Entry #42

The Day's End
by Witnessing Am I


We had been mortal enemies since elementary school. By high school, Erik was handsome, popular, an athlete, a good student. I was popular, but in theatre. We would vehemently stare at each other in the hallway, always aware of the other’s every move. We were as different as Cain and Abel.

Years later, I fell in love with Erik’s ex-wife. She was lovely and gentle but had grown tired of Erik’s listlessness, his anger. One morning, as we sipped coffee, Katrina mentioned that Erik had invited me to spend the day with him. It’ll do him good, she said, make him feel better, remind him of his youth, better days.

An hour later, as he bent at the waist, getting out of his truck, I noticed a pistol stuffed in the waistband of his jeans. My mind raced. Years of hatred, disappointment, abuse, an ex-wife and me. He’s going to kill me, I thought. As we walked into the woods, I kept my distance, aware of his every move, just as I always had. Suddenly he stopped and faced me. “You must be asking yourself why I wanted to see you,” he said with a smile. I did not respond. He reached back and grabbed the pistol and held it towards me. “My life is for shit,” he said softly, “It’s always been shit. Don’t let this happen to you.” And he pushed the barrel against his temple and squeezed the trigger, the gunshot echoing into the fiery red sky.