by Nobo13
THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD
by Nobo13
Copyright 2015 Nobo13
*****
The Opposite Side of the Road
I fell in love. It was as simple as that. Even though I was just a child. Even though the decision was hard to make. What the skeleton, in front of me, said needed no second to think about. I boldly stepped into the middle of the road, as a flash of pink took my life. I had no doubts in my heart as I died. I was willing to die for love.
*****
‘Are you feeling better?’ I asked
‘A little,’ Joe smiled weakly. I knew he was lying.
‘You’re still looking a little pale, should I get you some soup?’
‘Please,’ he nodded. There was a long pause while I opened a can before he asked, ‘How’s it looking?’
‘It’s almost done,’ I smiled from the doorway, ‘Just need a few more parts’
‘More?’ he laughed, ‘You’ve taken apart everything in this house. What more do you need?’
‘Oh, you know,’ I came back with a hot bowl of soup, ‘Bits and bobs’
I sat across from him as he tore some bread with his mouth, before spitting it into the bowl of soup. He let it swim there for a bit before bringing it back up with a spoonful of soup.
I wondered how long I’ve been here for. Staying in my house that wasn’t my house. I had come from another world, a parallel world. This world I was in was exactly the same, except everything was mirrored. The cinema that was left at the end of the road was now right, and my house was no longer west but east. Everything was pretty much the same but for one thing.
‘Want to watch a movie?’ Joe asked
‘Yeah,’ I rested my head on his shoulders, ‘What are you in the mood for?’
‘Rom com?’
‘Ok,’ I secretly smiled. It hadn’t been two months yet, but I was resting my head on him. My hands on his legs. His arm around my back. I cared a lot for Joe. After all, in my world he was dead.
*****
I fell in love when I was five. I know it sounds strange, but it was true. Our eyes met from opposite sides of the road. I lived on the east side, and she on the west. We were drawn towards each other. I fell in love and immediately afterwards, she was hit by a car. I often wonder what if it was me? What if it was me that died. Maybe then she could have lived.
It wasn’t until twenty years later that my answer came. It was late at night, and I heard a strange noise. From my garage was a strange light, and before I knew it, it was dark again. But there was a noise. A voice. Someone was in my garage. Armed with a baseball bat, I rushed in to strike but instead, I fell in love again. Helen stood in front of me. Helen stood in front of me, alive and well.
*****
Joe had died in a car crash. It was all so sudden but I remember it well. Even though I was so young, I remember quite clearly I had a crush on him. I was always watching him, smiling when he was near. And it was on that fateful day, when we stood from opposite sides of the road, that he died.
It’s going to sound strange and weird, but I never got over it. I was strangely in love with him still. I never saw anything in anyone else. I joked and laughed with my friends about it, but in reality, I think I was very hurt, it was just that, I grew up hurt so it felt like normal to me.
So when our eyes met after I made my jump, I finally realised how broken my heart was. And how happy I was to see him.
He let me stay in my house, well, his house as I fixed my machine to return home. It was around then that he got sick, and I’ve been looking after him since. I don’t know why, but it feels like heaven. I feel so happy right now.
*****
I pulled the cover over her before admiring her sleep. I never felt such great heights before. I knew this was it. This was how I wanted to spend the rest of my life, together with this woman no matter what.
My legs felt weak, as I headed to my bed. She was using the guestroom but I didn’t want to disturb her, so I made the couch as comfortable as possible. I climbed the stairs that took more effort with each day. I reached my bathroom before a nosebleed occurred. I wondered why they were happening so often now before the face in the mirror scared me. I was paralysed with fear, for it was the face you expect to see on your deathbed. The skeleton came out from the shadows dressed in a black suit. It wore a stunningly white shirt with an orange tie. It nodded before putting the toilet seat down and sitting on it.
‘Hello Joe,’ it said in a thousand voices
‘Are you who I think you are?’
‘It depends,’ it replied, ‘I could be recruiting you into the skeleton war, is that still a thing?’
I nodded
‘Or,’ it continued, ‘I could be the villain from that 80s cartoon, you know what I mean?’
I nodded
‘Or, maybe I’m the skeleton detective?’
‘Or Death,’ I sorted of shrugged
‘Or Death,’ it laughed before standing to bow, ‘Death, at your service’
‘Am I dead?’
‘No, at least not yet’
‘Have you come for me?’
‘No, at least not yet’
‘For Helen?’ I suddenly felt a fire in my chest
There was a long pause. I couldn’t tell what it was thinking, there was just an expressionless skull staring at me? Staring at the walls? Just staring, as if they could see everything.
‘Worry not, friend,’ it finally sat back down in a droop, ‘While it is true that I’ve come for Helen, it isn’t for you know what. I have another business with her’
‘Another business?’
‘Curiosity killed the cat, Joe. But before I met with her, it was important to see you first’
‘Why?’ I sat on the edge of my bathtub
‘You are dying,’ it said, ‘And it’s because of her’
*****
I awoke from the sounds of songbirds in the early hours. I brushed aside my hair as I stared from the couch at the empty TV set. My senses stirred as I looked up to the clock. It was still before six, but I decided to get up and stretched out the aches from sleeping rough.
