Elise

The Noose Who Loved Me

Elise...? Wake up, Elise.

I didn't want to open my eyes. Wherever I was, it was warm and quiet, and I wanted to stay there. But the man speaking to me was persistent.

Elise, open your eyes. Can you hear me?

"I can hear you," I groaned. "I'm just so tired."

Wake up, Elise. Wake up. I have something to tell you.

It can't be as important as sleep, I thought. Just give me a few more minutes.

It is important. You can't run from me forever.

I sat upright like I'd been electrocuted. I was lying on the roof of a tall buidling, overlooking Downtown through a peachy, morning haze. I brushed the ash and dust from my hands and tried to stand. "How did I get up he-"

The length of rope hanging from my neck brushed my shoulder, and I screamed as my memories came flooding back in vivid detail.

It's alright, Elise! I'm here for you.

The voice seemed to come from everywhere. I loosened the noose from my neck, carefully lifted it over my head, and dropped it, shivering in disgust. It coiled neatly at my feet. "Who's there?" I asked, searching the mist for the man who awoke me. "I don't need any more grief today. Just tell me who you are!"

I'm no one, for the time being.

I looked down at the noose; I had a strange feeling it was looking back. "Are you... No. No, no, no. You're not speaking to me. That's-"

Crazy? Ha! Don't talk to me about crazy. You think you've had a rough day dying? Well, I've had a rough day living. Now if you please, there's something I have to tell you.

"Oh...'Kay." What else do you say to a talking noose? I was completely unnerved by the very idea of such a thing, and had I still been alive, I would have believed I was insane, but I had seen enough of Hell to know that a talking noose wasn't out of the question. I gathered myself, took a deep breath, and said, "Please, carry on."

First and foremost, in the past thirty hours, I've decided that since I am now self-aware, I deserve a name, like any other self-aware being. You can call me Wallace from now on.

My heart thudded painfully. "Wallace?"

Yes? He replied, excited to be called by his name.

"You could have picked anything, and you picked Wallace. Wallace was the name of my dog in the mortal world. Did you know that?" I asked.

Yes, I did. I spent a lot of time considering what I should call myself, and I finally settled for something that might help you associate me with safety and comfort, familiarity, even. You see, this relationship of ours is abnormal, but all good relationships are founded on trust. You have to trust me, Elise, when I say that I mean you no harm.

"You're the noose I made to end my own life," I pointed out. "You're whole purpose was to cause me harm."

You made me with that intention, Elise. If I could have chosen, I'd have never done that to you. Why do you think I didn't work properly?

I thought about how I had waited for my neck to snap, but it never happened. I shrugged. "I made you wrong, I guess. Maybe I should have used thicker rope. I don't know."

Your noose crafting skills are fine, I assure you. I'm absolutely perfect in my creation, thanks to you. But you really do need to know the truth now, because if you become tormented by your fear of your death again, I won't be able to save you. Do you understand?