Dehumanized

Bit darker for you, and I'm sure there's a moral message in here somewhere. If you look hard.

Dehumanized

As I took in my surroundings, I couldn’t help but regret how it came to this. The squeaky, soft, brand new leather sofa; the hardwood floorboards, still shiny from polish; the cream coloured, spotless walls; the bright white ceiling; the luxurious, expensive rug, it all screamed at me with accusing fury.

The masterpiece of the room, a rather large flat screen television, completed with a surround sound stereo system, reflected back at me a guilty face with which my secret joy struggled. Did I deserve my fortune? No. Was this a concerning matter? Perhaps.

I thought back to last year…

“Sometimes, you have to be selfish. It’s your decision to make, but if you don’t decide today, I will walk away.” He gives me a hard look, brows furrowed and eyes deadly serious. This man could be heaven or hell.

In a moment of weakness, I sigh, and click my pen; “I’ll sign.”

His face barely changes, but he slides a folder across the desk. I take it, and extract a single sheet of paper, dated at the top; ‘5/4/09’. Reading it, it looks reasonable; I certainly have a good deal here.

I leave my mark, and instantly the weight of my decision sets up camp on my shoulders. I can’t go back now.

He speaks the last words of the meeting; “You’ll hear from me in a year. Until then, tell no-one.”

Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw a man. Through the glass screen door to my left, a man in a sharp suit stood, for a split second, before vanishing. Almost as if he dived into the ground.

Fear suddenly strangled me; was this time? Did I have to pay for my sins? I saw the man again. Fleetingly he appeared, until, like before, he was gone. But as common sense filtered back into my thoughts, I noticed something. Well, more so the absence of something; the snow outside was thick and heavy, and there were no visible footprints where the man had seemingly stood.

But once again, the man showed himself, as I glanced at the glass door. Then I heard footsteps, and my heart stopped. I froze in unadulterated terror. The room became hot, as if ruthless hellfire was enveloping me. I felt a hand upon my shoulder, and instantly, I knew; the man I saw outside was a reflection, and the true horror was within my guilt-ridden haven. I slowly turned to face him, and his eyes bore into me with such intensity that no amount of material wealth could vanquish. I had made a mistake, and it was time to pay. His lips formed a sentence:

“We dine in Hell tonight.”

Then the floor engulfed me, and I stopped breathing.

…

I woke up on a cold cement floor, the chills from the hard stone absorbing into me with ravaging earnest. I felt stiff and pained, and my right arm itched. I felt my flesh; my arm was covered in green pustules. The arm I signed the contract with, that godforsaken agreement that sealed my fate. I blacked out again.

…

“This man has shown remorse for his actions; however, that does not provide an excuse. I move that he provide service for the remainder of the century.” The next time I awoke from my comatose-like state, I heard a cool, confident voice spell out my future. Slowly, memories trickled back to me, and I thought instantly of my family, how they had no idea where I was; how they must be fearfully struggling with visions of my demise. I stared at the desk I was sitting at, as the cool voice continued, unbeknownst to me that I was now the focus of his speech. Then, everything became blurred, and I lost consciousness.

…

I woke up, drenched in cold sweat, shaking. My mind was clear now, and I regained full control of my body. The room I was in contained but one bed and a mirror. The mirror was cracked and scratched, and as I walked over to it, I could barely make out a reflection. I stood in front of it, squinting at a shadowy figure behind me. The image became clearer as the figure drew closer, until it was directly behind me, and I could observe the petrifying entity that would ruin me.

Whatever it was, it placed a cold, bony hand on my shoulder, and I found myself paralyzed in fear. I could not move, and this creature, this demon, was free to take his toll on me. Then, I felt a great weight lifted from my chest, up my throat, and out of my mouth.

A glowing, silver orb.

I watched it go, trying but failing to reach out for it. It floated over me, and into the hand of this thing. The figure enclosed the orb in its hand, and it disappeared. I collapsed, free from its control, but empty inside. In the short space of time, I understood; I would pay for my sins with myself. I had been dehumanized.

…

Again, I woke up, but this time, in my own bed, soaked in the same icy sweat, shaking and shivering. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table: ‘4:30am, 4/4/09’. I couldn’t believe it. The shock knocks me out.

…

“Sometimes, you have to be selfish. It’s your decision to make, but if you don’t decide today, I will walk away.” He gives me a hard look, brows furrowed and eyes deadly serious. This man could be heaven or hell.

I sigh, and remember the shadowed figure, my family, my soul. Second chances don’t often come along, but today it had. Was I ready to be dehumanized, for a year of wealth and happiness for my family? No, I could not take that chance. Then, I thought to what he just said; “You have to be selfish.” He was right; it would be selfish to deny my family the fortune they crave, to save my own humanity, but it had to be done. I shook my head, and walked off. In the corner of my eye, I saw him smile.

Cheers for reading!