Categories > Original > Drama > Gregory's Secret: A Tale of Immortality, Basements and Cigarettes
Chapter One
1 reviewGregory’s immortal, and has been lonely for a few hundred years. A story of car crashes, basements and a girl called Simone.
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Trust me, I'm not lying when I say it gets better after the shitty first chapter. Humour me?
- Lucy
Anna woke when she heard a creaking noise, then the gentle thud of heavy wood falling into place. Sitting up, she looked around. It was completely dark, and smelt like cigarette smoke and decay.
“Hello?” She called out into the darkness, not sure if she wanted a reply or not. In return she heard feet scuffing along a concrete floor, then the gentle click of a light switch followed by flickering lights. A basement, she thought. I’m in a basement.
“Hello, you must be Anna!” came a deep voice. She looked up, squinting, to see the owner of the voice: a man in his late twenties with a pale face and dark hair. Anna looked at him warily, he seemed... odd.
“Where am I? And who are you?” She questioned further. The man chuckled lightly, as if he’d heard it before. Instead of replying though, he looked around the room aimlessly then raised his hands and said:
“Well where do you think you? What’s the last thing you remember?”
“I was crossing the street, on the way to get the groceries” she replied, her brain straining at the effort, “There was a car... It was going so fast, faster than it should have at two o’clock in the afternoon I though, but- oh. Wait, am I dead?”
“Well done, I wouldn’t have expected you to get it so quickly, let alone remember much.” The man crossed the room and approached her suddenly, taking her face in both his hands. “You’re not healing” he murmured, a frown crossing his face before a smile took its place. “I’m Gregory, by the way.” He said as he stopped examining her and stepped away, only by a little bit though. She could smell the smoke on his breath.
“But I can’t be dead! I’m only twenty two, that’s too young to be… but I’m here and you’re here and… it can’t be right” she rambled, trying to understand. Gregory’s eyebrows furrowed deeply in the middle.
“Well I hate to break it to you sweetheart, but you died when that car hit you. It was a drunk driver, he almost got away with it too” He remarked in disgust.
“Well then who are you?”
“I told you, Anna. My name is Gregory. You can call me Greg if you’d really like,” he grinned at her.
“If this is an introduction to the afterlife then you’re a terrible tour guide,” She smiled sadly, shaking her head. Gregory laughed again lightly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes this time.
“No it’s not, sorry. And I’m sure if I put my mind to it I could be a much better tour guide.” He shot back with a wink. At this Anna smiled widely and giggled lightly. “But no, you’re not in the afterlife. Not yet, anyway.” His voice dropped towards the end, and he glanced at his watch distractedly.
“Got somewhere else to be?” She asked, trying to sound laidback but not wanting to be on her own again. “I mean we only just met, I don’t even know where I am.”
Gregory sighed. “I have to work, unfortunately.” He ran a pale hand through his hair, looking slightly stressed “I’ll be back later though, I promise. Then I’ll explain everything to you.”
“You can’t just leave me here though! I don’t even know where I am or how I ended up here!” Her voice raised a few octaves.
“I’ll explain it later, honestly. I really am sorry.” He didn’t wait for her reply, and instead started up the stone steps, casting a look back at her “Cross my heart.” He made and X over is chest then he disappeared through the door. Anna sighed as she heard a heavy bolt slide across the trapdoor. I’m dead for crying out loud, where am I going to go?
She finally looked around, trying to recognise her surroundings. She was in a small room with a set of stone steps in the corner and a sink fixed to the wall, as well as a simple wooden bed – where she had woken up.
“I may as well get comfortable; no doubt he won’t be back for a few hours, if he comes back.” She muttered to herself, settling back on the mattress.
After sliding the bolt across, Gregory stood up and shook himself. How could he be so stupid? He wasn’t supposed to get attached, just be friendly. Although she was funny, she didn’t seem to be getting better; just another failed attempt.
But that wouldn’t stop him. First he’d get rid of Anna and then he’d start again. Another girl’s family were due in soon anyway, but the full moon had already past. He heads out to the front of the shop, sat behind the mahogany desk and pulled out some company stationary with a header that read: Smith & Sons Funeral Directors
He began to write.
Attempt 89. Subject name: Anna Grant.
Anna has retained all humanity and does not decay; but her body refuses to heal and she remains greatly injured from the car accident. Although these are just practices it’s still irritating to go through the motions without real success. I can feel it though, it’s soon. It’s in the stars, now I just need to keep practicing. Perhaps the Carter girl would do, her family are making arrangements today and her service would be closed casket – although she’s not really anything special. I want someone extraordinary, someone interesting.
Someone like Simone- he thought to himself then shook the thought straight out of his head. No, she’s still alive. She’s in perfect health, and I’m not a murderer.
You could be, though. It’d be worth it, and she’d be grateful. What price is a fake funeral in exchange for immortality?
NO.
Unable to continue, Gregory filed the paper away with the rest of the attempts and went back to the opening the shop front up; after all the show must go on, undead girl in the basement or no undead girl in the basement.
