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Death and the Girl (pt. 1)

Who knew death could be so complicated?

By Maika RothfussPublished 2 years ago 9 min read
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Death and the Girl (pt. 1)
Photo by Chris Charles on Unsplash

It's not that I don't enjoy my job...

The constant ticking noise grew louder as the headlights came into view.

It's just so...

The ticking noise began to slow as the lights grew brighter. They engulfed the darkness that was setting along the horizon. Then came the sound of tires screeching and a faint cry rang out in the crisp air. The moment came and went in an instant. All that was left was the crashed car, headfirst into a large tree alongside the road.

What was once the body of a young girl had been ejected from the front windshield. The quiet night erupted into a flurry of commotion as other cars began to pull to the side of the road.

Ambulances were called, people chattered, wondering what to do; and the blood. There was so much blood.

...Messy.

I stood above the body of the girl, hearing the soft ticking as I watched her clock come to an end.

00000:00:0010

The longest time was always the last ten seconds.

00000:00:0009

People panicked and shouted. Some had approached the girl, but there was not much that could be done by this point.

I would know.

00000:00:0008

The body struggled to move, struggled to breathe.

00000:00:0007

The body reached out towards me, finally noticing me.

00000:00:0006

Tears streamed down her face. I saw glimpses of her reckless life and the poor choices she had made up to this point. I realized that she had a passenger in the car with her.

18245:12:3021

Another time then.

I let out a sigh.

00000:00:0005

The sirens now. Sooner than some times.

00000:00:0004

Not soon enough.

00000:00:0003

I leaned down, reaching a long, boney finger to rest between this young girl's eyes.

00000:00:0002

Her breathing slowed, her worry fading. She was finding peace.

00000:00:0001

Sleep well.

00000:00:0000

The ticking stopped. There was no saving this broken body, this broken soul. She will move on, as I must move on to the next ticking. The ticking grew louder as I dredged my way through the streets.

There were so many timelines above so many lost souls. Some quite long, and others rather short. They knew nothing of the fate that forsook them all.

Some days I liked my job better than others. Today was not one of those days.

...

The movement will never stop. I will never tire, nor will I ever rest. I have no need. I could walk; I mean that I could manifest legs if I desired to; but I've been alive so long now, it's just redundant to me.

I have no wishes, no aspirations or dreams. I have no desire for company, not that there was anyone to actually give me company. Nor do I really care much for the lives of these lost souls. Their daily retunes were rather boring to me. I've seen so many things, that by this point I must have seen almost everything.

A child passed in front of me.

28743:05:2893

A normal, typical life span. A man, the father, chased after the child; making sure it did not wonder into traffic or do one of the many foolish things a child often does.

16425:18:2356

Also a normal lifespan.

He must keep good watch over them both; they will not need me for a while.

Tick... tick... tick...

The noise grew louder as I approached a hospital. The building was taller than most other structures around it; making it appear as if it was stabbing the heavens. It was in pristine shape, equipped with machinery I hadn't seen before.

Bodies hurried about, a blurred commotion that I rarely paid attention to. Though I normally head directly to the ticks designated room; this hospital was interesting, so I poked my head into various rooms along the way. The ticking was still dull, there was still time.

Humans were strange creatures.

Was I ever human? I can't say for sure. I can also reap the souls of animals, so maybe at one point I was an animal.

I passed a room filled with balloons and flowers crowding the windows and chairs. The woman in the bed was surrounded by loved ones; a young boy cradled in her arms. Her husband sat next to her, an arm around them both. They all cried; though smiles sat on their faces.

01826:20:0239

What a shame for her to survive cancer, to perish a few years later of something else.

The cruel irony of life.

My gaze did not linger, I think very little of it. I did not know why this was all in motion, only that I followed along it.

I was fine with that.

I approached another room. A man laid tethered to his spot by ropes and IVs. Bullet wounds punctured major organs, his skin was bruised; opened and stitched back together; but he lived.

00034:02:0098

Well, at least for now.

The ticking began to grow louder, more demanding.

The white hospital halls began to feel long and tiresome. Rooms only contained the restored or the almost dead. Even begin who I was, it felt distasteful to be around so much decay. Being around the worst times of a human's life felt... sad, I guess.

If I could actually feel sad that is.

I passed a room with a mother holding her bran new baby. Her wife stood beside her, relishing in the moment.

31982:23:3420

I guess it wasn't all bad.

I found the room where the ticking resonated from. An elder woman lied dying in her bed. Her two children plus her grandchild stood around her.

00000:00:0060

A whole minute.

She glanced up at me, looking through her family, and smiled.

