Death Day
Chapter Two
The city was dark, but Noelle didn't care. She blended in. Thrived in it. Her clothes were darker than then night sky above her. Baggy black pants with chains and buckles on various spots, and a black tank top. If it wasn't for her pale skin and crazy hair, she would be invisible.
She walked carelessly down the road. Crime levels were low nowadays, anyways. When The Dying Rule was first discovered, people had been ecstatic. Stealing from any place they could without any fear of paying the ultimate consequence; Death. The city still had the remnants of the time etched on their building walls; crudely sprayed drawings and words. Things like, "IMMORTALITY" and "FREEDOM."
They didn't even consider the fact that the government could now put them away for the rest of their lives. That they could now do hard labor forever. And they also didn't realize that just because you couldn't die now, doesn't mean you couldn't die later.
Perhaps if they had known what they knew now, a lot more people would still be alive. Moms and dads would still be with their kids and brothers still with sisters. Noelle was glad that she was only a baby at the time. If she wasn't, God knows she wouldn't be here today.
Her parents had been reckless. Thoughtless, even. The idea that they could live without dying had gone to their heads. They no longer had to worry about their 5 year old daughter, or their 10 year old son. It's not like anything could happen to them, anyways. It just wasn't possible.
So, after a year of careless living, Halloween finally came along. Of course, nearly 11 year old Snow had wanted to go trick-or-treating with his friends. And as expected, the parents said yes. Snow was alone with his friends, prowling through the neighborhood looking for candy while Noelle was left home alone. Her parents had decided to go to a Halloween party to have some kid-free fun.
It wasn't that Noelle wasn't allowed to go out. She didn't want to. She was scared. Her parents had told her for a whole year that the world was safe. That she didn't have to worry anymore. But Noelle just couldn't comprehend how her parents could say the world was such a safe place after 5 years of telling her to be afraid of it. To not talk to strangers and not run with scissors. After The Dying Rule was discovered, if she wanted to do crafts her parents would expect her to run with the scissors. They let her talk to whoever she wanted and let her do whatever she wanted. But she still obeyed the rules her parents used to have. Friends of the family had called her a "scaredy cat" and odd because all of their children were taking full advantage of having no rules. Everyone thought it was great. But not Noelle.
She had stayed home all night curled up on the couch with her favorite kitten covered blanket watching old black and white films that she didn't understand on the television. Her parents had left it on and she didn't know how to change the channel to the one she usually watched.
It was very late before anyone got back. Noelle had managed to watch at least 3 movies, but she couldn't count any higher than that. Her mother and father had stumbled into the house, giggling profusely. They were so completely absorbed with each other that they did not even notice their little girl staring at them from the living room with wide, brown eyes. They had just continued up the stairs, slowly discarding each other's clothing along the way.
Not too long after her parents went upstairs, she could hear cries of pain that frightened her. There was someone in the house. The little girl ran faster than she ever had before-- Straight to her room that she shared with her brother. There was a little red trunk that she climbed inside and prayed to God that the bad guys didn't open.
As time went by, the noises stopped. Noelle pushed her little hand upwards to let herself out of her hiding spot and tiptoed up the stairs to her parents bedroom. Her parents snored heavily from underneath their blankets and the little girl let out a sigh of relief. Her parents were safe. There were no monsters in the house. With the newly found information, Noelle went back downstairs and went to bed. In the morning she would tell her brother everything that had happened that night.
When Noelle woke up, her brother wasn't there. He wasn't sprawled out in the little bed next to hers. Maybe he slept over at a friend's house. That was probably it. She climbed out of bed and headed to the living room, surprised to find her parents sitting at the table together. Usually they were gone when she woke up.
Her mother had a phone resting between her ear and shoulder and was laughing while rolling her eyes. "Do you really think we're scared?" she scoffed. "You can't do anything to him. There's no such thing as death."
Noelle looked at her father beside her who had his hands folded and resting on the table, as he too rolled his eyes. He had muttered something under his breath about idiots and something called negotiating.
"Look," her mother said. "Stop being a pu-" The older woman noticed her daughter in the room and smiled. Just because the rule of death no longer applied, didn't mean her children should grow up to have foul mouths. "Baby and give him back. We'll come and get him if that's what it takes. We are his rightful parents and have rights to him. Not you. You don't even know him."
