The Dead Back To Haunt

“The Dead back to Haunt”

by Nick Strychalski

One day after work Gabriel sees a good friend named Greta walking to her car and he happens to admire her and always tried to get to know her better.  He approaches her and starts a small conversation.  Gabriel asked Greta what her interests are outside of work and some hobbies she might have.  Greta responds by saying she just stays to herself and does a lot of cooking and gardening.   As they are talking Gabriel decides to ask Greta out to dinner one Friday night.  Greta gladly agrees to go out to eat to get to know each other better.  As Gabriel goes to pick her up they talk on the car ride there.  She begins to tell some different stories about growing up as an only child and how lonely it was.  As they arrive to the restaurant and walk in a waiter approaches to seat them.  As the night progresses they talk for hours over dinner going into detail about their personal lives.  Gabriel seems to be having a good time but he feels like it is little bit awkward how Greta talks, and some of the things she is saying.  He can tell that something is not right as the night gets older. 

It begins to get late and Gabriel decides to call it a night and asks Greta is they can get together soon and she agrees.   As time goes on they begin to see each other more and more and then become a relationship.  It is as if the couple is deeply in love and they can’t get enough of each other.  Times goes on and the couple decides to get married and start a family.  Now that the married couple lives together life seems to be great and they even have kids together.  Years of marriage go by and everything seems to be a normal, healthy family. 

One wintery night the couple goes to a work Christmas party and leaves the kids at their grandparents.  On the way there Greta begins to poke fun at Gabriel at random things but he doesn’t say anything.  Once they get to the party and are socializing Greta begins to tell an embarrassing story about Gabe so he walks away to get a drink.  As he is getting a drink he looks off at a woman telling a story and after a few minutes of staring he realizes it was his wife.  Gabriel was surprised that he didn’t notice right away and is confused by the fact.  The night goes on and everything seems to be normal and the couple enjoys some wine and food with the others at the work party.

On the way home Gabriel begins to ask Greta about the night and how she was acting a lot different.  Greta explains she doesn’t know what he’s talking about that she thought the night was great.  As the conversation goes on Greta becomes upset and Gabriel doesn’t understand why.  Greta then tells Gabriel how he hasn’t told him the full truth about her childhood.  Greta tells Gabriel that as a child she witnessed her father killing her mother and burying her in the back yard.  She begins to cry and explain that he said he would kill her if she ever said anything.  She was only five when this happened but by the time she was thirteen her father was convicted fifteen to life in prison.  She has grown up alone and doesn’t have any family so that is why when we do family things together it is different for me.

                  Gabriel now knows why Greta came off as a little off.  She began to cry and hug Gabriel and tells him how her life has been different ever sense that she feels alone.   Every night she has nightmares of her father getting out of jail and killing her for helping   the police she begins to cry.  Gabriel hugs her and tells her that it will be okay that he’s here for her.  Gabriel feels horrible that Greta has been living her life like this scared of what is going to happen to her.  He then begins to get closer to Greta and becomes in a very close nit family.  Over time Gabriel and Greta become more and more open to talking about things that bother them.   Greta begins to control her fear of her father hurting her and finally closes the door to that chapter of her life for good.

Gabriel has never felt so close to Greta after she opened up to him about her childhood and told him what she has never told anyone else. Life is always full of obstacles and Greta has to deal with a major one about her father.  Greta may never be the same since that one day but she does know that her father will never hurt her again, and finally get him out of her mind.

The Metamorphosis: Revelation

When Gregor awakened from his forced slumber due to his deliberate starvation, he couldn’t help but to mentally smile. A deep and rewarding feeling completely engulfed his internal organs and deeply massaged every square of his exoskeleton. He felt liberated, almost as if a giant weight has finally been removed from his thorax.

“Why do I feel so energetic and happy?” he thought.

