The Crossroads
Time
She stepped out of her car, her long tan legs followed by a pair of jean shorts and then a plain white shirt with a purple and pink floral scarf elegantly wrapped around her long neck. She pulled off her sunglasses, placing them neatly in her bag as she walked to her dorm.
She could feel people’s eyes on her as she made her way across the pavement. She was used to it by now, for years she had been the apple of everyone’s eye, ever since she was nine years old.
As she glided through the hallways of her dorm, high on the feel of her popularity, she tried to forget the kiss that brought all this. It was nearly time now, less than a year surely, soon she would have to hold up her side of the bargain. Most days she could forget about the kiss, but this year it had been impossible for her to overlook that one day …
It was dark at the crossroads – it was nearly one in the morning. Tears were still gently falling as she placed her picture into the box. It was truly an awful picture. She had her oversized, thick rimmed glasses on and her wide smile displayed her brightly colored braces.
She could still feel the sting of being the only girl in the grade not invited to Samantha’s birthday party. The pain of that memory gave her the strength to bury the box at the crossroads.
The very next day after the deal, her hair fell into perfect place as she woke up, her dentist called, saying it was time for her braces to be removed, and she found she no longer needed her glasses to see perfectly. Samantha even apologized to her, saying her invite must have been lost in the mail and that they would just hang out that day to make it up. Everything fell into placed after that, and she quickly became the most popular girl in school.
She always tried to avoid thinking about that day on the crossroads, but when finals began at college, she began to see his red eyes again. At first, she believed it was just the stress, but they followed her everywhere and she realized the time was running out on her deal.
She was walking form the library to her dorm when she heard his footsteps behind her. She didn’t dare look back, but she was sure it was him; she would always remember those quick, light steps that gave her a new life and were now here to take it all away.
His footsteps weren’t alone following her. Matched with him she could hear two pairs of heavy feet landing softly on the ground accompanied by the clack of claws on pavement.
Her heart pounded as she began to run.
“It’s time” she heard him say as she wrenched open the door to her dorm and raced through the hallway.
Her fear was tangible as she ran to the stairs; you could hear her pulse beating throughout her body and her ears became filled with the sound.
Thump
The sound of her heart was so loud she was sure everyone could hear it, but no one came into the stairwell.
Flight after flight of stairs flew past her as she was pursued higher and higher.
Thump
You were sure her heart was going to explode, her fear causing it to beat at an extraordinary rate. This was not a poised and popular girl; this was a creature fleeing for its life.
Thump
She had reached the roof, trapping herself between two certain deaths. She turned back to the stairs as she retreated toward the edge of the roof.
Thump
He was standing there with a smile on his handsome face. His black hair was slicked back ad his red eyes glowed with pleasure.
Thump
You heard the hellhounds’ heavy breathing on either side of him; invisible, but so frightening that you could see tremors of fear shaking her thin frame.
Thump
As he moved nearer, she stepped back, closer to the edge. Her calf bumped the ledge and she stole a look downward.
Thump
“This ends on my terms” she whispered as she jumped over the edge.
Thump
Her boy hit the ground.
“Fool” he said as he leaned over the ledge, a smile still on his face, “this ends on the terms of the contract.”
“Tragedy befalls this university today. A college first year fell off of her dorm roof to her death” the female anchor reported as she stood in front of the dorm, “Friends and family say that this poor young woman was well liked by everyone and loved college. The police have not ruled out foul play, but this death looks like a suicide. This of course begs the question, why would such popular, well-adjusted young girl kill herself? We may never know.”
She could feel people’s eyes on her as she made her way across the pavement. She was used to it by now, for years she had been the apple of everyone’s eye, ever since she was nine years old.
As she glided through the hallways of her dorm, high on the feel of her popularity, she tried to forget the kiss that brought all this. It was nearly time now, less than a year surely, soon she would have to hold up her side of the bargain. Most days she could forget about the kiss, but this year it had been impossible for her to overlook that one day …
It was dark at the crossroads – it was nearly one in the morning. Tears were still gently falling as she placed her picture into the box. It was truly an awful picture. She had her oversized, thick rimmed glasses on and her wide smile displayed her brightly colored braces.
She could still feel the sting of being the only girl in the grade not invited to Samantha’s birthday party. The pain of that memory gave her the strength to bury the box at the crossroads.
The very next day after the deal, her hair fell into perfect place as she woke up, her dentist called, saying it was time for her braces to be removed, and she found she no longer needed her glasses to see perfectly. Samantha even apologized to her, saying her invite must have been lost in the mail and that they would just hang out that day to make it up. Everything fell into placed after that, and she quickly became the most popular girl in school.
She always tried to avoid thinking about that day on the crossroads, but when finals began at college, she began to see his red eyes again. At first, she believed it was just the stress, but they followed her everywhere and she realized the time was running out on her deal.
She was walking form the library to her dorm when she heard his footsteps behind her. She didn’t dare look back, but she was sure it was him; she would always remember those quick, light steps that gave her a new life and were now here to take it all away.
His footsteps weren’t alone following her. Matched with him she could hear two pairs of heavy feet landing softly on the ground accompanied by the clack of claws on pavement.
Her heart pounded as she began to run.
“It’s time” she heard him say as she wrenched open the door to her dorm and raced through the hallway.
Her fear was tangible as she ran to the stairs; you could hear her pulse beating throughout her body and her ears became filled with the sound.
Thump
The sound of her heart was so loud she was sure everyone could hear it, but no one came into the stairwell.
Flight after flight of stairs flew past her as she was pursued higher and higher.
Thump
You were sure her heart was going to explode, her fear causing it to beat at an extraordinary rate. This was not a poised and popular girl; this was a creature fleeing for its life.
Thump
She had reached the roof, trapping herself between two certain deaths. She turned back to the stairs as she retreated toward the edge of the roof.
Thump
He was standing there with a smile on his handsome face. His black hair was slicked back ad his red eyes glowed with pleasure.
Thump
You heard the hellhounds’ heavy breathing on either side of him; invisible, but so frightening that you could see tremors of fear shaking her thin frame.
Thump
As he moved nearer, she stepped back, closer to the edge. Her calf bumped the ledge and she stole a look downward.
Thump
“This ends on my terms” she whispered as she jumped over the edge.
Thump
Her boy hit the ground.
“Fool” he said as he leaned over the ledge, a smile still on his face, “this ends on the terms of the contract.”
______________
“Tragedy befalls this university today. A college first year fell off of her dorm roof to her death” the female anchor reported as she stood in front of the dorm, “Friends and family say that this poor young woman was well liked by everyone and loved college. The police have not ruled out foul play, but this death looks like a suicide. This of course begs the question, why would such popular, well-adjusted young girl kill herself? We may never know.”