It was the first snow of the year. The first snowflake flurried down and nestled itself on the cozy warmth of the extended arm of the towering stature of the man who stood before little William. He was twice the girth and height of William, who with his bony fingers and lanky limbs was the epitome of vulnerable. The singular flake, triggered a cloud of white that transcended down on the town, blanketing the quaint town with a white veil."It is time to go," said the man. His eyes were pits of endless void and his icy stare pierced and seared their image onto William's consciousness."No" protested William stubbornly, leaning into his mom's comfort and wrapping his scrawny arms around her, as if trying not to breach the bubble of familiarity that surrounded them. "I can't go without my mother" he glanced up at his mother as if reinforcing what he had just said, the desperation thick in his voice. He was afraid of the obscurity. Afraid of being alone.And terrified of being away from his mother. They were all the irrational fears of every child after all!"It's okay" his mother reassured him, flashing a melancholic smile in his wake." He is only going to take you home," she said, allaying his fears that bit onto him like a rabid dog.Anticipation grabbed him like a taut thread weaving through each passing moment. Time had halted and seemed to be a non-existent dimension, obliterated from the world. The weight of the moment hauled him down like a hefty anchor dropped into the depths of the treacherous ocean.He knew he had to draw a line between desire and need. He knew he had to differentiate between his heart and his mind. He felt a sharp tug at his heart, as he knew he wanted to abide by the man's decisions but this wasn't the spur-of-the-moment decision to make. The choice presented to him was the egregious truth that pierced through him like an icy blade and the more he tried to ignore the repulsive truth, the more he jagged the honed weapon into his tender flesh."Your mom will be joining me shortly" the man cajoled, the impatience pertinent in his voice that intertwined with his husky voice, adding a sinister undertone to his rather alluring voice. He reminded William of sirens of the vast sea, who, with their pleasant chants, fished for oblivious sailors, luring them into their intricately woven trap.Was it a dupe? Was he being deceived? But his mom had approved. Surely she wouldn't have been lying! Besides he wanted this, he wanted to break free of his dull prison, extend his wings, and set out to a whole new world of possibilities.William was never alone yet loneliness always clung to him. His forlorn fate seemed to be his sole companion, but now he was going to rewrite his future.One question, however, lingered in his mind for longer than the other questions. Where were they going?Nonetheless, he would find out soon enough. Acknowledging that, his emaciated hands reached out to grab those of the man, and he grasped them as if his very life depended on it.Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next. His lifeless body was propped up against the wall and hot tears rolled down his mother's cadaverous cheeks. He desperately wanted to reach out to her, wipe the tears from her face, and reassure her just like she always did to him, but he strangely felt at peace.His eyes drifted towards the set of bones that he was holding. The man's flesh had melted off of his bone and dissipated into the frigid air. His eyes thoughtless pits floated in the obscurity of his hood. He was the Grim Reaper.William's dwindling flame of hope had now skyrocketed. His fire, now born anew, roared with the boundless possibilities. At that moment, his mother's words rang in his ears " You need darkness to have light".
