The Day You Died
/“Miss.”
Emma glanced up from her laptop.
“Sorry to bother you,” The man next to her said. “Do you mind—” He rubbed a thick hand over his face. “I have to ask.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”
“Folks, this is your captain.”
Emma gazed up at the cabin speaker.
“We’re beginning our final descent and will be arriving in fifteen minutes.”
“Can I ask your name?”
She looked back at the man. “Um…” She cleared her throat. “Emma.”
He shook his head. “You look exactly like someone I dated.”
“Weird. Did—”
“Allison. She had the same…” He gestured to Emma, his eyes pouring over her. “Same everything. Even the voice. She—”
“Ma’am.”
Emma’s eyes snapped to the flight attendant.
“Ma’am, please stow that laptop.”
Emma closed it and bent, sliding it into her bag.
“She got pregnant by someone else,” the man said behind her. “I wanted to raise the baby, though.”
Emma twisted back toward him.
“She didn’t want me to.” He sneered. “She left me.”
“Damn, dude.”
“She’s dead. Died. Terrible day.” He lifted a hand to her hair.
Emma flinched.
“Long time ago.” He turned away.
Emma leaned against the window until they landed, waiting until he exited before leaving her seat.
“The craziest shit ever!” She told her husband as she drove out of the Park-and-Ride.
“Maybe we should rethink this traveling job,” his voice said through the car speakers. “You, traveling alone…”
“Whatever. He was just a weird guy.”
“You coming home?”
“Gotta stop for gas first.”
She pulled into a gas station and ran in, spotting the restrooms at the back of the store and rushed through the aisles and down a grimy hallway.
“Hell yeah,” she breathed, squatting over the toilet.
Tap. Tap.
“Someone’s in here.”
Tap. Tap.
“Asshole,” she whispered and stood, snapping her pants.
Tap. Tap.
She opened the door. “Alright—”
A hand shot up at her and closed around her neck. Another hand clamped over her mouth and nose.
The man from the plane loomed over her.
He shoved her back, unperturbed by her kicks and punches.
She tried to scream but couldn’t breathe.
He closed the door with his foot before slamming her into the paint-chipped wall.
“The day you died was the worst day of my life, Allison.” His face contorted inches from hers.
Tears streamed down her face. She kicked and clawed, but he only squeezed harder.
“I didn’t want to. Not to you. Or that baby inside you. But I said, right? You won’t walk away from me.”
The room spun. Emma heard her whooshing heartbeat in her ears.
“Now, here you are. Again.” He pulled her to him, kissing her nose. “Only to walk away?”
Emma’s legs felt like lead weights.
“That day you died…you should’ve died. Bitch!” He spat in her eyes. “You don’t get to come back!” He shook her then thrust her back, her head cracking against the wall. “The day you died…
Emma heard nothing else.
By L.L. Asher
From: United States