Soul of Wrath

While we were still dating in university, my now husband and I jokingly made a promise to let our tombstones have a coin slot because we first met at an arcade. But I never thought I’d remember that one funny memory in the most terrifying setting I could have ever imagined.

I found myself in a dark, enclosed space, with barely any room to even move my arms or legs. I banged on the wooden surface above me to break free, but it would not budge. I screamed and screamed until I could barely breathe, but no one heard me. Judging by the size of the container, I could only assume that I was buried alive in a coffin, and then something happened that confirmed it—a coin fell through from an opening just above my face.

Was I really buried alive? I couldn’t believe it. My entire body began to tremble as I felt my breath grow heavier. My head pounded aloud as I struggled to push the roof of the coffin up, punching it again and again until I could do it no longer.

I was not long before I felt my head grow heavy and my vision go blurry. And as everything around me faded to black, I remembered something: the last time I was conscious was when I was with my husband. We were at home, and I had just returned from the bathroom to resume our favourite show. The last thing I remember was taking a sip of my coffee and feeling my chest tighten moments later.

No, it couldn’t be… Could Jeff have…?

I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t have the time. My mind slowly slipped out of conscious thought, and I drifted away into a deep sleep. And there, in the deafening silence of the dark void, I finally heard something. A voice.

“It’s about time you wreaked your vengeance.” A shadow-like entity took form before me, with glowing amber eyes and a silhouette outlined by flames.

“Wh-who are you?”

“Someone who can help.”

A soft glow emerged from the darkness before me, undulating into a mass that slowly gave rise to a vision. It was Jeff, and he was with another woman in our home!

“See? This is the truth. I offer you a chance to get even with him. What do you say?”

I couldn’t think straight. It was as if every fibre of my soul was seething with an eternal flame.

“Take me to him.”

The entity teleported us to my house in an instant. Jeff and his mistress sprung off the bed and crawled back in horror as we materialised before them.

“Elly? Wait, please!”

Jeff began to beg, but I seized his throat and wrung the life out of him as he struggled in the air; and when his legs stopped kicking against the wall, I turned to his mistress, who lay there motionless on the floor with wide eyes. I waved my hand and she fell upon the floor with her neck snapped. I could feel my wrath envelope me; it was exhilarating. But then the room began to darken. It grew colder and colder until all the furniture was enwreathed in frost. The twisted smile stretched across the entity before me as its eyes grew brighter.

“What’s happening? What’re you doing?”

“You’ve done your part. Now it’s my turn.”

“What do you mean? I already have my vengeance.”

“I promised you vengeance, but I didn’t promise you salvation.”

What had I done? I was playing in the palm of its hand all along! I tried to escape, but I couldn’t move. The darkness grew. The shadows around me spiralled and swirled, engulfing the entire room in its cold embrace as it converged upon me and swallowed me with its ravenous maws.