Sitting in class, I fiddled with my pen. It was about noon and we were talking about the gods. It was one of the only classes I had I would pay some attention to. Our teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, was talking about some legend while I began to zone out. I started staring at the scars on my arms, some self inflicted, some caused by others. I felt immense shame at the marks, thinking back to the memories that caused them.

      “Elian Amos!”

        I jolted up in my seat at the mention of my name. Mrs. Lawrence seemed really mad, and I knew I was going to get disciplined again.

        “Tell me, what was I just explaining again?”

        I tried to answer, but through my panic my words came out shaky and stammered. She walked up to me and whacked me on the back with a wooden ruler. The small sound of a slap could be heard around the classroom. “Pay attention,” she snapped sharply, her demeanor strict and demanding.

        Snickers from my classmates rang out in my brain, echoing off the walls of my head. Tears welled up in my eyes as she walked back to the front of the room. I could barely focus on her words for a while, feeling the shame of judgement sting at my psyche.

        “Now as I was saying, the legend of the great oak tree is one as old as time.” She started. I was brought back to reality and able to understand her words again.

        “Legend tells of a boy who roamed the Earth, in search of a wish. A dream to one day help his family from the neverending spiral of debt his great grandfather had gotten him in. He walked for days upon days, until finally he grew old. Under that oak tree he sat, and with his dying breath he said:

        ‘Thanatos and Bios I call upon thee with the last of my strength. Hear my wish. I wish to help my family, to get them out of the debt we had been unfairly handed down. I wish for them to be happy, I wish they never have to suffer due to others' misdeeds again. Please, help them.’

        And as he passed away, the tree glowed a bright teal, before the gods of Life and Death came down from the heavens. Taking pity on his soul, they fulfilled his wish. However, every wish has its price, and in exchange his name was changed and he was forced to work at the oak tree. Emia’s job was now to decide whose wish was worthy of being fulfilled and for what price. People say if you pass by the tree at night, you may see him as a young boy sitting on the highest branch, watching and waiting for someone to call out their wish at the tree.”

        Our teacher continued with her lesson, moving on to one of the wishes that was asked by a woman many years ago. Apparently, the woman was tricked by a voice and came to Emia with a wish.

        “Evilness plagues all of our souls, please vanquish this darkness from us,” Mrs. Lawrence quoted from a textbook. “He gave her a teal acorn which would have fulfilled her wish, but when it broke it released a terrible storm which almost wiped out humanity. Even though the gods were able to rid us of this storm, it remains as a voice, waiting to convince another soul to wish for it.”

        I thought about that for a little, was there truly evilness in all of us? I mean, obviously no one is perfect, but should we really die for those imperfections?

        People deserve forgiveness, not this harsh of a punishment for trivial matters.

        I had so many questions, why would anyone agree to such an awful wish? I had pondered this for so long, time seemed to speed up, and before I knew it the school day was done. I started walking out the classroom and down the hall until I was hit in the face by a gust of breeze.

        On my way home I passed by a food stall. I felt my stomach growl with hunger as I realized I had forgotten my lunch at home and had to go hungry today.

        “Turkey sandwiches! Get your turkey sandwiches here! One for a dollar!”

        The woman was dressed in a simple green dress with her hair pulled back up a bun.

        “Hi sweetie, would you like a turkey sandwich?”

        “Hello ma’am, yes please! How much for one?”

        “One dollar.”

        I paid her a dollar and got my sandwich. Deciding on a place to eat it, I settled on the park nearby my school. I hadn’t made it very far from the building, so getting there was quick. I sat down on the grass and ate my food. The area was nothing new, I’d gotten used to it since I’ve been here since I was little, but every time I came back it seemed to be more beautiful than the last even if nothing changed. The soft, beautiful green grass, the giant strong trees, the birds fluttering and insects passing by, and the people hanging around. All of it was breathtaking in a way.

        Once I had finished my sandwich I started making my way home again. Everyday on my walk to and from school, I passed by this church where people would worship the gods Thanatos and Bios. My parents used to make me take classes there before, but the teacher I had was super creepy. He was this old pastor that always looked at me oddly, like there was some sort of desire in his eyes. I never understood it.

        I remember one during class he would praise me a bunch, even for the littlest things like writing my name despite me being old enough to know how to. He was also very hands on, which made me even more uncomfortable. I was hoping when I went to an actual school that I would never have to see him again, but to my misfortune we ended up moving very close to the church.

        The church itself was old and cracked, made of white faded bricks that desperately needed a new coat. A replica rune was placed on top of the door. The doors themselves were black and reflective.

        As I walked past the church, I saw the old pastor standing outside. I tried walking faster since I was getting very uncomfortable, but it didn't work.

        “Elian, long time no see! Care to join me for a prayer inside?” His smile was unnerving, his eyes showing that familiar desire they always had.

        I shook my head rapidly, “I really would love to but I... have to get home soon! My uh... mom’s making stew tonight and I want to help her, so sorry sir.” I felt my heart rate speed up, I really did not want to be there.

        “At least stay by for a… private session with me Eli.”

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        I cringed internally at the use of that nickname from someone like him. His voice sent chills down my spine as I feared what a “private session” might be.

        “I really need to get going sir..."

        He looked around for a second before quickly dragging me by the collar of my shirt into the church. There were a lot of people walking around and talking, but they were all too busy to see or hear me.

        Suddenly I was shoved into a room. It was dark and the walls were the same white as the outside of the building. The pastor closed the heavy black door to the room before lighting a lantern. The light illuminated his face, showing each part of his terrifying expression. A wild look was in his eyes, like a predator would look towards its prey, and his smile stretched way too far, showing all his yellow teeth.

