Image: Agoraphobia by NanaYuuna on DeviantArt

William Brethless hated living. His entire life had been taken up with the burden of breathing one more day and enduring the torment he perceived living to be.

His mother had worried about him as a small boy as he preferred to stay indoors and not go outside and play with the other children in the neighbourhood.

She took him to the doctor who diagnosed William with agoraphobia, a fear of the outside world and a feeling you had no escape. To his parents, it was all nonsense, and his dad thought a good clip under the ear would solve the problem, but it didn’t.

William went through life feeling this way. He struggled at school as he was constantly worried about going out into the playground and other kids scared the life out of him.

After school, he withdrew further into his world, and when his parents passed away, he was well and truly on his own. This, of course, was fine with him as he no longer had anyone to bother him and he was content to stay indoors.

Eventually after several failed relationships, somehow, he did attract women who thought it their life’s work to save him from himself, but it was all to no avail.

As an old man, he looked forward to death. Life had nothing going for it as he aged. He had carers who did for him what he couldn’t for himself. Finally, he welcomed his last breath, and his soul left him.

Death it was a new experience. He felt the warmth of freedom from a tortuous earthly life and looking around and realizing he was alone he thought for the first time that cartwheels might be in order to celebrate just how liberated he felt.

And so, he did so, over and over until he felt he had treated himself. Then his soul did a few star jumps, he found his eternal voice and screamed and yelled with delight, he punched the air, and he laughed for the first time in years.

His soul experienced no pain and floated in a space that was his. He saw no other souls and came to understand his eternity would be one of place safety where he had only to enjoy and not be bothered by anyone or anything.

William Brethless liked eternity, here there were no phobias, and he liked that notion.

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2018/08/23/tale-weaver-185-phobias-23rd-august/