Dead Man's Purpose

   The lights of the lonely convenience store buzzed quietly as the cashier sat behind the register, stewing in his regret of taking the graveyard shift. He could be doing something better with his time, like his college homework, but instead he's taking over for a flaky colleague. Just as he was about to open his phone, the bell above the door rang and a customer entered. The cashier perked his head up in interest and saw a man of slim build with black, slicked back hair and green eyes walk toward the drinks. The cashier analysed the man; he looked about 20, average height, and was wearing a black jacket with a grey undershirt and jeans. The man quickly picked up a drink and a box of candy, then headed towards the register. The cashier stood straighter and quickly scanned and bagged the man's items, attempting to make small talk by asking the man, "So, what brings you here this late?" As the man grabbed the bag, he quietly said, "I didn't want to walk for no reason." The cashier chuckled, replying, "That's fair. Have a good night man." "You too," the man muttered before walking out. The cashier sighed, dreading the boredom that was to come.

Benjamin Cross stood outside the convenience store and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Ever since the incident, he had become far more uncomfortable with interacting with people, particularly strangers. However, he had done it and that was a big move. Benjamin felt a lot better now and was ready to start his walk home amid the bright, empty streets. As he began to walk, he heard what sounded like a scream come from behind him, presumably the nearby alleyway. Benjamin's eyes opened wide at the thought that someone was being harmed or kidnapped and so walked toward the alleyway. When he arrived, he peered into the darkness and was able to distinctly make out two human figures, one on the ground and the other towering above them. "Hey," Benjamin called out, "What's going on?" The towering figure grunted and said angrily, "Goddamnit, this is why I told you not to scream." The figure on the ground yelped as the towering figure moved and screamed at Benjamin to help. Benjamin stepped in closer and raised his arm up, his hand outstretched and aimed at the towering figure. "Divide," Benjamin uttered and immediately afterward, the towering figure was sliced clean in half across his chest, blood splattering outward, the attack having left a slash mark in the wall. The body collapsed with a hard thud and Benjamin turned around to leave without another word. The person behind him yelled, saying "Thank you!" Benjamin just gave a thumbs up and continued walking.

As he walked home, Benjamin was lost in thought. Not about if he had done the right thing; he knew he had. He just wondered why he did the right thing. Of course, the abuser was scum and deserved to die, but it's not like he cared about the victim either. He could have walked away and pretended he saw nothing. He wondered if he just felt morally responsible for the victim, or if he had found it within himself to care about someone for the first time in his life. Before Benjamin could come to an answer, he looked up and realized he had arrived home. He walked in and went into his room, not bothering to say hello to his parents. He collapsed on the bed and fell asleep quickly.

Benjamin opened his eyes and saw a large room before him, with purple and black drapes and decorations. The room looked familiar to him, but he was not sure why; he tried to stand up but found he was strapped down to a long table. He then realized exactly where he was as a cloaked man walked over to him and loomed over him with a long dagger. What? Why am I back here? Benjamin thought, panicking, as the man lifted the dagger and brought it down into his heart. Benjamin screamed and the blade pierced his heart, radiating pain and warmth to the rest of his body. The cloaked man began to rant about an "offering to Death" without any context. Benjamin felt his eyes get heavy, and as he began to pass out, he heard a voice speak to him. "Finally, someone worthy of the purest form of Death." the voice said, and Benjamin realized who it was. Death himself, huh? You bastard. Benjamin thought as his eyes closed and his life ended.

He opened his eyes again to his room, realizing that it was just a dream, replaying his memories. Benjamin looked down at his hand, thinking, I had never heard that before. 'The purest form of Death'? Was that voice referring to my power? Benjamin sighed and got out of bed, deciding to just go to work without worrying too much about it. He got dressed and went downstairs, and saw his parents at the table eating breakfast. "Good morning, honey!" his mom exclaimed, noticing him, "Would you like something to eat?" "I'm okay, Mom. I'm just gonna go to work." Benjamin said, still mostly lost in thought. "Oh, okay, sweetie. Have a good day." she said, not disguising her worry for him. He left without another word and began his walk to the supermarket where he worked. Benjamin looked up to the early morning sky and took a deep breath, finding a moment to relax his mind.