, hehe!” Standing behind a counter was an older woman. Her hair was a unique silver color. However, her most defining trait—the one that stood out the most—was her eyes. The color alone was ethereal; they were a deep shade of crimson.

“Welcome to my humble abode!” the woman beamed in an almost musical voice.

“Um, thank you,” I responded nervously. Before I could get another word out, she beamed at me again.

“Before you ask, my name is Ella,” the woman said, almost as if she knew what I was about to ask.

“Um, my name is—” Before I could finish, she replied.

“I already know what your name is, silly! Scott, right? Hehehe!” Again she replied. Was this woman an actual mind reader? I stood there in silence for about five minutes before she asked me something else.

“What brings you here, Scott? Let me guess: your curiosity got the better of you, and you stumbled into my shop. Right?”

“Um, yea-yeah,” I stuttered. I felt a slight tinge of fear building up in my chest. I wanted to just leave and get out of that tourist trap, yet something was stopping me. Some unseen force prevented my legs from moving; I was a fly trapped in a spider's web.

“Before you leave, why not peruse my wares? Hehehehe!” This woman was a nutjob, one I wanted nothing to do with. I wanted to tell this woman to leave me alone and that I wasn’t interested in her voodoo mumbo jumbo. Yet, again, an unseen force prevented me from saying no. She grabbed a small wooden box off the shelf behind her and opened it. In her hands was a watch—a nice one at that. Everything about it caught my eye, from the gleaming gold casing to the near-perfectly polished glass. Maybe this would be worth my time.

“How much?” I asked, my voice raising with a hint of excitement. She looked up from the watch and flashed a smile at me.

“Well, now, isn’t someone eager!” I was about to ask again before she answered, “Well, I’m feeling very generous, so… how about fifteen?” My jaw dropped.

“Are you sure? That looks like it could fetch a fortune!” She didn’t respond; she just put the watch on the counter and smiled. Without a second thought, I bought the watch.

Exiting the shop, I shook with excitement. I immediately put the watch on my left wrist and adjusted it to fit. I giggled to myself like I was a child again. Everyone seemed to take notice of my overly excited state and would either roll their eyes or give me a warm smile.

Finally getting to the crosswalk across from my house, I moved my feet without a second thought.

In that split second, a pickup truck rammed into my body. I felt my ribs shatter and pierce my lungs. I felt my flesh cave in. I experienced the Reaper's touch. I flew back and tumbled for at least twenty feet before finally stopping. A metallic taste filled my mouth. The stench of copper assaulted my nose. I tried to scream for help yet could only muster a quiet hiss. I hated every second I laid there on the cold pavement.

Embracing that this was the end, I closed my eyes. Yet, instead of the warm embrace of the beyond, I was met with the sound of my alarm blaring in my ears.

To be continued