✁Day Zero- October 31st, 2018. Earth.
✄Pandora
I stare around at my surroundings, taking them in for the last time.
The walls are pilled together by cedarwood, how a cabin should be. The only downside to this cabin is that it’s a studio. The bedroom and kitchen are tucked snuggly in opposite corners. From where I sit in the middle of the area, the bedroom rests on my right side and the kitchen on the left side.
We rented this place just for tonight so that I could get dressed for my wedding. I never thought I’d be getting married, much less to my boyfriend from my last year in school. We got together seven years ago, when I was eighteen, and got engaged three years ago.
It was sweet; how he proposed.
I went to school to become a pastry chef as soon as I could. I ended up getting my degree three years ago, right before he proposed. So when he suggested on the day of my graduation we go out to eat, I wasn’t the least bit curious- until he made me blindfold myself while in the car. That’s when my curiosity sank in.
When we finally reached the place he had planned, I heard some shuffling and a door open as a bell dinged our arrival. He told me to remove my blindfold, and as soon as I did, the sight melted my heart.
Kneeled below me, down on one knee, was James Richmond. He wore a black suit and tie from my ceremony, his dirty blonde hair was spiked effortlessly, and green eyes glimmered in the building’s light. In his right hand, he held a black felt ring box with the lid propped open as a shimmering, radiant diamond ring snuggly inside the ring cushion.
James asked me if I would marry him and accept the small building we were in as a wedding gift: a place to start my pastry business. I tried to turn it down, but he insisted on it. After all, he got promoted to CEO when his father passed away, so he could afford it.
That very pasty store is where I met my current best friend and bridesmaid, Ava Montgomery. I feel as smile perk at the corner of my lips at the memory.
“Ouch! Shit that hurt!” I screech as I jump slightly, still in my standing position, as a small pinch tingles on my thigh. I glare down at the tan plump female crouching below me, who has a few black safety pins sticking out of her mouth.
Removing her working hands from my coarse black dress, she holds her left palm out and drops the pins into her hand. Effortlessly with one head movement, she swoops her straight hot pink hair back behind her left shoulder. ”Well, if you’d stop moving, I wouldn’t have stuck you,” she says, scowling at me as she meets my eyes, her greenish-brown eyes flashing with amusement.
"Avaaaa,” I groan, switching the weight relieving some stress from my toes in the high heel shoes. I’ve been standing here on this hardwood floor for what seems like hours, but in reality, I’ve been here for nearly one.
“Don’t Ava me,” she growls in irritation. “I am a pastry chef, say it with me: pay-es-tree!” She howls in laugher as she stands upright from her crouching position, making her a solid average height. “It doesn’t mean I can decorate your body. I do well to dress my own body,” she states, motioning to her plain outfit of a solid black hoodie and sweat pants.
I point over to a floor mirror tucked away beside the bed. Its dark wooden frame lifts it off the floor a few inches. “Drag the mirror over here- let me have a looksie,” I suggest.
With a sassy look and a hand placed firmly on her left hip, she stares into my eyes. “Do I look like your maid, woman?” Her sassy attitude coming through full force.
“Yea, a bridesmaid that gets free wedding food, so get your thick ass over there and bring the damn mirror,” I groan impatiently, playfulness clear in my voice.
Ava’s face falls flat as she removes her hand from her hip. “You know, you’re right for once. Ain’t nothing standing between me and a free stake,” she sings, walking over and starts dragging the mirror back. The loud screech of it grinding against the wooden floor rings through the air until it’s placed in front of me.
“Thank you, your highness,” I chuckle as I pretend to bow facing her, who now stands to the left of the mirror.
Ava bows back. “Of course,” she says elegantly, almost like a snob. “Now look at yo damn dress and see if I need to fix it,” she hisses impatiently.
“Okay, okay. Calm yourself, tiger,” I say as I move my hands in a calming manner.
Staring at my reflection, I wonder if this dress was the best idea.
My long blue-black hair, thanks to a dye kit, reaches right below my ass. I’m roughly 165 centimeters, so it’s a lot of hair. Hair that I offered to have put up on the wedding day, but James said he liked it down. My bright amber eyes are striking and sometimes off-putting to strangers. My pale skin refuses to tan in the sunlight, thanks to my Irish background, so my dress makes me appear like a gothic princess.
The dress is strapless and made of luxurious silk. It ripples at the long edges that drag the ground, it’s hard to believe that Ava tacked them up as far as she could without it looking trashy. Loose black silk drapes around my midsection, from my left side, and flows down into the waterfall of fabric.
