"Fountain of youth" contest 1st place

"These are the days to remember, because they will not last forever.
This is the time to hold on to, because we wont although we will want to"
Billy Joel

The steady creak which beckoned overhead began at one p.m.
The low and steady sound, began as a slight disturbance, But now 11 hours later, it had become a full blown migraine.
I wanted so badly to ascend my stairs and give Mr. Marshall a piece of my sleep deprived mind.
Sleep has been so rare to come by. Forty hours at Sea bolt’s Irish pub, and Twenty-Two at the Braintree Hess, will sort of take up most of your time.
But I Kevin Lobs, worked and wearied, at the tender age of twenty, just revived the best news ever.
A full day off. I peeked at my clock that was bed side. It read Eleven Fifty-Eight. In T-minus two minutes, a full Twenty Four hours will be mine to spend however a chose. That's if I could only fall asleep.

Mr. Marshall arrived last Monday. I watched him curiously out of my window.
The first thing that I noticed was his height, I estimate conservatively at Four- Eight, Four-Nice.
He came waddling out of the yellow taxi cab, with crane in hand. Wearing a Dark Green Silk Suit, with the blackest of all
Tie’s. He sported a top Hat and White shoes. His face was ravished by wrinkles, while his Black coal colored eyes hid behind
Bifocals.
He carried only a cane, and Blue Duffel Bag. Which he handed to the plump Taxi driver and waited by the cab as
the driver delivered his bag upstairs.

“Hey Mr. Marshall, I heard that you may be moving in today. My name is Kevin Lobs your downstairs neighbor."

I shouted from out the window. The Gentleman used his hand to shield his eyes, as he struggled to locate an origin of the voice.

"I am right here" I waved as the old man's eyes met my gaze.
"Do you need any help?"

"Oh there you are" His beady eyes pierced my baby blues. He stared at me, Jaw slightly opened, for just a moment
Then the worlds most forced smile appeared.

"No i will be quite fine thank you. I travel Light, besides the apartment is well furnished. Now Kindly young man
Please remove your head from out the window, for it is blocking the sun. Who would wish to look upon you instead of that marvelous yellow fixture? Good day sir"

That was my first and only encounter with him. Well that's not necessarily true; I have been dreaming about him lots lately. Okay nightly, maybe it was the suit. But I reckon it had something to do with his beady eyes and forced smile. It was sinister and cold. His mannerisms were so evil, especially when I dreamed.

All the dreams began the same exact way. I am alone walking in the dessert's hot sun.
The sun is really bright, and really full, yet I feel no heat. My white shirt is always covered in sweat though.
While I walk I always see a small jot in the distance. Through the Sun's bright shine I notice a man in the distance walking towards me. The first night I could barely make out the out-line. The second night I Noticed the Black Beady eyes. And by the third I knew it was Mr. Marshall. Although he was still a way's off.

But the fourth night yesterday was wicked creepy man.
Mr. Marshall was no more than a Half a mile away. I heard the steady click-clack
Of his shoes as he walked. The dessert sand had now transformed into ancient cobblestone.
The view had changed drastically as he approached. Instead of barren nothingness, Trees ambushed the land scape. The cool and calm sound of a waterfall was in the distance. The sun was out, but it was as black as Mr. Marshall’s beady eyes, outside. The only place that had sunlight was the path of Mr. Marshall. I could barely see my own feet in front of me. But I was almost sure that we were not alone.

I kept hearing voices, slow and silent voices, beckoning to me from out of the darkness, whispering secrets about life and death. Mr. Marshall kept getting closer, and closer. The closer he got
The darker it became. Yet his path garnished enough sun to sport a tan.
Wolf's with the legs of ducks circled Mr. Marshall. Barking, growling, while sporting the sneer of
Their master. His eyes were no longer Black, no they had changed. Changed into an hour glass. Sand slowly trickled with each step he took. Only the sand was traveling backwards. It was as if the top Part which was nearly empty, was sucking the sand from the bottom. The Bottom was nearly full.

I sat engaged at the sight, when a voice mumbled from out the depths of Darkness.

"Kevin, beware, for witching hour is near"

"What who said that?", 

The voice caused my heart to leap, and my insides to freeze.
As if an icicle of terror penetrated my insides.

Silence answered my question. Mr. Marshall had gained immensely. He was now less then Forty yards away. The top part of the hour glass now looked bloated as the bottom half slowly dwindled.

Again the voice appeared

"Quick Kevin turn away"

I felt a strong tug on my back as the voice urged me to run with him.

I turned trusting my assailant and ran in the opposite direction. It was then I realized that
My path turned back into the dessert. I turned my head as I ran. Mr. Marshall's eyes were
no longer Hour glasses they had returned, only they were no longer black. They were blue.

