False Chrysanthemum

I opened my eyes to see two large doors in the distance. Taking another step forward, I face a strong gust of wind forcing me to go back.

My hair was thrown aback, and my I felt almost as if a strong force was pushing me.

The wind rages on as I force myself to take another step. And as I kept on pushing, something blinded me, I can no longer see. But I must keep moving forward, my body and heart tells me so.

The wind kept on pushing, but still I persevered, landing another step, the wind stopped. It was dead quiet, am I the only one here... But, where is... Here exactly?

I remember standing in a a blank space. I don't know where I am.

Taking another step forward towards the door, I hear footsteps.

Tock Tack Tack

Almost like someone with hard boots were stepping on tiles, the steps kept getting louder and louder.

Tack Tack tock

A few seconds of silence encompass my head as the noises stopped.

And it started again.

Tack... Tack... Tack...

It was almost as if the person walking was treading carefully.

Tock... Tack... Tack...

Still trying to walk slowly, I take another step forward, not minding the sounds I hear.

As I walk slowly, the sounds start to get faster,

Tock... Tock-Tock

Tack-Tack-Tack

The footsteps were getting faster, they were running.

Running from something? Running away from someone? I question as I felt a shove behind me throwing me into the ground. Not knowing where I was or who I am, I am on the ground? I stand up.

I stood still waiting for the noises to come back again. It is strange, I know my eyes are open, but darkness surrounds me as silence breaks my mind. 

"W-where are am I?" I shout into the darkness. I know no one is there and yet I still want someone to respond... I sit down not knowing what to do. With my knees pressing against my face, I feel a cold wind hit my cheeks. A lonely night looms over my head, is it even night? I thought so as this coldness that emanates from the surrounding could only be felt if I were dead or alone outside. 

I cry without knowing why, being stuck in the darkness without anything to do. After a few moments, I stood up and wiping away my tears, take another step and another, and another step. 

I keep moving forward with fear in my heart. I must keep walking. I have walked a considerable distance from where I was. 

Taking another step, my sight has returned. "I... Can see! I Can see! haha." I shouted while looking at my arms and feet, stumbling to the ground I feel a sense of relief. I was not in darkness, but still in this empty blank space. Where even is this? I am still confused about my whereabouts. Looking behind me, I can see my footsteps in a dark shade, I am still me. 

"Phew," I sigh out of relief, standing up and walking forwards again. I keep walking towards the doors but they are not getting closer, if anything, it feels like they are getting farther away. I look down towards my feet and do a brief stretch. Instead of walking, let's try running towards them. 

After my stretching, I blaze towards the doors, a sharp cold wind hits my face and I cover my face and close my eyes as I continue running. 

I ran and I ran. Even though I could not see where I was going, I knew I must keep going. 

Out of breath from just a dozen paces, I stop moving and pant while looking down. Sweat was pouring from my head and I could feel my heartbeat. 

Thud Thud... Thud Thud

It was still a strong sound and after a few seconds of resting, I get back on my feet again. I kept running, the wind had disappeared and I kept on pushing forwards.

I see a tiny crack in the floor. I slow down and get closer to it. Kneeling down, I see the floor was not an empty space, it was made of ice!

"W-what?" I question as my feet should have been freezing from running barefoot... But I... Didn't feel anything? 

I touch the ice with my hand and still, I could not feel it. My sense of touch has been taken away and I cannot feel anything.  

All of a sudden, the crack splits open and I fall down into a pit. 

The walls were lined with fire, I close my eyes as I freefall down towards my death. "So I die now?" I said in a timid voice, huddling my body waiting for death,

A few moments elapses while I closed my eyes, I cannot be certain that I am still falling down as my sense of touch is gone and I cannot feel the wind. Silence gnaws away at my ears as I hugged my knees. 

Crackle Crackle

I hear the crackling of a fire beside me, I opened my eyes to see me lying down on a wood log in a forest. "I am... Back?" I asked. As soon as I said anything, I was pulled away from the campfire. My sight fades to black and I passed out. The next thing I know, I was back in the empty space, standing alone in the white empty expanse... I see the two doors, they are now closer than they've ever been before.

Looking around me, I see a wall made of ice... I walk towards it and stretch out my hand, looking away, I touch the wall and feel the cold in my hand. 

My sense of touch is back! I feel relief course through my spine knowing that I am back to normal. 

"Right," I say as I brace myself and start to run towards the doors again. 

