After The End

What was it?

What happened after I graduated?*

Graduation…

How long ago was that? There was a little bit of college maybe, did I even learn anything? I don’t remember it.

She sat near the window, chin in hand, counting back as far as her memory could stretch. Trying to relive a thousand-and-one-days in a manner of minutes. She frowned, no it would take seconds to relive her entire life. The top of the hourglass grew empty, and the bottom full, along with her boredom. September sighed heavily. Had there been anything significant in her life? Anything worthwhile? A small ball of regret began to form in the pit of her stomach.

People can see their entire life flash before their eyes right before they die. Here I am running through mine and I can’t say I’m truly happy about it.

Regret? Came a distant voice, it was barely a whisper. September was too far gone to actually notice.

Maybe a little…

Guilt? It asked in earnest. September’s eyes grew heavy, she yawned before responding.

Guilt? I’ve never done anything worth feeling guilty about. There are rules. I followed all of them…

And yet, here you are in your last moments…

His lips brushed against her ears as his knife dug into her chest. The pointed blade protruding her chest was a crimson red. She shot up from her seat, gasping for air. She scanned the room in a panic. She was alone. The golden light of the setting sun streamed into the room gracefully. The only sound was coming from the hourglass, the sand rubbing against each other as it fought to fit through the pinched hole. September’s hand came to her chest where she could still feel the blade’s cold touch. Reluctantly, she sat down again.

"It was just a dream." She muttered to herself.

Was it? Came the voice again. A ripple of goosebumps decorated her arms, slowly September turned to look behind her. The curiosity overpowering her fear. Closing her eyes, and inhaling she spun quickly. No one. Nothing. Just her reflection. The longer she stared at herself, the stranger her reflection became. Her heart beat pounded against her chest, she felt the cool rush of adrenaline pulse through her veins as the reflection before her melted into a man; a ghost she hadn’t seen in years. Fear gripped her throat. No. Not fear, it was him, his icy thin claws were wrapped around her neck nice and tight. A smile curved the edge of his mouth. September looked into his hollow green eyes. There was something familiar about them. Something tragic.

"Did you miss me?" He hissed, still in a barely audible voice, "I missed you."

His eyes fell on her red lips and he tensed with anticipation. Without a second thought he lowered his head, tasting them. This woke September and her body reacted on its own, rejecting him with fists and strength she didn’t know she still possessed. Startled, Hunter fell back amused. His smile was met with a full kick to the face. September did not waste the opportunity. She grabbed the hourglass and ran towards the door. Hunter pulled at the strings of Wind, forcing September back. She leaned forward and pushed with all her strength. Holding her arm out to in front of her, September noticed a small window nearby. Her stomach dropped as she felt herself fly out of it. She wasn’t sure if she had jumped or if Hunter had shoved her out but it had worked out in her favor. She rolled on the roof below. Stopping only to observe the height of the fall. Hunter rushed to window and peered below. He was too late. She had escaped. He realized from the blood on his lip that she had bit him. He smiled, that was the September he remembered.

"Never without permission," he mumbled.

He turned quickly, his long cloak swishing after him. With a wave of his hand he sparked a fire on her desk. Hunter stepped back into the mirror and vanished. September caught her breath at the turn of a corner near her loft. She was sure she hadn’t been followed but nonetheless, she surveyed the people around her. Everyone was still living their lives, completely ignorant of hers. She straightened up and headed upstairs. Once safe inside, September curled up in her chair replaying the scene at the office.

What the fuck was that? He-he kissed me…He came out of the mirror? The hourglass?

September finally noticed the item still clutched tightly in her hand. She turned it over carefully, wondering why she would have cared so much for it. There was some significance to it but it eluded her at the moment. She shook her curls free of her hair tie and decided to soak in the tub. It would help her relax which in turn would allow her to think. Slowly, she needed to go over everything slowly. If she rushed, she’d miss something. The water took its time filling the tub, it was in no rush. Impatient, September hopped in, stretching her full corpse in the tub. The water level rose enough to cover her lower body, leaving her breasts exposed. She let her head fall back, drifting off at the sound of the rushing water.

A pressure behind her lids urged her to open her eyes, but her lids were too heavy. Slowly, they opened to an underwater scenery. September looked around, above her was a reflection of the moon’s light. Darkness surrounded her, forcing her to stay only where the moon allowed. She felt herself sinking, slowly, gracefully. Her foot touched a porcelain object, and she realized there was no sand at the bottom of this ocean. It was all filled with hourglasses. She bent down to pick one up, it had a date carved onto the rim: “Oct. 14, 2008.” That date had no significance to her. She put it down and picked up another: “April 9, 2011.” There was a date she was looking for but what was it? Slowly she began to rise. A thunderous noise broke her concentration. It roared loudly in her ears, louder as she got closer to the top. Breaking through the surface she found herself back in her loft, the tub had over flowed. Coughing, she reached for the nobs to shut off the water. They squeaked in protest.

September rushed out of the water and towards the hourglass. It was still by her bedside. She sat on her bed looking it over. On the bottom, etched lightly into the rim was a date it was barely visible: “-er 19, -13.” She ran her finger over it slowly, willing it to tell her the missing words. So enthralled in the new mystery she failed to see her intruder rising from the mirror behind her. Quick flashes of distant memories bounced around her head. She could hear the distant voices but she couldn’t understand what they said.

"September," the stranger remarked, "September nineteen two thousand-thirteen."

September gasped as long lost memories flooded her thoughts. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"That day," She whispered.

"Yes, and we need you back again."