        I took a step back, feeling myself bump against the corner of a wall. He slowly stalked towards me, and I screamed. I screamed at the top of my lungs, begging someone to hear me. What was he going to do to me? Was I going to die?

        His face turned to one of anger as he walked up to me faster and smacked me across the face. The sting of the slap made tears well in my eyes. “Be quiet you little shit! These walls are thick, no one will hear you.”

        I sobbed, tears rolling down my face as he fondled my clothes. He stared at me with half lidded eyes before kissing my neck. The feeling of his lips sent shivers down my spine. He slowly undressed me despite my cries for him not to.

        The things he did to me were vile, the mental pain I felt was even more agonizing than the physical hurt. I felt so dirty, so shameful.

        Once he was done, he rushed me out and told me to never say anything about this. He told me to come back the next day for another “private lesson,” else he would convince the townspeople to kick my family out of the village.

        I walked out of that church with tears running down my face and a feeling of disgust. I ran the rest of the way home, wishing for the comfort of my room to take away this terrible feeling. I reached my door and collapsed onto the ground with despair. I sobbed uncontrollably, hands shaking and eyes darting around anxiously. Everything seemed to be closing in on me. Breathing became harder and harder until my breath was ragged.

        I sat there curled up in a ball until I finally calmed down, and stared at our rose bushes in our garden. They were all a dark red, beautiful with their thorns. I focused on the smell, on the breeze whistling by. I focused on the stones around me. I focused on anything I could to take away this disgusting taste in my mouth. Once I felt I was somewhat better, I gathered up my strength and opened the door to our house. 

        As soon as I walked in, however, I was greeted by a bottle smashing onto the wall across from me. I knew immediately what that meant; my parents were drunk again.

        They had an alcohol problem ever since the night my sister Victoria passed away from pneumonia. They started drinking to cope, to numb the pain of life. But that left me with an issue. Whenever they got drunk, they would get physical with me and beat me until I was bruised.

        Luckily, I was able to run into my room quick enough that they didn't even realize I came home.

        This was my normal everyday life. Wake up, go to school, get disciplined, and go home to “private sessions” and drunken parents. It was a pretty shitty way to live, I knew I had to make an escape from it. A few days later, I had a plan.

        I remember that day clearly; grabbing the blade from the kitchen drawer and going to my room, slitting my wrists, feeling the blood flow down and pooling on the ground I was sitting on. I thought that would be it. I thought I would finally be free.

        But after a while the blood stopped coming, and I realized I had cut way too shallow. In frustration I threw the knife at my wall, causing it to fall onto the ground after the impact.

        Sitting there with a numb heart, I thought about everything. I thought about what I learned that day in school about that woman and purging evil from the world. Would it truly be so bad if all of humanity was gone?

        I shook my head, what was I thinking? Had I gone insane, thinking that people dying was a good idea?

      Would it really be that bad though Elian?

        I shot up from the ground, “Who said that?”

      I did, little one. I am inside your mind.

        “Who are you?”

      Let's say I'm a... friend. All that matters is I'm here to help you. I'll help you get freedom, you just gotta do one thing for me; make the wish.

        “Wait, wish? You... You’re that storm Mrs. Lawrence was telling us about!”

      Maybe I am, but I can help you. We can work together, get rid of any and all evil in this world. It’ll be a utopia in the end.

        “Who would be left to enjoy it?”

      We won’t kill off all living creatures, just ones with any form of darkness in their hearts like humans.

        “Animals wouldn’t be able to enjoy this world like humans can.”

        The voice scoffed. Foolish child, are humans not animals? Do you seat yourself so high above other forms of life?

        “No but..."

      This is but another example of the selfishness of humans.

        I looked at the ground in shame.

      But you can make it right, young one! If you help me take care of the human race, we can make everything better for others. Plus, what have humans ever done for you that makes them worth keeping around, huh?

        The more I entertained the thought, the more I realized there really was no reason for me not to help. I mean humans were terrible right? We steal, fight, and invade. We consider ourselves above everything, and are pretentious. All we can do is hurt. They hurt me, I should hurt others more too, right? It's only fair.

        I shook my head. What was I thinking? I can't just hurt others like that, it's wrong.

        My brain was at war with itself, what would I do? I could keep living my less than stellar life, suffering everyday, or I could help this voice and try to kill off humanity. Both sides of me were screaming, telling me to pick one or the other. Covering my ears, the sounds grew louder and louder until I couldn’t take it.

        “Please... make it stop... it hurts.”

      Have you not suffered enough?

        “It’s not right.”

      But it is. Creatures go extinct all the time. Aren’t you tired of being taken advantage of? Aren’t you fed up with everyone? I can help you, all you have to do is make a wish, just one simple wish. Help me help you little one.

        “Murder isn’t-”

      Murder happens amongst creatures all the time. Humans shouldn’t be exempt. They’ve hurt you my dear, they justify their actions when really they just cause harm. You and I could make this world safe and better for everyone. Look at how far they’ve already pushed you! You were willing to take a life already, your own life. Direct your frustration outward. All you have to do is go to that tree, and wish. Don’t you want to be useful for once?

        There was a small part of my brain screaming, begging me to decline. It knew I was making a bad decision, hell, I knew this was a bad decision. But the voice was so comforting. It wasn’t harsh at all when it spoke. The softness of its tone was so convincing.

        “I’ll... I’ll do it. I’ll make the wish.”