Ruins of an Old Life

I had the dream again, but this time… the body strapped to the cold, metal table seemed scarcly familiar… “M-mother?” As those words creeped slowly from my mouth, I jumped. My voice was child-like which startled me. “Huh…?” I took a cautious glimps at my hands and feet. They were smaller than usual. I was ten years of maybe. There is a creeking from the door behind me and I swirl fastly around. The slowly opening door reaveled nothing but darkness and a pair of glowing amber eyes. I could hear in starting up a chainsaw. The man stepped into light, now I could clearly see his face. “Father!?” I screamed, my voice still serprisingly high. “Hahahaaa…” That creepy smile of his was in-human. He rolled his head back “Oh son, why don’t you come hooome? We miss you!” Hands shaking, knees weak, I stumbled to the ground and scooted back. The cadaver on the metal table turned her head towards me, “Son, we miss you… please… come home Atticus!”


“No!” I shouted. It was just a dream. I inhaled deeply, was I holding my breath before? I layed my head back onto the pillow and closed my eyes slowly… just letting my chest rise and fall, trying to calm myself. After awhile, I sat back up. I turned to look at my dresser then picked up the picture that sat upon it. I could feel the chocking feeling in my throat, and here we on que… I didn’t stop it, I just let them fall. The tears fell from my amber eyes down my pale cheek bones intil one, by one they dropped onto the picture. I grabbed the corner of my blacket and wiped the salty tears from my face and then the picture. As I pull the blanket off the picture, I saw my mothers face again. She was smiling, a long with my father and me. We were so happy then… intil the murders started…

“I’m sorry Atticus… it is just not safe here anymore.” Mother was rushing. I could tell. She grabbed all my clothes and shoved them into the largest suit case we owned, not even stopping to properly fold them. “Mother, were is father?”
“Uh, he is out now honey, you know how crazy he is about his work.” She was lying. “Are you alright, mother?”
“Fine, honey. Now lets go, we don’t want to miss your train.”
“How long must I stay at Aunt Seto’s?”
“As long as your fa-… as soon it’s safe here at the village again.”
That was the last time I ever saw my parents. Aunt Seto said she sent my letters, but… they never replied. In fact, I never heard anything of the village after I was sent away. It all just seems like some strange dream now.


I grabbed my coat and looked out the window, it was a dark, gloomy day. The clouds threatened rain, but that would not stop me from taking my daily walk. I snapped my hood up and locked the door behind me. I took a deep breath. It’s not like not you haven’t had the dream before, calm down. One my walk, I lost track of time. I enjoyed the smell of rain, and they way it gently hit my face. I stopped to sit at a near by bench to just sit there… peacefully… eyes closed. Mind blank. I stared to doze off, flashes of my dream appeared. My eyes opened and I let out a small but loud gasp which starled a few people on the street. My cheeks got warmer as the color got darker. “Yah, it’s probably time to go home now…” I thought to myself.




The walk home was a cold one, filled with mini breakdowns. Eventually I stopped caring that people could see me crying. What was it to them? Finally home, I layed my keys and coat on my bed and sat on my darkwood desk. I thought long and hard about my up coming choices. “Should I go back?...” I kept asking myself, “Who knows what could be awaiting my return… but I don’t go… this’ll just keep eating at me forever.” I eventually got borednwith myself, asking the same questions over-and-over again. I rested my head on my arm and just sat there. Bored to death. Nothing making noise. It was just me, and the ringing of my ears. All of the sudden I jumped up, rushing, grabbing this and that stuffing it into my brown, leather suit case. It was my fathers, the one that mother sent me away in… nevermind that. With one foot in, and one foot out of my two-roomed apartment, I paused. Life or Death. With a step of bravery, I slammed the door with looking back.




It was only to arrive at the train station were I started to worrie. From a distance, the man in the ticket booth looked odd… but the closer I got, the more I saw he was just a normal creepy fat man in a uniform. He had dirty, long, black air with a stubbly beard to accompany it. I seemed the had hold molded him from trash and put a uniform on it. “Next!” He said. His voice was surprisingly deep and gravely, one like I had certainly never heard before.. “One ticket to Miare village, plaese.” I said shyey.
“Sorry sir, but is no exact route to Miare, sbut we can take you to the nearest town, Daminzville.”
“Right…. That’s fine.” I grabbed my ticket and walked to the train. Sitting on that cotton train seat by myself made me feel even lonlier than ever. I sighed. I stared out the window, the familiar buildings of Neurax were soon replaced by trees, and eventually over the hours, the trees replaced nny Damnizville buildings. Off the train, I could see that Daminzville was a sad and gloomy fishing town. Everyone had a constant frown on their face face, the air smelled of old socks and the sky cloudy and grey. I made no hesitation to hastaly make my way to to the horse carrige. I could tell the man driving was a bit drunk. “Excuse me sir, I would like to go to Miare village.”
“Why on earth you goin’ there for son? You tryin’ to get your self killed? Ain’t no place for traverlers” He slurred.
“Actually it’s my home town.”
“Ha! Sorry to here that, son. Just get on and lets go.”



This is it. I’m here. The place of my childhood, everything I ever knew or loved abondond here long ago. Those days just seem like a dream now. As I enter the gatees I was knocked to the ground and my breath stolen from me. I could feel I was slipping away from conscience. My last sight was of a distance figure. She had a flower in her hand. Was she floating?...



