He is bored. Also, still lonely too.

His hand hangs limp over the side of the boat. Objects brush against him, parting to let his hand through. There is no measure of time so it always feels painfully long and slow. Endless. 

"Sit up, Joshua. Here's the next." Freezus lightly kicks him to make him move. Josh shuffles in his seat, fixing his messy black hair. He takes a deep breath. 

A lady, rather young, steps into the boat. She seems very frightened. Her spirit ripples as if she is shaking. 

"Don't be so scared." Josh speaks kindly. His blazing red eyes soften to a deep maroon red.

"Is this heaven or hell?" she shivers.

"Neither."

"Is it because I'm not Christian?" she asks quietly as if she doesn't want someone to hear her.

"No." Josh can't help but let out a small chuckle. The action reminds him of the ones he gave at Simon for saying dumb, random things. That feeling rose up in him again but he hushes it down.  

"Where are we going?" The boat sets sail across the river towards the other cliff.

"The real question is: Does any of this stuff look familiar to you?" He points to the objects beside them. She follows his finger and examines everything passing them. At first, nothing jumps out. Then, she spots it.

"Is that my hairbrush? From seventh grade?" She snatches it fast. The bright pink item is cradled in her hands like a baby.

"Why does it standout to you?" Josh starts his interrogation.

"Everyday before school I would brush my younger sister's hair and braid it to help my mom who was busy making our lunches. It was great bonding time for us. Those mornings really brought us close." Her spirit warms with fondness of the memories. 

"Does your sister mean the world to you?"

"Yes. Oh my god, yes." The bristles of the brush move as her ghostly hand glides over them. Her warmth dissipates. "Am I really dead?"

"You're moving on."

At that answer, she begins to weep. The other cliff approaches quickly. Josh needs to get her to forgive herself. He takes the belonging out of her hands and holds his palms under hers.

"Why are you crying? Do you miss her?" He stays patient when he talks.

"Of course! I feel like I abandoned her! She is battling cancer and I left her to fight it on her own." she sobs. "She is strong enough too but now I can't see it through she survives. I want to know she'll be okay without me. That she'll get better."

A chord is struck in Josh. He hopes Simon gets better too. Like a tsunami wave, guilt crashes over Josh and drowns him.

"I know how you feel." he croaks.

"You do?" she sniffs.

"Do you think she'd forgive you?"

"Yes. She's the sweetest person in the world. She never deserved this. She just wants everyone to be happy. She'll always forgive."

"Do you forgive yourself?"

"Well, yes. I do." 

And with that, Josh takes her soul and puts it in a white square chest under his seat. Setting her free to live the rest of her eternity peacefully.

Maybe Simon would forgive him too. One could hope. On his own, Josh is less. Alone. Being death is tough alone. He doesn't need more of it. He needs support. Someone like this lady's sister. Someone to make him better. He needs Simon. He needs Simon to tell him,

 "It's okay to laugh as Death."

~

"I can't believe Simon's life is in your hands."

"What is that supposed to mean, Jide?" Vik looks to his right to see the other boy walk in. Vik's hands wave over Simon's body.

"It means I don't know if I can trust you." JJ huffs. He keeps a tight glare on Vik. Sadness taints Vik's heart.

"Why not? I'm one your guys' good friend. You know how much I studied in school." The atmosphere is off. Since Vik left to tend to Harry, he's noticed JJ develop a rough attitude.

"I don't doubt you know your stuff. I just doubt your judgement." JJ stays a few steps away.

"Is this about Harry?"

JJ gives him a cold glance and a twitch at the lips.

"JJ, if you're worried about me being distracted by Harry, Father-"

"It's not him." JJ interrupts him. "I'm worried of you getting distracted period. The Vik I knew was always so well-focused." Knew? "Then you left. And changed."

"How so?"

"You broke rules! You took risks! You got yourself involved with some nonsense crush!" JJ raises his voice. Vik almost walks to face him before stopping himself from leaving Simon.

"Nonsense crush? I loved him, JJ!" Vik confesses. JJ looks at him shocked.

"Loved? That's an awfully strong word for a couple little imaginary playdates." he scoffs at Vik.

"Don't talk about our relationship like that. You don't know what we meant to each other. I took those risks because I cared about him! I wanted him to know."

"Vik! It was all a dream!"

His world crashes to the ground.

"I know it was a dream because I put you there. Dreams are never real no matter how much they seem so. You never talked to, touched, or kissed Harry. Just a figment of him. Instead, you broke your promise with me! You put me at risk. All so you could 'marry' some random kid." It hit him. Vik keeps breaking the promises he makes. And for what? "Vik where's your head gone?"

"... I don't know." Vik knows he's right. Every time, he was right. And Vik is never supposed to be wrong.

"Promise me you won't drift away again? This world has enough idiots throwing everything away to feel what it's like to have their hand held." JJ's gaze drifts to Simon. Vik follows his gaze. "Even their own life."

"What happened to him?" Vik finally asks. The dark-skinned boy comes to Vik and sits by him. "I remember you saying something about Simon. You seemed concerned then."

"One day, Simon came up to me, with this mission to befriend Josh." Vik looks at him with wide yet confused eyes. "I know. Crazy." JJ chuckles. "It was really out of the blue. I tried my best to stop him and protect him. But he was so insistent on it. It became an obsession. Long story short, I was right in saying Josh would hurt him and never once feel bad about it."

"Josh did this?"

"Yes. You say it like he's not a literal demon child." JJ sits with his head in the palm of his hands.

"True. I just never expected him to take it this far." It leaves Vik wondering what happened in that supposedly "long story" JJ didn't go into. Josh and Simon... a curious pairing. What did Simon see in Josh? And why didn't JJ see it? The questions float in his mind.

"You know how you said you care about Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I care about Simon. I really care. A lot." Tears well up again.

"JJ..." Vik takes a hand away from Simon to hold JJ's. "Do you...?"

"Maybe." The tears finally fall overboard. One gliding down his cheeks at a time. "I've been his friend for so long. I never really paid that much attention to his joyous giggles or bright smile in the sun until it all left me. When Josh replaced me."

"Tell him."

"If I get to."

"You will. I am not going to let him get away."

"I think he likes Josh anyways."

"Really? It's like that?"

"I don't know. I might be wrong. Simon has looked at people with that certain awe in his eyes before. Maybe I just see it differently cause of envy. Maybe I feel this way cause of envy too. I may just really love our friendship a lot and miss it. My head is so clouded right now. I can't believe anything I think."

"Now you're getting all caught up in a 'nonsense crush' like me." Vik gives him a cheeky grin and a couple eyebrow raises.

"I guess but the difference is I'm not doing anything stupid over it." JJ nudges him playfully. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Do you think Tobi likes you?" he blurts out.

"No. I would be shocked if he did. It's like what you said about loving your friendship a lot." Vik explains. There was that one time Tobi and Vik shared a small kiss. However, that secret would forever stay between them.

Together, Vik and JJ watch as the black slowly creeps backward to the spot where it had formed. They sat there for days on end. Never once did they leave. 

Until one day, it was all gone.