 “I must be hallucinating! No, this is real! This feeling is just to elaborate for words! I can finally think clearly without the burdens of my pessimistic life intruding my very soul. “

He rolled back and forth on his back moving both his front and hind legs in the air like a kid giving a tantrum. However, this feeling of pure ecstasy was dramatically interrupted by the thoughts of pure anger concerning how he was used and simply disposed of by his family at the first sign of uselessness. If this emotional sensation wasn’t punishment enough it was then followed by an unforgiving, excruciating and far beyond unimaginable lust for food.  Without a second thought he wastes no time channeling all of his bittersweet emotions in to raw energy for this quest for nourishment. He races through blades of grass dodging thick stocks of weeds and following his innate sense of direction. After running for what seems to be miles his senses brings him to a tree. As he positions himself to climb the bark he is interrupted by faint but steady conversation coming from the branches. He could only pick up few words at a time due to the ruckus of everyday human traffic behind him.

“Wow! This is a really tall tree for someone to be climbing. I wish I had the moxie to do something like that when I was a human.” He thought.

“Well better now than never!”

 He races up the tree with all of the energy his little body can excrete until he finally comes across his desire. Lying in a nest a few branches away was the decaying carcass of a bird with an obvious broken neck. Ironically he took a rather nonchalant note towards this tragic sight; almost with disregard for the unfortunate death of the bird.  The thought of this bothered him deeply.

“I must be losing my humanity” He questionably said to himself out loud.

“Humanity!?” responded a muffled voice followed by embarrassing laughter from a group.

“This one claims he has humanity!” says the voice.

Gregor turns around only to find that he is surrounded at the edge of the branch by a community of like-vermin.

 “Um, uh, you can hear me? He stammers.

 “I me-me-mean, uh, I can talk to other b-b-bugs?”

Their response was quite embarrassing. As if rehearsed the group simultaneously indulged with the urge to hysterically laugh at Gregor’s ignorant revelation. Despite the obvious situation he has caused, the owner of the muffled voice takes no part in the ridicule. He steps out of the crowd and approaches Gregor.

 “Oh no” were the only thoughts passing through Gregor’s mind.

All he can see is his one and a half inch long, stout black body with pretentious dark eyes staring deeply in to his. Mostly scared but partly intrigued he studied the physique of the leader. He was mostly interested by his clear, membranous wings with reddish orange veins that extended well beyond his figure 

 “Silence!” The leader yelled towards the laughter.

He then turns to Gregor and tells him to explain the reason behind his embarrassing confusion.

 Gregor looks over the shoulders of the leader and sees that the crowd was tuned to what he was about to say.

Gregor pauses in order to give his response a great amount of thought.

“If I tell you my story, will you promise to take every work to be the undoubtable truth or at least keep an open mind?’
Followed with an inquisitive look the leader agrees to the terms and nods his head to symbolize that he was ready for Gregor to begin his story.

Gregor looks over the shoulders of the leader and sees that the crowd was tuned to what he was about to say.

 For once in his life he feels as if he is given a soapbox to finally expose how he really feels. After realizing this he wastes no time explaining his transformation. He explained how taxing and undervalued his life as human was. How he was disposed of by the people that he not only gave his happiness for and but unconditionally love. How he became so used to the aches, pains, and lethargic feeling along with emotional depressions such as loneliness and isolation that was caused by being used for monetary gains. Tears flowed like a river through the ballpoint eyes of Gregor. He then explained how before the transformation was complete he made the decision to rid his family of the burden he has caused through starvation.

“After I woke from days of slumber, I feel refreshed. Almost as if I have a new meaning in life. This transformation showed me how worthless my life was. And gives me a second chance at actually enjoying the little time I have left.”

Gregor then looks at the sea of faces and nods his head to symbolize the end of his story. But instead of the thunder of applaud another fit of laughter fills the air. Deeper and more painful than before. Gregor than turns around, walks to the end of the branch and jumps to his death. On his way down he experiences another revelation.

“Why do I always allow other beings to dictate my happiness?

Splat!

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Gregor wakes. With a slight pain in his neck.

