Death Cast

Death had become predictable, yet unexpected.   Jaerim Ashford woke up with an inch of maple leaf mark on his left cheek. The maple mark is the standard representation of autumn, the season before winter. It also means change, highlighting the seamless transition between the glory of life and the penultimate of death.   That’s right.   Jaerim Ashford is about to die.   Facing the gilded mirror, the clean-shaven face of youth only reaching twenty-two this year realized fate has played him. The discoloration on his left cheek is clearly evident against his pale white skin, creating a striking contrast of beauty.   It would have been a viral thing, the one you would post on ** for amusement, if not from the message of death imprinted on it.   He lowered his head to wash his face again, feeling the cold water splash on his skin. Once he’s done, he stared at the flowing water and thought, washing the third time is not bad, and washed his face for another time.   He appeared to be addicted to the sensation.  Even when the soap dissolved thinly and his skin became plump, the sound of running water never stopped.   However, no matter how hard he tried to wash his face, almost turning the skin red from all the vigorous rinsing, the maple leaf imprint stayed in place, emitting a brilliant orangey color. It was only now he belatedly realized it wasn’t a prank played on him by his friends while they were out drinking the night before, or a trick of the morning haze.   It is the maple leaf mark sentencing him to death.   The reflection looks up in the mirror, keenly observing the misted surface with bloodshot eyes. It had drenched his untidy hair and clothes from too much washing, giving him the appearance of an abandoned kitten in the slums.   With a flinch, he was roused by a familiar ringtone. Jaerim ignored his reflection in the mirror and went in search of the phone that his drunken self had thrown away last night. He rummaged through the cluttered bed just as the call went off.   An unknown number showed up in his contacts.   “Who is this?”   As if answering his question, the number called again. This time, he picked the call up. There is only silence at first, accompanied by his strained breathing. A generic female voice in outstanding customer service spoke in a clean accent.   “Is this Mister Jaerim Ashford?”   Jaerim remained silent. The voice-over knows the person is around or else nobody would have answered the phone. She asked the same question gently, planning to repeat it several times until she receives a response.   “Is this Mister Jaerim Ashford’s number?”   There is no choice but to answer. Jaerim wanted to cut off the call, but surely he will be contacted again.   Nobody could hide from the eyes of the government once someone is infected with the maple leaf mark. The moment his phone rang, he knew he has been monitored.   Moving from the bed to the sink, Jaerim slid the mirror open where the first aid kit, his stomach medicine, and some essentials are kept. He took out his toothbrush, toothpaste, and a razor before latching it back, then placed the phone behind the faucet.   “Mister Jaerim Ashford?” The female voice-over did not seem fretful. In fact, she sounded like this was a frequent occurrence.   “Speaking,” Jaerim replied. He started brushing his teeth.   “Hello, Mister Ashford. Good morning.”   Good Morning my ass, Jaerim grumbled.   "My name is Nilda Yanes from the Special Division, Autumn Dispatchers Department. I would like to apologize for..."    He gargled and spat up the water in the sink after rinsing his mouth. There is spite in his action, blatantly showcasing his temper. The sound of water flushing through the sink is loud against the silent early morning but the noise wasn’t enough to mask the information the caller wanted to communicate.   “I would like to inform you that an individual with a maple leaf mark appeared in your building. We would like to request your calm cooperation and leave the establishment immediately.”   Jaerim halted his actions. He stared pensively at the phone with a condescending look. Did someone appear with a maple leaf mark in the complex aside from him? Though the odds were slim, it wasn’t impossible. He peered up and furtively examined himself in the mirror.   The maple leaf mark is still there.   "There are four exits in your area, please use the closest one. Our personnel are already been assigned to escort all the residents out of the building. Rest assured, his operation won't harm you or your stuff..."   The words are easy to understand, but the whole thing sounded like a riddle. Jaerim switched off the water to listen, but he isn't taking anything. The female voice-over noticed the prolonged silence and wondered if the client is still present. It's thirty minutes past five, according to the clock. It is understandable for Jaerim to feel irritated since people are often still asleep at this hour.   “Sir? Is there any problem?” The voice-over inquired.   “I’m okay. I will go out now. Who is infected?”   “It is Mrs. Silva on the fourth floor.”   “Fourth floor it is. I understand.”   Jaerim resides on the third floor, so he rarely comes up. He had no idea who Mrs. Silva was, but he did know that there was only one elderly woman living upstairs. She's around seventy years old, vivacious, and still going strong despite her advanced years.   Who would have thought she would die today?   But seventy years old is already a long life. Lucky for her to live to this age.   He held no sympathy for a stranger. Anyone marked with the maple leaf, called Autumns, will only last for twenty hours. He'd never heard of someone passing the twenty-four-hour mark after acquiring the leaf imprint. It is a predetermined death nobody could prevent.   