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Description
Troy was still lying on the ground. I'm alive? His eyes slid open but nothing changed, everything remained black. He blinked again. Nothing. He slid his arms to his sides and pushed off the cold ground. That's odd. The floor was smooth. Holy shit, I'm really dead. A single star appeared where he believed the horizon to be. Then it grew, and grew. This is my light. It's my turn. The light flooded him with understanding, a lack of defiance. I belong there. He wavered, but then was stilled. He took a step forward.

Something clasped his right wrist, "Wait." Troy resisted. But I belong.... I-. He turned. Something, no someone stood before him. He seemed young, nineteen maybe. His hair was red like blood and so was his tie. His shoes twinkled in the light. "Nice tux."

The stranger's face was neutral, but then the side of his face twitched, he smiled, started laughing even. Jerk. I'm dead and he's laughing.
"Oh, you'll do just fine. A perfect candidate."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh that's right we've only met once before, name's Death, Grim Reaper, the list goes on, and on, but you can call me Red."

"After what, the color of blood?"

"Nope." He smirked. "The tie." Troy was taken aback.

"What a minute. You're Death, and you're named after the color of your tie?"

"Funny ain't it?" Troy frowned. This Red character had a lousy sense of humor.

"Not really. Aren't you a little young to be, you know, dead?"

"Death not dead, there's a difference. Besides it's kind of hard for me to die, being immortal and all." Troy rolled his eyes.

"Great I'm delusional. Would you like to introduce me to Orange the talking toucan, or perhaps I should meet Maroon the invisible bridesmaid. How do I know you're real?"
Red slapped Troy, twisting his face 90 degrees.

"Are you insane!?"

"Ah, so I do exist then."

"You're a nut!"

"Yes, yes you're repeating yourself. Now do you want to know why you're here or not?"

"I'm dead."

"Please, it's a lot more complicated than that."

"Wait a minute," Troy looked around excitedly. "Helen, Dad, they're not here. They must be okay. They're alive!" He was turning his head this way and that, ecstatic that his family was still alive.

His heart died in his chest, joy melted into horror, in Red's eyes, sadness hid itself. A dusty circle conveyed sorrow, but a dark pit in the center only displayed nothing. No light escaped it.

"What would you say if I could offer you a way to hit back? If I could offer you revenge?"

"..."

* * * * *

Troy sat feet together, knees up, arms draped over the front. "Did they say anything?"

"Who?"

"My family..." Red sifted his weight.

"Your Dad just kept walking, straight into the light."

"And Helen?"

"She introduced herself, smiled and retreated into her own light."

"Damn Helen, always so proper. So... that's it?"

"Most people don't say much. They find their own peace."

"Not me," Troy's eyes blazed with anger. "I'll never forget what happened. What am I going to do? I'm still face down in the dirt. Probably bleeding to death. Where will I go?"

"You'll see."

"That's not helpful!"

"Well here's a hint. Listen, what do you hear?"

What do you mean what do I hear? Nothing was audible. Right?
"Focus, what can you hear?"

At first nothing. Then, maybe? Spectral whispers swelled, like the smoke trail of candle building into a cloud.

"........my God.....at...."

"Quick..........that......needs transfusion....."

"So.......blood."

"Keep the pressure......... okay."

"....stable....work."

Troy looked up to Red. "Who are they?" But black was already shifting to gray, and Troy left Limbo.

The voices left as well. "Damn," mumbled Red. "That didn't go as planned."

* * * * *

"Hello?HELLOOO!"

Troy squinted his eyes at the blinding light, suspended above the bed he was placed in. "Ow, what the hell? Where the heck am I?"
The boy who answered was young and had an Indian accent.
"You are lucky to be alive my friend. Most of the veins and arteries in your scalp were severed. The blade apparently penetrated the skull, tore the meningeal membrane, and exited the other side without injuring the brain. You did however, catch a severe case of meningitis. You were in critical conditions for weeks."