Haunting of the past

Being in this room for so long has put a toll on me, this is driving me insane I can only live like this for so much longer.  What's a life living in a room, alone just staring at a bare red wall? That is no life to live.  I began to notice the smallest little details about the wall from the little specks to the smallest scratches.   The highlight of my day was when John brought me in my meals , it was the only thing I had to look forward to and the most excitement I would get everyday, sad isn't it?  One day I thought I saw some movement in the wallpaper, I looked again and took a closer look but the wall stood still.  I knew I saw the wall make some sort of movement I just knew it.  I figured I would just go to sleep maybe I was just over tired from draining myself from just staring at the red wall all day, that could be it.  The next time that John came to bring me my food I asked him to stare at the wall for awhile and see what he sees, of course he saw nothing.  Everyday the longer I stared at it the more I began to notice.  As I kept looking at the red wall I began to see what looked like a little girl just sitting there.  I began to move closer to the wall and I began to see an older man within the wall too.  The older man had facial hair with a hint of grey.  I thought to myself that guy looks familiar so does that little girl.  I took a walk around the room to try and just think to myself about what I thought I was seeing.  I turned back around at the wall and I saw nothing, nothing at all.  I knew I wasn't seeing things, I couldn't be I know what I saw.  Again I figured I would just get some rest for the night.  I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of screaming, I flew right up and looked around in the pitch black room, I heard that scream before, was that scream me when I was younger? All of a sudden I had a flash back of me sitting in a wooden  chair in the kitchen with my dad beating me.  I kept screaming and screaming, it was the worse pain of my life.  At that point I did not even want to be alive, the pain was unbearable.  I then focused back into the wall and saw exactly what I had pictured.  My childhood was getting clearer than ever and I never wanted to picture my childhood again, I have never feared someone so much as I had my father when I was younger, he was the devil.  Every night I  would suddenly wake out of a sound sleep to screaming, it was driving me insane.  Everything that I tried to forget from my childhood was  coming back and it was like a stab to the heart.  I looked closer at the walls and starting slowly seeing blood as my dad would whip me and whip me, crying in terror.  I began to not be able to sleep at all, all of these horrible memories from my childhood were taking over me again and again.  Every time I took a glance at the wall a flood of flashbacks would take over me, it was all so vivid.  Suddenly I began to smell the exact way my house used to smell, that treacherous smell.  I could not take this anymore, I needed to escape,

Mistakes

It is a cold winter’s night in Buffalo NY.  Gabriel and Gretta have been married for well over eight years.  This is the annual Christmas staff party for the place Gabriel works at.  Freezing from the cold, the two rushed over to where the party is being held.  The thick snow had accumulated during the last lake effect snow storm the night before and made it cold and wet. Now that winter weather has hit on the 14^th of December, it’s as if people do not know how to drive in the snow again. Drivers fishtailed and hit into each other.  Gretta senses Gabriel’s frustration mounting.  She begins to notice Gabriel clenching his jaw and his arm’s shaking as one driver nearly slides into their car.  He begins to outwardly show his frustration and begins to swear at people in the car.  Gretta tries to calm him down but to no avail.

