Fading

“This guy’s got his high beams on- I can’t see Jan,” The man said, attempting to use his hand to shield the light.

“Me neither, I ca- Watch out for the curve!” his wife cried. Quickly the man craned the steering wheel left. The wheels cried out in pain, screeching over the gritty highway tar. Then the car with the high beams drove past. Unblinded, the man noticed the guard-rail drawing ever closer.

“Hold on!!” he cried, grasping Jan and holding her tight as they collided into the rail. The minivan smashed into it with immense force, hitting the guard-rail sideways. It flipped over and rhythmically rolled down the sloping hill before reaching a plateau. The man groaned. He lay on the ground in agonizing pain, his body seeming to burn with a fiery rage.

“J-Jan.” He forced out in desperation. “Boys?”

The man grunted as he forced himself up. He looked around for a moment. In the distance he noticed a fire. Slowly he trudged toward it, his feet dragging over the freshly fallen snow. He began to lose feeling, his skin was growing numb. Driven by the need to help his family, the man pressed forward with an increased passion.

Then, he heard a voice, it was subtle and meek. The man moved toward it.

“Momma? Momma? Momma?” it cried. The man recognized it, ‘Timmy? That’s Tim!’ the man dashed to where the voice came from. Then he saw him: Tim lay on the ground, his chest bathed in his own blood. Timmy gurgled as he began to suffocate.

“No! Tim!” the man raced to put pressure on his wounds, but his hand went straight through the young boy.

“What!?” The man said, he tried to get a grip on his son but couldn’t; his hands floated straight through him. The man looked at his hands; they were fading. He turned and looked back to where he’d come from: no footprints. ‘It couldn’t be- no. Why so soon?’ The man thought. A few tears dripped from his eyes and faded away before they hit the ground. Then someone came running towards him.

“Timmy! There you are.” His brother came rushing to Timmy. He stopped before him, trying to figure out what to do.

“Momma?”

“It’s ok Timmy, I’m here.” His brother comforted. He took his shirt off and began to tie it around his brother’s bloodied torso.

“A-Aiden it hurts; all over.” Timmy said. His tears had begun to freeze against his face, “I feel so weird; I-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you- just stay still.” Aiden said.

“Tell me- it’s going to be ok.” Timmy replied.

“Don’t worry it-” Aiden bit his lip, “-will be ok.”

“Again; please.” Timmy said.

“It’ll be ok- don’t worry.” Aiden said, forcing a smile through his tears.

“One more time- please.” Timmy asked once more.

“It will- It’ll be ok” Aiden answered. His forced smile slowly gave way as he looked down on his butchered brother.

“Th-thank you, I-I,” he coughed quietly, “feel so much better.”

Then he gurgled; Timmy’s eyes lay open and his mouth was wide. Aiden staggered back, his blood-painted hands coloring the snow. He sagged down on a tree, breathing heavily. Aiden stared blankly at his brother’s corpse, still coming to terms with what had just happened.

He looked at his red-dyed hands and said, “Mom- and now you. Why? How could this happen?” Aiden’s lips quivered and he shed what little tears he had left.

‘Wait; did he say mom? Oh no- not Jan.’ The man dashed to the car and saw a fading Jan coaxing Timmy.

“Mom, it burns.” Timmy, groaned.

“I know honey, just-”

Jan looked up and noticed the man, “Adam, you too?”

Slowly, Adam nodded his head, “Yes, me too.”

“I need to talk to daddy; ok sweetheart?” Jan asked, Tim nodded his head and Jan got up.

“You’ve got to get back in.” Jan commanded.

“But; I can’t-”

“Neither can I; I’m too far gone and so is Tim- you might not be.” Jan said.

“Yes, you’re right- I should try.” Tim agreed.

“I don’t have much time left- I can feel it. Neither does Tim.” She said, her face was downcast as she watched her hands slowly vanish.

“Yes.” Adam responded. He looked at Jan’s hands and grasped them once more.

“I just want you to know that I love you- and I’ll miss you.” Adam said, pressing a smile on his lips as he finished.

She looked into his eyes and replied, “I’ll miss you too- I’ll take care of Tim.”

“And I’ll take care of Aiden.” The man said.

Then, they embraced each other for a final time. After the couple pulled away both noticed that Jan had faded even further. Realizing that her time had come, Adam nodded. Her hand slipped from Adam’s and she moved back to her son. As Jan rested her hands on Tim’s shoulders they were swept away by a flurry of snow. Adam stared at the column of snow they had disappeared into, before it too was gone from his sight. He looked off into the distance for a moment longer. Then Adam clenched his fists and his eyes narrowed.

“Where are you?” Adam cried, waiting for a response.

“I won’t let you take me! I will get back in!” the man bellowed, he waited for a response. Nothing; not even so much as an echo. Adam looked at his hands and realized he was running out of time.

The man cupped his hands around his mouth, “I need to be let back in- I have to.”

He sank to his knees, “Please, for my son- I made a promise.”

“Well that’s a new one.” A voice responded.

Adam’s head shot up; he saw what appeared to be an agent. He too, wasn’t leaving any footprints, yet he didn’t seem to be fading either. The agent continued, “Most of the time people wish to be let back in for their own selfish ambition. But you wish to be let back in- for someone else.”

Adam got up, “A-are you?”

“Yes I am. Let me guess; you never expected to see me like this? Did you?” The agent inferred.

Adam nodded his head and the agent continued. “Most do; because of how intriguing you are, I will explain.”

“You see, death is life’s agent. Death makes way for new life. Without death, there could not be life.” The agent explained. The man looked on expectantly, waiting for the agent to continue.

“Life allows me to exist, and I allow life to exist. Life is my agent; she makes way for death,” The agent added. Then he touched his hand to his ear and listened for a moment.

The agent’s eyes widened; he nodded his head and said, “Are you sure? I mean- this rarely happens.”

The agent listened in once more, then nodded and moved his hand back to his side. “Life has allowed you to live.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I also agree. You have the right reason to live; as long as you have that reason; you may live.”

Adam opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. The agent spoke before him: “Well, it was an honor meeting such an intriguing individual.”

The agent stretched out and his hand and Adam grasped it: “Ummm… likewise?”

The agent laughed and replied, “You really are a piece of work. I can see why life let you live. You must be off now- you don’t have much time left. I hope we see each other again someday.”

“Just not so soon- I’d like to save our future meeting for later.” Adam responded.

“Yes. Any time and place works for me. Good luck Adam,” The agent concluded. Then the man’s vision faded into a blur. Everything went dark; then he opened his eyes.

Adam carefully got up. He couldn’t feel his right arm and his left hand appeared to be broken. His knees wobbled as he attempted to stand erect. He found a comfortable position in a slightly hunched-over stance. Then the man moved his foot off the snow; a footprint. ‘Thank you for letting me return death. Jan, I promise I won’t let you down.’ The man carefully retraced his invisible footsteps; he made each step with intent, trying his best not to further injure himself. Soon, Adam found the car.

It was still burning with a light flame; the fire it originally possessed had slowly been extinguished. Kneeling next to the fire was Aiden, his hands out in front of him as he preserved what little heat he had left. The boy’s shirtless body shivered, and his brother’s blood had crystallized around his hands.

“Aiden!” Adam called.

“Dad!”

Aiden ran to the man and embraced him, “I thought I lost you.”

“Don’t worry; I’m not gone yet- I’m not gone yet.”