Thump, thump, thump… Markus was unable to distinguish the throbbing of his heart from the pounding of his thundering feet as they slapped the moist undergrowth of the murky forest he was racing through. With a noise like his bat made when he smacks a home run and a flash of painful white across his eyes, Markus found himself on his knees having ploughed into a thick branch head first. He dropped to his hands and desperately gasped trying to regain his breath. This shocked him out of his panic momentarily.
Markus was a large, over six feet with broad shoulders and unaccustomed to being the one hitting the ground. Groggily, he attempted to recall what exactly he was doing here and why it was so important that he never stopped running. Stumbling to his feet he held his hands to his ears and squeezed his eyes shut trying desperately to remember something, anything, that would give him a clue of where he was. He spun around getting his bearings.
Trees surrounded him on all sides looming higher and higher into the darkened sky. He squinted and searched for the moon, stars, even an overhead plane and found nothing but blackness stretching for eternity. Unlike the usual comfort he generally felt being surrounded by nature, Markus was filled with an overwhelming gloom, fear, and above all regret, although for what he could not decipher. Running his fingers anxiously through his tousled hair, he realized the reason the forest felt so unnatural. Nothing’s alive. The thought made him shiver. Where’s the wildlife? There was not a sign of any living thing, no ants trudging through the dead leaves, not one hopeful sprig of green endeavoring to survive the smothering carpet of decaying leaves. Markus’ sense of disconcertment increased.
His breath having returned, the nineteen year old’s paranoia subsided a little and he tried to let himself relax. Markus prided himself in being immovable and reliable, and if there was ever a time he needed it, then being stranded in an unknown forest with no memory seemed like the perfect time.
How long had he been running? That was the thought that scared Markus the most. There was no way to know, it felt like he had always been moving. A faint crunch behind him startled Markus from his musings. Fear cascaded through him like a waterfall.
“Markus…” his name was whispered ominously, echoing around the forest as though a gust of wind had stolen the words.
Against his better nature, Markus responded. “Who is it? Who’s there?” He whipped his head back and forth wanting to see in all directions at once. “Come out!” He winced at the shriek that was dragged out of him at those last words.
The voice circled Markus, getting louder and louder, overwhelming him until suddenly it ceased. Markus squinted through the fog at the murky figure approaching him. It vanished and he blinked. Pearing around, Markus slowly turned, searching for any sign of another person in the desolate place. “AH!” He leaped back after coming face to face with… himself?
“Hello Markus,” the mirror image grinned, “Recognize me?” The image suddenly morphed into a young woman with dark skin and a spattering of freckles, but the voice remained Markus’ familiar timbre. “How about me Markus? You should, since it’s your fault I’m dead.” Markus gasped at this and an image flashed across his eyes for the smallest split second. The noise of shattering glass and screeching metal rushed through him and he caught glimpses of a bridge, dashboard, and the faint smell of alcohol.
“Who are you? Where am I? Why are you doing this to me?” He managed to stutter.
“Isn’t it obvious?” The face transformed back into his own. “I’m you, Markus. Or, rather, another part of you, and a little something extra. We’re in your brain right now. It’s my job to…” The sinister voice paused. “Educate you.” Markus shuddered at those somber words. “I’m afraid you’ve made a very big mistake.” The other Markus chuckled a little at this. “A very big mistake that I predict you will regret very much.”
Markus’ mouth went dry. “Wha-What are you talking about?” The face contorted into a macabre grin.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t remember… you were pretty far gone.” He let the end of the sentence trail off leaving the air heavy with expectation. “That lovely young lady is gone because you lack self control. Her bright future was snuffed out as easily as it was for you to drown yourself in liquor and start the ignition. But your actions have consequences. I feel only pity for your family. They’re quite worried about you, huddled in that tiny hospital waiting room. Heather hasn’t stopped crying, poor girl. Those tears are destined to last I predict.”
Markus’ own eyes welled up at the thought of his little nine year old sister sitting in a drab hospital room. His parents must be so disappointed. “Why are you telling me all this if I’m just going to die? What’s the point?”
The other Markus’ eyes widened in anticipation and his grin deepened. “You have a choice my dear friend. Right now you are teetering on the edge of life and something else. The girl, Maya, did not have the choice I give to you. I’m giving you the opportunity to right some wrongs. On the one hand, you can choose to survive. Your eyes will flutter open the second you say the word and you will not see me for a long time. Or, you could make a trade of sorts. Maya was twenty four and just starting her life. You can give that back to her but you must sacrifice to do so.” The words floored Markus.
“I thought you said she was dead?”
“Oh she is very much dead at the moment. Her emergency operation is destined for failure, even her surgeons know that. However, I can pull a few strings and make a deal, if that’s what you decide.”
Markus heartbeat sped up and his breaths grew more shallow. “I’ve made my choice.” The words were solemn, almost like a goodbye.
“Are you sure?” The other Markus cackled. “My, you never cease to surprise me.” The laughter grew louder and louder disturbing the branches and piercing through Markus’ brain to his core. He collapsed to the ground and lay still. The forest was silent once again.
Far away, in a small, almost empty hospital room a steady beeping slowly trickled off until there was nothing but the wail of the heart monitor and howl of a nine year old girl being subdued by her two sobbing parents.
In another room, in another ward, a girl’s eyes snapped open as she gasped in a long awaited breath.