There was another long pause before the dark haired woman let out a quick "Okay," and hung up the phone. She got out from the table, grabbed her jacket and then grabbed her keys. "Noelle, John. Let's go." And then we were in the car, driving to a destination unbeknownst to the young girl.
She walked carelessly down the road. Crime levels were low nowadays, anyways. When The Dying Rule was first discovered, people had been ecstatic. Stealing from any place they could without any fear of paying the ultimate consequence; Death. The city still had the remnants of the time etched on their building walls; crudely sprayed drawings and words. Things like, "IMMORTALITY" and "FREEDOM."
They didn't even consider the fact that the government could now put them away for the rest of their lives. That they could now do hard labor forever. And they also didn't realize that just because you couldn't die now, doesn't mean you couldn't die later.
Perhaps if they had known what they knew now, a lot more people would still be alive. Moms and dads would still be with their kids and brothers still with sisters. Noelle was glad that she was only a baby at the time. If she wasn't, God knows she wouldn't be here today.
Her parents had been reckless. Thoughtless, even. The idea that they could live without dying had gone to their heads. They no longer had to worry about their 5 year old daughter, or their 10 year old son. It's not like anything could happen to them, anyways. It just wasn't possible.
So, after a year of careless living, Halloween finally came along. Of course, nearly 11 year old Snow had wanted to go trick-or-treating with his friends. And as expected, the parents said yes. Snow was alone with his friends, prowling through the neighborhood looking for candy while Noelle was left home alone. Her parents had decided to go to a Halloween party to have some kid-free fun.
It wasn't that Noelle wasn't allowed to go out. She didn't want to. She was scared. Her parents had told her for a whole year that the world was safe. That she didn't have to worry anymore. But Noelle just couldn't comprehend how her parents could say the world was such a safe place after 5 years of telling her to be afraid of it. To not talk to strangers and not run with scissors. After The Dying Rule was discovered, if she wanted to do crafts her parents would expect her to run with the scissors. They let her talk to whoever she wanted and let her do whatever she wanted. But she still obeyed the rules her parents used to have. Friends of the family had called her a "scaredy cat" and odd because all of their children were taking full advantage of having no rules. Everyone thought it was great. But not Noelle.
She had stayed home all night curled up on the couch with her favorite kitten covered blanket watching old black and white films that she didn't understand on the television. Her parents had left it on and she didn't know how to change the channel to the one she usually watched.
It was very late before anyone got back. Noelle had managed to watch at least 3 movies, but she couldn't count any higher than that. Her mother and father had stumbled into the house, giggling profusely. They were so completely absorbed with each other that they did not even notice their little girl staring at them from the living room with wide, brown eyes. They had just continued up the stairs, slowly discarding each other's clothing along the way.
Not too long after her parents went upstairs, she could hear cries of pain that frightened her. There was someone in the house. The little girl ran faster than she ever had before-- Straight to her room that she shared with her brother. There was a little red trunk that she climbed inside and prayed to God that the bad guys didn't open.
As time went by, the noises stopped. Noelle pushed her little hand upwards to let herself out of her hiding spot and tiptoed up the stairs to her parents bedroom. Her parents snored heavily from underneath their blankets and the little girl let out a sigh of relief. Her parents were safe. There were no monsters in the house. With the newly found information, Noelle went back downstairs and went to bed. In the morning she would tell her brother everything that had happened that night.
When Noelle woke up, her brother wasn't there. He wasn't sprawled out in the little bed next to hers. Maybe he slept over at a friend's house. That was probably it. She climbed out of bed and headed to the living room, surprised to find her parents sitting at the table together. Usually they were gone when she woke up.
Her mother had a phone resting between her ear and shoulder and was laughing while rolling her eyes. "Do you really think we're scared?" she scoffed. "You can't do anything to him. There's no such thing as death."
Noelle looked at her father beside her who had his hands folded and resting on the table, as he too rolled his eyes. He had muttered something under his breath about idiots and something called negotiating.
"Look," her mother said. "Stop being a pu-" The older woman noticed her daughter in the room and smiled. Just because the rule of death no longer applied, didn't mean her children should grow up to have foul mouths. "Baby and give him back. We'll come and get him if that's what it takes. We are his rightful parents and have rights to him. Not you. You don't even know him."
There was another long pause before the dark haired woman let out a quick "Okay," and hung up the phone. She got out from the table, grabbed her jacket and then grabbed her keys. "Noelle, John. Let's go." And then we were in the car, driving to a destination unbeknownst to the young girl.