Infinite Omega - Part One

Part One Title: "And Their Hands Met" This is the first part in a six-part short story about two souls finding despair, struggle, and eventually love in the Afterlife.

 Seven seconds before Hunt's death...

My life had been slow. Nothing displeased me more than being physically inhibited permanently, especially when it begins in the beginning of this hellhole. Cerebral Palsy, they called it, and I was diagnosed rather early on. Not till the age of five did I acquire the ability to walk, though as awkward as it was then, it was quite efficient for my needs. Over the years, my skin earned scar after scar, either through battle with peers at school or accidents gone awry, but emotionally, numb became a good friend. I couldn't feel the cold blade against my wrists, as it drained out pain and a past better forgotten, or the bullet that pierced near my heart, where a black hole now resides in its place, slowly taking this shambled soul with it.

Blood pooled beneath me, hugging me with warmth and soaking my clothes in red. Green eyes slowly lost its starlight as my lips gave an upward tug by the hand of hope. What is there along the shorelines?

And his breath left him with a sigh.

Half an hour before Marla's death...

She stares in the mirror, focusing most of her attention on the black and blue markings. He had beaten her again, though now she knew the full limitations of his mercy. This time, it was only three lashings across the stomach with his belt. Just because she forgot to turn the coffee pot on this morning...

Her grey eyes portrayed sadness, one so deep and sorrowful that tears would not be enough to encapsulate the gravity of her heartache. She was tired of the one-sided fist fights and the late-night ravaging she so often refused but gave way to out of fear. Frequently she wondered when it all would end, so she could finally breathe her first peaceful breath of air. Slowly now, she untangles her ponytail, letting her silky black hair fall freely over her shoulders, like a dark and beautiful waterfall. Though, at the moment, she felt neither desirable nor the will to be desired; inside, she felt as though life had died long ago, when she first met the beast in high school. Back then, his looks and his unrelenting charm earned him a place among the elite, rising above in the ranks of popularity. Yet the only one he wanted and pursued to great lengths was her, his Marla.

They fell in love almost immediately, and soon thereafter, they were married as she turned proper age, because by then, he was out of school for nearly a year. He had unleashed his anger verbally before, but it did not convert into abuse till five years after they muttered their “I do's.” The littlest of things would set him off on a rampage, resulting in hospital visits bi-weekly and questions raised about her safety. She only waved off the police, hoping that he would change. But that time never came, and now, hers was nearing an end. There's only one escape route and it lay inches to the left of the sink, its blades gleaming in the dim light above the mirror. She reached for it and stared, captivated by the possibilities it presents.

Just one cut could set her free. One deep, life-draining slice across her wrist and all will be right again. But as she was about to act upon her thoughts, a loud bang sounded from the door.

“Marla, you f*****g b***h! Get the f**k out here! I need to talk to you!”

Her body began to tremble as fear snaked its way into her bones, rooting her to the ground.

“Marla!” he repeated as the banging continued.

This was it. Before he breaks through.

Snatching the razor, she takes a deep breath before forcing it across her artery, blood immediately oozing in great measure. After a few seconds, she began to feel ill and weak, and all that was warm was slowly leaving her cold.

Marla! Marla!

A crash and a gasp of horror is heard.

NO. MARLA! GOD, WHY? MARLA! YOU DUMB F**K!

He's holding her head now, sobbing incessantly as if his world just came tumbling down.

Then everything disappeared into a black abyss of nothingness...