A fate worse than death

She was nervous.

Pulling in a drag of her cigarette. Trying to calm her frazzled nerves. Her exploding heartbeat was running a thousand miles an hour, shaking her entire body. A next kill.

Tears streaked down her cheeks but her face didn't show sadness. Her eyes glistened not from fear but from relief. sat down in the pool of blood, but her jeans were already coated with the stuff. It didn't smell, but the color was bolder. The dead man seemed to get up from his place on the floor. His face masked in red and brown for dirt. Blood dripped from his lips and he pressed himself onto his behind. He sighed and stared blandly out of the ally.

"Well... that was interesting." He said dryly. He looked at her with a smirk on his lips. She didn't return the gaze. "Very." 

He studied her features with a raised eyebrow. "Is there a reason you killed me?" His voice didn't sound mad, but rather curious.

Finally her gaze tilted sideways at him. "I mean, I have a wife and kids.. then you seemed to kill me out of no where.. In fact I didn't even see you." She stared at him before her lips started to twist. A low laugh managed to slip out of her teeth, then growing bolder by the second.

He stared at her as she laughed louder and louder, clutching her bloodied sides with her scratched hands her head thrown backwards. Flashing her slightly yellowed teeth to the world. "because, I wanted to." She managed in a wheeze. "you.. wanted to?" She nodded. Wiping her face with a bloodied hand only smearing the blood across it. "Your a creepy girl.." He mumbled. Looking forward again. The two sat in silence. 

"So... if I'm dead is there a reason that I'm still here? or that your seeing me now?" He looked at her curiously. "It's 'cause your time isn't up. You have unfinished Work?" She looked at him sideways and he nodded. "Yeah. I do, but I don't think I can do it now." "nope." 

She licked her lips again. Grimacing at the taste of bile. "What now?" "Now? We wait." "Wait for what?" 

She smirked and looked at him sideways. "Death." "what do you mean?" She frowned at him. Raising an eyebrow.

"Listen, I'm not exactly alive either.." "your dead? Then how did you kill me?" "Well... I'm not dead, and I'm not alive either... there are a few of us that can't be truly brought through the door of death." He looked at her confused.

"what?" She slapped her hand across her face again. Leaving a red hand print against her skin. "Your not that bright. Are you?" "N..No?" She smiled at him lightly. "Yeah.. figures. There's a lot you mortals don't understand. Your not the first.." He was about to question her further. The words on his tongue before the sound of footsteps came from their side. "Ah. There you are." 

He followed her gaze to his right. Another woman neared them. Dressed in pure black. Bright burning red eyes. Her voice sounded like dark silk. "Hey." "Hey." The two ladies looked at each other for a moment. The man opened his mouth but another voice spoke first. "So... How's death?" The other lady sighed, pulling her hair out of her face. "Hard. Just... Doesn't stop." "I hear ya." 

"Can you ladies explain to me what's happening?" Both of their attentions reached the man again. Bored eyes. "Ah, oh. Death, this is dead. Dead, this is death." She pointed halfheartedly at the other woman then the man.  "You didn't explain?" The sitting figure rubbed her neck a little nervously. A nervous smirk on her face. "Maybe not..?" 

Death sighed before sitting down, managing to avoid the pool of blood. "Okay. Listen then. I'm death. She's the seeker." He looked back at his killer. "Seeker?" She shrugged her shoulders. Without an answer from this 'Seeker' he turned back to death. "Eh?" Death smirked at him, mirrored by the Seeker. "Listen, it doesn't matter. You have to go." Both women sat up and walked away from him a little ways. Staring at him with bored eyes. "Wait.. waitwaitwait! You can't just leave me without knowing what the heck is going on!" He stood up awkwardly tripping over his own body. He stared down in shock, able to see his own dead body was... not normal.

The Seeker shook her head with a light chuckle. "Your dead.. anything else to explain? Oi, Death can I stay for this one?" "yeah no problem." "Any time you feel like explaining..." He said with slight annoyance. The seeker rolled her eyes and they began to speak in hushed tones. He stared at them. His gaze returning to his own bleeding body. "good news.. you seem to be going-" The Seeker looked at her for a moment. Her eyes grew wide briefly before back to the bored look they had. "..Ah. Well.. This is new..."

"Huh? What?" He blinked at both of them and tilted his head to the side. Confusion twisting around in his gut like a wild tornado. "It appears Destiny has more for you... So technically We're not allowed to take you yet... But that seems to be a wild twist thanks to Fate.." He blinked at them again. Even more confused. "I'm.. still confused." He was waved off by the two girls that were now whispering to each other with annoyed tones. "Fantastic.." 

The seeker rubbed her face annoyed. "Well.. Great." Death and her shared a look. Nodding briefly, Death looked at him. "Fine. Fine. Fix the body and wake him up. Make sure he forgets this, all." "Yes ma'am." 

When the Seeker began to walk forward at him he put his hands in front of his body as protection. "Woah! Wait what?! That's it? Fate twists and Death gives up?" The seeker raised an eyebrow but death spoke.

 "It's not that easy. Everyone has their destiny, everyone has their fate. Everyone has their bumps and turns but when their time is up, and nothing is meant for them anymore except for affecting others from dying. Life is nothing but a weaving cloth, a master piece made from mistakes. I take the strands that don't need to be there anymore. Tying the knot, so to speak."

He opened his mouth to speak further. But the words were delayed. "What do I have planned for me..?" 

The Seeker and Death shared a glance. "just... go to sleep."

His vision grew blurry, staring into the Seekers glistening eyes. His feet didn't touch the ground but he knew his body was falling. Everything turned black slowly, faded voices speaking quietly.

"Damn. I thought he was destined for murder?"

"He is, but apparently we can't save this one."

"But-" "Shush. We can't change this one..."

"Poor guy."

A tear went across his features. The hard ground suddenly turning soft. A warmth was on his chest along with a pressure. He jolted awake with a gasp. Throwing the warmth off. It gasped in shock, a nervous hand touched his bare shoulder. He grabbed his own neck. Covered in a cold sweat. His body was trembling. He wasn't bleeding.. He was breathing..

A sob escaped him, realizing where he was. He grabbed his head with two hands. "Baby?" 

...He was alive.

He was.. alive.

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Death frowned, walking slowly away from the pool of blood with her seeker. "..Tell me, Why did you try to save him?" The Seeker didn't answer for a moment. "I just... I saw his fate was worse than death and I just.. Didn't want him to live through that.."

Death stared at her for a moment. "Seeker. Our job isn't to stop peoples fate. You know that, don't you? Your lucky you managed to get away with as many as you did." The seeker turned after stepping in front of Death. Blocking her way. "No. You listen. We are those that try to aid the mortals in any way possible, making time continue on. He's destined for a fate worse than death and he did nothing wrong! Karma has been slacking!"

"Yes, yes he has but that doesn't mean that we--" "Oh shut it. Whatever. It's too late now."

Death watched as her seeker walked off with a storm of anger. A twinge of guilt twisted into her gut. She sighed deeper. "I know you lived through a fate worse than death yourself.. seeker." The walking figure stopped, slowly. "What do you know about anything?" "I'm just saying.." 

"You of all people should know that one bad death can result in a thousand good ones." 

"..."

"Bye. Seeker. See you in a little while." 

Author's Note

Mostly a story of dialogue. I just wanted to post this, review or don't either ways fine with me.