Be Holden

Chapter 10: Standard

You have been in a coma for two years. That is what your mother told you. After months of rehabilitation, you are mostly back to normal functioning. Your parents tell you they have a surprise for you but you are not really in a happy mood. You still remember the events that unfurled before you came back to this world. It is unsettling to know that you may exist in an alternate or false reality.You get home and your room is messy. Your bed has pink baby clothes and baby pampers on it. "What is this?" You ask. Your mother walks up behind you. "Sweetheart, this is the surprise! We have added a new edition to our family. You have a niece!" Your mother says.

"I have a niece? Where is her mom?"

"We thought we should tell you the good part first."

"Why are you fidgeting? What is wrong?"

"Your sister died giving birth to your niece."

"So, you got rid of her bed and my bed is used to store the baby's crap?"

"No, it is not like that. We just thought you would not wake up. We were just trying to get used to the loss of our children. We thought that this setup was great for us to start over and be better parents."

"You always want to replace me. I mean nothing to you two. I am just a burden! Isn't that right? I should have died in that car accident to make life easier for you two, right?"

"It's not like that! We still love you."

"How could you still love me? You never started!"

"The baby will sleep with us until we get her a bed of her own."

"She has been sleeping with you two all this time?"

"No, we had a crib for her but she grew out of it. Michelle is almost two years old after all. It seemed like you would be in a coma for a long time. Since you were not using your bed, we let her use it."

"What?"

"She is your niece. You have to learn to stop being so selfish. I gave you enough attention when you were younger. Now, it's her turn."

They did not ever give me this ample amount of attention that she is saying I received. Fuck this family! Fuck all of this shit! I am an adult, now. I don't have to deal with this shit! "Mom, I want to finish college. I want to make you and dad proud of me. I want to get a degree." You say. "Oh, sweetheart I am so happy to hear that!" She says then walks out of the room. She comes back in the room with Michelle trying to walk steady near her. "Isn't she so cute?" Your mother exclaims. " 'Tis all very strange to see. Do you not agree?" Michelle says. Her big blue eyes look at you. "Mom, did you hear what she said?" You ask.

"No, I just heard her gurgling again. Soon she will be able to talk, right baby?"

Michelle giggles in response and some spit comes out of her mouth. Your mother wipes Michelle's mouth with her right hand. You begin to move the clothes and pampers onto the dresser drawer. You lay down on the bed and it smells like urine. This sucks!

It has been four months and you are back in school. Your college pals are here but a few have already graduated and transferred to a university. You got a job as a janitor at an elementary school with your mother's help. She is a teacher there. You asked a few of your college pals to move with you to a three bedroom apartment. Finally, you are out of your parent's house. Now, you do not have to deal with them anymore. You block and delete their numbers from your phone. Everything seems to be going swell until you meet a strange girl in the hall at school. You two mistakenly collide, and her lips are an indigo color. The male walking next to her has blond hair. He helps her pick up her books off of the floor. You apologize and move to leave. Then she stops moving. "Do you like it here seedling?" She asks.

"What?" You ask.

"Oh, I was not talking to you, sorry."

"No, I just want to know what you said."

"If you must know...I told Death that I don't want to go into the cafeteria."

"Death?"

"Yes, I call this guy Death."

"You let her call you that?"

"Yes, I like her calling me that. It fits me." He says and escorts her out of the glass, double doors of the hall.You meet your professor to discuss some assignments. Dr. Jivecks explains the assignments to you. You think about what you are going to eat later and the professor notices you are not really listening. "Do you want me to explain the criticism to you or not? I don't have to do this." Dr. Jivecks says. "Sorry doctor." You say. The doctor lightly pats your hand. "Meet me at the cafe' to talk more about this, Saturday. I am meeting other students there to talk about this subject, too."

"Okay. I can't promise anything but I will try to make it to the meeting. When and where is this meeting?"

"It is at nine thirty a.m. at the cafe' down the street from the school."

"Okay."

You leave your professor's office. You fiddle with papers and sit on an outside bench trying to put your papers in some order in your backpack. Someone sits next to you while you are doing this. You finish and someone clears their throat. You look up and Death briefly looks at you with brown eyes. His legs are cocked open and one of his arms lies lazily, on the opposite side of the bench, and away from you. "Hey, I saw you earlier. You are Death, right?" You ask. "Yes, I wanted to tell you that Ishin is here."

"Excuse me, are you talking to me?"

"Yes. Do not act like you are stupid. Your memory was not wiped. I know you remember."

"Why is she here?"

"She thinks you can help her find the tree. She is trying to get you out of here."

"How did you get here?"

"I was visiting a fellow overseer but he was not home. My cousin was not there either but my love was there. The doors were open and she was playing in the manor by herself. Then I told her about your location."

"I want to get out of here. Any world ruled or created by the overseer of evil is destined to be horrible."

"Live is to evil as lived is to devil. This world paints me as the villain. I am some unwanted being just because I oppose their overseer. It's laughable. Soon, he will come back home and he will be looking for both of you. This setting your in will be over quickly. We are just hanging onto a thin thread of time."

"Can't you do something?"

"As the overseer of frost, I can do something but I don't want to. Now, I have her. She is my wife and I have every drop of her. No interference. I came to her with swift strides but I did not run. I asked her to give her time, body, a portion of her thoughts, and her soul's companionship to me. She does not easily love but she gives all those things to me. Since I am her first love here, I am the standard to her. Why would I want to trade in rocking her body every night and morning for lonely, endless winters?"

"I take it that you will not be helping us get out of this world anytime soon."

"No, I will continue to wear her out until our last moment together, here. If you can, try to avoid her and enjoy the time you have here because hell is on its way to all of us."

He gets up. You stare at the building.Maybe Death is right. I should enjoy myself while I have the chance. I am sure the overseer of evil will punish us harshly. He is the overseer of evil after all.