I walked up to Joe’s room before taking a peek into his room. Still asleep. I stopped myself from entering and went to the bathroom to freshen up. I opened the door before realising someone was in there already.
‘Sorry,’ I closed it quickly in embarrassment
‘It’s ok,’ the figure replied in a thousand voices
I felt the muscles around my eyes each individually contract as I frowned. My mind replayed what I saw before I reluctantly opened the door again.
‘Hello Helen,’ it said while sitting on the toilet without facing me.
I came into the room, shutting the door behind me. I had been to many worlds, but this was a first. I reached for the laser gun in my back pocket, releasing the safety as I drew it out.
‘Won’t work on me,’ it said, still not facing me
‘I think you’ll find lasers work quite well on bones. The very least, it’ll ruin that nice shirt of yours!’
‘You’re brave, I liked that about you’
‘Liked?’
‘Oh, sorry,’ it finally turned to me and I realised immediately that a laser would just ruin a nice shirt, ‘I need to explain some things, don’t I? Sit’
I frowned before gesturing with my hands.
‘Right, let’s go to the kitchen. It’s been a while since I had a cup of tea’
‘Are you even able to drink tea?’
‘No, but it’s the thought that counts’
My eyes darted between the boiling kettle to the skeleton at the table. Ok, this was possibly the weirdest situation I’ve been in. Was this nor
mal in this world? No, it can’t be I reasoned with myself.
‘Milk?’ I asked
‘Yeah,’ it laughed, ‘Good for the bones’
‘Sugar?’
‘Two’
I reluctantly passed it a cup of tea before sitting as far as possible from it.
‘Well,’ it sighed, ‘Where do I begin?’
‘I don’t know, from the beginning?’
‘Right, right, well in the beginning there was nothing’
‘Let’s start somewhere more recent’
‘Yes,’ it laughed, ‘Let’s start with a road. Let’s start with a house on the eastern side of this road. Tell me, what happened on this road?’
I looked up as if it was pulling my heartstrings, ‘He died’
‘Not in this world’
‘I died in this world’
‘Yes’
‘What about it?’
‘Do you think travelling between worlds is fun?’
‘How did you know?’ I looked up again
‘It’s part of the job,’ it nodded, ‘Now tell me, Helen. What’s the difference between this world and yours?’
‘It’s mirrored’
‘Yes, yes it is. That is very, very important. So, let’s go back to this road. It was on this road I met someone. I met someone I shouldn’t have met. Maybe there was some sort of magic happening, or some voodoo nonsense’
‘Is voodoo real?’
It ignored my question before continuing, ‘But I met someone. A five year old girl. A very nice and kind-hearted one. They saw me when they shouldn’t have. You see, I was on my way to a job. A five year old boy was due to die by car crash. But you’ll never guess what happened’
*****
‘You are dying,’ it said, ‘And it’s because of her’
I looked up to the skeleton and smiled.
‘I know’ I replied happily
‘Oh?’ the skeleton looked up in surprise, ‘Did you also know she’s been lying to you?’
‘Do you mean the machine? Yeah, I know. She fixed it ages ago. She could go back home whenever she wanted’
‘It doesn’t surprise you?’
‘It did at the start. But not because of that. Because she stayed. It made me happy. It made me so happy. Even though she’s killing me. Literally’
‘Yes, she is,’ it sighed, ‘I am going to tell you a story. It’s a story of how I didn’t kill you’
‘Thank you,’ I sharply added
‘Yeah,’ it laughed, ‘When you were five, you were supposed to die. I came walking along the eastern side of the road, and because of some sort of magic happening or some voodoo nonsense’
‘Wait, is voodoo real?’
‘Ah-hem, because of something, a little girl saw me, it went something like this.
‘Hey mister,’ she said
‘Erm,’ I replied unsure of what was happening, ‘Yes, Helen?’
‘How do you know my name?’
‘Well, I kind of know everyone’s name. It’s part of the job’
‘Are you trick or treating?’
‘Erm, no, Helen, I’m Death’
‘Oh’
‘What, that’s it?’
‘Meh’
‘Ok, see you, I got to kill that boy over there’
‘You mean Joe?’
‘Yeah, he’s got be hit by that pink Ferrari coming from way over there’
‘What?’
‘I know, right? Why pink’
‘Is Joe going to die?’
‘Well, that kind of happens when a little boy gets hit by something really hard going pretty fast, well then excuse me’
*****
I stared at the skeleton while it ran its finger around the top of the teacup.
‘And then,’ it spoke as if alive, ‘That little girl, without a shred of doubt, calmly walked past me and stood in the road. It must have been some real heavy destiny stuff happening because she died instead, and I was left unable to touch the boy. Now, here’s the thing, a contract was made between me and her. I don’t know how she did it, but there it was, right in my hands. A very special contract reserved only for star-crossed lovers. A death exchange. In return for her life, he was spared’
I rubbed away any tears before they could fall but there was far too many.
‘Do you know the difference between this world and yours?’ it asked again
‘They’re mirrored’
‘So, who do you suppose I met in your world?’