“The dress is beautiful, Ava, but do you think it looks okay on me?” I ask, concern lacing my words.
“It’s beautiful on you, Pandora-”
Ba-Bam! The wooden door to the cabin slams wide open, cutting Ava off midsentence. I jump slightly and twirl around in confusion. No one else should be here.
An average height female stands in the doorway, disheveled and hysterically crying. Her bright red hair is curled in ringlets stopping right below her full breasts. “Pandy, I tried reaching you, but you wouldn’t answer,” she bawls as she rushes forward and stands right in front of me, her large flower cased phone in her left hand.
“Isabella?” I ask in disbelief. She isn’t supposed to be here, I met her shortly after graduating high school, and we quickly became best friends. However, she was studying overseas to get her medical license and wasn’t supposed to be able to come to my wedding. Which I understood, we all went our ways while chasing our dreams.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Isabella questions me, looking dead into my eyes. Her dark chocolate eyes filled red with tears.
I gently play with the ends of my hair, blushing. “James threw me into the river yesterday, and my phone was in my pocket. He jumped in after and his phone was in his pocket as well. Both of them are fried, so we’re going to get new ones after the honeymoon,” I whisper.
“Just his luck,” she spits, “I bet he did it on purpose.”
On purpose? Of course not. James has been nothing but loving to me these few years. Sure, we’ve had our bumps in the road, like the time that he had that stalker- but we got through them. It was a genuine horseplaying moment for us. We had gone for an early birthday picnic by the river running behind our house, and he tossed me in as a joke.
“He wouldn’t-”
“Ah-ah-ah!” She hisses interrupting me, shoving her phone in my face, “then why would he send me this shit? I took screenshots of them so you would believe me. As your best friend, I couldn’t let you go through with this beast.”
Words and reason escape my brain as I read the messages between them on PicChat. A messaging app where you can text and send pictures, and they be deleted after so long of talking.
‘Hey, you up?’ James’s blue bubble floats at the top of the conversation, time-stamped as ten in the morning, October 29th: two days ago. Sure enough, during that time I would’ve been at the pastry shop.
′Yea, who is this?′ Isabella’s pink bubble dances beneath his.
‘James, Pandora’s fiance.’
‘Oh. Congratulations.’
‘Not really. I don’t want to be with her.’ I could feel as my heart dropped, it started racing faster as a lump rose in my throat. My back burning out of fear, betrayal, and sickness.
‘Wtf you doing with her then?’ Isabella sent with three angry face emojis.
‘Easy sex, I guess. Would you consider a night of fun?’
‘You’re almost married!’
‘So! You think that matters?’ My heart shattered reading that message from him, he’s willing to try and cheat on me with my best friend?
′I’m telling her to dump your ass.′
‘Do it! She won’t get them anyway.’ He sent with two shrugging emojis.
I stare blankly at the phone, tears burning as they surface from my eyes. It’s true. Maybe he did do it on purpose. I can feel the intense frown on my face as my bottom lip quivers at the heartbreak. “Thank you-ou,” I squeak between sobs. I wail in desperation as anger begins to fill my body.
Maybe it isn’t true? Maybe it was someone else? He would never do that to me. Regret and doubt forming in my chest, I race out of the cabin and into the clearing. We decided to have the wedding as the sun was going down in a forest because it seemed so romantic.
Romantic my ass!
“James!” I shout as I march my way over to him, my dress dragging behind me. No doubt gathering leaves and other fall debris.
“Pandora? What are you doing out here?” He questions, as he turns around to face me. As soon as his eyes land on me concern crosses his face. “You know it’s bad luck for the groom to see his bride in the dress before the wedding!”
“What the fuck is this?” I shout, holding the phone on the air as I nearly reach him.
Raising his eyebrow his expression still concerned. “A phone?”
“No, what’s on the phone,” I hiss slamming the phone into his hands, still crying.
He holds the phone by his side as he reaches his right arm out toward me. Instantly I jerk away causing his facial expressions to fall into a sour frown. “Why are you crying, Bunny?” He questions, using my pet name he gave me.
I shake my head and sniffle sending mucus rocketing down my throat. God, I hate crying. “Just look at the phone,” I say no more than a whisper.
“Alriiight,” he groans pulling the phone up toward his face. My heart leaps as I wait for him to read the so-called messages between them. “Bunny, this isn’t me,” he states honestly.
“Then who is it?” I question throwing my hands in the air.
“I dunno, but I know it isn’t me. Someone is setting me up or your friend is lying to you,” he states smoothly.
