Karl’s Letter

"Karl!" I shouted at him when the situation finally sunk into me. "What the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind? Gimme your wrist, quick!"

I immediately took my handkerchief out of my pocket. But when I grabbed his bloodied wrist, I couldn't help but recoil in horror. He was really cold as though I was touching ice instead of human skin.

"K-Karl…" I looked at him, about to throw a million questions but I couldn't do that anymore. As my words seemed to be stuck inside my throat while looking at his face right now.

He was deathly pale. No. He looked like he was already dead.

And his lips parted. But the sound that came out wasn't what I was expecting. Instead of his voice, it was the voice of someone else. Someone I can't quite figure if it belonged to a man or a woman.

"Who — Who are you?" Was the only thing I could ask as I stumbled backward. There's no way this man here is Karl.

"I'm Karl, Sean." he said.

"No! You're — You're not Karl. Why are you in his body?"

"No? Do you mean to say you don't believe me? Do I not look like Karl?" he asked me.

"I know you're not Karl."

"Hmm?"

I scooted when he took a step forward going in my direction. And while doing that, my left hand landed on a piece of paper. A bloodied piece of paper.

"Have you read the letter I especially wrote for you, Sean?" he asked.

"What — What letter?"

"The one you're touching right now. C'mon. Why don't you read it?"

If truth be told, although he looked like he could suck the living out of me right now, I didn't want to take my eyes off of him even for a second. But as if I'm no longer in control of my own body, my hands moved on their own and unfolded the letter. While he was only there, scrutinizing my every little move.

"Dear Sean,

"How are you? I wish you'll be able to read this. I must already be gone by the time you got your hands on it. Sean, I guess I'll have to go first after all. Make sure to live life happily, hmm? Unlike me.

"But you know what, Sean? I really wished you were in my position right now. Just kidding. Do you remember our last conversation? Heh! I reckon you've forgotten about it already. I won't be surprised if you do.

"Anyway, I tried asking for your help that time but I guessed you didn't really get my cues. You know what, Sean? I was really hoping you'd come and stop me doing the stupidest decision I'll ever do in my life. I was really hoping you would be able to save me. But I guess that was too much of me asking.

"One last thing. I wanted to ask you, Sean. If you were to be reborn again. What kind of life would you like to have next? If it were me, I wouldn't want to be reborn again. I just wished to cease existing. But if I really had to choose, I don't want to be reborn as a human. I'd like to be something or someone just watching by the sideline. Not part of the story. Bye bye, Sean. If we were to be reborn again, I wish to meet you one last time."

I don't remember how many times I've already read this letter in my dreams. And there's always a pang in my chest whenever I read this. But for some reason, I didn't feel anything now.

I shoved the letter inside my pocket and looked straight at the person who was pretending to be Karl in front of me.

"Did you like it, Sean?" he asked.

"No, I didn't. But what I didn't like more is your disguising yourself as him." I told him. And trust me, I didn't know where I pulled that courage from when I can literally feel my knees turning into noodles.

"I see. Well, I guess there's no helping it."

And literally, after he said that, the skin on his face started to bubble. His hair began to fall off the floor. And his scalp melted like rubber being burned. The smell of a decaying body emanated from him. So strong that it made me gag on reflex. Somehow, I feel like I've already smelt this somewhere before.

His skin continued to melt as though he was bathed with acid.

And when all of his skin fell off, he finally revealed what he actually looked like. A body made with dark shadowy smoke in the form of a human. Its eyes are hollow. No nose but has a large hollow mouth.

I don't know. But while looking at it. I immediately knew it was what Mr. Vlad and Ethan were talking about. A devourer.