Until you can feel

The first thing I saw when I woke up was the Aurora Borealis. Oh how beautiful they were. Changing colours each day from red to green, dancing in the night sky. I laid down on the snow covered grass, watching the Aurora dancing in the starlit night. The wind sang a sweet song causing the pure, white snow to be blown away. I sighed happily, feeling at peace. Something popped into my mind, my wife must be waiting for me and it is getting late. 

"Oh well, time to go back home," I muttered to myself. "She will start ranting at me for staying out so late,"

I got up to my feet and started to track back home through the forest. I looked at the night sky. The Aurora Borealis was still dancing. A comforting sight to me. Suddenly I heard a flutter of wings. I spun around, scanning my surroundings.  

"Who's there?" I asked nobody in particular.

Then, I spotted my 'attacker'. A snowy owl sitting on a branch of a tree. Its bright blue eyes staring at me. Its snowy white feathers had not a single speck of dirt. It really did follow its name. I smiled at it. It hooted and landed on my shoulder. I lifted my hand and pet it.

"You are really pretty aren't you boy?" I muttered at it.

The owl just stared at me with its bright blue eyes. It flapped its white wings and flew off to the night sky. I sighed for I could take a photo for my daughter, Elise. Oh well, maybe next time. Suddenly, a white figure flew at me, clawing at my arm. 

"What the-" but I was cut off again.

I squinted my eyes to get a look good of the figure and I realized it was that snowy owl. I glared at it. Why was it attacking me? The owl began to pull the sleeves of my jacket with its talons. It seems that it wanted me to follow it. 

"I don't want to play games with you!" I growled at it. 

It didn't work, it just kept pulling my sleeves. I tried to swat the owl away but it will not leave me. After a few minutes of trying to chase that owl away, I gave up shooing it away and decided to follow it. I feel stupid following a bird, I mean who follows a bird? Apparently this I have to. I ran through the snowy forest, following the owl.

Half an hour of running, the owl flew up into the Aurora filled sky. I stopped and checked my surroundings. The snowy owl had led me to a war cemetery. Snow covered gravestones stood around, some had names others were written unknown. There was a statue of a soldier standing tall and saluting. The snowy owl perched on top of the hat of the statue. 

Suddenly I heard faint crying. It sounds like a woman crying. I walked towards the crying and found who was it. She had long blonde hair and she was crying in front of a tombstone. Its writing were covered in white snow. There was a white rose laid on the tombstone. Emerald green eyes filled with crystal tears. It was my wife. She was rarely sad. I felt a sharp pang in my heart. 

"Hey, I am right here," I whispered.

I reached out my hands to hug her but all I could feel was nothing. I looked at her and gasped in horror. My hands went through her and I retracted them. My wife stood up and walked away, tears still flowing down her face. I looked at my hands. They seemed normal to me so I decided to test out again. I touched the tombstone but this time a burning feeling went through my body. I yelped in pain and closed my eyes as a blinding light flashed. I heard a loud gunshot and a woman shrieking loudly. I felt excruciating pain in at my heart. I cringed trying not to scream. Suddenly it became quiet. I opened my eyes and found myself back at the cemetery.

"Am I dead?" I muttered to myself. ";no I can't be I have a family."

As if something heard me, the same light flashed in front of and I heard the same thing again but this time louder and much more painful. I clenched my teeth and clutch my heart. However instead of feeling flesh, I felt something sticky and wet. I looked down at my chest and nearly let out a blood curling scream of horror. A hole at my chest where my heart was and it was oozing with crimson blood. 

"It is just a dream, a terrible nightmare," I said to myself. 
"Oh but it isn't. This is reality" a voice said tauntingly.

I looked behind me to see who was it but there was no one except the wind whispering. 

"Oi, mortal up here!" shouted the voice.

I looked up and saw a man standing on top of the statue where the owl was. He was about 6ft tall and had midnight black shaggy hair. His skin was very pale and had crimson red eyes. He wore a black suit and the thing that caught my eye was that he had wings. His wings were those of a black dragon and there were a claw on each wing. I looked at him with shock. 

"Who are you?" I asked warily.
"Every time the same question. Let's play a game." he chirped and jumped off the statue.
"What game?"
"A guessing game. Who am I?" he asked tauntingly.

I looked at him. A man who was about 6ft tall, all in black, red eyes and had a pair wings of a black dragon. So who was he?

"A figment of my imagination?" I asked
"No try again"

I couldn't answer. A mad man? No he can't be. Why would he have wings? 

"It is amusing that you mortals picture me carrying a scythe and wearing a black hood with a skull as a face," he chuckled.

As he said that black mist began to form around him and they slowly create a black cloak around him. The black mist began to form something long in his hand. He had a skull now for a face. When the mist finally disappear, he was the grim reaper, holding a scythe in his hand. 

