7Little William Bleu looked up at the noose he made for himself tied neatly on the rafters above him as he balances precariously on the wooden three legged chair. It helped him reach the thick hemp rope that was braided tightly as it swayed quietly side to side. He rubbed the spot where his right eye used to be out of nervous habit, a bandage in its place, remembering the bottle that was shattered against his face that obliterated the fragile orb that used to twinkle an innocent pearly blue.
He stared intently at the rope that swung like a pendulum against his waning time, his fractured emotions not quite making sense exactly of the permanent outcome of his actions. Nevertheless, he knew he did not wish for his prolonged existence. He did not wish for help, he did not wish for pity, he did not wish for anything really. He just did not wish to be.
He placed the loose rope around his tiny neck, looked up at the ceiling with his one good eye, trying to remember any sort of good that had happened in his life. He grasped for anything to be his very last thought before he left this world, but could only find the cold grip of reality weighing on him more and more. There really wasn't much good within his life to want to remember. Not anything he could think of at that moment. He gave a sigh of submission and hovered his foot over the edge of the chair.
Then everything around him turned a pale grey.
"Now, now, now. There's no need to be so hasty, kid!" William looked wildly around, scared out of his wits at being discovered. In a desperate attempt, he flung himself from the chair, but gravity did not make him fall like it was supposed to. "Heh heh. You're pretty funny, kid! Morbid and damaged beyond repair, but funny! You keep that up!" The reverberating voice chilled William to the bone.
"Wh-who are you?" William looked over at the strange triangular thing in front of him as he floated around in the air.
"The name's Bill, but that's not important right now, Rope Swing. What's important is that you are about to waste a perfectly good meat suit on this permanent farewell trip of yours." Bill tipped his hat to the little boy at his introduction before leaning against his cane. "Now I know your time is a valuable and it is LITERALLY hanging by a thread at the moment, but I just need you to hear me out before you take that dive."
"Did you just call me...?"
"Now I understand life is bleak and whatever, and there's really nothing for you to live for, as is obvious by your current predicament, and so you want to make sure that you go out without a hitch, am I right? The million dollar question here, Rope Swing, is why not give it to someone who will be better able to purpose said meat suit?"
"Like what?" William looked at the dream demon suspiciously.
"Does it matter, kid? You're gonna be dead anyway." Bill gave an amused chuckle at the troubled child. "Here, Rope Swing, let me break it down for you. You still get to go... wherever it is you think you go after you kick the bucket, go towards the light, heh heh, and I get to have your body as is, no discounts or refunds."
"Like... what? A possession?"
"Yeah! Exactly like that! Except instead of two souls vying for this prime real-estate, I get the only copy to the keys of the condo here." Bill tapped at the boy's head with his cane.
"Ow," William rubbed his head, thinking some more, "... W-will it hurt?"
"You're about to do the worst chinup from the rafters and you wanna know if a possessions gonna...," Bill gave a few unbelieving curt sounds before calming back down and clearing his throat. "What I'm offering is a pain free get out of responsibility for your death card, Rope Swing! I just need you to agree to give me the body that you're leaving behind." Bill reached out his hand towards the boy who had only turned 14 just a month ago. "We got a deal?"
William looked at the offered hand not quite sure at what to do. He started to weigh the pros and cons of the situation... not really finding any cons on his part to be honest, but he couldn't let Bill take over his life without fully knowing what exactly goes on. "Mister, the thing is... my life isn't really something you want."
"I beg to differ, Rope Swing!"
"No, you really don't understand! My parents..."
Bill interrupted William, continuing for him, "Don't love you, are horrible drunks, yadda yadda! I know what I'm getting myself into kid, just like YOU know what you're getting yourself out of. So don't worry about it! Just relax! Take my hand, and I can take you to a quiet oblivion myself." Bill's hand never faltered, he knew how this would turn out. Desperate times and what-not.
Little William looked again to the outstretched hand... and finally took it allowing the glowing blue flames to engulf him.
The ruckus laughter that echoed throughout the small mobile home made the house shudder in terror at what had just been unleashed onto the world as quiet little William slipped peacefully into the darkness he had so craved.