Choices [Dark End Version]

Choices . . .

By: Star

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I sat on a bench at the park and looked towards the sky resting my hand on my head. The sky was dark and gloomy, I watched as clouds formed and changed. It was like watching a war in the heavens. The few remaining white clouds were all being overtaken by the growing gray clouds who turned black after a while. I sat there and felt a wet spot on my face. I thought I was crying, but it was just a raindrop. It was drizzling, tiny water droplets splashing onto my crestfallen face. I got up and staggered around a bit before slumping against a tree. I used it for support to keep myself from falling, for I knew that if I fell now, I would never get up. I knew that if I fell now, I would never get to see the rain again.

It was raining now. I could hear the “Drip drip drip” sound of the water falling off my face onto the ground. I watched the road as cars went by. The clouds were all pitch black now and stretched like that as far as my eyes could see. I turned to the park, this park in which I have so many fond memories of. I slowly staggered to the swing set where I sat down and rocked gently back and forth ignoring the wind that threw the rain in every direction. I remembered what it was like to be young as I sat on the swing set, remembering what it was to have friends and family, remember what it was like to not be alone.

It was late now, probably midnight. I could only see as far out as my eyes could see in the dark. It was still raining but the wind died down. I could hear it. The snapping of twigs, the crunching of leaves. I had seen the coyotes earlier, and I can even see them now. I knew what they were waiting for. They were waiting for me to fall over and die, and if they wait long enough, that will happen, but I won’t go down without a fight, I never do. I never let things be easy for others if it’s at my own expense, even for a good reason. The coyotes come now, a whole pack out of the woods, and even though it may be pitch black, I can see the hunger in their eyes.

They approach. There are at least a dozen, hungry coyotes. I also get up. I walk forward and they stop unsure of what to do. One of them growls at me baring their teeth and the others follow along in example. I waver a bit but continue to walk forward. They start to back up but stop when they see my stagger, and as if sensing my bluff, they all came running forward. I could have stood there, I could have let it be all over. . . I could have. . . If I had done a lot of things differently in my life, then maybe I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Maybe I could have been with others who care for me like I cared for them. . .

The first one was already on top of me and lunged at me. I held my arms up covering my face as I was thrown backwards off my feet and onto the ground.. I felt them biting me all over my body and anger filled me. I got up and threw the one biting me in my arm to the ground. I kicked all the other ones away. They had me encircled now and wouldn’t go away since the blood from my bleeding wrist was so enticing to them.

Another one launched at me and bit the back of my leg. I yelled, and when it let go I turned and kicked it right under its jaw and it fell to the ground. It was about to get away but I was already on top of it stomping on its face with my foot until I heard the satisfying crunch of it’s skull under my shoe. I looked at the other ones who were baring their teeth at me. “Who's next!?”

They were shaking now in their hind legs. They wanted to run, I could feel it! But they were also starving and knew that I was injured enough and I would go down given enough time, and I knew this too. So when they all looked ready to pounce, I ran forward and vaulted over the nearest one and ran towards the park. I could hear the growling at my heels as they gave chase. I had to be careful, they were longer than me but shorter. I was taller than them but not as long. I had to play this right or I would surely die.

I ran up the stairs of the equipment not bothering to look back and I continued to climb higher till I was at the top. I looked down. They had it surrounded and some of them were coming up the stair careful of where they put their paws or they would get them stuck in the holes in the floor. I ran to the slide and hopped over the side and landed on one of coyotes, and even though I enjoyed the sound of it’s legs cracking from under my weight, I landed wrong on my ankle and didn’t like the sound it made. I got up and ran while limping to the nearest tree, and with the pain from my throbbing ankle, I climbed it. I was feeling weak from the backlash of the adrenaline and only managed to climb to the lowest branch that was big enough to support me. I sat there straddling the branch resting my back against the trunk and looked down. The tree was surrounded by the remaining 10 coyotes and I wondered. “How am I going to get out of this one?”

“Why?” whispered a voice into my ear that made me jump. I practically jumped straight off the branch and fell forward on my chest falling on the branch, my arms wrapped around it. “Who… What..?” I stuttered spitting out the water in my mouth. It was pouring now. “Why not?” I heard the whisper again.
“Why do this? Why do this to yourself? Why not let go? Why are you still trying?” I took a breath my voice shaking. “Because I want to liv-”. “No you don’t. Don’t lie. You want to disappear, you just don’t want to disappear this way, yet you also do. You want to disappear doing something. You want people to remember you, yet you also want to disappear as nothing. You want to disappear with no one to remember you.” I couldn’t say an word as I just sat there. I heard nothing, saw nothing, my vision was dark.

“Yes. Just like that, get up, now walk forward.” I got up standing on the branch. There was no pain, no feeling, and like a puppet, I walked forward. “Yes, yes, do you see it now?” I did. I saw the path. No was no rain, no sunlight, no trees, no nothing. But there was one thing. I saw my house, my family, my friends. I saw my life. The path took a turn going straight down. I looked at them down there, I saw them stretching out their hands for me, beckoning me forward. “What are you waiting for? Go.” I took the step forward. “Now Fall.” And I fell.

The End.