Short story: Judgement

Please ignore my bad writing. It's two in the morning and I cannot sleep. I just have something in my mind that I need to let out because I just cannot seem to forget it. I don't think you guys would believe me when I say this but I just experienced something awful or should I say more clearly as something out of this world. Well, it happened just a few hours ago when I was at the library.

You see I have a writing session at the library once a month, usually on a Sunday, and I often go there simply for therapeutic reasons. I must say that my childhood wasn't really the best and I have nightmares about it often. Just this morning, I had a nightmare and I was punching the side of my wardrobe while I was in bed because in the dream, I was punching the idiotic school bully that used to hunt me. As I grew older, I become a paranoid loser. I am fearful of a lot of things and I just ended up living my life in constant fear and so I often don't have friends. I thought that this library session once a month which allows me to do some writing would allow me to feel better about myself. Well, I used the sessions to clear my mind and write about my thoughts. I have a lot of thoughts flowing in my mind and I just had to write them down or sometimes I just bring along a book and read because I don't have the mental strength to write.

Today, I had another one of those sessions and I came with the idea to write a scary story and I even told Denise, who was the facilitator today, about it. I wanted to write something out of my comfort zone because often I've been writing about my mind and I think I want to be brave and experiment a bit more to enhance my literacy skills.

I didn't know anyone else in the room except Denise who seems to be typing away with her computer and when I asked her about it, it seems that she wants to work on a short story or something. There was a guy in a black sweater, looking at a piece of paper right in front of him and he seems to not be working on anything. There was another older woman a table behind the guy with the black sweater who is looking at her phone while her laptop is switched on and I don't know what she is working on to be honest and another lady wearing a hijab a table behind her, working on something on a small paper. To be honest, I don't know what people are working on and I guess they have their own private works that they might share later on if they want to but often, we don't share our works and we just take this place as a way to find the time and venue to write whatever we want to write that is not work or school related. I am seated in front of Denise, writing on my phone while having my book out because I want to do some reading later on as well.

I did some writing for the first thirty minutes, noticing not a single interaction from the others except for once when the older woman asked for the WiFi password that's available and Denise stood up to attend to her which broke the silence a bit and afterwards, it was back to normal.

I guess to someone who is not a writer, it would be very boring for them and I did invited a few people to come today but they didn't show up so I was just having the table to myself which is alright since I feel that they are either sick, shy to make new friends or a busy with somethings that cannot be avoided. Well, I wanted someone to talk to to be honest because I don't really have friends that are close to me and I find that this is just a good opportunity for me to have a chat with people. I guess I really do cherish this opportunity with others because I often find myself sitting at home alone every week and that can be damaging. Did I ever tell you that I am a recluse? Well, that should not come as a surprise but I came out of that stage in life and decided to move forward the best I can and I lost a lot of weight because of that too so, I guess I should be grateful since I'm a bit more healthy.

Someone just came into the room a few minutes later. A girl wearing glasses with long, unkempt hair and a huge body and she approached Denise before seating down a table behind me. Why do people often sit one table behind each other? I mean unless we are all like Ted Bundy, I don't see the reason for us to be seated a table away. I didn't mind what others do but I feel that if there was some chatter, it would be a good thing. To me, coming to the library session set up for people like us is just a good idea for people like me to mingle around. Anyways, I proceeded to read my book since I don't have any ideas beyond the first sentence that I wrote and to be honest, I don't have something scary to write about.

I went to the toilet for a while to do my business and afterwards, I realised that four individuals had already entered the room in just a short span of time. One guy waved at me and I waved back, seeing him before and usually he's on his laptop working on his first chapter of some steampunk novel. Well, he got most of his ideas down already but he's just finding it difficult to write. As for me, I didn't have the mood to write so I decided to read my book. I wanted to cover a few pages for today just like I always do every day. It seems that at the start of the session that would be only a few people but afterwards, more will come and often faces that I have never seen before but also faces that I know from past sessions. However, it seems to me that there are not many people coming to the sessions. When I first attended my first session in December, there were lots of faces but now, there are only a few of us.