“How, when I have the proof right there- in a screenshot!” I howl in anguish, my heart breaking further with his lying.
“Pictures can be edited, Pandora!” He rebuttals, slightly raising his voice, but not as much as I am.
I turn my head and look down at my feet, fiddling with my engagement ring. “I don’t believe you,” I whisper.
“Then don’t believe me then, because I know what I’ve done and haven’t. I most definitely haven’t tried to cheat on you with that skank you call a best friend!” Hurt laces his voice, and for a moment I almost believe him.
I want to, but the proof is right there: in his hands.
“Take this back, I know it doesn’t matter to you!” I scream as I quickly slide the piece of metal off my finger and fling it at his chest.
Quickly I bolt into the forest, tears streaming endlessly down my face. Without warning, a flash of light bolts across the darkening sky as thunder rumbles right behind it. Rain starts to pour endlessly down, crashing against the hard parched ground.
Trees woosh past me as I sprint deeper into the heart of the forest. Broken tree limbs scatter the grassy terrain, as roots peak out of the ground, creating a hazardous track. I slow my pace, my feet screaming in agony from sprinting in heels. A fallen tree sits in the clearing, quickly I make my way over and plop my tired ass down to breathe.
I place my head in my hands, my thoughts rushing.
I could go back and continue with the wedding and risk it- that is if he even still wants one. Yet, he could be lying, and I will never trust him again. Is that even a relationship in the end?
I don’t think it is. . .
I groan loudly, collecting my thoughts as the thunder and lightning continue to boom loudly. My body drenched from the downpour, and the cold chill of October bites at my bones, causing me to tremble as I hold myself tight.
Snap! Sna- A loud snapping noise cracks through the air in between the thunder, almost like a twig breaking against a crushing blow. I twirl around looking into the now dark abyss behind me, still holding myself tightly as I quiver.
“Hello?” I question the darkness. It’s a public area, and a few other cabins are further out than the one I was getting ready in, so it’d make sense if someone else was out there.
Caaaw! A loud sharp gurgled caw bleats from a bird’s throat, answering my question. The creature is almost hard to see as it hops around on the ground, its slick black wings and large beak lead me to believe it’s a raven. Although. . . there’s something off about the bird: its eyes glow a bright blood red.
Caw! It screams again, flapping its large wings in a warning manner, sending chills down my spine. I jump as it springs into the air and begins to circle the late-night sky above me.
Sna-aap! Another loud twig breaking sounds shoots through the air and kisses my ears. With a quick jolt, I jump to my feet, fear burning my backside. I don’t exactly know where I am in the forest, but the noise keeps coming from the direction I came. So maybe if I go diagonally back, I can get out of this creepy forest.
With my mind set, I briskly start walking toward the direction I chose. If I’m forced to run I don’t know how far I’ll make it since my feet still sting in anger. I could remove my shoes, but with all the twigs and other debris littering the floor, I like my chances with shoes better.
Snap! Loud crips crack sends chills up my spine, that sound was uncomfortably close. I peek over my right shoulder as dread rushes through my body.
An average looking silhouette towers behind me, not sure exactly how tall or fit they are. Their body covered from head to toe in a solid black hoodie, sweat pants, black gloves, and their face covered with a black ski mask. Not even their eyes shimmer in the darkness.
“Ru-u-un!” A loud garbled voice calls from above me sending fear jolting through my body even more: the raven.
Boom, shkt! The thunder rumbles as a large blast of light illuminates the area around me. A glistening silver catches my eye in their left hand. A knife! A very large one at that, almost like something a serial killer would carry- wait a minute. Dread rushes through me at the realization.
“Help!” A cry escapes my throat as I start sprinting away from the shadowy figure. Tears begin to stream down my face once more as I bump off of trees, trying effortlessly to escape. My feet thunder against the moist dirt, my heels trying to get stuck in the gooey mixture. A tugging feeling shoots through the back of my dress, with a glance I can see that the silky fabric has been snagged on one of the tree roots.
My heart roars as the shadowy figure gets closer. I let out loud whimpers as I grab ahold of my dress with both arms and yank, trying to get it loose. With a loud snap, the root breaks free sailing me back as I lose my balance. A large jolt of pain rushes through my ankle as I fall to the ground, splashing as my ass makes contact with the saturated dirt.
“Gahh,” I scream in agony, shoving my dress away from my ankle. The sight instantly makes me nauseous, my ankle sits at an unwieldy angle, and blood trickles down my pale foot. My bone sticks wildly out of where it should’ve been, causing the limb to throb and ache in pain.
