Deathday

It was a cold winter night, the wind was howling outside. I was going on a walk, had to get my mind off of things. Yesterday was a hard day. After walking for half an hour, I wanted to sit down, so I went to my favorite place. It’s this small dark alley, with no lights, and a single bench. Might sound creepy (which it is), but I find it really relaxing. Here, I can listen to my own thoughts, and get my mind free of stress.

But something was off. The moonlight would hit this place at the time I arrive, enough that I can see everything clearly. And there usually would be no one else here at this place. This alley is unknown to a lot of people, it’s like my own secret area. Yet someone else was running away, right when I arrived. It seemed like he was crouching, and picking up something. After getting closer, I realized that the person wasn’t picking up something, but putting something down.

There was a photograph on the ground. I picked it up, without looking at it first, and sat down on the bench. My mind was so full, I didn’t even realize that I was still holding the picture. I didn’t look at it at all. My eyes were closed, and I was listening to the silence. Ten minutes passed, and it was time. I opened my eyes, and looked at the photograph. I came to realize, that the picture was actually turned. I only saw the back of it. There was a date: „Friday, 13th December“. And also the exact time „3:66“. What did this mean? I can get the date, you would want to know when you took a picture, but this is too precise. Now was the time to actually turn the photograph, and see what was on.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Who took this picture? Why does this even exist? I looked closer, and closer to make it clear, and it was exactly what I saw. You could see a horrifying image. On the picture…was my dead body. It was a photograph of my corpse. The same body, the same face, that was definitely me. But I’m alive. How could this happen? Is this a bad prank? I had to find the person that left it here. Before making the search, I turned the picture once more, and looked at the date. „Friday, the 13th“…that’s tomorrow. Was this the date of my death? What’s worse, is the fact that this date is exactly my birthday. And I was born at 3:22 AM too. My birthday was going to be my „deathday“. Thinking that the photograph actually shows the truth. This is unbelievable.

I was already on my feet, and I wanted to find the person that dropped this. I looked closer at the photograph, maybe there were some clues. My body was on a puddle of blood, and the location seemed familiar. I could see a red car parked near me, with the headlights on, and it was close to a train station. Where was this train station again? Then it struck me, it was right behind this alley. The perspective of this image shows the left side of the street that leads to the train station. Why was the place of my death already so close to my location. The time was putting me in a bad mood as well. I looked at the time, and it was exactly 3:22 AM. But today was still Thursday, I wouldn’t die now, would I?

I arrived at the train station, and found a red car at the exact place. Everything seemed too perfect. The only thing off was the date. And the fact that the headlights of the car were turned off. I looked around, and I found the person as well. I had seen him wearing a long black coat, before running away from me. It was the same coat. He was actually sitting in the car. The headlights were now on, and I could hear the engine. The car started to move, and it got closer and closer. It was going too fast. Was he trying to kill me now? I thought the date was tomorrow. The car was coming, and I had to move. Luckily, I jumped at the last second, and I made it alive. Though the person in the car wasn’t giving up. He quickly turned around, and went even faster. I was running like it was the last day of my life. Well, technically that was true. I had reached the dark alley again. No car can fit through here, so I thought I was safe. The location was also different from the image. If the photograph actually portrays the future, then I might’ve changed it now. I won’t die, I will survive.

Right when I was thinking that, the car was at the end of the alley. The headlights were blinding me, like my death was staring into my eyes. But the car can’t pass through, so why was I scared? I didn’t move at first, but then I saw him pushing the gas pedal, and getting even closer. The car was so close to hitting the wall, but it actually fit. How was this possible? If I’m not fast enough, I will definitely get hit. There is no escape other than to run back to the way I came in through. I was running, and running. „Please let me make it“, I thought, but I could hear and feel the ground shaking, when the car was getting closer. The photo was still in my hand, and whilst I was running, I took a last glimpse at it.

How was this possible? The image changed! My body with the blood was still there, the red car was still there, but there was no train station. The image showed…this alley. I turned the photo, and looked at the date. It also changed. It was tonight. My deathday arrived. I would die right here.