Plague
A crinkled-skinned man looked around with glistening dark eyes, and drool slowly dripped from his lips.
“Yes-yes all according to plan!” His face stretched into a too-long smile, cracks in his lips opening further a path for blood.
The sky was dark above, a dense fog stretching past all sight. Contorting shadows littered every inch of the ground, their moans of agony the only noise in the air. Upon closer inspection, these shadows were dying humans, covered in wretched wounds leaking pus and blood. Soon the entire land would be nothing but writhing shadows and death.
A bell rang in the distance, the body collector was headed in this direction. Soon his wagon filled with death would be here, black robes and a pointed mask would heft the dying shadows and take them to a mass grave to be burned. The crinkled-skinned man decided that this was a good time to check on his family, he had seen enough of his work.
…
He made his way to a small cottage near the outskirts of the village, near the tree line. There was no smoke billowing, meaning no fire had been lit. He pushed through the heavy wooden door, his smile growing wider as he saw everyone writhing in beds. He just needed to find his cousin and get them out of there. With the ward hooked on a chain he made for his cousin, it would dispel the disease the crinkled-skin man created. They could move on to a new life together, away from the horrible place they both grew up in.
Harsh realization hit him when he saw his cousin also writhing in bed, he ran to his side and pulled his cousin’s hand into his.
“Cousin, you are alright!” followed by a light cough and a smile through the pain. “I am not sure what has happened, but I am glad to see you in good health.”
“Where is the necklace?” The crinkled skin man asked, eyes frantically searching. Maybe I crafted it wrong, maybe it didn’t work. He thought as self-doubt and panic crept in.
“The necklace? Oh yes, it’s tucked away safely. It is odd but I wanted to keep it safe since it was a gift from you.” He choked out painfully.
“I told you to wear it! You needed to wear it to keep you safe…” The crinkled-skinned man’s voice trailed off.
Realization hit his cousin, a painful realization. He knew his cousin had been dabbling in magic, but he had not known of what kind.
“You did this?” his voice was weak as he reached to touch one of the festering wounds on his face, eyes searching for an answer.
“I did, everyone is so wretched I simply pulled it to the surface!”
“Why? Why would you do this to me?” His cousin’s voice was raspy and breaking.
“That’s why I made you the necklace, it was a ward to keep away the disease! Why didn’t you wear it when I told you to never take it off?”
“I didn’t know it meant this! I wouldn’t have worn it even then, not if it meant I was the only one left with you!” His cousin spat and then erupted into a fit of coughs. Tears leaked down his face, emotions of betrayal and pain impossible to conceal. “You’ve broken not only my body cousin, but my heart. I will go with the rest of the “wretched” to a world without evil like you.” With that, he rolled over on his side dejected.
The crinkled-skinned man felt a deep sadness he had never known, for his cousin was the only person he cared for. This was soon replaced by fury, then madness.
“Fine, cousin. I tried to protect you and create a better world for us, but all I can do for you now is the grace of a quick death, instead of an agonizing painful one.”
Without a second thought, he pulled out a small dagger and slid it into the side of his cousin’s neck. Blood leaked out of the wound, and his cousin gurgled and choked on the blood as he turned to look into the crinkled-skinned man’s eyes one last time as his life left him. Any hope of redemption for the man was gone at that moment. He was left alone in a world of his making, a world of plagued shadows.
…
What did you think of the story? If you were the man’s cousin what would you have done in those last moments? Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you so much for reading!
