THE VOID
Once, many, many centuries ago, when the world was still young and even the stars had yet to be hung in the sky, Life and I made a deal. Life with the infinate power of creation could create anything it wanted as long as it would one day wither and die. I with the limitless power of destruction could destroy any living thing as long as it was life's creation. We lived as twin powers; life the begining and death the end. It was a dreary job following after someone to burn their beutiful art, but I could do nothing else. I had a hunger for destruction, for death, I was lucky enough to be spared a hunger for pain, but sometimes I see monsters end in tragedy and I cannot help but be gleeful at the chance to end them.
I never speak when I end them. There is nothing to say.
I will admit I was lonely. Even the stars in the sky feared my power. Life was the only one I could not harm, but the two of us together were a paradox, so we drifted to our ends of the universe.
One day a pink flip phone appeared next to me. It was a joke. I know life doesn't know my favorite color, but I wasn't going to be bitter over something so small. This was a peace offering. One of the humans small toys. They were such odd creatures, but for once I was gratfull for their expanse. We texted odd things. Neither of us really knew how this worked, but I visiting Earth more. Trying to figure out what these things were supposed to mean. Why would it send me a hamburger?
For once we knew each other. We were both quite lonely. Quite disillusioned. Life it seemed had run out of ideas. It had thrown everything at the humans, ideas, magnets, stars in the sky, and yet they kept falling apart. "What's the point when everything's dying anyways? No offence, of course." How could I explain to it that it was true? How do you explain to someone the beuty of these little creatures living so short? The way ants will drown themselves for their colony? The way people will care for an dying relative who doesn't even remember their name? How do you explain dying was the point?
We carried on. Calling a lot texting. Soon a computer appeared (hot pink and this time there was no joke), and the internet came along. We continued texting, and I dipped into the internet bored with the way things had always been. I found random pages. Learning about hamsters and existentialism. I tried chatting with people a couple times. We had such different worlds it was hard to relate. They kept asking for a gender. Why did I need one?
"Have you ever seen the internet? It's amazing." "Really? The whole thing's a little impersonal for my taste. I prefer to just see people in person if anything." "In person?" "Yeah, I like to go down there sometimes. Everyone dies so quickly, but they have so many little shiny things."
Soon I learned of shifting going down as people was fun if not a little restrictive. They had so many rules for your mere presence, but eventually I found people who cared.
"Nice dress"
"Is it? I can't seem to figure out what's wrong with it this time."
"Hah! People will always find a way to complain. I just do whatever I want. You should try it some time."
I don't think you want that.
We became friends anyways. His friends became my friends, and nobody really understood the no gender thing, but they tried. They introduced me to Zelda (whoich I liked) and jail (which I left). It was an odd time and life could not really understand it but we kept in touch. Soon I learned the rules, and they became more normal (although I still don't understand them). I learn to talk to other people.
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The car comes out of nowhere. She goes flying like a ragdoll. I've seen it before, but I look down at the halo of blood seeping through their clothes, and I know I'll never see them after this. She looks up at me and I can see the relization in her eyes. So close to death she can finally see it.
"Hehehe, I made friends with the devil. Finally my bucketlist is complete!"
They don't understand. I shush her.
"No, no, it's fine. I understand. I was bound to go to hell eventually."
I shake my head. They don't get it!
"I'm going to heaven? Haha, there's no way."
I shake my head some more. We're losing time.
"Purgatory?"
I can't say anything. I can't do this. I keep shaking my head. She looks up at me in tears. This pitying look on their face.
"It's alright. I've had a good run. I can go now. Wherever it takes me. I'll be fine."
"You're not going anywhere! There's nothing there. This is all you have. All you get. After this it's just empty!"
Her eyes widen she's sobbing. This is their last moment, and I ruined it for them. I hug her. The blood seeping into me too. We lay there crying until they're cold and dead, and I can see all of my friends corpses on the ground.
"Everyone dies so quickly" bounces around in my head.
I leave so far away from everything that all I can see are the stars shivering in my wake. I want to go with her. To where it's cold and empty and I don't have to think anything, but instead I call my friends, and I sob intothe phone as I tell them everything. I can see their empty skulls staring at me in my minds eye, but I can also see fireworks and icecream and hotpink computers, and I don't have anything else in the end.
Once, many, many centuries ago, when the world was still young and even the stars had yet to be hung in the sky, Life and Death made a deal. Life with the infinate power of creation could create anything it wanted as long as it would one day wither and die. Death with the limitless power of destruction could destroy any living thing as long as it was life's creation. Honestly death wasn't too keen on It was a miserable job, even with the deal in place, but time marched on.
Eons later, humans had evolved. Life watched captivated as its creations flourished and learned, and Death watched somberly as it ended people’s lives. Great rulers fell and ended their great reins, but Death watched instead as simpler people lived brightly and with great joy, dreading the end that would eventually come.
One such family caught Death’s eye as it flourished in the 21st century. A network of people connected across the globe, and they each looked out for each other. Talking about such simple things that had never mattered to it before, but now were seen in a new light.
If the first mistake was falling in love with this haven, the second mistake was entering. Death joined the chat, not even existing, just wanting to be known, and it was accepted. Welcomed, and Death wanted more. Foolishly Death knew, even as it stepped onto the Earth for the first time, it made a form. For somehow, Death had managed to create something of its own. It joined the circle of friends laughing and talking. Creating a home of its own even outside this little network it had found.
It fell in love with these people, with this place, and with this life, but eventually the time had come. The first person had to die. It was an early death and a brutal one. Death hadn’t even known them that well, and it hurt all the more. It hadn’t even gotten to know this person yet, it barely even knew they existed, and now it was too late to do anything.
Bitter, Death turned its back on the group. Flew into its duties with a new pain. It looked into the eyes of every family, friend, and loved one, and saw its loss staring back at it. This was its job, to hurt people for the sake of balance. It desperately wished it could be mortal, even if it meant death, at least it would have something to die for.
But, the worst was yet to come, a dear friend had died. Death had known them well, before it turned its back on everyone. If only it had been there they would have had more time together.
Death was distraught. It couldn’t do this to any more of its friends. Taking their lives, ending their beautiful existences, but even more than that, it couldn’t bear to keep going, knowing it was losing valuable time with them.
Death returned to its haven. Smiling with friends, even as its heart broke knowing that smile would soon fade.
But it carried on, not knowing what else to do.