Anyways, I was already tired when I told myself that I should doze off a bit. I placed my book down and took two minutes to shut my eyes. I could feel the heaviness on my eyelids for some reason as if I never slept in such a long time or I missed my sleep last night. What was odd about my small rest was the change in smell. I realised that the usual smell of the clean library was replaced by pungent mildew, cold dust and damp rot.

I opened my eyes, I realised that I was in a similar but totally different place. It was the library alright but I realised that it was ancient... Older... Damaged. The entire place was rundown and there's nobody there. I searched for my phone and activated the flashlight to look around. The wall clock was not working, stuck in a time that seems long ago. I slowly got up and packed my things. I raced for the exit and realised that the walls around the library were filled with graffitis. I was wondering to myself, what happened to this place? I feel like I have been teleported into another universe or something but I don't know. I don't believe in such multiverse theories but this seems a bit weird to me.

I raced out of the library, realising that the main gate was ajar with a broken, rusty chain beside it. I turned around to see the abandoned structure and outside, it was not the normal city that I am used to but rather a decaying one with nature slowly consuming the concrete and bricks.

I fumbled for my phone and checked. My battery was left at 4% and I quickly looked at the online maps to check where I was. I realised that the nearest road was far away from here and that the town that I am in seems to have been abandoned many years ago. I found a piece of old paper pinned to a wooden post, saying that due to a chemical incident, the townspeople were evacuated. I looked at my map again and decided to make my way out of the place.

Wet breathing. I could hear wet breathing.

I turned to find a man wearing a gas mask and a rubber cloak suit. He was breathing heavily though the respirator and that... Just his appearance... His presence... Startled me.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked.

"You did this to me, you bastard." I can barely hear the man.

"I don't know who you are!"

"You and your family think that you can just do whatever you guys want and that there will be no consequences. Well, today is judgement day."

I didn't know what he was rambling about but I ran passed him. He was moving slowly but he soon took speed as he tossed the gas mask and I could see the burnt face of the man. He has no eyebrows. His eyes were bulging. His mouth was grinning as he rushed at me. All I could do was run as fast as my legs could carry me.

I tripped and hurt myself but I got up and run. I kept running until I reached the road and I went down the direction without looking back. I don't even know where I was going and I didn't check but when I saw lights coming towards me, I waved my hands frantically in the air and I was lucky that it was a car that stopped.

"Where are you going, son?" The old driver asked me.

"Anywhere but step on it."

"Did you wonder into the restricted zone by yourself?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The old town was closed many years ago due to a chemical accident caused by the Lim family. They wanted to get some insurance money from what I've heard and they caused the town to be in danger because the fumes from their chemical plant was toxic. A lot of people got sick and some even died." He explained.

Guilt struck my heart for some reason as if I am responsible for the incident.

The driver dropped me off at the nearest bus station and I headed home. Sometimes, I wonder if life is just simply trying to be weird for me for the sake of being weird. I don't know. I feel a bit uneasy. I cannot understand why I was there or why the gas mask man was chasing me. I checked my phone and the battery was at 1%. I knew that it was going to be a long ride home but I could not rest my eyes. I could not stop thinking of what I just saw. I was terrified. The story of the town sticks in my mind... Lingers in my mind... I wondered if I was truly responsible for the incident. Maybe I am. Maybe I am truly guilty.

Well, if I am guilty, I hope I deserve what I get and I will embrace fully the consequences of my actions as I see the gas mask man outside my home, waiting for me in the darkness. He just stood there... Waiting in silence... The air is heavy. Outside is dark and he blends with the darkness.

I remember all of it now. I remember that I was the big bully in school because my father owned that chemical plant. I was able to do anything because my family held power and we abused that power. I remember that I was being a big, arrogant hotshot that everyone hates and that my family ruined the town for our own monetary gains. I'm not running this time. If that man wants me... If he wants to get rid of me, he can do that and I will not put up a struggle. Realising how bad I am as a person, I can only hope that the world forgives me for who I am and my actions.

I'll wait for him now. I'll let him finish the story.