A Letter

“You got a letter.”

Strange, he thought. No one should knew where he currently lives.

He opened the envelope, unfolded the paper within, and was met with a blank.

“What’s the meaning of this? There’s nothing on it.”

“Don’t ask me. I’m just the courier.” The courier shrugged and left.

Soon as he closed the door and turned around, a hooded figure in dark leather armor appeared, knife in hand pointed straight at his heart. “I’m sorry, mister,” The hooded figure said, “But you will have to die.”

He dropped the letter in a panic, “Wait! No, please! Don’t kill me! Please, at least tell me why!” He pleaded.

The hooded figure slowly advanced closer, forcing his back against his door. “You cannot read the letter. Therefore you are not the one we seek.”

“No no no wait, wait, I can read it! I can read it! I see something!” He trembled down to the floor to pick up the letter. The hooded figure lowered the knife, waiting menacingly. “Well? What does it say?”

His eyes darted across the blank piece of paper. “Uh… Dear Frank… It is with sadness that I must bid you farewell for the… foreseeable future. I have been… captured. Yes. Captured by the tyrant who wished to wed me, just to take me away from you. I have prepared this letter to… to… so that it is meant for your eyes only, and the tyrant would not see it! Oh my dear sweet Frank, please remember my love for you, and know that at least I have tasted yours once in this miserable life time,” he started to fake a sob as he read on, “Perhaps we will meet again in the Oblivion, together for eternity.” He sobbed louder as he uttered “love, Maria…. Oh Maria!”

The hooded figure crouched beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh my sweet Maria… How could they take you away from me like this!”

Then the hooded figure plunged the knife straight through his heart.

“Nice improvisation, mister. But that’s not what’s written on the letter.”

A stream of visions through blood-stains and darkness later, he awoke in a dim chamber, surrounded by a circle of candles. Just when he wondered in his mind where he was, an ominous voice answered:

You are in the Oblivion. Can you read the letter now?

Still dazed with confusion, he found a folded piece of paper resting on the floor in front of him, not unlike the one he received before his demise. Except this time, something was actually written within.

“It uh… it’s a list of names, sir? Madam? And oh… Maria is on it.”

You do not have to pretend. You knew no one by the name of Maria. You knew no one on this list.

“Um… what am I doing with this then?”

I will send you back to the living world, then you will kill them all. Don this uniform for your deeds. Once the job is done, you may rest in peace.