The Boat Man

Beneath me my boat rocks in a movement most find disconcerting considering that the water it rests upon is static. A young boy stands hesitantly on the shore. He stares at me with fear, his eyes moving up and down from my face shrouded in the shadow of my hat to the black lake upon who's verge he waits. My passengers tell me that when they are on the shore they feel an irresistable pull to the other side of the lake, though some have something worth resisting it for most find themselves unable to hold back from crossing. I myself have never felt such a draw, the other side of the lake is clouded in mist to my eyes and I know that in my mist lies my destruction. I also know that one day I too will have to step off this boat, when all things end, and enter into that mist. That day holds no fear for me, I have been alive and a part of this lake since the world began and I find I cannot fear an end to an existence that did not seem to have a real beggining.
Though scared the boy can wait no longer and leaps onto my boat causing it to tilt backwards, he doesn't seem to notice that despite this the black water remains as smooth and calm as ever. I watch him from beneath my broad rimmed black hat and when he is settled and once more watching me with fear and anticipation my voice rasps "I need payment to take you to the other side."
He looks down at his body, and dipping his hand into the pocket of his jeans pulls them out to show that they are empty. He looks nervously to the other shore, desperate longing in his eyes "What can I pay you with". He is not the first passenger to have this problem but it does not matter, my prices can be low or high depending on the way you look at it but anyone can pay them.
"Pay me with anything that is yours to give". He looks around in confusion, but even if there was something he could take from the surroundings it would not be his to give me. He looks to be only 10 but that should make it easier for him, adults are often the ones who have strange concepts of ownership.
After a little silence he looks up at me again. "Can I pay with a question, my curiosity is mine to give." I nod, this is acceptable payment.
"Where are all the others, I was on a train. If it crashed they should be here too, my mother she should be here to but" he gestures to the empty lake and its quiet nearly endless shores. The price given I push the boat off from the shore and plunge my pole into the dark water. The boy looks at me expectantly but I am under no compulsion to answer, that had not been a part of the bargain. Perhaps he realises such for he soon turns his attention from me and to the shore we are fast approaching, I sometimes wonder what people see on the other side when they step off the boat but people only cross the lake one way so my curiousity has gone unanswered for eternity.
"Will my mother be there?" The boy has given me double payment now according to the terms we set and so it seems I must answer him.
"I cannot say what lies on the other side but all things must go there in their time." This answer is good enough for him and we are nearly at the shore now but he turns to me again another question on his lips.
"Why do you look like that, like this. I thought..I thought there would be, something else". Overpaid once more I feel compelled to answer him.
"This place must look like something and so humanity gave us this shape to reflect the choice that all must make".
"Choice?" The boat bumps the shore and the boy tightens his grip on the side obviously trying to resist the urge to get out.
"The choice to stay or to cross over to this shore and find out what lies beyond. Though when the time comes even those who chose to stay will have to make the journey."
"I want to stay" he says it defiantly as if emotion could make it so, "I want to stay and wait for my mother". I shake my head, something akin to pity stirring within me.
"You made your choice the moment you gave me my payment and you cannot change it. Now you must not tarry here another already waits to make his own choice" I gesture behind me to the other side where another form huddled by the water.
"Please." He looks at me pleadingly not understanding that I am only the boatman and the choice is not controlled by me but by him, he had sealed his own fate.
"I'm sorry all must make their own choice" I paus there was nothing I could do that would enable him to return to the other shore but "The reason that you saw no one else when you first arrived is so that each person choses their path alone, that man on the other shore arrived the instant you asked your first question but too him you do not exist." The boy's eyes filled with tears and he opens his mouth to speak again but I reach out my gloved black hand to stop him. "I have answered your question and by the terms set this cancels our payment, you cannot step foot upon the other shore but if you wish you may wait in this boat. Perhaps your mother will come but she may not. There are many ways to enter the realm of the dead. If you stay you must not ask another question for then you will be forced to step out of this boat. Do you understand?" The boy nods fearfully and stares at me with bleak eyes, he looks down to his hand rapidly going white from the force with which he clenches the sides of my boat. He seems to come to some internal resoloution and looks up at me his mouth sets in a firm line.
"My mother hates to be kept waiting, if there's a chance she is already there I better go quickly. Thank you". He tries to stand and fails.
"Payment" I remind him gently. He smiles at me, not many have the strength to smile in this place though once or twice I have heard hysterical laughter.
"What's", he pauses unable to find inspiration to what he feels should be a monumental question "What is your name". I nod goodbye to him as he steps out of my boat and dissapears forever. Then without a backward glance I push the boat off once more to collect my next passenger, a part of me is almost sorry for the lost chance of company in this unchanging, never ending twillight of a life.