Categories > Original > Drama > Gregory's Secret: A Tale of Immortality, Basements and Cigarettes
“Anna, Aaaanna!” she batted her hand at the voice and it laughed, then gently shook her shoulder. “Anna, wake up!” came the voice again.
“Mmm but I don’t want too” She responded sleepily, then opened her eyes and looked up. The man leaning over her was not her roommate, his skin was far too pale and his hair too dark. She was suddenly alert, and sat right up, banging heads with the stranger.
“Ow, Anna!” yelled the strange man. This outburst jolted her memory as she raised her hand to her head; rubbing the sore spot while watching as the man mirrored her actions. Greg, that’s his name!
“You came back,” she noted as the man nodded.
“Perhaps I wouldn’t have if I’d have known that you’d abuse me” He replied with a smirk, then he turned and motioned to a small picnic basket on the floor, “I brought you some food, I thought you could eat while I explained what’s happening.”
Greg knew he was being stupid, but something about this one was different, he wanted to treat her like a human being instead of an experiment. She nodded, which made a huge smile erupt on his face. Anna made it her duty to see this smile as often as possible.
She stood up, wincing at the pain in her legs as she stretched, but something was wrong.
“I’ve, I’ve been hit by a car and I only feel like I’ve over-used my legs, why aren’t I in more pain? Why am I alive? Why am I in your basement?!” She raised an eyebrow as she asked the last question. Gregory gestured towards the basket then sat down by it, patting the patch of concrete next to him. She paused for a moment, then went and joined him, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Once you’ve Returned, you can only feel minor pains like stubbing your toes or head-butting an undertaker” He answered, smirking again. “It’s something to do with the way your nerve endings react with your new blood; your body has been re-wired, basically.” Then he paused to empty the basket of the food, and placed a sandwich in front of her. “You’re alive because I brought you back to life, and you’re in the basement because if you were running around upstairs and your dear Mother saw through the shop window I think she’d have a heart attack.”
Anna picked up the sandwich curiously, then muttered “well, I’m already dead,” and took a bite. It instantly numbed the pain in her stomach, so she carried on until she had eaten the whole thing. “Are you not having anything?” She asked, after swallowing her last bite of tuna. The pain in her stomach was entirely gone now, but her throat burned on.
“No, I’ve already eaten. Here, I’ll get you a drink.” He replied before pulling out a bottle of something cloudy and handing it to her. Ah, she thought as she drank; lemonade.
“Thanks,” she smiled at the man, and then wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. He smiled back and it made her feel dizzy and breathless. Something wasn’t right though, her head was feeling heavier and heavier, and her eyelids were drooping.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Greg reassured her gently as her body swayed. He put his arms around her and carried her back to the bed. “I’m so sorry, but you weren’t healing, this is how it has to be.” She sighed sleepily, inhaling his cigarette smoke smell; her last breath. He soothed her, laying her body down then kissing her eyelids gently. “Goodnight Anna.” He turned and walked back up the steps silently, before turning the light off and going through the trapdoor. “Good luck in the afterlife.”
Bolting it behind him, he walked away from the door and walked into the kitchen, replacing the bottle of pills back in the cupboard. Over the years he’d managed to get the dosage just right, so they could go in their sleep. Guilt burned through his body, followed by a bitter sadness. It’s better this way, for her to go in her sleep. She wouldn’t have lasted long with her injuries anyway, and at least she’s looked peaceful.
Greg tried to shake the image from his mind, how beautiful and serene she’d looked in his arms. Why was this one so different? Why does he care for her so much? This must mean he’s getting closer to perfecting it, no more practising. No more Anna.
“Mmm but I don’t want too” She responded sleepily, then opened her eyes and looked up. The man leaning over her was not her roommate, his skin was far too pale and his hair too dark. She was suddenly alert, and sat right up, banging heads with the stranger.
“Ow, Anna!” yelled the strange man. This outburst jolted her memory as she raised her hand to her head; rubbing the sore spot while watching as the man mirrored her actions. Greg, that’s his name!
“You came back,” she noted as the man nodded.
“Perhaps I wouldn’t have if I’d have known that you’d abuse me” He replied with a smirk, then he turned and motioned to a small picnic basket on the floor, “I brought you some food, I thought you could eat while I explained what’s happening.”
Greg knew he was being stupid, but something about this one was different, he wanted to treat her like a human being instead of an experiment. She nodded, which made a huge smile erupt on his face. Anna made it her duty to see this smile as often as possible.
She stood up, wincing at the pain in her legs as she stretched, but something was wrong.
“I’ve, I’ve been hit by a car and I only feel like I’ve over-used my legs, why aren’t I in more pain? Why am I alive? Why am I in your basement?!” She raised an eyebrow as she asked the last question. Gregory gestured towards the basket then sat down by it, patting the patch of concrete next to him. She paused for a moment, then went and joined him, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Once you’ve Returned, you can only feel minor pains like stubbing your toes or head-butting an undertaker” He answered, smirking again. “It’s something to do with the way your nerve endings react with your new blood; your body has been re-wired, basically.” Then he paused to empty the basket of the food, and placed a sandwich in front of her. “You’re alive because I brought you back to life, and you’re in the basement because if you were running around upstairs and your dear Mother saw through the shop window I think she’d have a heart attack.”
Anna picked up the sandwich curiously, then muttered “well, I’m already dead,” and took a bite. It instantly numbed the pain in her stomach, so she carried on until she had eaten the whole thing. “Are you not having anything?” She asked, after swallowing her last bite of tuna. The pain in her stomach was entirely gone now, but her throat burned on.
“No, I’ve already eaten. Here, I’ll get you a drink.” He replied before pulling out a bottle of something cloudy and handing it to her. Ah, she thought as she drank; lemonade.
“Thanks,” she smiled at the man, and then wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. He smiled back and it made her feel dizzy and breathless. Something wasn’t right though, her head was feeling heavier and heavier, and her eyelids were drooping.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Greg reassured her gently as her body swayed. He put his arms around her and carried her back to the bed. “I’m so sorry, but you weren’t healing, this is how it has to be.” She sighed sleepily, inhaling his cigarette smoke smell; her last breath. He soothed her, laying her body down then kissing her eyelids gently. “Goodnight Anna.” He turned and walked back up the steps silently, before turning the light off and going through the trapdoor. “Good luck in the afterlife.”
Bolting it behind him, he walked away from the door and walked into the kitchen, replacing the bottle of pills back in the cupboard. Over the years he’d managed to get the dosage just right, so they could go in their sleep. Guilt burned through his body, followed by a bitter sadness. It’s better this way, for her to go in her sleep. She wouldn’t have lasted long with her injuries anyway, and at least she’s looked peaceful.
Greg tried to shake the image from his mind, how beautiful and serene she’d looked in his arms. Why was this one so different? Why does he care for her so much? This must mean he’s getting closer to perfecting it, no more practising. No more Anna.
Sign up to rate and review this story