A Moment Inbetween Time.

A Story by Cain Lyons

Death is not as scary as where you'll wake up.

"We have a meeting, you and I, but don't fret; you aren't running late. In fact,"

As your eyes snap open, the room's yellowish hue assaults your senses. Slowly, your view comes into focus, and you recognize these sterile hospital rooms all too well.

You attempt to turn your head, but it remains fixed in place. That's when you finally notice the shadowy figure seated before you.

Leaning back in the chair, I casually roll up my large, oversized black sleeve, revealing bleached white bone adorned with a wristwatch. The cushiony seat shifts under my weight, blending seamlessly with the soft jazz playing in the background. A gentle tap on the glass face of the watch produces a faint "tic tic" as bone meets glass.

"You're actually right on time. We may not meet today, or perhaps not even tomorrow. It could be during your drive to work next week, at a get-together with friends next month, or maybe years from now after a great-great-grandchild's birthday. One thing I can guarantee is that our paths will cross."

I start to settle in and get comfortable in the opulent leather chair, and I watch your eyes as emotions swirl within them. Without hesitation, I prop myself delicately, resting my bony elbows on my legs, and press an index finger to where my lips should be, creating a hushed "shh" that fills the room.

"I understand your apprehension, but it's crucial to know that I bear no malice. I'm not here to harm you; rather, I'm a companion to guide you through the ethereal veil into The After. Over countless ages, I've shepherded diverse life forms into The After..."

Your eyes widen, interrupting my words.

"What, do you really believe humans are the only life forms we have meetings with?" I scoff, my tone a blend of assertion and curiosity.

I continue, "I've accompanied beings who share the same general features as you, and I've journeyed with countless others who share my facial features." Panic begins to grip your stare as I raise my skeletal arms, shrouded in a mysteriously dark material, and pull down the hood, revealing my true face. The terror that washes over your face would bring a smile if my lips weren't in a state of decay.

"There are universes upon universes, full of galaxies within galaxies, beyond this one. And all those teeming with life will eventually need to undergo the same meeting you are destined for."

I see your eyes darting around as my mouth doesn't move but you still hear my voice snaking its way throughout your ear canal like a late-night whisper.

I lean back in the chair, pulling down my hood, and the shadows swallow my fleshy skull. Your gaze then drawn down to my beige Birkenstocks as I lazily kick them off, and they fall to the floor. I nonchalantly drape one leg over the armrest and the other across your hospital bed.

"What? Don't give me those judgmental eyes about my footwear. After all, I've just told you about my cosmic travels through galaxies and dimensions. I believe I deserve some comfort, especially at my age," I retort unapologetically.

Once more, I pause, as my bony hand rises to my chin, fingers gently tapping in contemplation.

"To be honest, things got rather hectic around 1361, so I didn't do a proper job of keeping track..."

I sense the fear coursing through your veins, the trepidation that this might be the fateful meeting.

"Listen, my friend, this isn't your meeting, and I may very well not be the one you'll meet with. No, no, no. I just happened to have a moment in between time to check in on you. You see there are not alot of people like yourself, suspended in a coma�"neither fully here nor entirely gone. We reside in a peculiar grey zone, you and I."

With my last statement, your vision clears more, revealing the full view of the room you lay in with more detail, an ICU room. You now understand why you cannot speak; as you look over to the machine that breathes for you.

Your eyes race back to me as I glance at my watch, noting the time and clicking my tongue in response. "Oof, I've got to get going, as a matter of fact."

I rise from the chair, my back aching and popping with each movement, and then you realize how much I tower over the bed, causing your heart to race once more.

I shrug with a sigh, somewhat annoyed. "Okay, just to calm you down! You'll wake up in a couple of hours. Geez Louise, that heart monitor is obnoxious on top of hearing it as well."

You aren't sure why, but in that moment, my reassurance seems to lay over you like a warm heated blanket of comfort. You watch as I reach into the inky fog of my robe, retrieving my scythe. The eerie sound of sharp metal echoes through the quiet hospital room, and the razor-sharp tool almost glimmers under the yellowish hospital lighting.

I take a moment to admire the craftsmanship and gaze at it; wood is detailed, smooth it looks older than vintage and antique but when handled it feels as if it's never been wielded. Ill always wonder how much older this tool is than it is myself, and I'm certain the blade will remain just as sharp long after I'm gone.

With practiced ease, I twirl the implement around for a few moments, effortlessly and smoothly grabbing it firm midsaft and low by the base. I pull it over my head, the head of the scythe now positioned behind me, almost parallel to the floor. Then, with a quick thrust forward, the sharp, and strange metal pierces the thin air in the middle of the hospital, sending blinding sparks bouncing off my black robe, unknown rays of light, and colors shining brightly past me as the scythe slices through an unseen fabric.

"Just like butter every time," I say with a chuckle.

With precise skill, I continue to cut through literal space and time, creating a walkable path. As I pull the scythe back to its vertical position, its blade even with my shoulders, the portal begins to ripple open further, revealing the other side as an almost dream-like, gelatinous energy that pulsates erratically. The world beyond takes on a familiar appearance, morphing and reflecting as if it were a mirage.

You gaze into the almost slimelike mirror of the alternate universe. The portal emits a cacophony of sounds, akin to hearing multiple conversations in whispered tones, all at once, overlapping and distorted, like being submerged underwater. I lean forward, ready to step through, before I halt abruptly. I pivot back towards you.

"Just remember, and if there's anything you retain from this encounter, it's that at any moment and anywhere, you can and will be called for your meeting. But don't dread who comes for you, for what's far more unsettling is where you'll awaken."

The insistent beeping of my watch captures my attention once more. I pull up my sleeve and scrutinize the face intently before stepping through the portal, miming a finger gun at you with a soft "pew pew."

"Your head's going to ache when you wake up. It's an unfortunate side effect of conversing with..."

My watch beeps more urgently, diverting my focus. "Yikes, gotta get going. Death is never late."

With purpose, I step through the ethereal veil of time and space,

leaving behind nothing but a feverish dream in your memory.