Leap

Leap

(CW/TW: murder, blood, after-life)

Our footsteps ominously echoed among the beech trees with anxiety settled in my chest. I noticed a faint rustling sound, accompanied by a gentle whisper echoing in my ear and a mysterious force in the air was embracing my soul with invisible hands. The sounds began to distort, transforming into an eerie melody, and in the distance, a church organ started playing. The cursed tune hovered around us, and I listened intently to every soft fragment of it.

I felt a sense of unease, as if we were not alone on the trail, as though an invisible presence was walking alongside us. With each step, its confidence grew as if the distant, feeble symphony had set it free.

As we ventured deeper into the trees, the delicate sounds became stronger. I heard faint splashes, perhaps from someone walking in the nearby lake, or perhaps it was just my imagination playing tricks on me.

Drizzling raindrops began to caress my face, and in that moment, I wished they were your fingers. You walked beside me, and with each silent moment, the tension between us grew. I could see you silently struggling with something in your mind. You thought I hadn't noticed the constant flickering of your phone in your pocket and how nervously you kept turning it off. Jealousy seeped into my skin.

"Does she know you're here?" I asked, and you flinched at the question. My words hung in the air, leaving an indelible mark on the fragile balance of our relationship.

You scoffed. "Sure, I told her I was taking you for a romantic stargaze!"

"We wouldn't have to hide anymore," I said, intending it as a timid request, though it came out sounding threatening. You looked at me meaningfully and shook your head. Your voice was barely audible over the drizzle, making it difficult to comprehend your muttered words.

My voice faltered, suppressed emotions welling up within me."We're here because of her!"

"We’re here because of you," you replied through clenched teeth.

We continued our walk in silence.

I avoided puddles; you avoided making eye contact. The rustle of your backpack provided a hypnotic rhythm to our steps as we delved further into the encroaching darkness of the forest. The wind picked up and I tightened my coat around me. The evening twilight draped over us like a veil, accompanied by hooting owls echoing with our footsteps. Menacingly, the branches of ancient trees loomed above us, as if they could snap and come crashing down on us at any moment. Our gaze fixated on the gnarled roots emerging from the ground, being careful not to stumble. Even the stars blinked weakly behind the clouds, as if sensing that something was wrong.

My short legs struggled to keep pace with you. I hurried on with anxious steps, but the forest seemed never-ending, each step deepening the eerie melody of church music. The shadows of the trees danced around us like sinister spirits.

A few minutes later, the melody grew louder. For a moment, I thought it was just in my head. Then, I abruptly stopped and stood there, listening. You looked at me confused, not hearing anything unusual or out of place. I couldn't decide if there was truly something otherworldly and terrifying lurking deep in the forest or if it was just my own uneasiness playing tricks on me.

You urged me to keep walking, and I reluctantly moved forward. All my senses seemed too acute, too sharp in the darkness of the forest's night whispers.

"Why do you keep stopping?" you asked, looking back over your shoulder, irritated.

"The music..." I whispered.

You looked around in bewilderment. "What music?!"

When I didn't reply, you let out a heavy sigh and continued on.

I tried to focus on the rustling noise of the leaves and the sound of moths hitting my flashlight. With each step, we immersed deeper in the forest, and the darkness intensified, enveloping me tightly.

I heard the flapping of unfamiliar bird wings, and the pounding of my heart, alert to the direction of the sound, blending with the murmur of the night. The haunting music became more pronounced, and I anxiously scanned my surroundings, my ears desperately searching for the source of the peculiar melody.

Something rustled in a nearby bush. The sound came from ahead of me and from the far end of the trail. Gradually, it drew closer, though still distant, pushing through the bushes as it continued its menacing rattling. Instinctively, my legs guided me towards it, while the haunting music played on, uninterrupted, almost beckoning me. Its bittersweet beauty completely enthralled me.

Perhaps it was just my imagination – after all, the mystery of the night always easily leads the human mind to the darkest places. Yet the peculiar sound refused to cease, increasingly drowning out the creaking of the leaves and branches under my feet.

Suddenly, the chimes of a clock ominously pierced through the air.

I was so close to the bush now.

Adrenaline surged through my every fiber, my heartbeat thundering in my ears as I nervously parted the top of the bush with shaking hands.

And then, the world fell completely silent.

In an instant, all sounds vanished, and the music abruptly ceased. My ears began to ring, and nothing moved except for the trembling leaves beneath the falling raindrops. A metallic taste filled my mouth.

A cruel realization pierced through me as I stared at the bloodied rock that had fallen from my temple onto the grass.

I felt numb.

I didn't shriek, the falcons that flew in the cool night wind shrieked for me.