"Weeks? Where the hell is my doctor?"

"Your doctor? You're talking to him."

Troy turned his head. A brown, circular face stared back at him."You're like, ten." He mumbled.

"And a half!" said the boy jokingly. Troy was not amused. His thoughts were elsewhere. He bit his upper lip, hoping.
"And what about my family?" They boy averted his gaze.

"I'll-I'll go get Carlson." He didn't stand but shifted his arms downward and wheeled out of the room. The electric door shut behind him.
Troy tried not to, he hadn't cried since he was four, but pinned to the bed by tight sheets and medical cords, he broke down. Never before had he cared less to be alive.

* * * * *

His body ached from the tears. Emotion overpowered thought. All he could do was despair. Breaths of ice, stung his seared lungs. Bitter salt from his tears chilled his tongue. His whole body shook and the heart monitor set a steady, rapid beat.   He tossed and turned in physical pain, but it was numbed away by emotional devastation. He didn't even notice a man entering the room.

A heavy arm rested on his shoulder. "Okay, just cry it out. It's okay. You're safe now." Troy hated the kind touch. Leave me the hell alone. There was no way to talk between the tears but he attempted to project his hatred with his eyes.  This stranger was clearly not getting the message.

"We still need to correct the damage to the skull. This-" he injected a syringe into Troy's I.V "-will knock you out shortly. You should feel better soon." Troy doubted he would ever feel "better" ever again.

* * * * *

A familiar voice filled the dark void. "Hello again."  Troy swung his fist and connected with the intended target.
Red massaged his jaw, "Very rude."

"Shut up asshole. I don't want to talk to you."

"Because..?"

"You took my family from me. I hate you." Red was silent for a moment, pondering what to say next.
"Do you remember what I asked you? What I can do for you?" Troy stood a little straighter.
"You said, you said you could offer me revenge." Red shifted his step and looked Troy dead in the eye.

"And..?"

"I want in."

Description
Troy was still lying on the ground. I'm alive? His eyes slid open but nothing changed, everything remained black. He blinked again. Nothing. He slid his arms to his sides and pushed off the cold ground. That's odd. The floor was smooth. Holy shit, I'm really dead. A single star appeared where he believed the horizon to be. Then it grew, and grew. This is my light. It's my turn. The light flooded him with understanding, a lack of defiance. I belong there. He wavered, but then was stilled. He took a step forward.

Something clasped his right wrist, "Wait." Troy resisted. But I belong.... I-. He turned. Something, no someone stood before him. He seemed young, nineteen maybe. His hair was red like blood and so was his tie. His shoes twinkled in the light. "Nice tux."

The stranger's face was neutral, but then the side of his face twitched, he smiled, started laughing even. Jerk. I'm dead and he's laughing.
"Oh, you'll do just fine. A perfect candidate."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh that's right we've only met once before, name's Death, Grim Reaper, the list goes on, and on, but you can call me Red."

"After what, the color of blood?"

"Nope." He smirked. "The tie." Troy was taken aback.

"What a minute. You're Death, and you're named after the color of your tie?"

"Funny ain't it?" Troy frowned. This Red character had a lousy sense of humor.

"Not really. Aren't you a little young to be, you know, dead?"

"Death not dead, there's a difference. Besides it's kind of hard for me to die, being immortal and all." Troy rolled his eyes.

"Great I'm delusional. Would you like to introduce me to Orange the talking toucan, or perhaps I should meet Maroon the invisible bridesmaid. How do I know you're real?"
Red slapped Troy, twisting his face 90 degrees.

"Are you insane!?"

"Ah, so I do exist then."

"You're a nut!"

"Yes, yes you're repeating yourself. Now do you want to know why you're here or not?"

"I'm dead."

"Please, it's a lot more complicated than that."

"Wait a minute," Troy looked around excitedly. "Helen, Dad, they're not here. They must be okay. They're alive!" He was turning his head this way and that, ecstatic that his family was still alive.

