Death
I awoke to a scuffling noise nearby. I sat up and saw a black cat running into the shadows. I cocked my head from left to right, observing my surroundings.
I was in the middle of a dark, misty field. I could make out some features in the faint moonlight, but almost everything was consumed by black shadows. This was a damp, unforgiving place.
There were graves all around, marked by headstones. This was a graveyard.
There was almost no grass here, apart from a few clumps here and there. This place was dead, and it looked as if it had been for a very long time.
A fence marked off this small piece of land; it was made out of old rotting logs. Beyond the fence was too dark for my eyes to see, but I had a strong feeling there was nothing out there.
In the very middle of the graveyard was a giant oak tree, it was hard to believe it could flourish in these conditions, but nonetheless it looked healthier than me.
I stared at it for a long time, but I was interrupted by a very strange smell. It was hard to describe. It made my nostrils sting and my eyes water. It was a strong odour that was foul.
Evil… Death.
Something was moving behind me. The odour was getting stronger and a shadow was approaching slowly.
I snapped out of my thoughts and swung around.
In front of me was nothing like I’d ever seen before. I looked this figure up and down, trying to figure out what it was. I couldn’t make out any details as it was still in the shadows.
“Who are you?” I prompted.
The figure moved forward and the faint moonlight spilled over it, illuminating every detail.
I was absolutely shocked, my jaw dropped.
This figure was cloaked in something dark, I couldn’t tell if it was a cloak or if it had been consumed by the shadows.
Its face was indistinguishable; it was hooded and covered in darkness.
Two small hands prodded out of two long sleeves. I had to squint to see them. Then I noticed they weren’t hands, they were bones. This wasn’t a human, it was a skeleton.
One of its bony hands was clutching a long wooden scythe, it was razor sharp, I could see the blade glinting in the moonlight.
“Who- What are you?” I stammered.
“I am death,” a deep voice boomed from inside the dark hood.
It started moving towards me. I noticed it had no legs, it was hovering.
This creature was peculiar, but I felt like I knew it very well.
“Why am I here?” I asked. I was so nervous my knees threatened to buckle.
“Let’s take a walk.”
Death hovered over towards two gravestones, I followed after him.
We stood side by side in front of them. I looked at the graves, one was empty. Then I glanced at the head stones, they were blank.
“Before you die, I want to show you something,” his voice thundered.
He muttered some strange incantation and a hand pushed up through the dirt, followed by several high pitched moans.
Death chuckled and disappeared. I took several steps back, not taking my eyes of the emerging body.
In a few moments half of the body was out, but I couldn’t make out who it was, it was much too dark.
I heard a deep chuckle and swung around, expecting to see Death, but he wasn’t in sight.
I was getting more and more nervous by the minute. I didn’t understand.
Why was I here? What did I do? What was this place?
I heard my name called. It was definitely a woman’s voice. I turned back around and fixed my eyes on the figure emerging from the grave.
She stepped out into the light and instantly tears started falling down my cheeks.
There could be no mistake, it was my wife. I covered my eyes; the very sight of her sickened me. She called my name again and I was forced to look at her.
She was missing huge chunks of her once beautiful, blonde hair.
Her face was revolting. Her bottom lip had been completely ripped off and her face was rotting.
All of her clothes were tattered and ripped. The skin that was revealed was either bleeding or rotting.
What had done this to her?
Death.
I turned and ran for the giant oak tree and starting shouting.
“Calm yourself,” Death’s voice boomed, “or there will be consequences.”
“Show yourself, so I can beat the shizzle out of you,” I screamed in a heated fury.
I heard some distant incantations again, followed by groaning from all over the graveyard.
Then a scream.
I turned to my wife, who was staring at the ground screaming.
“Run!” I screamed.
But it was too late. Zombies from all over the Graveyard had reached her and began to feast on her rotting flesh.
My ears were filled with her piercing scream, one that I could never forget.
I watched as dozens of Zombies ripped my wife apart and bit her. There was blood squirting out everywhere, an image that was branded into my mind.
Her screaming stopped. The Zombies stood up and turned on me. I didn’t move my wife was gone; I had nothing to live for.
They approached me, wide mouthed and their arms raised in front of them. They could smell my fresh blood.
I looked over their heads and saw my wife’s mangled body, more tears streamed down my cheeks.
I dropped to my knees and waited.
As the Zombies closed in on me they started running. I was surrounded by walking, rotting corpses.
I whispered I love you in my wife’s directing and the first Zombie grabbed me. The started roaring with delight, some even licked their lips.
I shut my eyes and winced in pain as they began biting into my flesh.
My blood was pouring everywhere, I could feel it.
Not long now.
As I edged closer to death, I forced a smiled.
Just as I died I heard a low, booming laughter.
Death.