The Ribbon
The Ribbon
That was it, the deed was done now; he reminded himself as he walked down the alley. A few raindrops started to patter on the cobble stone bellow. Other then that and the sound of his footsteps, the world was silent. The silence was crushing him, slowly eating away at him from the inside out. "How much longer do I have to do this?" He groaned, walking a little quicker.
'Forever, you must never stop doing my work.' Anger rushed through his blood, making his heart pound harder. The little bag in his hand was shaking with each beat, reminding him that it was there. It seemed to get heavier and heavier with each step he took. The world started spinning and breathing became impossible. "I can't do this forever, damn you!" He screamed as he fell to his knees.
'You haven't a choice you fool! This is your destiny, you must avenge her!' The rain was coming down harder now, pattering more consistently off the ground. He couldn't get up, he couldn't move on. He shut his eyes, letting his mind travel to a better place.
"Ring around the rosy..." The children at the park danced around, singing their childish song. He just sat there, on the bench, reading his newspaper. "Daddy, will you push me on the swing?" He looked up at his beautiful daughter. "Not right now, in a few minutes." She looked hurt, then ran over to swing alone. He didn't think anything of it. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, the caller ID informed him it was his job. "Hello? No, I told you to switch that to Sunday." The singing grew louder, and he got up to move to a quieter area. "Daddy, where are you going?!" He ignored his daughter, walking away from the park, away from her. "Daddy!" Her screams grew louder, and he covered one ear so he could hear his employee better. "I'm sorry Seth, I'm with Sarah at the park." He explained, listening to what was going on. "I'll be there in an hour." He flipped his phone shut and turned around. Sarah wasn't on the swing anymore. He scanned the crowds of children for her, failing to see her long blond hair. "Sarah?" He called, jogged over to the swing.
Her lonely pink ribbon sat in the sand below the swing. Sarah was gone.
"I only looked away for a minute!" He screamed, looking up into the dark night sky. The rain continued to fall on him, washing away the blood on his face. Washing away his many sins of his lifetime; but not cleansing him of them. He'd never really be clean again. 'That's all it took. Now get up and do what you have to do you pathetic shit.'
He flinched and dug in his pocket, his fingers wrapping around a long piece of soft velvet. He pulled the little pink ribbon out of his pocket and brought it to his face. The soft fabric felt like Sarah's hair. He held it for a minute, finding the strength to get up again. Stuffing the ribbon back into his pocket, he struggled to his feet. 'You must work quickly and get rid of the evidence.' He started running then, full on sprinting through the rain. The heart in the bag sloshed around with each leap he took.
Reaching his apartment building, he went right inside. He never bothered to lock his door anymore. He didn't turn on the lights as he went right to the kitchen. Thunder crashed outside the window over the oven. He put a pan on the stove and turned it on. "Please don't make me do this," he begged quietly, knowing already what the answer was going to be. 'Shut up, you know what has to be done!' He turned the bag upside down over the pan, and the human heart plopped in. It sizzled and crackled as he broke it into pieces.
He couldn't stop his broken sobs from escaping him, even as the voice in his head called him weak. He knew he was weak, and he knew he was a failure. Now he was just trying to make up for it. Blocking out the invisible voice, he grabbed a fork. Right out of the pan, he stuck a piece on. "I'm sorry, Sarah."
He ate it.
'Forever, you must never stop doing my work.' Anger rushed through his blood, making his heart pound harder. The little bag in his hand was shaking with each beat, reminding him that it was there. It seemed to get heavier and heavier with each step he took. The world started spinning and breathing became impossible. "I can't do this forever, damn you!" He screamed as he fell to his knees.
'You haven't a choice you fool! This is your destiny, you must avenge her!' The rain was coming down harder now, pattering more consistently off the ground. He couldn't get up, he couldn't move on. He shut his eyes, letting his mind travel to a better place.
"Ring around the rosy..." The children at the park danced around, singing their childish song. He just sat there, on the bench, reading his newspaper. "Daddy, will you push me on the swing?" He looked up at his beautiful daughter. "Not right now, in a few minutes." She looked hurt, then ran over to swing alone. He didn't think anything of it. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, the caller ID informed him it was his job. "Hello? No, I told you to switch that to Sunday." The singing grew louder, and he got up to move to a quieter area. "Daddy, where are you going?!" He ignored his daughter, walking away from the park, away from her. "Daddy!" Her screams grew louder, and he covered one ear so he could hear his employee better. "I'm sorry Seth, I'm with Sarah at the park." He explained, listening to what was going on. "I'll be there in an hour." He flipped his phone shut and turned around. Sarah wasn't on the swing anymore. He scanned the crowds of children for her, failing to see her long blond hair. "Sarah?" He called, jogged over to the swing.
Her lonely pink ribbon sat in the sand below the swing. Sarah was gone.
"I only looked away for a minute!" He screamed, looking up into the dark night sky. The rain continued to fall on him, washing away the blood on his face. Washing away his many sins of his lifetime; but not cleansing him of them. He'd never really be clean again. 'That's all it took. Now get up and do what you have to do you pathetic shit.'
He flinched and dug in his pocket, his fingers wrapping around a long piece of soft velvet. He pulled the little pink ribbon out of his pocket and brought it to his face. The soft fabric felt like Sarah's hair. He held it for a minute, finding the strength to get up again. Stuffing the ribbon back into his pocket, he struggled to his feet. 'You must work quickly and get rid of the evidence.' He started running then, full on sprinting through the rain. The heart in the bag sloshed around with each leap he took.
Reaching his apartment building, he went right inside. He never bothered to lock his door anymore. He didn't turn on the lights as he went right to the kitchen. Thunder crashed outside the window over the oven. He put a pan on the stove and turned it on. "Please don't make me do this," he begged quietly, knowing already what the answer was going to be. 'Shut up, you know what has to be done!' He turned the bag upside down over the pan, and the human heart plopped in. It sizzled and crackled as he broke it into pieces.
He couldn't stop his broken sobs from escaping him, even as the voice in his head called him weak. He knew he was weak, and he knew he was a failure. Now he was just trying to make up for it. Blocking out the invisible voice, he grabbed a fork. Right out of the pan, he stuck a piece on. "I'm sorry, Sarah."
He ate it.