His heart died in his chest, joy melted into horror, in Red's eyes, sadness hid itself. A dusty circle conveyed sorrow, but a dark pit in the center only displayed nothing. No light escaped it.

"What would you say if I could offer you a way to hit back? If I could offer you revenge?"

"..."

* * * * *

Troy sat feet together, knees up, arms draped over the front. "Did they say anything?"

"Who?"

"My family..." Red sifted his weight.

"Your Dad just kept walking, straight into the light."

"And Helen?"

"She introduced herself, smiled and retreated into her own light."

"Damn Helen, always so proper. So... that's it?"

"Most people don't say much. They find their own peace."

"Not me," Troy's eyes blazed with anger. "I'll never forget what happened. What am I going to do? I'm still face down in the dirt. Probably bleeding to death. Where will I go?"

"You'll see."

"That's not helpful!"

"Well here's a hint. Listen, what do you hear?"

What do you mean what do I hear? Nothing was audible. Right?
"Focus, what can you hear?"

At first nothing. Then, maybe? Spectral whispers swelled, like the smoke trail of candle building into a cloud.

"........my God.....at...."

"Quick..........that......needs transfusion....."

"So.......blood."

"Keep the pressure......... okay."

"....stable....work."

Troy looked up to Red. "Who are they?" But black was already shifting to gray, and Troy left Limbo.

The voices left as well. "Damn," mumbled Red. "That didn't go as planned."

* * * * *

"Hello?HELLOOO!"

Troy squinted his eyes at the blinding light, suspended above the bed he was placed in. "Ow, what the hell? Where the heck am I?"
The boy who answered was young and had an Indian accent.
"You are lucky to be alive my friend. Most of the veins and arteries in your scalp were severed. The blade apparently penetrated the skull, tore the meningeal membrane, and exited the other side without injuring the brain. You did however, catch a severe case of meningitis. You were in critical conditions for weeks."

"Weeks? Where the hell is my doctor?"

"Your doctor? You're talking to him."

Troy turned his head. A brown, circular face stared back at him."You're like, ten." He mumbled.

"And a half!" said the boy jokingly. Troy was not amused. His thoughts were elsewhere. He bit his upper lip, hoping.
"And what about my family?" They boy averted his gaze.

"I'll-I'll go get Carlson." He didn't stand but shifted his arms downward and wheeled out of the room. The electric door shut behind him.
Troy tried not to, he hadn't cried since he was four, but pinned to the bed by tight sheets and medical cords, he broke down. Never before had he cared less to be alive.

* * * * *

His body ached from the tears. Emotion overpowered thought. All he could do was despair. Breaths of ice, stung his seared lungs. Bitter salt from his tears chilled his tongue. His whole body shook and the heart monitor set a steady, rapid beat.   He tossed and turned in physical pain, but it was numbed away by emotional devastation. He didn't even notice a man entering the room.

A heavy arm rested on his shoulder. "Okay, just cry it out. It's okay. You're safe now." Troy hated the kind touch. Leave me the hell alone. There was no way to talk between the tears but he attempted to project his hatred with his eyes.  This stranger was clearly not getting the message.

"We still need to correct the damage to the skull. This-" he injected a syringe into Troy's I.V "-will knock you out shortly. You should feel better soon." Troy doubted he would ever feel "better" ever again.

* * * * *

A familiar voice filled the dark void. "Hello again."  Troy swung his fist and connected with the intended target.
Red massaged his jaw, "Very rude."

"Shut up asshole. I don't want to talk to you."

"Because..?"

"You took my family from me. I hate you." Red was silent for a moment, pondering what to say next.
"Do you remember what I asked you? What I can do for you?" Troy stood a little straighter.
"You said, you said you could offer me revenge." Red shifted his step and looked Troy dead in the eye.

"And..?"

"I want in."