Death Chronicles: Episode 1

Lovely Friday to y’all! How’s it hanging? I promised sex earlier, well 

Anyway, been thinking alot about Death these days, as usual, and how ineveitable it is. When one’s time comes, there is just about nothing you can do to about it (Watch Final Destination 1-4 or Karanja pt 1). So this series would be chronicling a lot about Death and well, people. So for the squeamish, I’m sorry, and for the rest of you dark-hearted souls, Mors expectat..Death awaits…

*inserts track: Dustbowl dance – Mumford and sons*

 It was still early when I heard the first whispers. It had been storming outside my window, wind and rain clashing relentlessly against the louvres. In the sky, lightening flashed followed by the incessant rumbles of thunder. I couldn’t sleep. Each time I managed to close my eyes, I was startled awake by the clash of wind and cloud. So I got up and decided to fix myself a snack.The storm had probably knocked out the powerlines, and the entire house was in darkness. As I walked down the narrow corridor to the kitchen, I felt a slight chill. I would have thought nothing of it if, at that moment, I hadn’t heard the whispers. Low and sibilant, the voices rose and fell, like the sound of invisible beings conversing in low tones. As suddenly as it had come, the sounds ended. I ignored it, it was probably the wind whistling through a crack in a window sill.

I opened the fridge and took out a pack of juice and some cookies. I might as well ride out the storm in style. I trudged back to my room, no whispers this time. Shutting the door, I grabbed a novel and settled by candle-light with the snack on a stool beside me. I was going to read till the storm stopped or till my snacks were through. So, lying comfortably on my bed, I opened the Puzo, and began to read.

Soon, I was asleep.

The candle burned on, flame upon wick melting the wax into vapour that coursed through my nostrils, sinking me deeper into sleep. And I rolled and turned and the candle burned on. Suddenly, a window blew open in the kitchen, the draft of wind whipping through the flat, filling every corner until, light as a whisper, it blew into my room and rustled the curtains. As I murmured in sleep and slept on, the edge of a curtain caught neatly upon the flame and slowly, the flames began to eat up through the light material, and the room went ablaze. And somewhere in the dark recesses, a pair of eyes glinted and voice cackled softly.

And I dreamt, in my dream, I strolled down a quiet boulevard on a misty morning. While I walked, the mist disappeared into a clear blue sky. Then the trees began to wither as the sun came out. And the sun shone ever so mightily, and the heat bore on me. So hot was the sun that I raised my arm to shield my face, but the sun beat on, hotter and hotter, till I exclaimed in pain:
“My arm..”

And I woke up, into hell…

My room was burning, every corner; everywhere was wreathed in dancing flames. The curtains were all gone, the rug was on fire, and my bookshelves were all ablaze. While I stared in disbelief, still lying on my bed, I felt the pain in my arm and glanced down. The sleeve of my shirt was burning! Tearing off my clothes, I shook the shirt into the inferno that was my room and stood upon my bed, all too conscious of the smell of burning meat that traced my every move.

There was no place to move to. The fire had engulfed everything. Already, the flames were beginning to lick the edge of my bed. Slowly, the mattress was beginning to burn. Already it was too hot to even stand on, and smoke was beginning to issue through the seams. Tears streamed down my face, as I saw my last moments. Muttering a prayer to the Creator, for my soul. I stared through the fire, calculating my distance to the closed door. Maybe, maybe I could reach it in time.

Suddenly, the louvres blew open and the burglary proofing loosened from the wall and fell. Screaming, I crouched and covered my head as shrapnel and glass showered everywhere. The heat from the room must have caused the glass to expand or something, hence the explosion. Never had I been more thankful that the burglary proofing was not secure and had dislodged so easily. Wind howled into the room, pushing the flames away from the window and towards the door. For a moment, there was almost no fire, then I noticed it was still raining.

With the roar of a wounded savage beast, the fire rolled back, and now being fed with fresh oxygen, the flame crackled and leapt hungrily towards me. I knew now that there was no hope, no other option than that which fate had just provided. Taking two steps back, I shut aside all emotion, then sprang forward and leapt clear of the lapping flames and straight through the window, into the stormy night. As I flew in the air, I could distinctly hear a voice laugh behind me.

Then I remembered, my flat was on the third floor.

Disclaimer

• None

 

ff on twitter @janus_aneni

Peace.