My knees trembled, begging for mercy, but you approached me with determination, an imminent danger evident in your look. My weakened legs tried to retreat. My heart pounded in my throat as I stumbled on the uneven ground and fell. The fall felt everlasting as I locked eyes with you – two dark, infinite abysses offering no escape.

I searched your gaze for any trace of remorse, but only cold cruelty stared back at me. You groaned, and I whimpered as fear choked the panic within me.

You raised a hammer high from your bag and struck me.

Again.

And again.

Once more.

And then again, one final time.

The ever-growing wind stirred something animalistic within you, awakening a raw power. Each strike you delivered grew stronger than the last, gradually diminishing my whimpering. You clenched from my pain as if it were your own.

Helplessly, I allowed suffering to consume me. I let the wind pummel my chest like a fist until all the air escaped. With my final breath, I could have screamed, not only from the pain but also from the relentless agony reflected in your eyes.

Your fist trembled as you released the hammer, and it fell into the grass with a dull thud. Falling to your knees, you began to sob, while the rain quietly washed away your tears. I could almost hear my sinus nodes softly unraveling, and I patiently observed the warm, sticky drops of blood. Slowly crawling, they covered the tufts of grass, reaching and engulfing the puddles, forming murky pools in the midst of the drizzling rain. In disbelief, I gazed at my own reflection in the blood-mixed puddle's mirrored surface. My eyes were blank, sightless, staring. How much simpler and easier it must have been for you to look into my eyes now, with disappointment and prejudice vanished, leaving only a glassy pair of eyes behind.

You had long asked me to forget you because you thought it was impossible to love a married person this deeply, perhaps even considering it foolish. But I never expected this to be your solution. I never thought that today would mark the last time I saw you, spoke to you, or that you heard my voice.

I couldn't be certain what caused your troubled gaze to tremble. Was it the shock of your actions or the unsettling flow of raindrops? Dumbstruck, you stared at my dead body, your eyes quivering like dark shadows in the terrified forest.

An odd contrast seized me: as you anxiously gasped above my body, consumed by the tightening grip of reality, I found myself embraced by inexplicable tranquility. Your tears streamed down my lifeless face, purging my conscience. The trees stood peacefully, cloaked in bands of light filtering through them. Mosquitoes gathered, buzzing around my body, while cicadas and crickets persistently serenaded us.

Relief and boundless tranquility permeated my being as I ascended beyond the confines of reality, soaring higher and higher. My soul swayed within a newfound dimension where the chains of time and space no longer confined me like shackles.

The concept of time ceased to hold meaning: past, present, and future converged, allowing me to experience every moment simultaneously. Everything appeared like a vivid dream where I could catch glimpses of events by traversing time in either direction.

The lights of the ethereal world gently embraced me, with thousands of stars shining within and around me. It was liberating to leave behind my heavy earthly body, and within me, an ancient tranquility never felt before timidly blossomed. The sounds in this realm were no longer dark; instead, they wove into delicate vibrations. My senses heightened, and with otherworldly contentment, I floated higher, merging into infinity. Beauty and harmony gently enveloped me, and what was once a frightening unknown now revealed itself as a familiar infinity. Everything seemed both utterly human and inhuman at the same time. Looking down upon ourselves from above, I began to drift further and faster. Overwhelmed by the sensation, I closed my eyes, fearing dizziness.

When I opened them again, I found myself standing beside a colossal cauldron, tightly clutching its edge. Distorted human forms leaped into it from all directions, their actions purposeful, following the command of a thunderous voice. I patiently waited for my turn to jump, but the voice did not grant permission. "Not yet! Be patient!" reverberated its all-encompassing tone, resonating within me. It felt as if the universe spoke to me with an otherworldly voice, enfolded in a magical and surreal atmosphere. Each word carried the same strange melody I had heard in my final moments in the forest. Its sharp sound pierced my ears for only a moment, then blended into eternal silence. However, its ethereal resonance remained within me for a long time.

As I tried to turn my head to the side and identify the source of the voice, I felt long, rough fingers gently touch my jaw. They glided smoothly, their delicate touch almost tickling, yet I was unable to shift my gaze. It forbade me from looking at them, from discovering their identity. Like a soft breeze, the fingers slid down to my neck, and with closed eyes, I whispered, pleading to catch a glimpse. It released its hold, and as its icy touch faded away, my eyes flew open, but I still couldn’t turn towards it. An invisible force held me back, and from the corner of my eye, I observed a dark figure shaking its head gently yet firmly.

I fixed my gaze upon the cauldron and began to survey the swirling vortex of lives before me. The rapid changes made it difficult to comprehend what I witnessed, yet I persisted in my search, hoping that one of them would call out to me. In challenging moments, I often found solace in self-reflection, as this allows one to anchor themselves to something familiar amidst uncertain situations.

