In this world, there is only black. There are no shadows, no lights, no colors. Just a pale face with hollow black eyes, laughing at the world.
I once spoke to this creature, and he once told me, "Humans are so yummy and vile. I eat up their transgressions. I eat up their fear and their hate. Humans are so entitled! They think they have a right to hurt what doesn't agree with them, to shout their views. What a mockery! So delightful!"
After that, I was too afraid to speak. But today, it spoke to me without prompting.
"Humans will destroy each other. Why?" The voluminous head pranced around me, galloping in the air. "Don't you want to know?"
"No," I whimpered, while curling into a ball.
"It is simple. All sides believe they are right, believe they deserve to rule over the other. People are quick to anger and quick to judge. One day people will cease working together. They will turn against one another. One side will win and imprison the other. Then another team conquers that side, and so forth. All parties will not realize they live on borrowed time before someone pulls the trigger."
"Why do you do this? Why must you torment me so?"
"Because you and I are the only ones here. You must be here in this blackness for a reason." It spoke as if knowing things I could not comprehend.
I trembled but responded, "I will not listen to this dribble!"
"You have to listen because you are here," the head stated while smirking. "You have to hear the truth. Humanity is a joke, and their very existence threatens one another. Why, you ask," it purred, "because they are too contrite to settle their differences. They are too contrite to see their similarities."
"What is so similar about us? Why do you group everyone?" I uncurled myself.
"Because I cannot see. All I see is tissue, heart, muscle, soul, and emotion," it said.
"Wh-what about culture, nationality, religion?"
"All pretense, while those things can be interesting, they only add to the glaring hate that society breeds." The head floated around me laughing.
"Not everyone hates those things. Some people want to celebrate those differences, along with the culture." I spoke as my brows furrowed. My tone of voice raised. I challenged the head.
"Oh," the head cocked sideways, "do tell."
"I mean people travel to enjoy other cultures all the time. What is so wrong about that? I get that people can be racist and culturally immature. That does not define the entire human mentality collectively." I stood up shouting.
"The minds of a few cannot sway the minds of a thousand," the head said.
"No, but a few can sway at least one person. Sometimes that is all it takes."
"Even swaying that one cannot achieve anything." The head cocked further, leaning completely to the right.
"Yes, it can. A few disagreed with slavery and helped them escape. A few disagreed with the Holocaust who were German, and hid Jews. So if you are wondering, a few can do a lot. It might not trump what a thousand can, but what a few can do is legendary. A few can inspire, can make a difference." I felt a certain glow heating my skin and my insides. It felt like I could do anything.
"Those few will perish like everyone else. Nothing can prevent it!" The monstrous head shook, laughing at me.
"So be it, but I refuse to let go of my hope."
After I spoke, the head turned around sneering at the emptiness.