Time fades away like sand on the desert wind. My body is beginning to decay down here and I fear that I am dying. Despite Beth’s constant reassurances, some part of me doesn’t trust her.

”You live here, I don’t.” I snapped.

”That doesn’t make any difference to me. You can still live here.” She said.

”Live here? My skin is peeling off! My bones… they’re breaking, I can feel them breaking. I need to get back home! Don’t you understand!” I howled.

”Why’d you come here in the first place then? So that you could have a quiet place to die?” Beth sneered.

”No, I wanted to escape death, yet now I know that I cannot do such a thing.” I sighed.

”I wouldn’t be so sure of that, darling. You just need more time to think, that’s all. The answer to immortality will come to you eventually.” Beth stated.

”Yet what if I die before then?” I asked.

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”Then at least you’ll have died in pursuit of something.” Beth chuckled.

”I guess that’s true.” I smiled.

The two of us sat there for a while, no words needed to be said. I began to try and grasp at the strands of immortality. Trying to pull myself free from the web of fate that I had been trapped in for all my life. Yet no matter how hard I pulled on the strands, the web was just too strong. The more I pulled, the more trapped I became, and eventually I gave up.

Beth glanced over at me and tilted her head, I could see the sadness in her eyes. She swam over to me and put her hands on my cheeks.

”Every time I try, something keeps pulling me back.” I said.

”You’re weighing yourself down, all that guilt you carry, it’s a burden on your conscious.” Beth whispered.

”So I have to let go? Let go of everything? Even my wife? Yet I love her, I don’t want to leave her.” I cried.

”Love, darling, isn’t really about being with someone. It’s about the strength of your bond, the strength to let go, and to know that love has no true limit. Your wife still loves you, even though she’s long gone. She wouldn’t want to see you like this, now would she?” Beth said.

”No, no she wouldn’t.” I replied.

“Good, now you’ve taken your first steps towards immortality. You still have a long way ahead of you though.” Beth smiled.

I nodded and closed my eyes as I began to pull at the strands again. This time, the web felt lighter, its hold over me was weaker. And as my hand grasped one of the strands, I smiled, knowing that one day I will be free.