Melt

Melt

He'd walked past it before, and barely noticed it. He'd have sworn there was something different about it, but no soul could tell you. Darkness? No. He'd walked past it in the dark before. He gave up trying to tease it out into existence and just stared at the window.

Linda's Emporium. No explanation of what was inside. Could have been a sex shop for all he knew, what with the blackened windows. What was he being protected from?

He went inside and noticed a doormat. "Abandon hope..." it said. He couldn't help himself. The words just fell from his mouth. "All ye who enter here..."

"No... just abandon hope."

He couldn't see where the voice had come from. It appeared to be recorded. A cursory inspection gave no further clue as to the origins of the voice.

Instead his eyes fell to a candle, moulded into the shape of a businessman, coloured wax giving the image of his suit and tie.

"Scented human candle. Five pounds. Money in box on desk please."

Still no obvious home to the voice. He bought the candle and left. When he got home and placed the candle on the desk, he was unsure how it arrived with him. Tired, he lit the candle and began to read his newspaper.

A few drops landed on the paper, just a few inches off from the crossword. Grasping for tissues, he began to realise his vision was a little blurry. Finding no tissue, he wiped his nose on his sleeve. No, his nose was dry. A few more drops fell as he reached the mirror.

His eye was dripping out of his skull. Tilting his head back didn't help matters, as it his flesh also appeared to be melting.

Half-blind, he rushed back to the candle and tried to blow it out, but still it burned. He tried snuffing the candle, but the flame began to melt his waxy fingers. He held his head over the flame and let his face drip. The candle went out and everything turned black.