Twisted Fate

Blood drips off a vengeful blade

wielded by an unknown figure.

I hold my ground. I rub my eyes,

but it was gone: whatever it was.

I raise a brow. What do I do now?

I wearily walk into the mist.

There is a bright light in the distance

guiding me. Clouds of darkness begin

to dissipate. I question this reality

that seems so foreign. The wind

roars with rage. Goosebumps crawl

under my thin skin. I hear the sound

of footsteps not far behind.

I feel a warm sensation my neck.

I turn around, yet there was nothing

in sight except two cars on fire

illuminating the apocalyptic night.

I take another step forward.

I see an apparition zoom past me.

It walks through the wall of a run-down

building and vanishes. Sweat pools on

my forehead. I lose my balance and trip.

A sharp pain courses through

my foot. I take my shoe and sock off

and notice a cut parting like the red sea.

I lean forward and shine my flashlight

on the object I tripped on. It was

a piece of scrap metal. Stained red,

the severed shrapnel told a story

of strife and destruction. Its mere

presence reveled in repulsion.

I wrap my foot with my bloody sock.

I attempt to stand to no avail.

The shadowy figure momentarily surfaces

before descending into the ground.

I scream, “what do you want from me?”

I wait for a response. Moments later,

I hear a whisper, “I want a bit of your time”

Confused, I set my head onto my shaking

hands. I gather enough strength to get up

and limp to a nearby bench. My life flashes

before my eyes. Before I start to fade, I feel

a tap on my shoulder. I rotate my head.

Nothing was there. My head slowly turns

back, and I am face to face with the figure.

There it was with its curved horns

and devastating smirk. I can feel its

fiery breath burn my curious soul.

My eyes water as its stare paralyzes me.

I feel an arched blade enter my gut

without invitation. I look down and place

my hands on my stomach. Blood seeps

through my trembling fingers.

With sincerity, I simply ask, “why?”

It put its slim finger to my lips and says,

“Because I want to see if you’ll survive”

My limp body slithers off the bench

and onto the ground. After what feels

like an eternity, I slowly open my eyes

and notice a bright light swaying above my face.

I hear the sound of a patient monitor beeping.

I touch my stomach and feel several stiches.

I fixate my attention on two men in white

hospital gowns looking at each other,

“He’s awake!” He leans closer to me and says,

“Son, you were in a terrible car accident,

so we put you into a medically induced coma”

The other doctor chimes in,

“a piece of metal went through your stomach

after slicing the hell out of your foot”

“You, sir, are lucky to be alive”

The other man chuckles and says in jest,

“I guess you passed the devil’s test.”