The Sound of Death

This is a short story I wrote at some point in January.
It was my first attempt to write a story in the present tense.
Enjoy.

Molly.

The pounding drums match the rhythm of my heart.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The emotionless guard grabs my sore aching wrists and hauls me to my feet. His eyes are a sharp piercing grey, the colour of the sky today. The whole world has a depressing lifeless feeling.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I over balance and fall flat on my face. The cold guard just laughs and kicks me into a standing position. My muscles are screaming in agony, burning from work, close to giving up, causing me to fall and hit the hard stone ground once again.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The guard hurls curses and abuse at me, spitting on the ground where I lay, panting. He drags me to my feet again, every muscle crying out. He doesn’t loosen his iron grip on my upper arm, obviously annoyed by my time-consuming pace and displays of weakness. He has a schedule to keep after all.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The sunlight hits me like a razor, the light too bright. My skin hasn’t seen sunlight in weeks; it’s a foreign thing to my stiff body.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The crowd cheers as I’m thrown up the stairs. Their laughter pierces straight through me.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Do they have no compassion? No hearts? No, I decide as they begin pointing and howling. Of course they don’t. These people, these things, are far from human.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The drum roll quickens as the next guard forces me to my knees. His hands are rough and ice cold.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

His smile is deadly; he can’t wait for me to die. I summon the rest of my strength and spit into his dust covered face. He jumps back and tilts a little, almost falling into the crowd.

The drum roll stops and I can’t help but smile.

He races towards me, fury in his eyes, only murder on his mind.

One of his superiors, a heartless, shouts at him, voice ringing with authority. The murderous guard stops in his tracks before smiling that awful smile again.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

The drums restart, somehow more lethal than before.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

The crowd falls silent, anticipating my death. Waiting for the moment life leaves my eyes . . . forever.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

I fight to keep Ashleigh’s promise.

Don’t cry out there. He’d said, don’t give them the satisfaction. I’d nodded and thrown myself into his strong muscular arms. Somehow he’d managed to stay fairly healthy. The glow never once left his eyes, even when I knew mine had been extinguished. My lips had met his and a tingling sensation had engulfed my body. I’d clung to him with all my strength, never wanting to let go, knowing this was the last time I’d ever hold him. We were wrenched apart by the grey-eyed guard who then dragged Ashleigh out of the door and out of my life forever. Don’t forget I love you, he’d shouted to me. I’ll be with you until the end. I’d nodded and tried to shout back, but my whole body had been overcome with a life threatening grief. I fell to the ground and listened to the jeering crowd as they prepared to watch a cold-blooded heartless take my lover’s life.

There was silence.

And then a furiously paced drum roll.

And then deafening cheers.

And that’s when I knew it was all over.

If Ashleigh hadn’t survived, then neither would I.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

I had no reason to.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

I hold my head up high and make eye contact with the hissing crowd.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

My whole life had been dedicated to following Ashleigh, so why should that change now?

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

I smile at the inhuman members of the crowd, waiting, just as they were.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

I watch them collectively hold their breath and I know there’s only a matter of seconds.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

I feel the immense strength of the heartless as he firmly holds my head between his fatal hands.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

My eyes stay open.

And I know Ashleigh’s with me.

Somewhere . . .