"Death?"
"That is one of my names but I prefer the name Nox," he remarked.

I stared at him. Why would Death see me? I am not dead. I watched as the black mist came back and he was back wearing the black suit and dragon wings. 

"What brings you here Nox?" I asked.
"Interesting, you mortals usually call me Death even though I tell them to call me Nox. However we are getting off track, I am here to bring you back to the afterlife," he spoke.
"You must be mistaken Nox. I am alive not dead," I answered firmly.
"Ah a reluctant soul, but you are dead," said Nox.

I felt my blood boil listening to him saying that I am dead. I opened my mouth to retort back but was interrupted by Nox.

"If you aren't dead, do you remember your name?" he asked smugly.
"Of course I know my name! My name is.." but I suddenly stopped.

I began to rack my brain. Nothing came into my mind. How can I forgot my name?! My own name?! I continue to rack my brain to remember my name but I can't seemed to. Nox seemed to be enjoying this for he was smirking. It took me all my strength to prevent myself slapping that smirk off his face.

"If you were alive, you would know your name," he snickered
He clapped his hands and a dark leather book exploded from thin air. Yellow pages flipped open and stopped at the final page. He grinned and held the book in his hand.

"Born on *mumbles* Gender male *mumbles* boring boring boring boring blah blah blah" Nox went on, red eyes rolling in boredom.

I just watched him muttering things that I realized that it was all about me. I was slightly creep out the number of things he knows about me. I heard a cry of 'Aha!' from him while I was wrecking my brain for my name.

"Died as a hero, went on a killing spree when saw family assaulted by enemies, took numerous of bullets to the chest, took over 20 bullets and finally went down with a fight," Nox recited it from the book like it was nothing. 
"I AM ALIVE NOT DEAD!" I snapped at him.

Nox jumped with shocked at my outburst. Shock was quickly replaced by amusement. He snapped his fingers causing the book to explode into black mist. His black dragon wings dissipate from his back. He walked towards me and lifted a pale hand.

"What?!" I growled, malice filled my blue eyes.
"Take my hand mortal," 
"I have a name you know,"
"You 'had' a name," he retorted

I growled slightly louder and slapped my hand into his. Almost immediately when my hand contacted his, black mist consumed the world around us. The mist began to form shapes and sizes, details followed, colour filled the details. Soon enough a scene played out like watching a television. A blonde woman protecting a child screamed at some men in white wielding guns at her. The interior of the house were now destroyed. Wooden furniture now in splinters as gunfire and bombing filled the air outside.  

"DO NOT TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!" She shrieked. 
"KATINA!" A male voice roared.

The door was blown off its hinges. A man with icy blue eyes and dark auburn hair stood at the door. Several soldiers stood behind him. He wore a black commander's uniform. He held an air of order and rage around. Icy blue eyes filled with fury and fear as he leapt at the soldiers, firing his black gun at them. It was me. 

"MEN PROTECT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN!" I ordered.

Men ran towards them, escorting them out of the destroyed house. The child wailed loudly as she reached out to the soldier me as if to pull me along but was whisked away from me. The woman cried loudly, shouting a name that sounded gibberish to me, hands out to pull me along but was gone as well. The commander fired more and more, roaring a battle-cry at them, trigger happy, cutting down every soldier in white who stood in his way.

Two or three men stood as his side helping their commander to bring down the enemy. However, every men are not immortal, even with great valour and strength they brought to their knees to their deaths. More soldiers in white fired at the commander but even the bullets hit him, it didn't kill him but made him madder.

The gun went click all of the sudden, signalling there was no ammo. The man or I was filled with bullet holes but his icy blue eyes filled with determination to live. He threw the empty gun at one soldier, brandishing a sharp knife and began to hack and slash at men.

But more and more men kept coming firing bullets at him. He soon was filled with bullet holes and began to tire. Finally, a fatal blow was struck: A bullet was fired and flew right into his exposed heart. His eyes widen with fear and pain as he fell to his knees, cimson blood came from his mouth. A man proudly dressed in white slowly walked up to him. His dark brown eyes stared at the commander with such malice, hatred and pride.

"Finally we have brought down the famous commander," he wickedly smiled
"Ghnn, shut..your mouth...." The commander spat between agony.
"How are you still alive with so many metals in your body.." he mused ;"I must applaud for your strength. Pity we are enemies... If we were allies, we would be unstoppable," 
"I thank god for that we are not," the commander grinned tiredly.
"Too bad, I have to wipe out your kin, goodbye," 

The man took out a gun and pulled the trigger. A gunshot rang in the air and his eyes widen with shock and pain. He looked down on his chest. A dagger decorated with crimson blood stuck at his chest. He looked at the commander's life fading eyes. 

