The Light: Obnoxious Sound

A sharp pain exploded through my body as the knife entered my back. The pain was unique, one that I have never felt before. It was almost as if the two sides of the slit-like wound were reaching for each other, stretching the skin and muscles nearby further than comfortable. My realisation of what had happened came late, my brain reverting to a state of shock. An foreign object in my back, resting just to the right of the spine, is not something easy for my mind to process. The pain throbbed throughout my body, accentuating the previous injuries in the least delightful way. My limbs were weak as it was from the few minutes of beating I suffered at the hands of this mob, which had evolved from unruly to out of control. What the hell have I done? Surely a misunderstanding, I had thought, but that was before they attacked. The alcohol had taken control of the youths, and once one had made a move, the rest followed with a fleeting expression of confusion. The substance had temporarily dulled their minds, almost reverting them back to pack reflexes: like how a school of fish or flock of birds follow the movements of the member in front almost instantly. A few of them screamed, obviously some were sober. They attempted to help, but the mob turned on them too. It was because of them that I had my chance to escape, thwarted as it was.

There was a sickening silence as the mob was shocked by the sight of my blood, as if this batch was different to the last. I heard the slight sucking sound as the blade was removed clearly, and felt the blood gush to the surface, spreading out on my shirt. My legs began to shake, and promptly gave out, allowing my torso into come to contact with the bitumen violently, scraping off skin on my cheek and shoulder. Still I had almost no idea what was going on, and I did nothing to save myself, I just laid there dumbly. The mob was still silent as the stabber stabbed twice more in a panic. Suddenly, they were on my side, or so it seemed. They wrenched the gasping man from my back, and the knife with him, tearing the flesh some more, and bringing along that unwelcome feeling in plenitudes. There was screaming, and crying. All of the sounds merged together to form what sounded like a low pitched rumble to my ears. The next defined sound I heard was the pounding of feet on the pavement: the mob had fled. That much, at least, I was glad of.

The blood from my back dribbled down my side. It felt like sweat, except thicker and warmer. Soon, I knew, I would be lying in a pool of my own blood. That was an idea I wasn’t partial to. A thousand thoughts flickered through my mind, but one prevailed over all: my instinct for survival. Over the incoherent babble that was the workings of my mind, one thought was clear; GET HELP.

I began to crawl, or at least performed my best attempt at crawling, towards the nearest house. The light had been off before, I realised dimly, perhaps someone turned it on. Someone had, and that someone was by my side as quickly as her sixty-year-old body would allow. She was squawking at me; like a bird. Nothing she was saying was making sense. I kept on crawling, until I scaled the small rise separating the footpath from the road. I was simply too weak to keep on going.

*          *          *

That is why I am here, just in case you are wondering. I don’t even know who I am talking to. It doesn’t matter, and I don’t care. I’m probably not even talking. I’m really confused; why am I here? Wait, that’s what I just told you. Sorry. I’m really tired and sore, and I forget things when I’m tired. That lady is still there, she looks scared for some reason. It’s probably because I got stabbed.

The squawking lady stood up and left. Good. She was no use anyways. My gaze drifted up and down the street, my movements sloth-like. Everything’s a blur, but that doesn’t matter anymore; I have no idea where I am. My back’s wet, and it hurts. I barely remember why; I don’t even care, I’m just tired. Maybe I should sleep.

I close my eyes, but I can still see light. It’s really annoying; it’s stopping me from sleeping. That sound isn’t helping either, obnoxious thing that it is.

Tired...

Fuck, turn off the alarm, I don’t have to be anywhere this morning...

Why is the light getting brighter? The light-