I almost tasted the dirt again, after yet another root caught my foot during my walk through the forest. Geez, this is getting annoying. But I put up with it, as I wanted to get to my favorite place. Where the rain that fell around me sounded like a hymn...
There it is. A small tombstone in the middle of a clearing of trees, right where I left her. Just as I was about to sit down under a tree and relax in the cool night, my phone went off.
"Hey Ralph! I'm gonna be at your house in half an hour to pick up that helmet you made for me. Before I get out into this rain, could you tell me if it's ready?" a friendly voice asked. I recognized the voice of my friend Tim instantly, bringing a smile to my face.
I answered, "Yeah, it's done. I'll see you when you get here."
"Alright, I'll be over in a jiffy!" he answered with enthusiasm. The call ended. I put my phone back in my pocket, then gave the tombstone a sad smile.
Sorry love, I've got to go...I'll talk to you soon. I thought. Of course her tombstone didn't answer me, but it still gave me some comfort that she might be listening. Somehow.
As I began to walk toward my house, a shadow out of the corner of my eye flashed, but when I looked at it, there was nothing. Squinting in the night, I struggled to see through the black of the night. But nothing showed up in my vision.
I shrugged my shoulders and turned away, trudging back through the forest. As my small house came into sight, I smiled again as memories resurfaced about all the wonderful times I had in the house. I shook my head lightly to focus on getting Tim's helmet to him. It was done, but I wanted to give it a nice box. The wooden steps squeaked a little as I walked onto the front porch.
I put my umbrella away and hung up my raincoat, and then went to the small forge I had step up in the garage. The helmet was sitting there, looking every bit of perfect as I had crafted it to be. The black main piece went well with the red visor, just like Berserker's helmet from Fate/Zero. I had just grabbed a pair of gloves when the doorbell rang.
I walked over to the light brown door and opened it, revealing my friend Tim. His cropped brown hair was above an almost childish looking face. His green eyes held a bit of excitedness in them, probably from getting the final piece to his costume.
"Hey man! How's it been with you?" he asked as I stepped back and let him into the house.
"It's been pretty good, I can't complain. And you?" I answered as I closed the door.
"Same, same. Now, where is that helmet, I'm dying to see it," he said as he walked to the forge.
I chuckled lightly and said, "Don't worry, it's fine. All polished and everything."
I heard a very unmanly squeak from Tim as I walked up behind him into the forge room. Before he could rush in and grab it, I said, "Please use a pair of gloves. Once I get it into the box and you get it back home, you can do whatever you like with it." He turned around and pouted a little, but complied. Then he picked up the helmet and looked all around it and inside it, appraising my work.
He then looked at me with a goofy smile and said, "Oh yeah. This is gonna be perfect. How much do I owe you?"
I shook my head and smiled, then said, "You don't need to pay me right now, just enjoy the 'con. I'll send you a text with the price tomorrow. I need to get some sleep." This was emphasized by me yawning and stretching my arms.
After a short and friendly argument about wanting to know right then, eventually, Tim left with his boxed up helmet.
But, just as I was about to walk upstairs, I felt someone place a thin wire around my neck. I tried to breathe in, but my lungs had no oxygen. The pressure felt horrible, my throat was trying to reject the wire being forced on my neck. I grappled with the object keeping me from breathing, but the hold was far too strong to move. I was gasping, but no air was getting to my lungs.
My vision started to blur, before my body gave out. All I felt as blackness encroached on my vision was, Why me? What did I do to deserve this?