FSE

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I remember riding the bus late one night from my job and the only other entity on the bus besides the driver, was a faded past. It smelled of stale piss and alcohol. It had glossed over marble eyes and red liver lips that mashed and salivated as it creamed and jabber on. It's clothes were worn and soiled, yet had some semblance of an ensemble. The faded past was taking to the bus driver screaming about how it can't afford cigarettes and how it was in the old days. I sat in my seat across from the faded past after having boarded the bus and made eye contact. It hadn't shaved for days and it's makeup was smeared, a broken cigarette hang from it's mouth. Ticking up and down with jerky motions as the faded past tried to focus it's eyes on me, contemplating if i was friend or foe.

I continued to stare at the faded past, never breaking eye contact and showing no kind of emotion on my face. It 's eyes narrowed and it slurred loudly. "Yea, what?!" Without breaking eye contact, without showing emotion; I replied. "Good evening." "What's so good about it?" It asked. I lowered my gaze to the faded past gnarled and rough hands, it was rubbing them together. "Well," I said "I'm no longer out in the cold, thats gotta be good." The faded past humped and said lowly, "yeah thats true, even if you don't know the meaning of the word cold!" The faded past just stared at me, then cackled loudly it lungs gasping for air as it's body shook with laughter. I continued to stare not showing any emotion.

The bus driver mumbled something to the faded past about keeping it down, yet his lazy road tired eyes never really looked back at us. The faded past ignored him and cackled some more. "Where are you headed, boy?" it asked. "I am headed home from work." I replied, never taking my eyes from it's. "Oh, a home to go to" It cooed, "and a job no less." "Well my, my, aren't we something." The faded past's eyes were burrowing in to my mind it seemed, as if though it wanted to get to the very bottom of my soul. It parted it's red liver cracked lips for a sigh and leaned over to me. It extended it's gnarled and knobby hand with it's dirty yellow nails and signaled for me to come closer. I never let my eyes leave it's and slowly leaned forward to hear what it had to say. "I was once somebody special too you know?" It's breath was rancid and yet sweet in a way, like bile that had been mixed with cheap fruit liquor. "Oh yes, I was know all over this world, for my voice, my looks, my...conquests as they were." It smiled ruefully showing blackened and rotting teeth. I felt my stomach turn and wondered how far my stop was.

The faded past's eye glowed with the sparkle of memories as it continued speaking, it's putrid breath washing over me. "I was what every man wanted to be, what every woman was jealous of and I gave nothing; but took all." It leaned further in it's seat towards me, leering in my face. "I was every faith you clung to in the dark, every dream you dare wished, every hope you carried in your heart when all seemed lost!" The faded past was screaming now, spittle flying across the bus as it ranted. "I was worshipped and feared, revered and respected, I was youR god and devil all in one!" It screamed it's face contorting in rage.

The faded past slumped back in it's seat, it's breath coming in ragged gasps. It's skin just a shade paler and it's hair more disheveled. "I was everything." it whispered. I sat there, my eyes never wavering, my face never showing emotion. My very presence was calm and collected. The bus hit it's next stop, no one got on and the driver said nothing. The bus doors closed and we continued on our way. A few moments more passed and the faded past raised it's head, it's angry sad eyes meeting mine. "I'm very sorry." I replied. "So what happened to you?" The faded past's eyes screwed together in scutionus thought. "Sorry." It mimicked, "Please save your pity for someone who might give a damn." The faded past sat up in it's seat and tried to compose it's self, as best as it could. "As for what happened to me, well lets just say my life is like that old Bob Dylan Song, the times they are a changing." The faded past continued, fury in it's eyes. "You see kids today have no respect for the way things are, the way things were, the way things should be."

"I see, so you feel that the future is something you fear." I said. "I fear nothing!" It screamed in my face, eyes twitching with madness. I suddenly stood and moved towards the faded past. It rushed backwards and fell into it's seat; it's eyes wide with fear. Mumbling "no" and "wait", but I wasn't listening; I showed no emotion. I came face to face with the faded past and looked into it's eyes, while placing my hand on it's chest. It shook with fear and rage, I could feel each pump of it's heart through the veil thin filthy shirt. I drew in real close, no emotion on my face. "You are afraid of the future." I said calmly, "You are afraid of the new and ever changing, because it will always hunt you down. My eyes were fierce but my voice was subtle, like a lover hushing you back to sleep after a bad dream. "You are afraid because once it hunts you down and corners you, the new will then consume the old and you will be forgotten." The faded past was now on the verge of complete and total breakdown, the sheer instinctual urge to flee and run gripped every fiber of it's being. I pushed my hand down firmer onto it's chest as my eyes grew more fierce, almost aglow with a fire. My face sill showing no emotion. The faded past whimpered as tears formed in it's eyes, the bus driver stared blankly out to the road.

"You really have nothing to fear though." I said calmly, as my hand pushed harder on the faded past's chest. Bones now slightly bending, pops could be heard as they flexed. "The Future you see, can not exist with out the Past." "It must consume the old in order to define it's self as the new." My eyes burned now with brilliant fire lighting up the bus and the Faded Past's mask of horror. My hand phased into it's chest and glowing warmth poured out and up through my arm. "One can not live without the other, like two side of a coin." The faded past's eyes sunk and it's pale skin went white. "But it is only in one single moment that they can come together to become one, only in the present will they both know each other." My face shows no emotion, my voice is calm; everything is okay. The faded past screamed as my eyes burned it's own and then it's life force ebbed. As the faded past died it very quietly, through burned lips, gently asked. "Who are you?" And I smiled. I smiled deeply and across all of my face. The glow from my eyes dimmed and I pulled my hand from it's chest. Still smiling I stood and answered. "I am the Future."

The eyes of the faded past flashed with brief recognition, then went cold and dark. I turned from it and moved towards the door letting the driver know this was my stop. The driver continued to stare out at the road ahead, a ferry man for all time. I thanked him and left the bus walking out towards the rising sun. As i walked I went over what happened on the bus in my mind and I knew I had made the right choice, past and future must continue on. It was after I had walked a good way when I heard it. A very soft and faint whisper, so vague you would think you imagined it. But it was there, a small far off voice calmly telling me that I was next. I just kept walking in the rays of the rising sun, smiling the entire time.

End.