Anthology. Robert Deshaies
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Название: Anthology
Автор: Robert Deshaies
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Современная зарубежная литература
isbn: 9781646547425
isbn:
I was helpless. This memory had turned into a nightmare, and it was slowly coming back to me. Wait, the stranger said he was giving me a choice. Thoughts began returning into my psyche, and I could speak again.
“You said there’s a choice… What is it?”
He stood there, and he formed a menacing grin. His body was gliding closer and closer to me as I stood, knowing I couldn’t escape this. He was now in front of me, looking down, and he lifted his finger to his lips.
“Wake up, Melanie.”
The edges began coming back, and color flooded in. I was back in Paris. I was in my flat. I was sitting with a cup of coffee. The bowl, it was chilling to the touch. How did I get here? Then I heard that all-too-familiar sound.
Tick, titch, tick, titch.
He came from the kitchen corner, and Sonja was in front of him. I spotted a sharp object steered toward her back.
“This is the choice, Melanie. I’m collecting on a debt owed today. It’s going to be your life or hers. She will never remember any of this if you choose yourself. If not, then she dies, alone and cold with a needle in her arm, just like Donny.”
“I don’t understand… Why are you doing this to me? I never did anything wrong.”
“No, no, no. Melanie. Can’t you see? You did. You left. You left yourself on the bench. You left everything behind because you thought you could escape. There is no escape for you, dear. The past has come to collect. Think, why have I shown you all these things? Just think for one clear moment…”
A wave of memories came flooding back into my mind, and now I saw what I did. That day on the bench, I never told Donny to put the bag away. He and I both shot up on that bench. He died, and I survived. I should’ve never survived. So the reaper was here to collect. Now I know. I guess I lived past my time. I looked to the soulless man, and I understood. It’d all been a dream, except I lived it as a death wish. I was never in Paris; I was merely a ghost roaming long streets. I was never here because I was still in New York. I died on the park bench in New York. Now I’m in hell. A prolonged stay. Now I’m given an ultimatum.
“Take me. I know I’ve done wrong. I left selfishly. Let Sonja go, and you can have me.”
They stood there. Less pressure was applied on the knife to Sonja’s back.
“What’s the difference between a dream and a nightmare, Melanie?” the soulless man asked.
“I…I’m not sure. I think a dream is how you wish the world to be, and a nightmare is how the world really is. Heh. So this is—”
“No, it’s not that or the other. Melanie, look at me. Say goodbye to Sonja. Then you and I are going to go for a walk.”
“Okay.”
I walked up to them as he let the blade go from his hand. Sonja unfroze from his grip and rushed to me. No words needed to be spoken, and I kissed her with what was left of me. She gave me the same look she did at the party last night. I hope I’d always remember that.
“Good night, Sonja.”
I followed Mr. Jacket out through the door, and it was white. I didn’t know what was beyond, but I’d always remember the extra time I had here.
“Good night, world.”
Fin
Chapter 2
On the Run
There was so much blood. I…
It was everywhere. I mean, my vision was practically going red from how much blood there was. Fuck, this was such a stupid, goddamn idea. What the hell were we thinking robbing a bank? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Okay, try and keep a cool head. Turn on the AC, play the Zeppelin tape, and kick back. Forget that you have three dead partners in the car with you, forget about the blood spattered everywhere, forget about the blood and possibly bone of your best friend’s skull on your cheek.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Huff, huff. Okay, it was dark. I just needed to keep driving. I needed to get out of Nebraska, cross the state line, ditch the car on the road, walk to a motel, keep it low-key for a day, hot-wire another ride, and pass a few more state lines. Then it would be good to lie low for a while.
Okay…okay, that’s the plan. Just keep driving, and I’ll get there. Just keep driving. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about Billy, John, and Mark. They’re dead. No point to ponder on the deceased.
It was silent for a hundred miles. Nothing but plains of nothing. My headlights, the road, no radio, just silence. The tires grazing across the asphalt barely made a noise. It was the rotation that was almost relaxing me, but I thought my ears might be blown out from the gunshots when it all went wrong. My stomach began to growl. I was sure the adrenaline ate up all the energy that I had stored away. Good thing I ate those frosted flakes forty minutes before the gig. I was tired and hungry. I’d need to pull over soon. I prayed there was a diner or motel or just something along the highway.
There was silence and wind—the howling winds. Two-lane highway and me, alone.
Another thirty minutes went by. I stopped keeping count of the miles. My eyes were slowly closing. I thought I saw a light on the horizon. I checked the time, and it should be dark for another couple of hours. I prayed it was a diner. I could park, eat a burger, and get some coffee. Just…I just needed something. The growling hurt now; my head was pounding.
Okay, here we go over the crest. Thank God we’re over it now.
There it was in all its beauty—the diner in the middle of nowhere. I finally stepped on the brakes, friendly and easy, so I wouldn’t look suspicious rolling in. I saw the lights on, so that must mean they were open. I rolled up real slow, and I turned off the lights. I had shades to cover the windows in the glove, so I placed those all around. I hope there aren’t any bullet holes in the car. I couldn’t tell you how many shots I heard fired once we got going. Finally, after padding up the car, I stepped out and saw the neon shining down on me.
“Diner, 24-7.”
Under the neon blues, I walked into a happy place. I saw a gentleman sitting in the far-left corner. He was wearing a large white trench coat and seemed to be reading the paper. His car must be in the back. I thought I didn’t see it out front. I rang the bell on the counter, and he didn’t even pull the paper down. A noise from the kitchen rattled through the empty zone.
“One minute!”
Oh, thank God.
“Yeah, yeah…take your time. I’ll take a seat.”
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