I run and I run even if I was tired, I kept pushing through.

"AAAAAHHHH!" I shouted as I kept running. "I MUST KEEP GOING FORWARD." I scream in my head to keep my spirit up, must move, I must not stay. 

Fire and ice block my path but I still run, a tear in the ground opens up, I jump, a mountain blocks my path, I walk through it. Finally, after a long hard journey, beaten and bruised from the path I took, all covered in wounds, I reach my goal. 

There was this strange hut in the middle of the blank space, I walk towards it and open the door. It had a cozy atmosphere and it had two people inside of it. One of whom is a bartender and another is a customer... I think? 

I took a seat next to this chubby old man, they had a beard that reached their chest and was drinking a cup of beer. The bartender was silently wiping the counter. I lean over to the man and ask "Where are we?" He responded "aren't ya a bit too young to come into here missy?" 

"I... Don't know..." I said, looking down. "Well, when we're lost I suppose it's best to come here than to go out there. Haha!" His jolly laugh just oozes personality, I sit down in silence thinking of my journey, "I... Can finally reach the door." I said timidly, "Well... Good for you! I couldn't force myself to choose, so I stay here." I stand up and walk towards the door, "Well, it was nice meeting you!" I said as I went out without looking behind. 

A tall pitch black figure stood between the doors, walking towards him, I look up. He was abnormally tall at least four of me would be enough to match him in height. Bearing a skull of a cow with two horns, bone necklaces and blank glowing eyes, I look at it with fear. 

Blinking thrice, I notice his tall stature has diminished to my size, our gazes interlocked. In silence, we were both standing. Time passing by and yet it feels like it has not. His eyes started to glow more and more as time went by, eventually, it was almost like staring at the sun. The light blinded me. 

"I'm sorry."  I hear a voice say, 

"We couldn't save her." I hear a man's voice say. 

"You are... Strong, so much MUCH more than any of us," The voice of a woman said towards me. 

"I'm sure you'll be better, until then, don't lose that smile!" 

I hear the voices of different people and feel like my mind is breaking, I curl up myself and look for silence as different voices enter my mind. 

After a long time of lying down, I sit up, I was still in the blank, empty space with the pitch black figure, but we were both sitting down. It's eyes were closed and it looks like he's resting. 

I take a big sigh and it wakes up the figure, his eyes were no longer glowing. Our gazes lock again, but after a few moments, tears stream down his face. 

"W-what... Are you?" I ask, it was still weeping, 

"Why... Am I here?" It stayed silent. 

"What should I do? WHY ARE YOU CRYING?" I start to panic, it stayed silent as tears fall from it's eyes. 

"I am Death."

"You, are dead." 

"You must choose." 

Death answered my three questions, but avoided my last one, so I ask again, "Why... Are you crying?" 

After a brief pause, Death stood up and said, "You... must choose." He says while facing away from me. "Choose what?" 

"Your end." 

"My end?" 

"Thy fate was a cruel and arduous journey, full of disappointment, hope and agony. Thy life was a bright shining star, but thy must choose thou end."

"What do you mean..." I ask "These two doors lead to both peace, one hold the truth and the other holds a lie to give peace. They will both give tranquility to thy soul."

I stand up and walk towards the left door, it had a human skull engraved on the center of it and bones decorated the frame. "Does this... Hold the truth?" I asked death, "The painful delight of knowing." 

I walk towards the right door and it had a tree engraved in the middle of it and cherubs were flying around it.

"This... Holds the lie..." 

"Life."

"Death... Why were you crying?" I look at him with stern eyes. He looks at me with despair. 

"Know thy truth and thy will see." 

So I must... Open this door? I touch the door with my hand and memories enter my head. 

"UWAAAAAHHH!!" 

"Hush now dear," A voice of a woman says "Ohhhh, she looks just like you dear!" A man said. 

"Come now Mary, we must go to church to strengthen our faith!" My mother said "But I just wanna play with my dolls!" 

"We can play later, let's have a tea party later okay?" 

"Okay mommy!" 

"Mommy! Daddy! I... Can't feel my legs..." 

"Let's go to the hospital quick!" 

After a long time of check ups and back and forth to the hospital and my house, I was told to only have a few years to live. 

"I'm sorry... We can't save her..." 

"PLEASE, WE'LL DO ANYTHING!" My father screamed as my mother kept crying behind him. I was standing, not knowing what to do. 