The day went quickly, he spent most of it finalizing the details of Anna’s funeral with her parents and when the end of the day crept upon him he was quite surprised. It’s time to finish what he started and prepare Anna for her special day.
- Lucy
Anna woke when she heard a creaking noise, then the gentle thud of heavy wood falling into place. Sitting up, she looked around. It was completely dark, and smelt like cigarette smoke and decay.
“Hello?” She called out into the darkness, not sure if she wanted a reply or not. In return she heard feet scuffing along a concrete floor, then the gentle click of a light switch followed by flickering lights. A basement, she thought. I’m in a basement.
“Hello, you must be Anna!” came a deep voice. She looked up, squinting, to see the owner of the voice: a man in his late twenties with a pale face and dark hair. Anna looked at him warily, he seemed... odd.
“Where am I? And who are you?” She questioned further. The man chuckled lightly, as if he’d heard it before. Instead of replying though, he looked around the room aimlessly then raised his hands and said:
“Well where do you think you? What’s the last thing you remember?”
“I was crossing the street, on the way to get the groceries” she replied, her brain straining at the effort, “There was a car... It was going so fast, faster than it should have at two o’clock in the afternoon I though, but- oh. Wait, am I dead?”
“Well done, I wouldn’t have expected you to get it so quickly, let alone remember much.” The man crossed the room and approached her suddenly, taking her face in both his hands. “You’re not healing” he murmured, a frown crossing his face before a smile took its place. “I’m Gregory, by the way.” He said as he stopped examining her and stepped away, only by a little bit though. She could smell the smoke on his breath.
“But I can’t be dead! I’m only twenty two, that’s too young to be… but I’m here and you’re here and… it can’t be right” she rambled, trying to understand. Gregory’s eyebrows furrowed deeply in the middle.
“Well I hate to break it to you sweetheart, but you died when that car hit you. It was a drunk driver, he almost got away with it too” He remarked in disgust.
“Well then who are you?”
“I told you, Anna. My name is Gregory. You can call me Greg if you’d really like,” he grinned at her.
“If this is an introduction to the afterlife then you’re a terrible tour guide,” She smiled sadly, shaking her head. Gregory laughed again lightly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes this time.
“No it’s not, sorry. And I’m sure if I put my mind to it I could be a much better tour guide.” He shot back with a wink. At this Anna smiled widely and giggled lightly. “But no, you’re not in the afterlife. Not yet, anyway.” His voice dropped towards the end, and he glanced at his watch distractedly.
“Got somewhere else to be?” She asked, trying to sound laidback but not wanting to be on her own again. “I mean we only just met, I don’t even know where I am.”
Gregory sighed. “I have to work, unfortunately.” He ran a pale hand through his hair, looking slightly stressed “I’ll be back later though, I promise. Then I’ll explain everything to you.”
“You can’t just leave me here though! I don’t even know where I am or how I ended up here!” Her voice raised a few octaves.
“I’ll explain it later, honestly. I really am sorry.” He didn’t wait for her reply, and instead started up the stone steps, casting a look back at her “Cross my heart.” He made and X over is chest then he disappeared through the door. Anna sighed as she heard a heavy bolt slide across the trapdoor. I’m dead for crying out loud, where am I going to go?
She finally looked around, trying to recognise her surroundings. She was in a small room with a set of stone steps in the corner and a sink fixed to the wall, as well as a simple wooden bed – where she had woken up.
“I may as well get comfortable; no doubt he won’t be back for a few hours, if he comes back.” She muttered to herself, settling back on the mattress.
After sliding the bolt across, Gregory stood up and shook himself. How could he be so stupid? He wasn’t supposed to get attached, just be friendly. Although she was funny, she didn’t seem to be getting better; just another failed attempt.
But that wouldn’t stop him. First he’d get rid of Anna and then he’d start again. Another girl’s family were due in soon anyway, but the full moon had already past. He heads out to the front of the shop, sat behind the mahogany desk and pulled out some company stationary with a header that read: Smith & Sons Funeral Directors
He began to write.
Attempt 89. Subject name: Anna Grant.
Anna has retained all humanity and does not decay; but her body refuses to heal and she remains greatly injured from the car accident. Although these are just practices it’s still irritating to go through the motions without real success. I can feel it though, it’s soon. It’s in the stars, now I just need to keep practicing. Perhaps the Carter girl would do, her family are making arrangements today and her service would be closed casket – although she’s not really anything special. I want someone extraordinary, someone interesting.
Someone like Simone- he thought to himself then shook the thought straight out of his head. No, she’s still alive. She’s in perfect health, and I’m not a murderer.
You could be, though. It’d be worth it, and she’d be grateful. What price is a fake funeral in exchange for immortality?
NO.
Unable to continue, Gregory filed the paper away with the rest of the attempts and went back to the opening the shop front up; after all the show must go on, undead girl in the basement or no undead girl in the basement.
The day went quickly, he spent most of it finalizing the details of Anna’s funeral with her parents and when the end of the day crept upon him he was quite surprised. It’s time to finish what he started and prepare Anna for her special day.
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