Marlin
Legacy Name: Marlin

After what seemed an eternity, Marlin struggled his way out of the car, and made his way to the surface. He could see a crowd of people gathered on the river bank, talking excitedly and pointing into the river. He waved his arms but no-one seemed to notice him. He couldn't understand why they were ignoring him, and slowly made his way to the banks of the river. Hauling himself up the bank, he began yelling for someone to help him. But nobody came to his aid. As he made his way onto dry land, he staggered over to the group of people, hearing them talk about the car, and how the person inside must have drowned. Confused and exhausted, Marlin dropped to his knees and collapsed.

Upon waking, Marlin tried to make sense of what had happened to him. But he couldn't. He decided the best thing would be to make his way home, to his wife. She would offer him comfort after his terrible ordeal. However, once he arrived at his home, Marlin was dismayed to find his wife surrounded by her family, sobbing and crying. He was even more confused when he overheard his sister-in-law telling his wife that the accident couldn't have been avoided, and that divers were trying to retrieve his body from the submerged car.

Marlin froze. He suddenly understood, and he didn't like what he was beginning to realize. No-one could see him; no-one could hear him. He had survived the accident, and the drowning - except that he hadn't survived at all. Marlin was dead.

Panicking, he tried to focus his mind and think what he should do next. He couldn't even begin to fathom how or why this happened to him. He wished more than ever for a cigarette right now. Half-heartedly checking his pockets for his cigarette packet, Marlin was surprised to find a crumpled note in there instead. He quickly read it: 'Meet me at the river. I will explain everything.' Marlin had no choice, he had to find out what this was all about. He left his grieving wife, and made his way back to the scene of his accident, wondering who on earth would be there waiting to meet him.

As Marlin approached the spot where his car had left the road, he saw a figure by the side of the river. He was tall, and wearing some sort of cloak. Marlin approached him, feeling totally unsure of what was about to happen. The figure didn't move, didn't even acknowledge Marlin's presence. After a few moments, Marlin decided to speak first. 'Can you see me? Or hear me?' he asked. 'Yes.' replied the figure. 'What has happened to me, am I really dead?', Marlin asked again. 'Yes' was the reply. Marlin broke down, and sobbed. Having the truth confirmed was completely overwhelming. After a few moments, Marlin asked 'What happens to me now? I don't understand any of this, what do I do now?'. The figure raised his head slightly and said, 'You will remain in this state for eternity. No-one will see you, no-one will hear you, ever. Unless...'

'Unless, WHAT?!' Marlin screeched. The figure continued - 'I can offer you something. You can have your life back, your family, your home, your job, everything you had before the accident. But..in return, you must give me the name of someone else to take your place, someone you love. I will return you to the scene of your accident, alive. The person you nominate to take your place will have their own 'accident', soon after.' Marlin was stunned into silence. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Panic set in, and he screamed at the figure, 'Are you crazy? What the hell? Why would you do this, WHY?!' He began to sob again.

The figure, unmoved by Marlin's plight, simply raised his head again and said, 'Take it or leave it. Your life for the life of someone else. You will decide, now.' Marlin glared at the figure with a hatred he had never felt before. He stared right into his eyes, and knew at that moment that his choice was clear. He whispered, 'I will stay as I am, you monster'.