Jaerim has no idea how the government knows who received it or why it happens, but he is certain that this mark will lead to calamity. It is like a public Wi-Fi of death. Whoever connects to it will be implicated. It accommodates free-range access and is not limited to the individual carrying the mark.   The government issued a law stating individuals with the maple leaf mark will be forced to submit. Anyone infected will be stripped off from their human rights, and if there is any fierce resistance, should be dealt with directly. There are special execution grounds for the fortunate Autumns who surrendered themselves. The best treatment they could receive is to eat their last meal or watch their favorite movie before dying through a lethal injection.   All public and private institutions are required to have a device that can detect infected people by skin discoloration. The maple leaf mark leaves a vivid reaction to the sensors, so no matter how many people try to tuck it, they will still be discovered.   Nobody went against the law. Public opinion always sides to the better good. Regardless, the people marked with the maple leaf will die within the day. It is better to end their lives before they end other people’s lives.   That’s why death had become predictable.   Jaerim just did not expect it.   The caller did not suspect him and terminated the call without a hitch; he subsequently blocked the number without hesitation. It will take a while before the entire complex will be empty with people. Before carrying out the business on the fourth level, the assigned officers would search each flat to see whether there were any more persons remained.   It's pointless to fight against the government. Jaerim is well aware of the situation. After all, even if someone managed to get away from them, they wouldn't live to see the next day. It would be better if one would just deliver themselves and spare a few hours peacefully before they are executed.   But it’s such a waste.   He is only twenty-two.   He is too young to die.   Jaerim could not accept it. He had a long list of things he wanted to do and see. Who wants to die at a young age? He is still not satisfied. Twenty years is not long enough to appreciate the entire world.   He hasn’t graduated from university yet, hasn’t secured a loan to buy a house on the lakeside, or hook up with someone once in a nightclub where most of his friends waste their weekends. If he had known this was going to happen to him, he would have agreed to Sharleen's proposal of a one-night stand when they were both freshmen.   He hasn’t lived his supposed to be life. Thinking about it, there are many things in his life that he would miss.   If he dies today, he won’t be able to see the next president or listen to his favorite band’s song. That One Piece manga will continue to be serialized, but he won't be around to read it. The weddings of his friends, if ever they really did get into a serious relationship, are something that he will never be part of. He couldn't even throw his own wedding.    He will definitely miss any astrological events like solar or lunar eclipses, some planetary alignment, or the discovery of some new planets humans wanted to explore in the far future. He would never be able to wish in a falling star on the next meteor shower.   If he will die today, he won’t grow old.   Jaerim examined the face he had been scrutinizing for over two decades in front of the mirror. He wasn’t good-looking, wasn’t bad either - just borderline between average and pleasant, with his thick brows and round black eyes as the most prominent feature.   He leaned awkwardly closer to the mirror to examine the distinctive mark more closely, carefully tracing the small veins of the leaf, accurately depicting a maple leaf during autumn. The strikes of red, orange, and brown made it look vividly alive than deadly, as opposed to its meaning.   He foolishly tried kneading it a few times to see if he could scratch it off like those cheap water-soluble tattoos one would get in a cheap snack. But the terrible thing is stuck inside his skin like a birthmark.   According to the lessons he learned during fifth grade, ninety percent of the people infected with the mark will acquire it in their faces. It can be in their forehead, cheeks, or neck, in some cases, bore their marks hidden on their tongues. This forced the cosmetic industry to go downhill since most of the face-changing products are controlled.   The remaining ten percent represent those individuals who attained their marks appear on hidden areas like chests, back, or under the foot. Fortunately, the sensors were hypersensitive and could scan up to ten inches thick, rendering any concealing methods useless.   Needless to say, Jaerim won’t resort to such a method since anyone caught doing it will be assisted with a shoot to kill order. He isn’t desperate enough to have his body be punctured by bullets before lying on his deathbed.   Looking over at the sink, his calm eyes darted around before landing on the razor. The small metal is shiny under the sink light, showcasing a cold sharpness, brewing an ominous feeling of having the skin peeled. Though, he discerned nothing, not even after disassembling the object, leaving him a small blade.   At this size, is it possible to scrape the maple leaf mark out?   One thing about Jaerim is that he is never hesitant. Without minding the probable outcome, he placed the blade on his left cheek and wedged it down with a force. Blood dripped on the sink, one dot, two dots - until it had become saturated with crimson red.   It did not last, however, as the flowing water then dispersed it.