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Author of 62 Stories |
The town stretches out below me. It is no longer painted such bright colors. I remember that it was once. I think that was a long time ago. Long ago, the time Edward went to the Town.
I wonder, have they forgotten me? Have they forgotten the circus freak who came from the hill? I do not know. But people do not come here anymore. Not since the first woman.
I have forgotten her name. I do not remember much about them. I think it has been a long time since I was down there. I can think of close to nothing about it.
Just the strong points.
I remember Jim, the boy who I killed. He has long been taken away. I do not think they miss him.
I remember the woman who took off her clothes. I understand a bit more now. She makes me sick.
I remember Kim, most of all. Kim, dancing in the snow. I remember Kim most of all. I miss her. No one else, but I miss her. I used to wait by the gate for hours, when I was younger, to see if today, today would be the day she returned. She never did. And I learned to live with it. Mostly.
I understand now, the thoughts of the people. I do not forgive them, in their rush to hate and fear, but I do understand them. They were afraid of me because I could hurt them. I could do so easily. I never would, I am not sure if I was even aware, then, of the things I could do. I do not think I understood death until Jim fell out of my window. But the second I heard the glass crunch, I knew what I had done. I did not regret it, nor do I now.
I look at my hands. Not hands. Blades. A gift, or a burden. I do not know which. Someday I may know, but now… I look back down at the town. The town that is now gray, dull. I see the house that Kim lives in, but it does not look the same. I see people come and go now and again, but I cannot see who it is. I am too far away. How I long to go there again. If only for a moment. To see her. To ask her why she did not come. Why she left me here, alone.
Why she left… But what is keeping me here?
They have forgotten. The more I think about it the more certain I am. They do not know me. They will not fear me. Not unless they get a good look. Which they won't in the dark I look at the sky. The sun is already going down. I smile, and walk to the gate. I push it open, wincing at the shriek it makes. Behind me, the animals I make from the bushes, they shake their heads. They say come back. They say nothing good will come of this. I say they are wrong. I slip through the gate.
Kim's house has changed more than I thought. Every corner I turn yields a new surprise. I wonder if I have the right house. But it is the right one. I remember where Kim's room is. It looks up to my house. Sometimes I see the lights on, down there. I think of her, I wonder if she thinks of me.
The room looks mostly the same. The decorations have changed. But I see her, sleeping in her bed. It is the same bed. I remember the water in the mattress. The mattress did not like me. Or, more specifically, my hands.
She looks… different somehow, but more likely is that I do not remember her perfectly. I am not perfect. I never once thought I was.
Swallowing a knot of fear, a horrible sense of deja vous, I opened the lock on the front door. It opened, revealing a room I do not remember. I think it was much different, I do not know, now.
I creep down the hall, eventually coming to Kim's door. I ease it open. Unlike the front door, it is unlocked. The pink water bed is in the same place. Soundlessly I cross the room. Kim is facing toward me, but she is still asleep. I crouch down, and softly shake her shoulder. I don't want her to wake up screaming. That would not end well.
She groans.
"Lemme sleep, grandma. I don wanna go to skool…" She's dreaming. I have heard it is a very disorienting feeling, waking up from one. I wouldn't know. I shake her shoulder a bit harder. Her eyes open for a second. Her… blue… eyes.
They open again, this time very wide. I think she's going to scream, and I look for the fastest way out. But she doesn't.
"You're him," she breathes. "Edward the scissor-man. Holy God." I don't say anything. I don't know who this person is, but she isn't Kim. "Why are you here?" I think for a second, wondering if I should tell her. I don't know if I can trust her. Once upon a time I trusted everyone. I know better now.
"Do you talk?" "Yes…" "Well, why are you here?" "To find Kim…" "Kim? You mean… oh." Her face falls. I feel a knot it the bottom of my stomach. I don't want to know what she's about to say. "Kim… she was my grandmother. She… she died. About a year ago." "I am sorry I woke you up." I turned away. I wanted to go home. Go home, forget any of this happened. This was a horrible idea. There's nothing down here but misery, there hasn't ever been anything else.
"Hey, are you okay?" the girl asks. I look back for one second.
"No. But I will be." I don't stop until I'm back in my own room. Here, I can pretend it was all a dream. Kim is still down there, waiting. She's waiting to come up here again. She has to wait until…until it's safe again. Then.. Then she's coming back up to see me. I haven't been gone that long.
She isn't dead.
She isn't.
She ISN'T!
But I know she is. I know it wasn't a dream. I don't have dreams.