My Soul to Reap (Archived)

Death Really Should Have Taken Thee

The thumping of the party sounded behind us, pulsing in time to my hurried and intoxicated footsteps. I was giggling, ducking and hiding from the light coming out of the porch windows. There was alcohol and a cute guy involved here, and I wasn't passing up either. The summer breeze gently picked up pieces of my hair and blew the pale brown strands into my face, leaving  me spitting them out awkwardly. I looked back to the guy I'd followed out here, mentally congratulating myself. Two hours ago I didn't know him, and now we were making out against my best friend's garage. I had to look up to properly face him, staring into light blue eyes and then taking in the full picture. Every girl here had been after him all night,  and I was no exception.

He was like some foreign superstar, with light hair and eyes and a tall, lean stature. He'd showed up in almost a full suit and had managed not to look overdressed, a feat in itself, and I hadn't heard one girl complain. I could only barely make out his face in the gloom but I did see him smirk, and whoops goodbye to my self control. I slid my hand around the back of his head, mussing up the previously perfect blond hair and crashed his lips into mine. Somewhere, through the drunken haze, I registered that making out at my best friend's party was kind of a rude thing to do. I pulled away, panting a little.

"I should get back," I tried, but he cut me off and maybe kissing him was worth being labelled a bitch. But I managed to lean back again, with a little more willpower than the first time.

"Seriously, someone is going to notice I'm gone." He just smirks again and if it weren't so counterproductive to kiss him again I would. His face catches the light of the party that seems a million miles away, and something changes in his smile.

"This will be quick then," he muttered, and I shivered. It wasn't a kind phrase, and my decision to leave was only solidified. I was about to turn away when I was stopped not by force but by his eyes, because his pupils were leaking into his irises. The black tainted the light blue like food colouring being added to water, and it was followed by a gleam that was almost red. I gasped, but I didn't move quickly enough to get away. He leaned forward again but he didn't go to kiss me, instead he travelled lower, to my neck. There was shooting pain but I couldn't cry out, I could only sag against the uneven surface of the siding. My surroundings faded to a dull roar, a mix of blurred lights and colours. My mind shut down on me, focusing only on the intense, searing pain. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out the pain to no effect, and I registered sitting the ground and gravel pressing into my thighs. But there was nothing I could do, and even with the pain gone and the sound of footsteps receding I could only breath out one last time. And then I was gone.

"Well, that takes care of that. Adios, kid." There was a point, somewhere far in front of me, that held what had to be consciousness. It was a struggle to reach it, but the awareness was getting closer and closer. The memory of a voice pulled me along, so I focused on it. It wasn't one I recognized, a girl probably in her early twenties. My first thought was that she must have been at the party, and that was when I knew I was awake. The memories, vague as they were, came flooding back. The boy I still didn't know the name of had tried to kill me. The realization made me open my eyes, but when the light hit hazel I quickly shut them again, groaning and rolling over. It seemed like everywhere hurt, and curling into the fetal position was the only thing that would lessen the very sharp ache coming from my sensory overload. I didn't even give a thought to the person standing over me until she spoke again.

"Dying would be a lot easier, would it?" she said, almost wistfully. I tried to sit up but failed miserably, only managing to keep my eyes open. It was a small victory, but I would take it. I tried to get a good look at whoever this girl was, and found myself staring up at the night sky. I frowned, only to understand that she was behind me. Apparently I was very out of it. "Here, I'll spare you turning around." I leaned back against the garage, the same place I'd passed out, and heard her come towards me from around the corner. I was fighting the urge to rest my eyes because I didn't trust myself to open them again. My gaze strayed downwards, away from the admittedly faint light of the moon, so that my first impression of this girl was her shoes. And what an impression that was.