I awoke coverd in dew, my face smushed against the moist soil. What happened… Oh my god! What is that horrible smell?!” I held my hand up to my nose and tried to stand up but I was over come by an immense pain in my right calf, “Damn it!” I fell to the ground again. I sat there shaking, afraid to look at the wound. “ATTICUS, YOURE SO CLOSE...” said a voice.. similar to my fathers, but with almost a stastic sound to it. I sat there frozen, unable to even blink an eye. I could hear whispers, so soft I could barely make them out. I slouched in between two rocks and called out, “Who’s there!?” The misty fog that surrounded Miare Village flew into into a single form. It streched out its long translusent arm and curled its index finger as if almost to say “Come here.” I got up once more but tried to focus my strength on my left leg this time. I limped over to the gothic styled gate and quickly outstreached my arm and snatched one of the two lanterns that hung from each side of the gate and wisped around just I time to see my living nightmare disperse into a pool of fog.


I slumped onto the two rocks, I had almost forgoten about my leg. I pulled my pant up to find a series of deep cuts, almost those of animal claws a long my calf. I reached in my coat pocket for my flask with my initials ‘A.D’ engraved on the cap. I twisted it off and squinted my eyes as the cold flask tipped over my wound. I winsted in pain, “There goes my last swig of whiskey.” I thought. I ripped my pant leg off that surrounded the wound and tied it around the cuts. I sat myself on the ground resting my eyes. “We came here for a reason Atticus.” Limping through the village gate I could see the small beige houses scattered amounst the village. They all looked the same except my house. The big red brick colored one. It looked as if no one had been in these houses in years. “Where is everyone?” I whispered to myself. I walked to my old house, the paint on the patio was chipped and it the floor creaked loudly adding to the creepiness. I stepped back and opended the door. My eyes shot open. I must have been dreaming…






Part two

“Mother!” I creid out. I don’t think she heard me. Does she even know I’m here? Lazely, she turned levatating to father’s studie. “Huh? What’s going on here?” I thought. Following her down was a pain. Everytime she turned a corner I would lose her for a second. Finally, we reached the study room, but when upon entering, she vanished. “Was there something she wanted me to see here?” Just as those words came from my mouth, some of father’s pictures caught my eye. They were of Mother… and other people… strapped to the metal table just like my dream. The fimiliar people, as well as mother… they were… cold dead. Each one of them had different body parts missing. What on earth was father planning? “There was no monster, no myth, it was father! But he loved mother… he would NEVER do this to her! No! I wont belive it!” I let out a loud cry and covered my mouth with my hand. I stood there frozen with tears running down my emotionless face. “Atticus, belive it so. Your father was a twisted man.” My tense shoulders relaxed “Mother…” Her baby blue dress was loose around her chest revealing bright red scars and stiches around her heart.
“Atticus there is something you must know, your father was obsessed with immortalization. He hated the way a humans beauty faded over long years. He kidnapped the locals here and removed potential parts of the cadavers for his expirement. Making a perfect human being.”

“Why did he kill you?” I said, “You loved each other no?” I had a confused look on my face.
“Indeed we did. At one point. After I sent you away he became more insane by the day. He said I took away his love… so he took away my heart.” A strain tear escaped her eye.
“That’s terrible… are you only one stuck here on earth?”
“No, there are others too. After he killed me, me and the other spiritsbanished him to the underworld. But he is becoming more powerful, and soon him and his army will escape. You have eto help us Atticus, please. He will kill again.” She looked sincerely worried on the thought of him escaping.
“OK mother. I’ll help you, just tell me what I need to do.”
“Take this,” she revealed a small bottle with blure liquid inside, “It’s what we call Angel’s Tears. It’s a myth that Angels only cry when a human is casted to hell. Brake the bottle on his chest, that should imprison him for good. Now getting to the Underworld s a different story. Simply walk through the portal I provide.” Upon speaking those words, she raised her almost clear hand and a swirling door appeared. On the dor, was a red hand print and in a strange language ‘GATEWAY TO THE UNDERWORLD. ONLY PURE EVIL MAY PASS AMONG THIS PORTAL’. Opening the door, hands shaking, a luminous light appeared, blinding me. Who knows what could be awaiting me ahead.


“Aaahhh… Atticus my boy. Glad for you to have joined me.” I put my hands down. It was my father, but his image had changed immensly. He had four horns sprouting from his forehead, one pair barley even visable and just sat in the shadow of the larger ones. His skin was a dark ivy color and his blood red eyes bugged from his skull. “I’ve come to stop you father!” I could feel persperation dripping from my forehead. This place was surrounded by fire and demonic creatures. “Is that so?”, he paused and put his hand on his chin to think. “I thought you came to join me, how dissapointing. I’m guessing your pitaful exuse of a mother convinsed you Im some kind of moster is that it?”
“Well…y-you ar-“
“Enough from you! Can’t you see the good in what I did? Do you want to grow old and hideous? Or become an immortal like me!” His loud thooming voice echoed and he threw this arms in the air. I was speechless. Do I dare talk back to such a powerful man?
“I am stopping you right here, right now. Your words cannot twist my actions. DIE BEAST!” I chucked the bottle at him. As it shatterd on this chest, no sound immited from him, not even a shout. Although I could have sworn I saw a tear strain from his face. “I’m sorry son… do forfive me.” He fell to his knees and a bright blue light carried him upward in a cage. My legs gave out. “Thank you Atticus,” said ominous voice, “We are free.”

I still have nightmares sometimes, but it always has a happy ending. Me, Mother, and Father as a happy family. I guess that’s why they say your dreams are a true utopia.



The end