So you can imagine how pissed I am right now, I looked at my clock and it said Twelve-Forty.
The damn creaking still continued. Sleep was so utterly needed.
I got up and placed my slippers on my feet. I walked towards the bathroom. Inside of the medicine cabinet I found the Jackpot. "Nyquil". I unscrewed the bottle and drank a third of it whole.
While I was urinating I noticed that the creaking had stopped. "About damn time the old man fell asleep". I thought. The water was cool on my hands as I splashed it on my face. 
I reached over and felt for my towel. The towel was a Teal face towel that my loving mother gave to me right before she kicked me out into the big cruel world.
I can’t blame her. She was right, as Billy Joel say's in
"Captain Jack" , "Well your twenty-one and still your mother makes your bed, and that's too long"

It was when I removed the towel from my face that I noticed that my eyes were no longer blue.
My Baby face remained as did my sandy brown hair, but my eyes were now black and beady.
I dropped the towel, knocking over my mouthwash in the process.
I quickly cleaned up the mess and realized that the medicine was already kicking in.
My head felt dizzy, i almost fell but braced myself upon the sink. I stared into the mirror and my blue eyes were back. With that I stumbled into my room and lay on my bed.

I was at the precipice of sleep when the overhead creaking commenced. But it mattered not, because sweet sleep washed over me like the sound of waves crashing upon the rocks.
And in no time at all I was in dream state.

Here I was again, at the same old place. The cobble stone had returned as did Mr. Marshall.
He was close enough to touch, and he was sitting down on the road.
His legs were crossed and he was smiling from ear to ear.
"It has been a long and lonely road, so nice of you to join at this late juncture"

I turned to run and realized it was futile his wolf's were now behind me

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Kevin, now have a seat I only wish to talk".

"What do you want from me, you old prick, tomorrow is my day off, let me sleep in peace."

"Oh, so young, so lazy" He said while teasing the wrinkles by his cheek.

"How old are you Kevin?"

"I am twenty, and I am far from lazy sir. I work two jobs mind you".

His eyes were hid behind a dark pair of sunglasses. They bobbed up and down by his ears as he spoke.

"One must not work so hard either. Oh the ignorance of youth tickles my fancy something awful. Let me tell you a story Kevin."

With nowhere else to turn, I sat on the ground as he spoke.

"I too, like yourself was once filled with youth. I can still faintly taste the flavor of youthfulness." The man inhaled deeply then licked his lips.
"A long, long time ago I was a young and healthy man, but now I am afraid that my course is at it's end"

"That's the circle of life man, aint nothing neither you, nor I can do about it. We live,
we grow, we age and then we die. Ain't any use crying over spilled milk."

I said adding my two cents.

Mr. Marshall looked at me indignantly.
"Another youthful trait that I find astonishing. How is it that you think you know anything? Believe you me Kevin, you don't know shit. You see Kevin; all these years after all this time I finally figured it all out."

"Figured what out?" I ask.

"How to live forever of course."

The sureness in which he spoke made me feel really uneasy.

"Oh, really how is that" I nervously laugh as I ask.

Mr. Marshall laughed and took off his sunglasses. His eyes were once again Hour Glasses, and the bottom was nearly empty.

"It's really quite simple Kevin, I have been studying the power of sleep, and the influence of dreams, and how they affect the way one lives. Did you know that the average person Dreams Four years of their miserable existence away? Did you know that some people have learned to control their dreams, while others live controlled by them?"

"No I guess I did not”

"No of course not, you’re so young yet so foolish"
He enunciated the s in a snake like manner.

"You want to know something else"
His hot breath was near my face as he spoke. His eyes were now a full yet upside down hourglass.
I looked over to the left and saw a young man, who looked oddly like Mr. Marshall
looking at me with a look of terror. He shook his head and said "It's too late"

Mr. Marshall laughed and said.
"It's time to wake up"

A sudden bang from overhead jolted me out of my sleep.
I hopped out of bed and fell to the floor. For some reason my leg's felt old, tired and torn. I pushed my self up and ran towards the light. I reached for the switch but couldn't reach it without standing on my tippy toes.
When the light finally flooded my room I screamed. My feet had shrunk, and my
neatly trimmed toenails were replaced by long yellow nails.
"What the fuck"
I opened up my door and headed towards the bathroom. When I reached it I bravely faced the mirror.
I shrieked "no" and punched the glass. Blood exploded, painting the sink by the corners.
I coughed and my chest felt numb, "Why me?, I ask"

"Because, you’re so young".

I turned and saw myself standing in the hallway.

"How did you do it?"

He smiled and said "as sand through the hour glass, so are the days of our life"

My right shoulder felt stabbed as I blacked out.

                                          The Lincoln times
June 15 2009

Edward J Marshall, Widower to the late Emilia F Marshall, died peacefully in his home Tuesday morning. His down stars neighbor, A mister Kevin Lobs, originally from Providence discovered the body shortly after Two A.M on Tuesday morning. He was quoted as too saying "Yeah it was such a tragedy. I just met him recently; I helped him with his bags when he moved in. He was a nice old man; he used to say he hated getting old, well I’m just glad he did not suffer". Edward recently moved into the vacant apartment upstairs from Mr. Lobs. The two had been developing quite a bond as of late, Kevin claims they had long discussions nightly, as his work schedule allowed. Kevin also said that he would be quitting his second job per advice of his late friend.
The wake will be Saturday at Ten a.m.