Fall leaves that had just turned floated lazily by on a soft breeze. The air had a chill to it, but not to the extent that it was uncomfortable. The sun broke through the scattered clouds again, catching the rain’s leftovers and creating a brilliant rainbow that arched majestically overhead. He lay stretched out on the grass, cares forgotten long ago, and watched as nature held a beauty pageant before his eyes. The bright green of the grass contrasted the dull oranges and reds that now covered the trees lining the field. Daisies spotted the ground in front of him. The lake off to the left sparkled in the sunlight, creating a mirror of the gorgeous scene that surrounded him. There was an island in the middle, dotted by a stand of cherry trees that tossed their newly sprouted blossoms into the wind, which spread them out over the surface of the water. A flock of geese flapped contentedly up above, assumedly moving south for the winter, though he could not imagine why they should want to leave. Deer wove in and out of the forest on his right, nibbling at the luscious grass and picking a flower here and there for dessert. They lifted their heads every so often to glance at him, but his presence did not seem to alarm them in the least. He did not doubt that he could walk right up and pet them if he so wished, but he felt so perfectly satisfied with his current position that he found motivation to do so utterly lacking. Never before had such a sense of contentment filled him. It was as if his entire life had been lived for this moment, and he would give anything in the world to make it last just one more minute. The change was instantaneous and terrifying, accompanied by a loud crack like a gunshot. Darkness swept over the landscape in one fell swoop, covering the light like a blanket over a candle, and sucking the last drops of joy from his heart. Cold fear, remorseless and sadistic, gripped him fiercely, like a tidal wave holding him under while he struggled to breathe. Lightning flashed across the sky, each streak punctuated by the familiar gunshot that had sounded before. The deadly acid called dread ate away at his exposed soul with every resounding roar. His mind suddenly attached itself to the present, and he realized that the ground that he sat on, moments ago covered in lush grass, was now barren and parched. A sharp stone was digging into his backside, and he lifted himself from the ground with great effort. Another flash of light illuminated the field around him, revealing the dead rotting carcasses that could only be the deer he had watched seconds ago. He recoiled in horror. The trees that lined the meadow were now lifeless and bare, devoid of the color that they had draped across their limbs. The black lake reflected another pitchfork of light, no longer calm and serene, but raging and wild in the wind that now whipped at his clothes. Across the water, the island still sat peacefully, the blossoms that had flowed from it now a distant memory. There was a man on the island. Outlined briefly against the bright sky behind him, the man stood unmoving, wrapped in a long cloak with head hanging low. Watching transfixed from the shore of the lake, the he forgot about the horror that had gripped him when the scene changed from day to night. The new feeling that invaded his mind had scared it away. He suddenly knew, deep within his soul, that something dreadfully awful was about to happen. He gazed cautiously at the still figure on the cherry tree island. The head lifted. He could suddenly see the face that looked back at his with stunning clarity, as though he were only a few meters away. The skin was drawn taut across the skull, so white it appeared to be a skull itself. The eyes were bloodshot, red to the point that there was no longer any white left. They glinted with a malevolent light, one that sent a fresh bolt of fear crashing through his heart. But the greatest terror came when he realized that the face was not so unique as he first had thought. The features, though twisted and marred by some unknown evil, were quite familiar to him. They were his own. He turned in shock, eyes still glued to the sight, body attempting madly to flee from the scene. As he watched, the figure suddenly crouched low to the ground, then propelled itself through the air, high above in a twisting, tumbling leap. It landed on the near side of the lake, a shock wave rumbling through the ground, and then it began to run. He finally tore his eyes from his pursuer long enough to catch the ground in front of him in the light of another lightning flash. Except, there was no ground. His foot caught on some hidden tree root and he fell headlong into a gaping hole. As his feet slowly curled over his head it occurred to him that he was going to die. He had known it when he first looked into those wretched eyes, but the fact drew fresh strength from the helplessness of his new position. He continued to tumble end over end, wondering how long his fall could possibly last, when he realized that he was in fact standing on solid ground. There was no light in this pit of despair, but he could feel the presence of someone behind him. He tried to work up courage to turn and face this fear, but nothing within him seemed equal to the task. Just when he thought he might be able to make it, rough hands seized him. Claws bit sharply into his exposed neck, and a haggard breath filled his ears. He screamed in a mixture of shock and terror, but the silence of his tomb seemed to absorb his shout completely. “Now,” it wheezed past crooked teeth, “you die!” | 
) of meaning to the story. Now it is full of symbolic meaning and allegorical parallels.
