A WORLD REBORN

“Nah, man. I’m going back for the girl,” I said to Katy and Trevor as we walked out of the East Oak Theater on the sidewalk. 

Katy sighed and Trevor cheered.

“I knew he would say that. It is that extra of knowing him, I tell ya, Katy!” Trevor exclaimed. Trevor smiled and high-fived me.

“Well, it’s only one year more than my eight, plus I am his girlfriend. Anyways, I’d be runnin’ out of there,” Katy said softly.

“Me too. Say what are you two doing tonight for your birthdays?” Trevor asked, hoping to be invited.

“My family has the annual gala and John has his...Hunger Man meal with his Aunt.” 

“Remind me again, why can’t John go to that?” Trevor asked, trying to get himself and I a ticket in.

“It’s family and family friends only, plus it’s boring anyway, he would not like it. We are celebrating our birthdays tomorrow. It works out better because it is a Friday anyway.” Katy gave me a sympathy hug. “I’ll see you guys later. Bye.” Katy then rushed away quickly without even looking to see if there were cars.

“Yeah, right. Her parents don’t like me,” I commented to Trevor.

“Hmm. Well, all I know about the gala is that my parents want to get in and be invited.”

“They think they can get in,” I laughed.

“They have more of a chance than your crazy Aunt and her haunted vases.”

“Alright, alright.” We then reached our cars. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

“Yeah,” I began walking away. “Hey, John! John!” Trevor called out. He had pulled something out of the trunk of his car. “Here, Happy Birthday, John.” He gave me a wrapped gift.

“Thanks, Trev!” I said gratefully.

“No, problem, John. I’ll see you tomorrow at school. Hey, don’t party too hard because we have our Chemistry test tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, man. I’ll see ya.” Trevor drove away. I entered my car and opened the gift. It was a brand new walkman. A walkman was all I wanted for the past year. On top of the walkman was a joke gift. It was a draft card with my name on it. Trevor always warned me as soon as I turned eighteen they would draft me.

I drove home quickly knowing Aunt Diane was waiting for me. I walked into the shop and saw her trying to sell a man one of the “antique” pocket watches. It was a normal broken pocket watch my Aunt found in a dumpster and smashed in with a hammer and covered in dust. “I can offer it to you for maybe, and I mean I am giving it away, nine hundred. That is the lowest I can go.” The man left walking very fast. “How is your birthday so far John?”

“Great. Here I’ll help you close up shop.” As we cleaned the store up I saw the mailman pass by. He crouched and crawled slowly to put the mail in the mailbox. Many people were afraid of Aunt Diane’s store because they said it was haunted or possessed by the devil. They were all idiots. It is an antique store. We finished cleaning up and walked upstairs to start making dinner. Aunt Diane went into the kitchen to get ready. I turned on the T.V. and saw that “The Shining” was on. “Hey, Aunt Diane! The Shining’s on again.”

“You know I don’t like you watching that crap. It reminds me of what happened to your parents.”

“Yeah,” I responded softly. I paused for a second then asked, “What about ‘Push Your Luck’?”

“Ah, shoot! I forgot a second Hungry Man!” Aunt Diane exclaimed.

“I can pick one up,” I responded.

“Could you?” she asked.

“Of course, it will be quick.” I got my keys and ran out to my car. I started to drive to the market, which was just after “The Land of the Rich” or where the wealthy people lived. Katy lived in “The Land of the Rich”. While I stopped at a red light, I looked over and saw the walkman Trevor gave me. I could not wait to use it. I put the headphones on and listened to the track Trevor made for. The light turned green and I sped up. As I listened I could not focus on the road. Suddenly, I felt the car sink. I figured I had a flat tire. I pulled over and jumped out of the car.

I had run over seven different nails while driving. Every tire was flat and I had one spare. There was no way I could tough it out or fix it, so I began to walk. I was three houses away from Katy’s so I thought I could ask her for a ride. I passed by three other houses that night, but I went to Katy’s instead. 

As I walked through the front gates of the Richardson Mansion, I saw all the cars of the party attendees. I then knocked on the front door, but I was welcomed with no answer. I looked through the window and did not see anyone that was until the door opened slightly, as a man answered. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, ugh. My car had a-”

“We cannot help you with that. Good Day,” he interrupted. I waited for one second and stupidly, I barged in. When I got in what I saw horrified me. I saw a girl from my class, Jane Kline, stabbing a man with a knife several times while screaming loudly. The screams belonged to a demon. Around the girl were all people I’ve seen around town before dressed in tuxedos and nice dresses. I turned around to run, but when I did I saw the large man blocking the door. He stuck his hand out which was holding a cloth which he forced into my face. It smelled like a house plant. After a few seconds, I fainted.

I woke up to the entire group of people surrounding me in a semicircle. We were in the ballroom in the Richardson's mansion. A skinny, frail man stepped out. It was Reverend Leonard. “Greetings, John Herman Reilly. Congratulations! You get to help initiate Katy Richardson!”

“Who the hell did you kill! Katy! Katy! Help! Help!” I yelled desperately.

“That man was not important. He was helping initiate Jane Kline. You will do the same for Katy Richardson. She will sacrifice you to become a Watcher and rebuild the world!”

“Katy is in a cult?” I asked. I was trying to loosen whatever they tied me up with. It felt like a zip tie.

“Katy is becoming a member of our society known as the Watchers. That is enough explaining, you are going to be dead in ten minutes so why to explain it to you.” The group disbanded onto the ballroom floor. The big man who had drugged me put a record on the record player. The group known as the Watchers began to dance. Then I saw her step out. Katy walked towards me with a giant ax and cloth. When Katy reached me she said quietly, “Sorry, we were going to find another person, but then you showed up. At least you will be the first second-generation sacrifice.” 

“What did you just say?” I then figured it all out. The Watchers killed my parents. “You cowardly idiots, just kill me already! Do it, assholes!”

They all nodded and Katy began to drag me into a star in the middle of the ballroom. The same place the man before me was murdered. The rest of the people danced as Katy put the cloth in my face just enough that I was very dizzy, but not knocked out. Katy then whispered, “A WORLD REBORN,” into my ear. Katy raised the ax, and that is when I knew I had to make my move. I jumped as much as I could in my restraints and with being drugged. Katy swung the ax and clipped me in the calf. Katy stepped away not sure what to do. Dizzy, I attempted to cut my restraints, but accidentally cut my wrist while doing it. I got up and ran away through where I had entered. I ran into the field where all the Watchers had parked their cars. As I ran I heard somebody load a gun. Although I don’t know who shot the gun, I heard the loud sound of the gunshot. For a second, I did not know who got shot until I looked down at my stomach. I was shot. The bullet went completely through me. I stood in shock for a while then fell to the ground. A laid there on the ground until a group of people lifted. 

For a little while, I thought I had been saved; that was until I heard the music. That evil music. Katy came over to me and whispered, “A WORLD REBORN,” as I screamed for help. The group let me down on the ground and held me down. Katy took the ax, picked it up, and swung it into my chest. The pain was indescribable. I screamed and cried as the group got up and began to dance. As I felt the greatest pain I have ever felt I heard the Watchers scream, “A WORLD REBORN.” I laid there, bleeding out and rethinking everything I ever knew and after a few minutes, it was over.