Adrenaline rushes through me as I watch the shadowy figure approach me, knife in hand. I begin scooting my way back, digging my nails into the mushy ground trying to get away. My back thuds against a tree as I watch helplessly as they approach me.
I can’t do anything. I can’t run anymore and there’s no way I’ll be able to crawl my way out of this. “What do you want from me?” I ask no more than a whisper.
Caaw! Caaw! I’m answered by the bird that still circles above me once more, its shrieks sounding concerned.
“What do you want from me!” I shout at them. “If it’s money you want, my fiance has tons of it. He can help you, just please don’t kill me!” I beg as tears stream down my already soaked face. The rain still pouring down.
I watch helplessly as they close the difference between us, my body shivering as my soaked hair clings to my bare shoulders. They stop as they stand over my tattered foot, slowly they put their right pointer finger over their mouth and shake the knife in their left hand. Shh, shh, shh. They blow, almost as if they are saying nah-ah-ah.
With a swift motion, a sheering pain rushes through my chest as a loud scream flies from my lips. It pelts against my chest over and over as I struggle to breathe. I can’t help but focus on the pain and the number of times. One, two. . . five. Gasping for air, I cough up a wet liquid as the rich taste of iron rushes against my tastebuds. My eyes get heavy as I continue to croak for air, watching as my attacker rushes away before everything turns black.
~
When I come too, I’m still in the forest. The raven that once flew above me now sits perched beside my dead and tattered body. Blood pools beneath my body that lies lifeless, no longer against the tree, but fallen over onto its side. The silky black dress is tattered and torn from the bottom up. The area around my chest had been stabbed to the point my bare chest had almost been exposed. Not much to see there, but still embarrassing all the same for whoever finds me.
What did I ever do to deserve this? On my birthday and wedding day no less. My now ghostly body is visible to me at least, but what the hell am I supposed to do now? Wait? Wait for what exactly?
Shrugging the thoughts out of my mind, I sit down beside my dead body and let myself fall apart. At least no one will hear me.
“There was nothing you could do,” a husky male voice speaks from behind me, startling me to my feet.
Abruptly I stop crying as I compose myself. “Who- who’s there?” I squeak the question out, my voice strained.
A tall towering man who has to be at least almost 213-centimeters, or at least I know he’s taller than James, who stands at a 191-centimeter height. The man has short-medium length hair that flows against his flawless cheekbones on one side and tucked behind his ear on the other. His abnormally pale skin is lighter than mine and is illuminated by his pitch-black eyes that have no trace of white in them, and his pink luscious lips. His earlobes were once pierced, but are now instead stretched out by small black gauges.
He wears a solid black tailcoat over a black shirt, the silver buttons on the tailcoat are left unbuttoned exposing his exquisitely built body. His solid black dress pants seem to be dry, and now that I think about it: I’m dry too, the rain isn’t touching me. The final detail I notice about him is the huge solid black wings that drape behind his tall stature, nearly touching the ground.
“Salem is the name I was given,” he answers with no emotion.
“Why are you here?” I question. Am I going to hell? I never believed in places after death, so now I’m slightly concerned.
He moves his wings slightly as he leans against the tree my dead body lies under. My dead body! I scurry to cover it as my face burns a fire red. “I can see through you,” he says monotonously as he shrugs his large shoulders. “I’m not interested in that. I’m here to guide you to Paradise.”
“So- you’re an angel of death?” I ask, returning to my sitting position. A lot of help I’d do in covering it since I’m apparently see-through.
“Not quite,” he chuckles, even though he’s not trying, he’s absolutely heart throbbing. “I’m a Shinigami, or as some refer to us: Demon of Death.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound any better,” I groan.
He lets out a loud sigh, “I’m the kinder version of the Grim Reaper, be glad I’m the one watching over you and not that asshole. That’s how you know you fucked up in life.”
“Then why are you called a Demon?” I question him, and it is a very fair question. Aren’t demons normally firey evil villains?
“Because we can make deals with the dead, kind of like a death demon,” he shrugs.
“I guess that makes sense,” I say trailing off.
“Look, I’ve never made a deal in my life. It’s too much hassle, but I want free from this life. So I have an idea, make a deal with me and you might be able to go back to your life,” he states once more with no emotion.
I could go back? I could go be with James again? I regret tossing my ring at him and running away, what if he was telling the truth.
I love James, and whatever this demon asks of me, I’ll do it to be with him again.