                After 3 hours of driving through the cold winter snow filled streets the couple had finally arrived.  Too cold to remain outside any longer they rush inside to the warm and cozy building where the party is being held. As they walk in, they are welcomed by a big man whom Gabriel has worked with for years.  To Gabriel’s surprise it’s Michael Furrey.  His greats his co-worker with caution only because at some point in time Furrey and Gretta were in love with each other.  Gabriel doesn’t talk to Michael all too often for two main reasons. Furrey works in another state, which is probably due to non-contact. Unfortunatly, with Gabriel’s eyes on Furrey, he knew that Furrey and his wife were in love. Furrey is a big shot in corporate headquarters and has had more opportunity due to the fact that Furrey was able to go to college while Gabriel couldn’t.  Because of that he holds a grudge against him.  During the course of the party, Gabriel kept a watchful eye on Furrey and Gretta as they mingle with the other party goers.  It’s primarily due to his jealously over Furrey, and the overwhelming worry that has crossed through Gabriel’s head that his wife may leave him for the more successful Michael Furrey.  Through his “spying” on his wife whom has begun to notice at this point, she asks Gabriel “is everything okay” she is curious to know what’s the matter with her husband.  Gabriel reassures her that everything is fine and that he is just extremely tired.  As the party went on Gretta is fully aware of Gabriel spying on both her and Furrey.  So a few hours has past and now that it was time to go.  Gabriel and Gretta both agreed that it’s far too late for them to make the trip back home and will spend the night in a local hotel.  When they stopped and got situated in the hotel, Gretta finally decided to tell Gabriel that she was aware of his watchful eye on both her and Furrey.  An argument ensues with Gabriel and he completely denies the clam that he has been spying on his wife.  But now Gabriel knows he has been caught and confessed that he was.  He said “it was because I knew about you and Furrey and I know how successful he has become.  I was worried that your old feelings would come rushing back and that you may try to leave me.”  This causes Gretta to cry uncontrollably.  To Gabriel’s curiosity he asked “are you crying because of me?”  Gretta immediately replies “no.”  He asked why to his surprise Furrey had cheated on her long ago and the heart break was what caused he to cry.  To her Michael Furrey is dead to her, and tried to avoid even a small amount of social contact.  With that Gabriel begins to walk towards the window and stares outside as the snow continues to fall. The ground is blanketed in white as the snow continued to fall.  Although he feels relieved that she shares no feelings for the man, he wonders why did he cheat on her, and what if he hadn’t cheated on her would she eventually meet him.                                  

Dead and Gone

It's great having such a liked husband.  His aunt's just think he is the best thing in the world.  Tonight is their annual party and we're very excited.  Gabriel is a great husband and he is a highly appreciated man.  Although, he can be kind of controlling.  He buys me specific things he wants me to wear and then expects me to always wear it.  His new thing for me to wear is galoshes.  I hate them, but he insists on me wearing them.  I explained this to his aunt's and they think it is just hilarious.  Not me though, not one bit.  We always follow the same schedule at this party.  We dance, the aunts perform and then we have dinner, it is quite redundant.  Tonight we have a new performance which changes things up just a little.  His name is Mr. Bartell D'Arcy and I have been wondering what he is going to sing since we were told about him.
       He is about to start and we are all watching him so intently, then as he beautifully sang that first line it just stunned me.  I know this song.  I used to love this song.  I find it hard to move or even breath for that matter.  I can't help but to just stand here while Gabriel is waiting down stairs for me.  I start to leave but then I just pause.  It's such a beautiful song filled with so many memories.  I can feel Gabriel just staring at me. So I turn and walk away.
        On the way to the hotel Gabriel says that he can sense a change in my mood and wants to know what's wrong.  I can't tell him, I could never tell him.  How do I tell my husband that I loved another man so deeply?  I loved him in a way that I have never loved Gabriel.  That man used to sing me the song Mr. D'Arcy sung this evening.  I can still hear his voice, I can still see his face and sometimes I can still feel his hand holding mine while I'm walking through town.  Michael Fury was his name.  Such a handsome young man and we were so young and in love.
         I was only 17 and never felt more alive then I was with him.  We would walk through the country side and talk for hours.  The way Gabriel and I have never talked.  I looked at Michael with such admiration and joy.  I respect Gabriel and I appreciate him for what he has given me but, I have never felt a deep connection with him.  I have tried and it is difficult to love a man that is so impersonal.  The love I had for Michael was raw and passionate... better yet, it was real.  If my lovely Michael Fury did not pass away I do not know where I would be, what I would have.  Michael was ill, and he came for me when I told him I was leaving for the convent anyways.  It was so cold and I told him to go back home.  Of course he did and when I found out he passed away I couldn't help but believe that it was because of me.  Coming for me and waiting in the cold, his heart must have been as broken as mine.  I can't let go, I can't feel something that was already taken from me.  I do not love my husband, I am incapable.  My love is dead and gone, with Michael Fury buried in the beautiful blanket of white snow.

