Lifeless

A Story by Exa Lectric

This is a depressing story about a girl who watches her father die and how she copes with life.

“Mel, I don’t feel too well in here. I am going to go out into the sun for a bit.” My dad was very Closter phobic. I continued decoding the text on the wall. I have always loved history. As a present, my dad took me to the Valley of the Kings. I didn’t decode half the text when I heard someone scream. Not anyone, but my dad. I ran outside leaving everything in the tomb. My father was doubled over on the sand and a man was standing over him. I hid behind a stone and just watched. I was too frightened to do anything else. The man took a gun to my father’s head. Then he began to speak. “You may have made my stunts seem small and made fun of me. But now who’s laughing? I am. You are finished. I’m the best stunt devil now. No one will even know what happened to you. It’s over. Do you have anything else to say?” he paused. I could tell my father was trying to say something. He mumbled something softly but I could hear every last word he said. They will always be in my head. “You are still the cowardly one. You could not beat me fairly so you must do it the easy way. By cheating. I have none to say to you. If my daughter could hear me I would say I love her more than anything else. If it were she here with a gun to her head I would lose my life for her to live. And I will do that now. I won’t miss any of my life except seeing her beautiful smiling face. That is what I will see for all my time in the life after death. It won’t change anything.”

The man with the gun stood there silently for a moment. He was pondering what to do. “Very smart of you. Face your fears like they weren’t here at all. But bravery won’t save you this time. Nothing can. For you see there is no one else here to hear your screams and come to the rescue. Then the man pulled the trigger and my father’s head drooped as he collapsed into the sand. The man smiled an evil grin. I will never forget that face. He placed the gun in my father’s hand. And put his gloves in his pocket. Then he used his coat to dust his footprints away and climbed into his car. Then he just drove off.

As soon as he was gone I came out of my hiding spot. I checked his pulse. He had none. I knew he was already dead. I was so shocked. I just sat down in-between two stones. I curled up in a ball and closed my eyes. I stayed there for what seemed like days. It lasted forever. I had no thoughts; I could not feel anything; I was a blank shell. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing. I was nothing. I felt as though I was gone. I seemed dead.

Soon I heard a voice from far away. I opened my eyes and stared at the man. He had a guard uniform on and was closing all the tombs. He called the police and an ambulance. When all the people came it was dark and the lights were bright and blinding. They got a stretcher and put my dad in one of the vehicles. They pulled a white sheet over his head. I already knew he was dead.

The police searched around with flashlights. One lady with black curly hair noticed me. She called for a paramedic. They tried to get me to come out. I was still lifeless. I was not dead but not alive. After an hour of talking to me; they finally realized I wasn’t listening. Two muscular men came over and moved one of the stones out if the way. Then a man in his twenties came over and gently lifted me onto a stretcher.

The ride in the ambulance to the hospital was short. Three or four doctors examined me and concluded I was alive and nothing was wrong with me. Duh. A cat could have figured that one out. The only thing they didn’t understand was why I stared blankly into space and did not acknowledge anyone around me. They also could not get me to let go of my legs. I wasn’t sure if I could anymore. They also did not know who I was. My things were still in the tomb. If they checked there then they would know who I was. But they aren’t that bright or smart. I stayed there for a week. I did not eat any of the food they offered and if they tried to feed it to me I would clamp my mouth shut as hard as I could. I didn’t move at all.

They installed a camera to watch me and a nurse was always sitting in the little chair across the room. Once a day they would massage my muscles to preserve them. Some nurses read and some talked about all their problems. I guess they just needed someone to tell them to. I looked as if I was listening but I didn’t even know their names.

After a week they figured out who I was. Well my mom noticed when I did not come home on the plane like I was supposed to. She came to see me every day for about half a week. Then some more people moved me onto another stretcher. My mom stood next to me and pet my hair as they rolled me outside and into a vehicle. She sat in the back and held my arm. I was moved into another building. They placed me in a white room with a white door and cushions everywhere. There was also a small window. Through the window I could see my mother with tears in her eyes talking to a man.

I didn’t want to see anymore of her sadness so I shut my eyes. I don’t know how long I had them closed. Eventually I opened them again. I finally moved my stiff arms and stretched my legs on my own. Then a doctor and my mother came rushing in. She tried to talk to me. As she spoke I finally listened. She said “My baby! Are you all right? Can you hear me? I know you’ve been through a lot but I’m here now. I will help. All you have to do is answer me.” She stroked my hair and this time I didn’t move away. I wet my lips and softly spoke “I’m here. I’ve been here all along. No one will listen to what I have to say so why should I try to say anything?” then I looked up at her.

Later that day we went home and I slowly recovered. I got my things back eventually and soon we moved here. I spent four years in that place. Everyone thought I would be like that forever. Now I’m here. My mom still can’t get me to eat any meat. I don’t know why but I won’t eat it. Not now not ever. Maybe that’s why I wouldn’t take their food. I didn’t know what it was or what animal they might of killed to make it. Animals are my friends. I feel closer to them then anyone else now that my dad’s gone. How will I continue?