A Man in Black

A man walked up to me the other day, and asked a question. "What are you doing here?" I was just sitting there on the empty bench waiting for the bus. I looked up to see the man, the blazing hot sun shining down on me. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and wore a dark fedora atop his obviously bald head. A faint smile ran across his deathly pale face. I just stared back at him blankly. Before I could answer his question he continued with, "Excuse me, you should be at a hospital, it would seem you're bleeding." I returned my sight back down to the ground and cocked my head first to the right and next to the left.

"Are you sure, you look rather pale." I just kept my head low, and kept my face away from his vision. "Well, if you don't want go then the least I can do is help," He extended a leather gloved hand towards me. I simply smacked his hand out of the way. I didn't hear a gasp of surprise or any flinching movement, but instead just heard him retracting his arm slowly. The silk fabric that created the clothes he wore made a subtle euphony. The empty sidewalks around me howled as a small gust of wind blew by and the stilted dust littering the utterly quiet streets fluttered into the air.

After that moment the man questioned once more, "Why are you here?" My hands gripped into my leggings tightly, the red liquid staining them. "I... I don't know," I finally responded. I looked back up at the man as the sun blinded me. His muffled smile still keeping his devious appearance intact. "You don't know? Well then why do you stay?" I let my head way my vision back to the golden yellow ground once more as I replied woefully with, "I don't know." The man's dim smile was unwavering.

He released a long, stressful sigh and took a seat on the other side of the empty bench. I took my sight away from his and let the undying silence sink in. The utter muteness seemed to last forever when he finally began to end the conversation with, "Are you sure that you are one hundred percent unsure?" I nodded my head up and down slightly. "And you know that there are people watching, correct? It's not just you and I. This place isn't the reality you know," He told me. I nodded my head once more. "Then I will stay and see this through to the end." The speaking cut there. I shut my eyes and took one more moment to let everything that just happened sink in.

I remembered that moment. It was only minutes ago. I walked into the house and watched as they began to kiss and embrace. The door was only slightly open as I stalked their every movement. There was a gun leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. A hunting rifle. I checked once more to make sure I had the necessary amount of ammunition in my cold, steel revolver.

I opened up the chamber, which made a small click that made them both stop in their tracks. I froze in place, staying as quiet as possible. Once they began to get back to what they were doing, I looked at the three bullets that were inserted in the gun. It was the perfect amount. One for the man that stole her, one for the woman that left me, and one for myself. I shut the chamber tight and smashed open the door, lifting my gun into the dust filled air with trembling hands.

A cold sweat ran down my face as the man shoved the woman out of the way and ran for the rifle in the corner. I tried to shoot, but I found myself unable to do it. I froze, fazed and wondering what the hell I was doing. As the man picked up the rifle and aimed it at me, my adrenaline kicked into gear and my fingers ran for the revolver's trigger. I pulled my finger down hard and heard a deafening bang ring through my ears, and felt a surge of unbearable pain run through me.

I saw the man fall to the ground with a thud and watched the woman run to his aid. As she tended his wounds, I stared down at my own, where I'd been shot. Blood began to drench my entire body. I covered my wound with one hand as tears started to roll down my cheeks. I pointed the barrel of the gun at the woman's head, and pulled the trigger once more. The bang was less surprising that time, but I found myself bawling at what I'd done. I couldn't wait there though, so I headed away from the house. As I walked out into the empty streets, crying without relent people stared at my blood drenched torso. I ignored all of them and pressed on. Children, mothers, fathers and all types of family members stared at me intently. Next thing I remembered, I was sitting at an unrealistically empty bus stop, looking at the gorgeous bright orange that shelled the streets as the sun set.

I opened my sleepless eyes and stared up into the cloudless sky. The emotionless affect on my face didn't detract from the fear in my eyes as I lifted the gun and shoved the barrel into my mouth. I shut my eyes and was about to pull the trigger, when I heard rattling voices about. I opened my eyes to find myself in the middle of a crowd of people all begging me not to do it. Telling me not to pull the trigger and to think about what I loved in life.

It was a lame attempt by the man in black to stop me. As I looked around, I saw the man tip his fedora my way while he began to turn his back. He brought me back to reality, but reality was what caused this. I blocked out all my surroundings and let the numbness of death consume me.