THE WILL TO DIE

Description

Cain is cursed with immortality for killing his brother Abel. In 2024, he works in a dreary London call centre; he loves winding customers up! One day, God calls him, offering to end his immortality if he saves a troubled soul planning to committing suicide in five days. To his shock, the person he must save is his bubbly colleague, Nora, who he’s been crushing on! SUPERIMPOSE: DAY 1 Cain organises a surprise karaoke party at the office, singing a few songs and bringing some joy to her day! Cain arrogantly believes he has fulfilled his mission! However, God informs him that instead of helping, he has made things worse! Nora has now reduced her planned timeline from five days to three! Cain realises he needs a new approach, as this task is more challenging than he anticipated!Cain notices gory graphic novels on a colleague’s desk and discreetly removes them, hoping to avoid triggering Nora. Determined to lift her spirits, he sits at her desk, and together they wind up customers and make prank calls to add some fun to her day. Nora laughs and joins in, enjoying the distraction! As the laughter fades, Cain tries to get Nora to open up about her struggles but ends up discussing his own issues with God and jealousy over Abel! Despite Nora’s valuable advice, Cain realises he hasn’t truly addressed her problems. He watches her head home, feeling he has wasted the second day! SUPERIMPOSE: DAY 3 Early in the morning, Cain finds Nora crying in the bathroom and realises she’s been coming in early every day to cry! He listens without interrupting as she expresses her feelings. Nora reveals her sense of invisibility, she hates karaoke– everyone assumed she liked due to her race and someone threw out her gory graphic novels, which makes her feel connected to her late brother! Cain feels ashamed for making this whole thing about himself! Instead of trying to fix her, he invites Nora to watch a gory film, something she truly enjoys! Nora hesitates but eventually agrees, indicating a shift in her decision about ending her life! God contacts Cain again, acknowledging his success in saving Nora and offering him the death he longed for. However, Cain hesitates, having found a renewed reason to live through his connection with Nora! He decides to end his immortality but will live out his remaining years naturally, embracing his life with a newfound sense of purpose! In saving Nora, Cain discovers the beauty in life he thought he had lost forever!

Biblical Connection

THE WILL TO DIE is a darkly comedic and hopeful reimagining of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4:1-16. In the original text, Cain is cursed by God to be a wanderer after murdering Abel out of jealousy! In this adaptation, Cain’s working at a call centre in London. He’s endured centuries of futile life, witnessing the cycle of violence and death that floods the news. This relentless exposure to human suffering makes him question the value of life and the fairness of his own eternal punishment! The twist comes when Cain receives a call from God, offering him the chance to end his immortality—if he can save Nora, his vibrant and seemingly carefree colleague, who’s secretly planning to commit suicide. Cain must help Nora rediscover the beauty in life while grappling with his own envy and despair! This challenge compels him to overcome his jealous tendencies and embrace selflessness, reevaluating redemption and life\'s true value as he saves the woman he loves from the fate he secretly desires! I was moved to write this piece due to the misconception that my outward happiness meant I couldn’t be struggling inwardly. Many Black women silently battle depression without recognition until it\'s too late!