A man haunted by his actions. |
Kenny was walking down the sidewalk. Giggling came to his attention and he saw a group of teenagers walk by visually excited throwing jabs and laughing along at each others' jokes. Kenny, a man around thirty years old, dressed like a businessman, hands in his pocket, hair cut in the easiest to maintain but still professional setting, passed them by without batting his dull eyes. He reminisced about his time in high school, seeing himself in those teenagers. For just a moment he felt like he was among them. Shaking his head, he continued onward. He turned a corner and closed his eyes due to the afternoon soon. In his mind's eye he was in that group again. All those kids were replaced with familiar faces and they were all headed for his school. Kenny ended up stepping on the street so he opened one eye to see where he was going. He was on a collision course for a grandma. If he continued forward she'd bump into him and probably fall. Well not like it would be his fault, since she clearly wasn't paying attention. His mind took him back to the school. Their homeroom. That scream. Before he knew it he was in cowering fear and his friend Cash was unconscious. From his position on the ground the killer looked like a giant. Glee filled the man's eyes. Everything was slow in that moment. He remembered every detail. Jessica, her dead eyes and terrified facial expression aimed right at him. Cassandra. Her cold hand stretched out as if asking for help. His mind refused to remember the other parts of her. The man. The killer. He was approaching Kenny with glee. Prancing around like a kid admiring his handwork. He put up his index finger and then used it to point at Cash. Kenny jumped up pencil in hand, lighter in the other. He snapped out of it. He'd acted without thinking. He'd unconsciously stopped himself from getting in the old lady's path. Probably for the best. Shaking his head, he nodded an apology to the old lady who was still unaware. Continuing on his way home he put his hands in his coat's pockets. His heart raced as he brushed against a piece of paper, an envelope. The wedding invitation. The same one he was going today. It crumbled in his fist. Kenny climbed the stairs to his apartment building, unlocked the door and reached for the handle. He ended up staring at his hand on the handle. The hand wasn't attached to his body. It was pale as death, reaching out to Kenny. He shook his head. Rushing in, he tapped his foot as he waited for the elevator to come. Once inside he looked in the mirror. He was smiling. Beaming even. His eyes wide open to the world. It quickly withered, showing an expression of fear. Then over that face, the face of Chad appeared, unconscious . Once the elevator stopped Kenny rushed out, his hand covering his face. He rushed towards his room, opened his closet door, stormed in and closed it behind him. He was on the ground panting. Opening a shoe box he pulled out a gun and examined it carefully with his hands. Kenny aimed at the wall opposite him. It had only been an accident. The murderer's figure flashed before his eyes. Thing was, he had Kenny's face. His friend Cash was in front of him in a suit, smiling. Kenny put the pistol against Cash's forehead, and he started withering away into nothingness. He clapped on as he watched. Kenny gripped the pistol tightly and then relaxed. He boxed the pistol. Moments later he was waiting on his cellphone for someone to pick up. The note in Kenny's pocket had fallen out of his discarded coat. It lay on the floor. The wedding invitation. From Cash. It specifically asked for the recipient's attention this time. The envelope had a sad face after the request. A shot later and the envelope had a bullet hole. It was now on the floor next to a discarded pistol and a cellphone with an ended phone call with Cash. |