Just Let Me Die Already
I'm leaving this hell-hole, I'm leaving and I'm never coming back. I am going to live somewhere, anywhere, but here.
So, with these thoughts, I clip my suitcase, zip my backpack, tie my shoes and walk. Past my mother, past my father's study and out the door, not once did they try to stop me. As I set off, realizing I had no idea where I was going, I decided that if I was going to leave this neighborhood behind I would have to make peace with it, thus meaning I would have to confront my biggest fear since childhood, my next-door neighbor, Nny. I had been terrified of him since the day, or rather, night, that he climbed through my bedroom window looking for a band-aid.
I stood, nearly trembling, on his doorstep, until i plucked up the courage to ring the doorbell. It was only once the chime rang that I realized I had no idea of what to say. Nny opened the door, I nearly wet myself, What's wrong with you Todd? You're fourteen years old for gods sake!
"Hi..." I said sheepishly,
"Oh, Squee! how nice of you to drop over!" Nny said evilly, with a smirk that could've frightened the scariest blood-thirsty monster imaginable.
"Yeah... Hello, um, I... Um, I'm leaving the neighborhood." I stuttered incoherently.
"What on Earth for?" He asked me,
"Um, er, I, ah, well..." I tried, but his false politeness was unnerving me.
"Oh, do come inside, we can talk more" He said, clearly not fazed by my awkwardness
"Er, okay." I said and followed him inside.
His house was old and dilapidated, there was a small round table in the corner with one chair in front of it.
"I'm sorry, I only have one chair."
"It's okay, I wasn't planning on staying long" I said, amazed that my voice didn't shake.
"Where are you planning on going once you leave?" Nny asked politely, I shuddered.
"I actually have no idea"I said, realizing how stupid I sounded, or, was? I didn't know, I sighed and sank down his wall to the floor.
"Well in that case, you should stay here!"
"Wha?" I said unintelligibly.
"I have a little duty you see, and, it will last longer than I will."
"I don't understand" I said blankly
"Well, you see, I have a job to do and it ill still need doing when I die, so I need someone to do it when I'm gone"
"Why me though?" I asked, taken aback by his straightforwardness and lack off profanities
"Because you're here, and if you accept my task for you you will never be able to leave"
'What is this "task" anyway?" I asked, wondering if he really was as deluded as I thought he was.
"If I told you, you would have no choice but to accept" My curiosity at that moment was unbearable and I knew that even if I tried, I wouldn't leave this house until I knew what was going on.
"I'll do it." I said, the finality in my voice was contradicted by the shaking.
"My dear boy, I knew you'd say that." with that, Nny grabbed my arm and dragged me down to his basement.