Darkwood: Wilford's Freakshow

29

The night went on and the fire begins to die down. The Devil reassured Sam of the town's safety before vanishing. He was ashamed to admit he was proud of her bravery and strength, but he told her anyway. Sam now sits in the center of the arena of dying fire, crying into her knees. Heart broken and devastated. She felt lost and scared. What is she to do now? How is she going to tell the Clawthorne parents? How will she tell Lyla and Jacob? Maybe I should run away, she thought. I can kill myself. Maybe that'll help somehow. Sirens blare in the distance but the fire still burns loud enough to make those sirens almost unnoticeable. She suddenly senses a large presence of someone, but who? Sam reluctantly lifts her head to see Alyssa towering over her. She notices the devastation in the demon's eyes and posture. Neither of them expected this outcome.
“I'm incredibly sorry, Samantha,” Alyssa says quietly. Sam lifts her head a little higher with a quiet gasp.
“I can hear you,” Sam says with a sore voice.
Alyssa nods, slowly. “Strange. That makes this a little easier then.”

Alyssa kneels down so she wouldn't strain the clown's neck. She hesitates before speaking. “George and Emily are gone. Her sacrifice saved thousands, and I understand you may be in a difficult situation.”
Sam nods “I've lost the one person who loved me and I loved back. Her parents and friends are going to kill me because of it. I'm going to be arrested and sent to prison. I don't know if suicide is an easier way out or if I should just run away.” Sam's frown deepens and her breath shivers.
Alyssa nods, understandingly. She's sure Lyla would be furious and deeply upset. Jacob might give up on others if he found out. So, Alyssa was left with only two options to give.
“I can help you, Samantha. I can help you right now.”
“How? How can you possibly help me? Look around, Alyssa. I'm honestly better off dead. There is no recovering from this.”
“Hear me out, Dear. Please.” Sam hesitantly nods with a sigh.

So, Alyssa starts with her hands held out to place a choice in each one. “I can give you two options. Option one; I can give you a second chance at life. I'll put you into an ageless slumber until your time to rise again arrives. You'll instinctively find your way to someone who will help you adjust. Option two; you can end it all right here, right now. I can give you a painless death. However, your story will die with you.”
Sam would stare as she dwells on the thought of option one. Where will it take her? If it's a second chance, maybe people will be more accepting of her sexuality. She might find a new friend and a peaceful life. A life worth living. She turns her attention to a spot on her left.
“Do you know what awaits if I choose a second chance?”
Alyssa shrugs. “You'll be there for someone who'll appreciate you deep down. They might not show it at first, but they will. In my own opinion, I suggest the second chance. Let your song be heard, make your story be known.”

With that said, Sam reluctantly nods. “I want a second chance.”
Alyssa smiles under her cloth and pulls the clown into her arms. “You'll wake up as if it was a regular sleep, but your age and body will remain as it is right now. You should also note that you might be buried in a graveyard when you wake, but will have enough strength to get out.”
“Just do what you need to do,” Sam says quietly as she wipes her eyes.
Alyssa gently presses her fingertips around Samantha's face, then begins to hum a tune with a haunting angelic voice. The heat cools down and the sirens become louder. Sam's eyes fall heavier by the second. Her heart beat gradually slows to a stop while her shivering and crying comes to an end.
A few moments later, Alyssa then carefully sets Sam's limp, lifeless body on the ground and steps back.
“May your second chance save your broken soul, Dear Samantha,” she whispers with a single tear escaping her eye. She then walks away and flies off. Sam lies there, as dead as a corpse. No longer frowning or smiling. Not a single tear being cried. The fire dies down a little quicker as the fire brigade put it out in a rush.

Samantha found herself present in a dark void, standing in shallow water that looked like an endless puddle at first. Above her is a small white light, enough to make herself seen by her own eyes. It appears to be sitting far above her and beyond her reach. All around, Sam could only see darkness. Black, and nothing else. She'd wander for what felt like an eternity. For once in her life, there's the sweet, sweet sound of eternal silence. It's lonely, but silent. Cold, but silent. Empty... but silent.