The Holder of Loss
By: Absolute Edge
Go to any mental institute or halfway house you can get yourself into and when you reach the front desk ask to see someone who calls themselves "The Holder of Loss." The worker will bury their face in their hands and weep softly. The worker will speak of heart chilling events between sobs but you must be strong and not be brought to tears yourself; fear not of death though, as the worker will not harm you nor will any supernatural force end you. Instead you'll be locked within a nice padded cell and wrapped in a strait jacket with only those morbid thoughts to keep you company for all time.
The worker will finish their riveting tales after a minute or two and calm down to a point of cold emptiness. The worker will stare at you lacking all emotion, they may even grow pale. They will stand and simply walk away without mentioning that you should follow them. You must follow them, of course, but not too closely. They will take you down a white walled hallway lined with doors to the mad and insane. If, suddenly, the worker stops and begins to weep then stop as well and calm your body, breath slowly. Ask the worker, "Have we become lost?"
If the worker continues to weep then run. For the suffering of all those trapped in their cells will be unleashed upon you in anger. If, however, the worker ceases their crying then not only are you in the clear but you're and turn to you with watery eyes and say, "We were always lost." The worker will then open a cell nearby and motion you to enter. You will and the door will shut behind you leaving you to the mercy of the Pale Lady.
She will be standing with her back to you under a light so dim it will hide all but the most obvious detail. The door will be barred so from this point on escape is impossible, make no mistake. She will ask you, "Who are you?"
There is, of course, only one correct answer but before you respond you must first fill your mind with the very stuff of suffering. It must be so pure, so perfect as to bring you to tears at the very thought of it. Once you have achieved this, and you'll know when you have, you may reply, "I am the Lost and the Damned."
The light over the Pale Lady will brighten just enough for you to pick out vague details. You will notice many things; how thin she is, the bones protruding from her flesh. The scars and bruises on her back are as numerous as they are vicious. A great gaping wound in her back allows you to see straight through, but do not stare she hates that. Though do not mistake her appearance for weakness, should you fail in this endeavor you will soon learn of her power, and should you stare at her wound she will rip out your heart to replace the one she's lost.
The Pale Lady will turn to face you and stare blankly at you without eyes. Dark sockets are all that remain to greet you with. Unending streams of tears glint in the dim lighting and shall flow for as long as she suffers. Though she may be blind she will look upon you and stare into your eyes, into your very soul in search of your worth. She may find it, she may not. You will know soon enough. Suddenly, should you pass her unknown test you will finally notice the jar in her hands. It was always there and though you may have seen it with your very eyes you mind repressed its existence. Inside is a human heart ripped from its foundry, torn from its home. It is the heart she's lost.
The Pale Lady will extend her arms and offer the jar to you. Take it, open it for her, and end her suffering. If you find yourself unable to open the jar then say your farewells as you've been deemed unworthy by powers beyond your understanding, prepare to suffer as she has suffered. Should you open the jar leave the lid on its last threads and hand it back.
The most peculiar emotion will come over the pale lady. It is the sudden realization that she no longer must suffer. She will smile, she will set down the jar, and she will embrace you in a gentle hug. She will whisper, "thank you."
In the next moment your heart beats a few things will change, for better or for worse. The Pale Lady has gone and you are no longer in the cell but back at the front desk. You'll find yourself holding the jar but the heart inside will be exceptionally larger than before. The Pale Lady replaced her heart with your own.
This is your offering. This is your suffering. This is your trade for immortality.
This jar of hearts is item 112 of 538. This is what the world is missing.