"If I ... am ... going down...." he whispered hoarsely. ;" You are coming along with me," 

He let go of the dagger and fell into death's embrace. I watched all of this with horror. 'This couldn't be me' I thought with fear. Suddenly, a soldier on my side stood up. Hazel eyes filled with life as he dusted himself. All the blood on his black uniform disappeared. He walked towards my body and crouched. With a complex movement of hands, a white ghostly figure emitted from the body. He held the figure in his hands but it flew out of his hands, out from our sights. The man shook his head and transformed into a crow, flying out of the house through a shattered window.

"Do you now believe it?" A voice asked.
I spun around and my jaw dropped into a hoarse cry of fear. There he was, the soldier who changed into a crow was standing in front of me. Everything around me dissipate and we were back at the cemetery.

"Where's Nox!?" I screeched in fear.
"Calm down mortal..." he replied taking off the hat causing black mist surrounding him. Soon enough, Nox stood there, red eyes, pale skin and all.
"You....ah... I... saw... I.." I kept stammering, lost for words.
"I can shape shift stupid," he stated dryly.
"You were there..." I whispered.
"Yeah I was," he replied.
"YOU COULD HAVE SAVE ME FROM DEATH YOU BLUNDERING IDIOT!" I roared, charging towards him.

I threw a punch of him but all I got was black mist. I stared at the black mist around my hands that were slowly dissipating.

"I am Death not my brother Life," he laughed over my shoulder.
"Then get him here!" I snarled, more punches thrown at his way.
"Which part you didn't understand mortal?" he smirked, dodging punches that were thrown at him.

We began dancing in the snow under the Aurora's light. Punches after punches, I began to pant from the hours of trying to maim him. 

"You done?" he levitated on the a black cloud, reading a book.
"Oh shut up before I stab you" I threaten tiredly.

He snickered and hopped off the cloud which exploded with a 'poof'. ;"You now believe that you are dead?"

I groaned and slumped onto the snowy ground. He crouched near me and took out stick, began poking me. "Are you dead yet? Oh wait.. I forgot, you are," he joked. 
"Take me home," I mumbled; my brain was filled with too much thoughts about me being dead.
"I can't," Nox stated. 
 
My blue eyes widen with fear as I jumped up from the ground.

"What?! First you say you are taking me to the afterlife now you can't?! What-" I was cut off.
"There is a part of you that refuse to leave this world. I cannot force you to come," Nox explained.

He stretched his hand into the cold air. The green light flowed like a river towards his hand and began to swirl. It engulfed the ravenete transforming him into a large black dragon. I stood with stun and horror of what will happen next. The dragon roared loudly at me and kicked off into the colourful sky.

"Oh by the way Robert," his voice whispered in my ear. ;"You can only leave when you can feel," with that he vanished into the sky.

I stared at the Aurora. I couldn't believe what he just said. I couldn't leave until I could feel. I am stuck, no one knowing I am here. 

"NOX UNTIL I CAN FEEL WHAT!? WHEN!?" I screamed at the sky with rage. 

A part of the Aurora Borealis turned blood red in the sky as I raged on. 

In the afterlife

"Brother, you know you can just take him," a man all in white stood next to Nox.
"Something else will not let him leave. I will not take him until he can feel," Nox sighed.
"That's big coming from the person who reaped mortals who begged to stay,"
"Oh be quiet, Life," 

Life chuckled at his younger brother. He stared at Robert who was yelling and cursing at them.

"But do tell me brother," said Life. ;"Why didn't you reaped him?"

Nox was silent as he gazed down at the reluctant soul, sobbing his eyes out. Something told him that this soul was different from others he had taken from this world. Yes Nox did meet many reluctant souls but not as reluctant as Robert. It wasn't him that wouldn't allow Nox to take him. 

"Life to Death, are you alive?" The white haired male waved his hand in front of the ravenete.  
"He is special," he answered quietly and with that he stretched his scaly black wings and took off into the sky.

Life stared at his brother flying away. He shook his head, a small smile plastered on his lips. He walked into his room and noticed a note stuck on his desk with a black feathered knife stuck on it. In cursive obsidian ink was written: 

By the way brother I am Death, I cannot be alive. See you soon.

Signed your beloved brother
Nox Kuolema

Author's Note

I am not really sure where did this came from. Please comment.

Reviews

[Emilie Sturm]

oops! you have a typo in the 16th paragraph when the narrator speaks. the semi-colon shouldn't be there! in addition, you have small punctuation errors where you forget to add a period at the end of sentences or speeches. Nevertheless, I love your short story and the imagery that you have painted :)

[Winter]

Thank you for letting me know and for reading it :). I'll fix it when as soon as I can!