The Transcendence of the Cicada

Gregor blinks feverishly, almost choking on his own breathe. He continues blinking, attempting to refocus the room. He looks around scanning his small apartment room. The sun shines brightly through the window, casting rays of light as thick as bed sheets. He rolls on his side and feels something underneath him. He shifts to remove the object. It’s the magazine he had bought the other day, a women’s fashion magazine.  Gregor sits up and opens the magazine and begins looking at the pictures. He passes the spring sections and all the new styles. Then he comes to a particular picture.  It’s woman wearing several fur-covered articles of clothing. Gregor stares at this woman for a while laughing at the fact that she strikes a remarkable resemblance to his sister, Grete and with this similarity, he imagines Grete wearing such exquisite furs. Gregor lets out a subtle chuckle and rips the page from the magazine. He takes the page, gets up and walks up to a framed picture he has on his wall. He removes the group photo from last year’s office Christmas party and replaces it with the magazine page, then returns the frame to its original spot.

 Gregor begins to walk towards the door.  He stumbles on his fabric samples cluttered across the floor. Gregor lets out a groan, the fabrics remind him of his job, which depresses him. Every day he slaves to provide for his family and fight his family’s crippling debt. The realization that his only day off this month is being spent doing chores and running errands is enough to make Gregor’s stomach churn.

 Gregor groans and goes on with his normal routine, the same droll routine he has had for years. His chores go the same; toilets, windows, then the floors, same as his other days off. Then he takes the same route to the same stores where he gets the same food and drinks for his coming weeks. Gregor pays the cashier and begins to push his shopping cart towards the street, because he is parked across the street.

Suddenly the cart is jerked to a stop and one of his milk jugs launches over and smashes, spilling across the pavement. An odd woman is standing directly in front of him stopping the cart with her large, dirty, grimy boot. The woman bares an odd expression on her face, much like the face someone makes when they recognize you, but can’t figure out where from. She is tall, but bone thin. She appears large; however her flowing ragged clothing makes one suspect otherwise. Gregor notices her odd assortments of pendants and jewelry. Alligator heads and penguin beaks are strung around her neck. A pungent odor emits from the assortment of silks wrapped around the woman. Finally she speaks, “YOU! I know you!” Gregor jumps back in surprise and fear; “I’m sorry ma’am, but I don’t know you,” Gregor replies. She moves swiftly getting directly in front of Gregor now.  The gypsy woman exclaims, “You! Your family will never be free of their curse until you make the hardest sacrifice of all. They are cursed with obesity, gluttony, and laziness. These are all a result of your actions. You do everything for them and they still sit and your efforts go unappreciated. You must transcend this world and set yourself free as well as your family from their grip of demotivation.  There is only one way out.  Take the flight of the cicada!” The gypsy then cups her hands. Gregor is frozen with confusion. The gypsy blows into her hands and rather large bug, a cicada, flies from her hands and flies towards Gregor. Gregor frozen in fear doesn’t make a move, its like he is in some sort of trance. The cicada flies into Gregor’s mouth and down his throat. Gregor’s trance breaks and he coughs and chokes. Finally, he stops, realizing he has already swallowed the bug. “What was that?” Gregor shouts. The gypsy woman says no more and steps back. Gregor, flustered and confused, rushes back to his car and then house.

He replays the incident repeatedly over and over again in his head as he puts away his groceries. Gregor skitters up to his bed, exhausted from his work. Gregor feels very cold as he climbs into bed. He forms a cocoon with his blankets and prepares for his slumber. He tosses and turns in discomfort. Gregor feels hot then cold, then hot again, stomach aching the entire time. “Stupid Gypsy,” Gregor utters. He replays the events in the parking lot. He thinks about the bug, he thinks how bugs act and what it would be like if he was a bug. Slowly, he falls asleep. Images of bugs and leaves blaze through Gregor’s head. He can feel his body tingle much like when you sleep on your arm. The overwhelming sensation fills his body, burning now. Just when Gregor feels as though he will die in during his slumber, the sensation stops, he feels cold. Then finally, he opens his eyes.

