New Life (Flash Fiction)

The stench of wet garbage filled Caleb’s nostrils as the New Life Foundation van came to a halt in front of his new apartment building. A swarm of people clamored along the walkway. Had the success of the experiment he participated in made him famous? A rush of excitement traced down his spine.

Carrying nothing more than a suitcase, Caleb confidently approached the building before he realized the gathering mob was angry. Cursing and spitting, the mob jeered him and his NLF bodyguards as they hurried past them and into the building. Did they hate the foundation? No, that couldn’t be right. Despite having just protected him, the guards' hateful glances betrayed their true feelings. Why was everyone treating him with such distain?

The guards took up a post outside the door as Caleb entered the apartment and switched on the TV. As he fiddled with the remote, something slid under the door.

Caleb glanced at the yellow envelope and froze. Seconds ticked by as he stared at it and debated what to do. The television droned on in the background. His instincts told him not to move, but Caleb inched forward… grabbed it… and sat on his bed. Calming himself with a deep breath, he tore the top off the envelope.

The contents spilled onto his bed. Scattered around him on the mattress were horrific pictures of mangled bodies surrounded by chalk outlines. A fist twisted inside Caleb's gut, and he vomited on the floor. Caleb numbly flipped through them before arriving at a newspaper clipping.

MASS MURDERER GETS ZERO JAIL TIME

Beneath the headline was a picture of his face photoshopped onto a criminal's mug shot. The same photo flashed onto the TV screen.

“…appears to be the New Life Foundation’s first successful experiment, Avery Duncan gets a new life as Caleb Anderson. Only time will tell if the NLF’s mind-altering treatment holds...”

He frowned. No way were they talking about him. He would never do the things these people were accusing him of. It had to be a mistake. But a nagging voice in the back of his head kept asking, “Why did you choose to change?”

A loud knock followed by a gunshot made his heart jump. Against his better judgment, he thrust the front door open. A dead woman seeped blood onto the contents of a spilt gift basket. A revolver lay beside her. Without thinking, Caleb picked it up.

“One bullet left,” said an unfamiliar voice to his right.

Caleb glanced up, but whoever had spoken had already disappeared. His bodyguards had abandoned their posts. He opened the revolver and stared at the single bullet left in the chamber. Only an idiot would misread the message. Sweat dripped down his forehead, as he thought about the impossible situation he was in. Who would trust the word of a murderer? There was only one solution. Caleb closed the chamber and turned it. He cocked the hammer then placed the barrel in his mouth.

This is an entry for @rhondak and @carolkean's flash fiction contest (made possible by @aggroed, @gmuxx, and @canadian-coconut). If you enjoyed this story and would like to see more contests supporting the creation of this kind of work, be sure to give them a follow.

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