00000:00:0053

"Michael..." She muttered.

I have never understood why the 'willing to die' saw me differently than those who did not wish to die. Those who did not want to die, got me. My skeletal form, clouded by a cloak that hung more like smoke than cloth. My hollowed eyes that saw nothing and my tight set jaw that said nothing.

I was not your friend, but I was not your executioner.

The souls that had lived a full life; spent their time and are willing to call it a day; I noticed they always said a name. Another deceased loved one or often something they believed in. They would see anything, except for me.

00000:00:0024

The rest of the family had noticed the woman slipping. The oldest daughter stood closest; holding her mother's hand, tears streaming down her face.

00000:00:0012

The scanner began to act up as I leaned in closer; reaching out my hand as I've done many times before.

00000:00:0005

"Goodbye..." The old woman said.

00000:00:0001

I tapped her forehead.

00000:00:0000

The scanner flatlined and the family cried in unison. I could hear faculty coming in to assist with politically correct words and their typical paperwork.

Why would anyone want to die old? I just seems so...

A noise caught me off guard, distracting me from my thoughts. I felt as if I saw something from the corner of my eye; something that stood out, as if it was bolded.

I returned to the hallway, but there was nothing strange. People moved about in their regular blur, their times bobbing above their heads.

I would say an eerie feeling washed over me, but I don't think that actually happens. There were many people dyeing in this hospital; but none of them peaked my interests personally. I have Shadows that take care of the thousands of people that perish on this earth daily. I simply oversaw all of it.

Besides, I get antsy if I stay in one location too long; especially a place with so much commotion.

I peered into a few more rooms before taking my leave. Nothing caught my eye. Upon exiting, I gazed back up at the enormous building.

Huh, modern medicine.

I remembered when there were so many people dying that I could barely keep up the demand, even with my Shadows. Times were shorter then, more gruesome as well.

It did get tiresome every so often. People died of such tedious things.

Carelessness.

Feuds.

Sickness.

Instability.

Their own minds.

People were bleak and boring. They wondered around, sacks of meat and water with little direction, that almost never amounted to anything in their own lives. Or even after. They all ended up in the same place anyway, they all...

I was thrown from my inner monologue when something touched my hand.

I took a pause, believing that I just imagined it; but the odd sensation lingered. I looked down to find a small child, gripping my finger. She looked forward, frozen in place.

"Hello," she spoke in a chipper, childish tone.

Puzzled, I observed this small creature. Her skin was the color of dark tree bark, her hair almost as black as my own cloak; pulled into braids that rested along her head and ran down over her shoulders. She wore lightly worn denim overalls, with a yellow shirt underneath.

Her grip was rather firm, especially for being so small.

The most peculiar thing of all, was that she did not have a time above her head. I was unable to read anything about this girl, other than what I could physically see. She showed no vitals, I couldn't see anything of her life, nothing.

I pulled my finger away from her grip; which proved more difficult than I had imagined.

"Child, who are you?"

The little girl tilted her head, pouting her lips together. "I don't remember."

"What are you doing here?"

"Following you." She smiled, her teeth shining through.

"But why?"

"I dunno. You were interesting, so I followed you." She bounced a little as she spoke.

"Child, do you know what I am?" My gaze didn't appear to affect her. When I gaze upon the almost dead, they are usually struck with fear. She almost acted as if she knew me.

"No."

"I'm Death."

She tilted her head to the other side, resting a finger to her lips. "Does that mean I'm dead?"

"I'm not sure what you are."

Tick... tick... tick...

The constant drum began to pull me in another direction. "I must leave, child. Good luck with... you."

I turned towards the noise, continuing on my journey. There was a pressure on my finger again. The child walked beside me.

"Child, go away. Go back home. Maybe you'll find answers there."

"I don't know where home is. Can I come with you?"

"No." I tried to instill fear in her by giving a dramatic glare; but there was no affect.

"Please." She replied.

"No."

The girl took in a breath. "Pleeeeeeease!" She cried out in a long note, before realizing she didn't even need to take in a breath to continue her plea.

"Fine." I relented.

"Yay!" She jumped up and down.

"But you won't like this." I told her. "And stop touching me."

Silently, she took a step to the side; though as we continued walking, she would inch ever so closer.

I sighed and we journeyed towards the ticking.

Today was going to be interesting.

(end of part 1)

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About the Creator

Maika Rothfuss

I've loved to create stories ever since I was little. It's taken a lot for me to actually show anyone my work, but I hope to inspire and create wonder with the tales, characters, and worlds I've created.

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Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insight

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

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