"The Metamorphosis": Less of a Man

                                                                      Less of a Man

Lying there, nothing but sounds of gunfire and blaring screams, smells of potent smoke and although eyes wide open Gregor’s vision could not get any more blurry. Soldiers running past, so much commotion it’s hard to know exactly what is going on. He could not feel a thing. Looking to his left and then to his right, he realized that both of his arms were blown off from the shoulder down. Will I survive? Who will support Tasha, Rakim and Anthony? Who will take care of my parents? His mind was racing with one question after another. “I have to get out of here, I have to get help. He thought.  With nothing but images of his family in his head, Gregor blacks out.Was becoming a U.S soldier the best career choice?

“Baby, Baby!” Tasha yells out trying to keep Gregor awake.” You can sleep when we get home, you really need to hear this and pay attention.”
The doctor goes on to explain. “It’s the medication ma’am. He’ll be very sleepy after each dose of medicine. How about I explain his needs to you and your son as well as print them out that way if you forget they’ll be on paper for you.”

Tasha tells him that this is fine. “I just want to have a very clear understanding before you guys release him, I’m so nervous.” Tasha explains.

“That’s perfectly normal and fine.” The doctor goes on to explain Gregor’s needs. “Gregor’s arms and legs are to be washed 3 times a day. He has lost a lot of blood in his left leg from the amputation, so just like his arms for about two to three weeks he is not to soak in a bath or get in the shower. Sponge baths are fine but absolutely no soaking! Be sure to not use a lot of soap while washing these areas because they can become badly infected.” The doctor begins to go on about how to dress Gregor and how he should be transferred from one place to another as well as explain his various medications.

Gregor’s eldest son Rakim sits in the corner silently taking in all the information, paying attention to every detail. Tasha is busy trying to keep baby Anthony quiet while he is fussing.

 “Mom, go ahead and take Anthony to the bathroom. Ill finish listening.”

Getting up, Rakim walks over to his dad’s side. Rubbing his shoulder he whispers “I gotcha dad.”

There was nothing but pure silence in the van on the way home. No one could find the right words to say at a time like this. Finally Gregor speaks, “so how’s baseball going bud?”

Shocked because these are the first words his dad has said to him since before the accident, Rakim responds. ”G-g-good dad. I’m the captain this year and not only am I going to play pitcher, I’m going to try short stop!””

That’s great son, can’t wait to come to a couple of your games. “Now arriving home, Tasha cuts their conversation short. “Well don’t think about any of that now, just worry about getting some rest, and eating well. I should cook right? You guys hungry?” Gregor realizes how nervous Tasha is acting. Forgetting that Gregor needs assistance with getting out of the car and into the house Tasha grabs baby Anthony and heads into the house leaving Rakim to help his father into the house alone.

Later the same night at the dinner table Gregor realizes that all of the simple things he used to be able to do, he can no longer do.

“Go get your father a knife and a fork Rakim” says Tasha. Rakim does as he is told and when he comes back he begins cutting his father’s food for him. He then takes a seat back down to begin eating his own dinner. Gregor sits, thinking to himself how will I get my food into my mouth with no arms. Already feeding baby Anthony, Tasha looks over to see that Gregor is not eating. Feeling bad, she insists that Rakim feed his father. Having done everything for his father including change his clothes and walk him to various places around the house, Rakim is getting a little annoyed. However Rakim stands up to move his seat next to his dad’s wheelchair and begins to feed him. Gregor is aware of Rakim’s frustration and claims he is not hungry.

“But babe, you haven’t eaten all day!” Tasha proclaims. “I’ll be fine, sit down son. Eat your dinner.” Gregor responds.

               6 months passing, Gregor becomes more and more depressed. He still cannot wash himself nor dress himself, leaving Rakim to have to help him with the most intimate and embarrassing parts of his life. Because of low funds, Tasha is now forced to get another job and put baby Anthony in daycare. Still needing assistance in every area of his life Gregor feels he is imprisoned in his own body and cannot help but feel like a huge burden on his family. In between taking care of the household needs and the baby, Tasha is very busy. With school, baseball and trying to take care of Gregor, Rakim is also very busy and overwhelmed. Not being able to pick up his youngest son and play with him is killing Gregor inside. It is a whirl wheel around Gregor, and there is nothing he can do about it. Gregor had transformed into less of a man.