Suddenly, the enormous mining lake adjacent to the forest appeared in the cauldron, captivating my attention. I witnessed you dragging my lifeless body there and casting it into the waves. Intrigued, I leaned closer into the cauldron, hoping for a clearer view of what would unfold. I wanted to observe you from above, to etch your face into my memory, but the image started to fluctuate and vanished. Eventually, a jarring snap shattered my numbness, accompanied by the furious slapping of the waves on the cauldron's surface, obscuring my view of you. That's just human nature – the more cautiously and slowly one desires something, the more brutally and swiftly events transpire.

It dawned on me that I had never truly favored these vast waters because it was impossible to predict what to expect until reaching the shore. The gentle murmurs, the tranquil lapping of the waves laid concealed countless tragedies.

Vast waters are perpetually capricious, akin to human emotions – at times they rage, they roar, and only God knows what kind of aftermath they leave behind.

A profound sadness consumed me as I stood beside the cauldron, gazing ahead. Why did it have to unfold this way, with the waves now embracing my body instead of your arms?

The shared memories resembled an endless ocean, persistently buzzing in my mind, much like the waves themselves – sometimes they surged with greater intensity, racing faster, while other times they merged silently as if no one took notice.

I began to pray for the waves to teach me how to let go. It seemed so simple, as they effortlessly carried away fallen leaves and swept away debris. Nature constantly releases something or someone, so I couldn't comprehend why it proved so challenging for me to release the guilt stemming from our love and the memories tainted by your betrayal. Standing quietly by the cauldron, I waited.

The world below was brimming with events to observe, but the flickering images in the cauldron changed so swiftly that they blurred before my eyes. The outlines of the world also melded into a vast, colorful blur, though it may have been a result of my tears.

I begged the voice to send me back to you, but it only laughed at me. Each time I saw you in the world below, within the cauldron, you looked older until you vanished completely. The fear of losing you forever sent chills down my spine. I relentlessly searched for you, yet you remained nowhere to be found. I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of you, but the surrounding shapes of different destinies constantly jumped into the cauldron, and none of them were you. My lungs quivered, and my palms itched whenever I imagined finally being able to leap after them. But I had to accept that the voice had different commands regardless of what I wished.

Slowly, I started to forget my own life, losing the ability to feel anything at all.

By the time I no longer remembered what I looked like, and I couldn't recall your face either, the unearthly voice resounded behind me.

"You may depart now."

Without hesitation, I leaped into the cauldron.

The light was blinding. My whole body shivered, and something damp covered my hair. I couldn't see anything beyond my nose, my heart blindly followed the shadows on the path leading away. A child's agonizing and inconsolable cry echoed in my ears. It grew louder, causing my entire body to tremble, almost unable to bear the infinite pain. And then, I understood.

The cry originated from within me – I was the source.

Slowly, my foggy gaze began to focus on the world, and I cried and bellowed in response to the cruelty of the neon light, which relentlessly approached as a powerful hand lifted me up. I heard joyful and relieved voices, and I could feel the happiness emanating from the people around me. They laughed and rejoiced as if they were amused by my heart-wrenching anxiety. Perhaps they didn't comprehend the fear I carried from a terrifying and burdensome life, or maybe they were happy because they believed this world could never consume me.

When my gaze met the eyes of the person lifting me, I was so startled that even my cries were silenced by alarm. Despite the unfamiliar face, I would have recognized those piercing, vividly scrutinizing black eyes among a thousand gazes.

Those eyes that last flashed in my darkest moment of life were now observing me again.

With a penetrating gaze, they studied my features, making me feel as if they could see into the depths of my soul.

How many lives must have passed while I waited at the cauldron? You stared at me with blissful ignorance, which felt unjust – how could you know nothing while I could dwell on the memory of your eyes for another seventy years?

It was your gaze and touch that first held the true promise of peace and love. Each shared moment felt like an unexplored chapter in the book of our lives, waiting to be discovered. And now, this book transcended the boundaries of space and time. I understood that from the moment I met you in that dilapidated tenement, the sensor light in the hallway of my soul would never go out.

A brief silence settled in the room and I looked around, astonished. You patiently waited, studying my face, and I grew restless, squirming. I knew that my future and past coexisted in this very moment.

For some mysterious reason, you became the bridge that spanned the beginning and end of my life, and I was certain deep down that I would forever be bound to you.

I knew that my existence held a purpose – a purpose greater than myself, although I couldn’t fully grasp it. The feeling was unmistakable, enveloping me like a coiling ribbon.

Tears streamed down my face again, but I couldn't discern whether they were caused by the weight of life itself or something entirely different, driving this instinctive reaction.

I screamed with all my might. It was a desperate attempt to send a message to the world. Perhaps it was a warning meant for you or for everyone present, a reminder that within us resides both the joys and pains of the past and the future.

THE END