💯 STORY CHALLENGE (25/100)
Skeletons in the Closet, Chapter 2 — Mastering Death
Keegan awakes in captivity after a supposedly deadly encounter. Soon, he will learn nothing is as it seems.
This is a serial fiction story. Please find the table of contents here.
They say when you die, your life passes by you fast-forward. That is a lie. It doesn’t happen at the moment of death, but when they bring you back. Keegan learned that the hard way. It took three failed attempts to bring him back into the world of the living.
Every time, he was ripped out of that warm, peaceful place to be flooded by memories of a lifetime. All his successes, failures, first kiss, unanswered love for Nyra, anxiety, and so much more, good and bad, threatened to make his head explode.
Keegan awoke confused, cold, and afraid. His neck felt stiff and hurt, and when he tried to move, he realised he was bound to a bench or plank bed. When Keegan opened his eyes, bright white light blinded him. Having no idea where he was, he panicked.
“Well, well now,” a deep, soothing voice said, “let’s be reasonable.”
“Who are you?”
“The answer should be obvious, Mr Stannard,” the male voice replied tauntingly.
“Theobald Killjoy?” Keegan asked, “What happened to me?”
“What is the last thing you remember, Mr Stannard?”
Keegan would have wished to avoid this topic. The fact that he and his colleague broke into the office of the man that had tied him up might not improve his situation.
“Ahem … breaking into your office ….” Keegan said cautiously.
“Right! Continue.”
Killjoy, the politician his colleague Nyra suspected of having a role in the disappearance of more than a dozen people, seemed to enjoy the situation. He spoke with the joyful tone of a game show moderator trying to coax some old lady to bet all her winnings on a new mixer.
“Something grabbed me, and …,” Keegan hesitated, “… snapped my neck?”
“Correct! One hundred points for Mr Stannard,” the politician mocked.
“But … but, how is that possible? I should be dead.”
For the first time, Keegan’s eyes adjusted enough for him to see Killjoy’s face. Seeing his sadistic, decadent smile, Keegan wished for a second to be blinded again. This man was up to no good, and Keegan feared he would soon find out what that was.
“Should? Should?!” the finely dressed and styled man asked angrily, “The only thing that should happen is my will!”
Keegan looked at the man in shock. While wiping saliva from his mouth with a handkerchief, Killjoy took a deep breath.
“I dislike people snooping around me, trying to disturb my plans. Which is why I brought you back.”
“Y-you brought me back?” Keegan asked, his voice trembling.
“What did you think happened? Some beautiful angel delivered God’s love and carried you to Earth? Or that the tooth fairy finally paid you back for all your baby teeth?”
“That is impossible! You must be off your head!”
Killjoy looked at Keegan with a vicious smile. Then, his gaze wandered down to Keegan’s neck, and he chuckled.
“Rich, coming from the pain in the neck.”
“W-what do you want?”
“Ah … finally, we get to the question that matters.”
Killjoy came closer, holding a knife in his right hand. Keegan’s eyes widened in shock, and he braced himself for the worst. His jaw dropped in surprise when Killjoy started to untie him.
Keegan considered his chances. Would it be wiser if he tried to run away or if he tried to overwhelm his oppressor? When Killjoy seemed distracted for a moment, he turned tail and ran. Keegan was about to reach the door when he heard Killjoy’s voice behind him.
“STOP!”
Keegan immediately froze in his tracks.
“Surprised, Mr Stannard? I did tell you that my will happens. That usually requires intricate plans, gentle or ruthless forms of persuasion, and patience. But in your case, all it needs is my command. I have mastered death and am the master of the dead.”
Keegan looked down at his pale hands and gently touched his right wrist with his left hand. There was no pulse. For the first time, Keegan realised how horrible his situation indeed was.
“What do you want?”
“You remember your friend? Ms Freeman.”
Immediately, Keegan had to think of Nyra, his colleague and best friend whom he’d had a crush on for years. Did she get away from here? Was she okay?
“I don’t think I do. Must have forgotten that when I died,” Keegan lied weakly.
“I will let this pitiful attempt to deceive me pass, Mr Stannard. What I want is simple. You will find Ms Freeman and …,” Killjoy took a break to indulge in a villainous smile, menace written all over his face, “… kill her.”
Everything inside Keegan wanted to protest against what Killjoy suggested. Instead, Keegan answered like somebody had pressed a play button in his head: “I will find Ms Freeman and kill her.”
© Jay C Wells, 2022
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💯 Story Challenge (25/100)
I am going through a metamorphosis of my own, realising my writing dream. Why don’t you support that journey by reading my other fictional tales, subscribing to my email list or joining Medium with my referral link?
To the story nerds who bravely worked their way through part 1 and asked to know more about what was going on: Eko BP, Angie Mangino, Mary Louisa Cappelli, MFA, JD, PhD, Mike Butler, Scot Butwell, Bernie Pullen, C.A. Jaymes, Klara Jane Holloway, JF Danskin, Denise Darby, and Maria Rattray.
Are you interested in the 💯 Story Challenge? Check this story by Zane Dickens in Microcosm to learn more.
Like always, I finish by leading you to a personal pick from the 💯 Story Challenge: “The Creature” by Cathylouise.
