Fiction Friday

I first saw them in the evening light. He was boyishly handsome with dark curly hair and dimples. The woman at his side was pretty as well. She had long straight black hair and high cheekbones, a descendant of this country's natives perhaps. I rushed to the hall as they entered the house. Then paced nervously as the toured the downstairs. Finally they ascended the staircase and I was able to get a closer look. He was at least six feet tall maybe a bit more. She was about a foot shorter and I looked straight into her soft brown eyes. She was smaller than the last three women to come here, but younger. I hoped her body would be strong enough.

I rushed towards her using all my force to propel her backwards down the stairs. I dimly recall hearing the man yell her name. She landed at the bottom on her side. I kneeled next to her, she was still breathing, but barely. The man joined us and rolled her to her back. There was only a small amount of blood on her temple. That was good, the other three had bled so much their bodies could not last. He had a phone with him and he called for help.

Finally her spirit left her body. The man cried out again and began pressing on her chest. The others hadn't done that, perhaps it would make a difference. Her spirit looked away from the living couple and looked at me. "Who are you?"

"I am your guide. It is your time to leave this place. Do you see a light?"

"Yes, but I don't want to leave Bryan!" She began crying.

"It is your time. You must hurry before the light fades."

She hesitated a second longer then gasped "I see my grandmother." She was looking somewhere behind me, I couldn't see who she spoke of or the light. "Go to her, quickly!"

As she passed me she thanked me. I felt a twinge of guilt then. I was no guide, but I did know if she didn't hurry the light would fade. I knew the long dark years of loneliness here when nobody can see you.

The man was still pressing on her chest and breathing into her. As I entered her body I felt a moment of pain, then darkness.

There were voices and something beeping. The light was so bright it took a moment for me to focus. The man from the house talking with another man in a white coat. He looked like a doctor. I tried to sit up, but the pain in my head prevented it. I must have made some sound because they both looked over at me.

"Anna, you're awake!" He looked different here in this brighter world. The doctor checked me and began asking me questions. I couldn't answer them truthfully, so I simply feigned ignorance.

I was beginning to grow used to the man called Bryan. He looked so worried and it was my fault. "I'm sorry, please don't be mad."

"It's alright darling, but I need to talk to the doctor now." They left the room and a nurse came in. Everyone was so nice to me at the hospital, I could tell they felt sorry for me.

Over the next few months it was all explained to me. Bryan was my husband, we had only been married a year. He was so kind and eventually didn't even ask about what he first called my personality changes. But then I know how to please a husband. I did it for four years before my last husband finally pushed me too hard and I ended up at the bottom of that same staircase Anna died on. Bryan is kind and gentle. Loving and taking care of him will be no problem. He even confessed last night how happy he is that I have decided I want children after all. Anna didn't know how good she had it.