All of a sudden my memories stopped coming back to me. Death had pulled my hand away from the door and pointed towards the other one. 

I slowly touch it and see what happens. 

A bittersweet smell emanates from the window as I lay in my bed. The sun hitting my cheeks was a prompt for me to get out of bed. I sigh and stand up. 

"Mary! It's time for breakfast!" I hear mother shout, "Coming!" I responded. Going down the stairs, I take a seat on the table with my mother and brother. We say our prayers and dine. The cozy feeling of being with my family cheers me up and as we finish eating, I prepare myself to go to school. 

Me and my brother walk out the door, he was going to his job and I was going to school. 

The visions stopped. 

Standing in silence, I look down at my feet and look back... The footprints... Were not the same as my first ones. 

"You have grown." I hear a voice say behind the door. I look back and see the chubby old man walking towards us. 

"I'm sorry it had to be this way." He says while embracing me, stroking my hair, "You must know the truth Mary," he whispered at my ear. 

"Who... Are you?" I asked, he let go of his embrace and responded

"Life." 

"Which door do I choose?" 

"Choose the one that leads to truth Mary," he says "Then do I enter the other one?"

"NO!" Death shouted, "Enter this one." He demanded for me to choose the right door. 

"Death! LET. HER. CHOOSE." Life shouted at Death. 

He let go of my hand and they both sat down between the doors.

"Choose life, or death Mary." 

After some pondering I ask "What if... I chose neither?" 

Life laughed and Death stayed silent "You cannot do that..." He said 

"Why not?" I asked "Because we're here to make sure you don't." 

"And what if I do?" 

"Then you will never know the truth." 

"What's so bad about not knowing?" 

"Peace will never come to you." 

"And peace is a good thing?" 

"Don't you want to remember... Your hardships, your loved ones?" Life asked.

"I do..." I said towards him, "Then choose the left door, I'll even accompany you across the way." 

Death groaned and said "Please... Enter the right door." he stayed quiet as Life and I walked inside of the left door. 

Life said "You... were a born fighter. Not even your illness brought down your hopes." 

"My hopes?" I asked life. Just keep walking and find out. He let go of my hand and I was floating in a dark vast expanse of nothing. 

"You know that we have to get her help!" I hear my mothers voice. "I know, I know! But... Money's a bit tight right now!" My father's voice said. 

"Godamn you! You fucking fake god!" He shouted,

"I'll find a fix for it later just... let me drink." 

"I HATE YOU, I'VE ALWAYS HATED YOU." He shouts as he threw a bottle towards my mother. 

"LEAVE OUR HOUSE, JOHN!" My mother shouted. 

"You are a very VERY strong child Mary. I will always love you." She says as kisses my forehead and rings the doorbell leaving me behind in the dead of night. 

"Hey! You're a new face, let's get along! I'm Theodore!" 

"Mary... I only have a few years left to live." He said towards me in a timid voice.

"So do I." I said. "Nah, I'm sure you'll be better, until then, don't lose that smile!" He lets out a grin. A months later, Theo died of a heart attack. 

Crying in my bed I whispered, "Y-You said you had a few years, we could've endured together but you left me all alone, just like everyone else."

"Ahhh," the beautiful sunset dawns in my eyes as I stood over a cliff. Enjoying the gorgeous scenery, I take another deep breath and let out all my pain. I was sitting in a bench inside of a graveyard... My old and rickety bones feel like they're cracking... "I have lived so long Theo! Thanks for sticking around with me." I close my eyes and welcome my eternal slumber. 

"I... feel so miserable" Death said to Life. "Why?" Life asked.

"She... Had been through so much, and yet, you took everything from her." 

"Humans must be challenged to live. If there weren't any burdens, they are not alive. I did not take everything from her... She was happy." 

"I cried." Life was surprised at Death's reaction towards the life of Mary Spritesthrall. 

"I have seen so many other lives just like hers, and I still feel my heart crack." Death said. 

"There will be more," Life responded. 

"How long?"

"How long?" Life asked death.

"How long will they suffer?" 

"As long as the sand of time continue to fall, and as long as we are the guardians of the people."

"You? A guardian? You are nothing more than a sadist." 

"And you are the most sympathetic person I have ever met." 

"A beautiful lie that people tell themselves." Death said to Life, he responded "A painful truth that they fear."

They both say in unison "We are inevitable." As the scene turns black and we close the final chapter of Mary's adventure.