‘Joe’
‘That’s right. He was scared beyond words, but he did the same for you. A death exchange’
The skeleton pulled out two parchments from its inside breast pocket. Two contracts signed by soul. Each exactly the same but the names in reverse.
‘Now here’s the problem, Helen’ it finally spoke, ‘You’re not supposed to be here. You know it, I know it, he knows it’
‘Yes,’ I said knowing where this was going
‘Joe been sick lately?’
‘Yeah,’ I said under my breath
‘Been getting worst?’ it leaned in
‘Yeah,’
‘You’re a smart girl, Helen. You know what I’m getting at. Go home. Joe made a sacrifice so you could live. This world’s Helen made the same sacrifice so that this world’s Joe could live. I repeat, this world’s Joe’
‘Yes,’ I cried bitterly
‘Well then, excuse me. I’ve got quite some catching up to do. Time is money’
Before I could look up, it was gone, and the teacup empty. I stared with red eyes before I stood up and walked over to the machine.
*****
‘So, that’s the story’ the skeleton told me
‘I see,’ I smiled
‘You look happy,’ it asked
‘Very,’ I replied, ‘I never knew she did that for me. I never knew I would do that for her’
‘Well, star-crossed lovers come and go’
‘But she’ll stay’
‘Excuse me? I don’t think you’ve understood the situation. You’re going to die’
‘Everyone dies’
‘Ok, don’t get philosophical on me, Joe. I’m as philosophical as they get’
‘Have you ever felt love?’
‘Me? No. I don’t think I can’
‘Then I can’t explain to you why’
The skeleton looked back and forth from the floor to me in frustration. The thousand voices were out of sync, as if trying to find the right words.
‘Love?’ it finally asked, ‘Is it real?’
‘Is voodoo?’ I asked jokingly
It nodded before I smirked so hard my cheeks hurt. I nodded back before the skeleton got up.
‘I don’t approve of this, just so you know. I’ll convince her to leave’
‘I won’t stop you,’ I nodded
‘The two of you are idiots’
‘Thank you’
‘That wasn’t a compliment’
‘I’ll take it as one’
‘I’ll be back you know,’ it looked at me, ‘Very soon. And this time I won’t fail’
‘I look forward to it’
‘Well then, see you soon, Joe’
And in a blink of an eye, it was gone. ‘See you soon’ I replied to the darkness.
*****
I set up the coordinates and took one final look around the garage. I took a deep breath and pressed my giant red button to start my jump. I heard the whirls I designed to sound exactly like the TARDIS before nothing. I pressed the giant red button again and nothing.
‘Good morning,’ Joe smiled from the doorway.
‘Joe!’ I turned in shock
‘Looks like you still need some parts’ he walked closer to me as I noticed machine oil on his hands
‘But,’ I tried to talk but he kissed me
For the first time in my life, I felt what it meant to be star-crossed lovers. I felt ‘some real heavy destiny stuff happening’ right here.
�
�Hey,’ he smiled to me, ‘Did you know, voodoo is real’
*****
Well, it certainly was a first for me. I’ve never seen anything like this before. And before I knew it, I was visiting them again.
‘Hey,’ I said as I came in uninvited as always
‘You weren’t joking’ Joe replied with a weak smile
‘No,’ I laughed before sighing, ‘No’
‘Is there anything I can do?’ Helen asked me
‘No,’ I replied before pulling out the death exchange, ‘You’ve already done as much as you can’
‘Well,’ Joe smiled, ‘I guess it’s time then’
I stared at him, then to Helen. I was so glad I had no eyes, makes it easier for me, what with them not being able to see where I was looking, what kind of face I was making.
‘Was it worth it?’ I asked
The two replied in unison without hesitation. A ‘yes’ reverbed and vibrated my ribcage. Shaking what I thought was my heart.
I burst into laughter. I almost fell over before I took the two death exchanges and tore them to pieces. I watched as confetti came over two surprised people. For a moment, I saw them as their five year old selves.
‘Ah,’ I replied, ‘That felt good’
‘What?’ Helen pulled a face
‘What? You look like you’ve seen a ghost’
‘Are you sure?’ Joe asked, some colour returning to his skin
‘Well, it’s a bit too late, don’t you think?’ I replied pointing to the pieces everywhere
‘I don’t understand’ Helen came to hug me, ‘Why? Won’t you get into trouble with god or something?’
‘Oh, the higher ups hate me already, what with inventing voodoo and whatnot, but that’s not the point’
‘Why then?’
I looked at the two as Joe stood up weakly to come to stand in front of me, Helen helping him stand.
‘I don’t take lives,’ I said in Helen’s voice
‘I take them in,’ I said as Joe’s voice
‘Maybe that’s why,’ I smiled so they could see, ‘I was happy to see the two of you together. Like you should be’
*****
Deep inside of me, a pair of star-crossed lovers crossed from opposite sides of the road to hold their hands, as they saw through my eyes what they could have been if only, if only. Their happiness filled me up. It lit a fire where my heart should be, and burnt bright enough for anyone to see. I left happily knowing that I wouldn’t see the two again for a very long time.