One : Cold Hands

I was hovering above another woman’s death bed.  I learned from experience to let old people talk all they want before I take them.  Otherwise, I had to listen to them nag about their worldly regrets.  Every story was the same, so, after a century and more, it got really annoying.

It was about ten in the morning and already she was this day’s twentieth or so ‘costumer’.  She’s going to die of cancer in a few minutes and like all those typical, old women, she had all her children and grandchildren called for a final goodbye.  They were all – as humans refer to it – crying.  It was a usual scenario.  After all, death was a sort of dead end in the human world – a finality.

I floated a little closer to the bed.  Of course, no one could see me.  Although, I wouldn’t say they’d be scared to death if they could.  I looked human, actually.  And I didn’t carry a scythe or anything that looked deadly either.  But still, they’d be pretty freaked out.  I was, after all, still Death.  And even without the delusional tools, I could still kill anyone if I wanted to.

Her youngest son was holding her hand now.  I could sense that he was genuinely sad, unlike some of the people I had encountered who were thinking more of the money they’re going to inherit than the loss of a so-called ‘loved one’.  It was a pathetic, mortal thing – pretentiousness.  But for every hundred or so situations like this, there would still be that one special case where there’s true sincerity.  It was in those instances that I hated what I do.

I stared at the old lady’s happy face.  Finally, I could sense that she was ready to go.  She had no regrets.

I extended my hand and grabbed hers.  Slowly, I pulled her ‘essence’ out of her body.  A being’s essence was what humans referred to it as soul, or sometimes, spirit.  It was the source of the body’s life, a driving energy.

After a few more seconds, the woman was beside me, noticeably back to her late twenty’s.  She smiled at me, still holding my hand.

Let’s go, she said, almost a whisper.

I simply nodded.

 

It was past five, and still I had a long day ahead of me.

I sat on a tree branch, facing the streets.  I was supposed to escort a guy who’s going to die in a car accident in few minutes.

Car crashes were not a pretty sight, too much blood and contorted body parts.  People dying from it put up a fight before I could take them.  It’s because they died so suddenly that they didn’t get to say their last words or hold their loved ones hands before they’re taken.

They’re usually frustrated by it.  And then they would tire me. 

I hated it.

As if on cue, a black sedan came swerving through the street from a sharp turn.  Show time.

On the other end of the street, a red car appeared.  Its windows were opened and the radio was on, full blast.  The driver was leaning across the passenger seat, taking something from a paper bag.  He was too blissfully busy to notice the screeching vehicle dead ahead.  It was about to park in front of a local flower shop when the black sedan crashed into it.  Sudden impact sent it rolling into the street.  It was just like watching an action movie.

People were screaming and gathering around the wreck.  Some of the sensible ones were dialing on their phones.  I reckon they’re calling an ambulance or a rescue team.  Not that it would help, though.

I floated closer to the smashed car.  A woman was pulling the driver’s body out with all her strength.  She had a determined expression on her face.  She was the driver’s younger sister.

After dragging the body a few feet from the accident, she started pressing on his chest.  I recognized the act as Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), something mortals developed to keep the heart and lungs working until they get the body attached to one of those complicated machines.

I sighed.  The girl looked desperate.  Somehow, I pitied her because what she’s doing was a waste of energy.  In the end, I still had to take her brother’s essence.

I hovered in front of her and looked at her face.  She seemed young, around nineteen, I think.  She was a brunette.  Her hair stopped before her shoulders and her eyes are smoky gray.  She looked a lot like her brother.

Beads of sweat were falling from her forehead as she continued her tiring task.  I was actually surprised to see that she wasn’t crying.

I reached out a hand towards her brother’s.  I still had about ten people to come by before my shifts end.  And then, I guess I still had to talk some sense into this guy before I could take him to the big gates.  I couldn’t afford to be late.

“Sorry kid,” I was talking to the girl senselessly.  It’s not like she could hear me.  “Just doing my job.”

The next thing I felt – at least I think that’s how it is to feel – was a tingling sensation from my hand towards my spine and then down to my feet.

I stared at the girl’s hand with wide eyes.  It was on top of mine and I can ‘feel’ it.  It was the reason for the sudden, shock-like feeling that traveled all through out my body and back.

I looked up to see her glaring at me with unwavering eyes.  Her cheeks were flushed and her chest was rising and falling in an uneven way.

 “Don’t,” she said through gritted teeth.  It seemed like it was intended to sound like a warning of some sort.

I was speechless.  It was the first time a human being saw me, talked to me.  I had no idea what I was supposed to do.  It screwed up all the rules I knew and lived by for the past hundred years.

She kept her gaze at me.  Her hand tightened and sent another shock through my body.  “Please.  I need him.  He’s all I got.  You can’t take him.”

Confused, I did the only thing I could do at the moment.  I nodded and shimmered back to the big gates.

Reviews

[Rain (Notebook)]

Wow. I felt the chills from the hand touch!! This is great... I'm on to the next chapter now!

[[untitled]]

Oh my God! This is genius! I absolutely LOVE this! I love that you wrote this from "Death"'s point of view and I'm really interested in how this girl was able to see him. Wait, is it a "him"? Lol! I also love that we get to experience all of the "action" first hand by being the bird on Death's shoulder.

My only suggestion is that you double check for a few places where you switched back and forth between past and present tense. Otherwise, I'm in absolute awe.

[Burr the Story Sorceres..]

Wooo! This is totally cool!! Death gets a lot of bad karma and they deserve their two bits. Ilike your flow and story line.
I can't wait for more!!
^_^

[Tyran Morvik]

Cool start to a book. The first line had me totally hooked. I love the idea of her hovering over someone else's deathbed; its morbid on so many levels. I can see a lot of emotive elements and characterisation growing in here. Id love to see some more details to bring out the horror a bit more! This has real potential for a great book!

[Kire|Kira]

Interesting beginning. I like how you wrote about Death's POV. *Waits for the next Chapter*