\nContrary to popular belief, killing people was not part of Death\u2019s job description. In truth, he was more of a glorified chauffeur: a guide for the spirits of the dead on their journey to the next world. Once a soul became lost, whether sidetracked due to past regrets or a terrible sense of direction, Death would find them, armed with empty promises and a point in the right direction.\n<\/p>\n
\nBut every few years there would be a soul\u2014a terribly stubborn soul\u2014who\u2019d refuse any suggestion to pass on. And not a single one of those souls had been half so frustrating as the Border collie from Boston.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt was the third time this month Death had come to the city to ferry the Border collie\u2019s soul. His boss was beginning to lose patience. The big man Upstairs was strict and had no sympathy for late deliveries. Death was aware of how expendable he was, despite his many years of service. Should he do anything prove himself incapable, he\u2019d be replaced as quick as his soul could be sent back to limbo. The very thought made him nauseous.\n<\/p>\n
\nNo. He was too good at his job to be sent back to that awful wasteland. He refused to be bested by some volatile canine.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe sun was blazing in the afternoon sky. It shone upon the gold-spotted leaves of autumn trees, which lined car-clustered roads. Death glared at the blue sky. With the sun came people, dawdling about and getting in his way. A sunny afternoon in Boston wasn\u2019t an ideal setting for a forced capture, but Death would persevere.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe moved with the sharp efficiency that came with centuries of experience. Weaving through crowded sidewalks, he dodged sudden bouts of arm waving and fist shaking until he arrived at the glass doors of Dan\u2019s Pizza Place.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe pizzeria must have been operating for decades, now. Its once bright red brick walls had browned through the years, and its sign above the entrance was chipped on the corners. The whole building itself looked tired and rundown compared to the rest of the street. Yet there must have been some hidden charm about the old pizzeria, because it was was the only place Death could find the Border collie.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe dog\u2019s spirit was there again, and Death crept behind it along the shadows. By now, the dog had sensed something was following it. Good. Death would use its fear to his advantage. The dog quickened its pace and skittered behind the pizzeria.\n<\/p>\n
\nSeveral school children ambled across the sidewalk, giggling and effectively blocking the entrance to the alley. Death swept behind the children to stand in their collective pool of shadows. He dissipated into nothingness. Then, in the safety of the alley and its darkness, his form emerged as if from dust.\n<\/p>\n
\nA whine whistled in the air. Death turned his gaze to the Border collie, who dolefully scratched its paws against a chain-link fence, ears downturned. Death grinned. No fence or wall could trap a dead spirit, but if the dog didn\u2019t realize it, all the better for him.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe lunged. The dog keeled back, freezing in alarm as Death wrapped his fingers into the scruff of its neck.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHey, what are you doing?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath flinched. He turned to the small voice before he could stop himself. In that brief second, the dog pulled itself out of its shock. It tugged free from Death\u2019s hold, jumping up and over his shoulders, and Death fell face first into the pavement.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe pushed himself up from the ground just in time to see the dog sprinting out of the alley.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo!\u201d he shouted, stumbling to his feet. \u201cFor the love of\u2014stop running!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nBut the dog had already disappeared.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath growled and whipped his head towards the voice. Beside a dumpster stood a young boy, whose large, dark eyes seemed at odds with his small face.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath sighed. A large cloud moved across the sun, and the warmth that had once bathed the streets in autumn light vanished at once\u2014a sure sign of the boss\u2019s displeasure. As if the failed ferrying was really Death\u2019s fault to begin with.\n<\/p>\n
\nRubbing his wrists, he ignored the kid\u2019s stare as he left the alley, making a wide turn to avoid contact. The boy\u2019s attention wasn\u2019t completely unusual. Those who were nearing the end of their days could often see Death, and since he looked like a normal, mundane human being, there was usually no interaction and therefore no problem.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe pulled his schedule book from inside his jacket. Flipping it open, he looked through his upcoming appointments to squeeze in one more appointment with the blasted Border collie. While he penciled the adjustment, he realized the child\u2019s footsteps were trailing him.\n<\/p>\n
\nNervousness bled into his gut. No mortal had ever tried to communicate with him, not since he had been hired. Then the overcast rolled past the sun, eliminating the shadows near Death, and everything became worse.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe was powerless.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d the boy asked again, coming closer.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cUh\u2026\u201d Death began, unused to conversing with humans. \u201cI was\u2026I was trying to catch a dog.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nThe boy smiled. He was missing two bottom teeth. \u201cIs it yours?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201c…No.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh. Are you a dog catcher or something?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo,\u201d Death answered promptly. \u201cI am not a dog catcher.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath stepped to the side and made to retreat into the shadows, but the boy stuck close to him like a toxic paste. It was too dangerous to try to dissipate with the boy so near.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSo if you\u2019re not a dog catcher, why are you trying to catch a dog?\u201d the boy continued, thumbs stuffed under the straps of his backpack.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath sped up his steps, anxiously glancing between buildings for a chance to escape. Were humans always so chatty? \u201cBecause it is my job.\u201d he replied.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSo you are a dog catcher.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo,\u201d he repeated with frustration. \u201cI am not a dog catcher.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWell then, what are you?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath thought for a moment. \u201cI find lost things and\u2026return them to where they belong.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWoah, that\u2019s pretty cool. Do you have to go to a special school for that or something?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo,\u201d he said, because what did that even mean? Death had to get out of there.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe glanced down at his watch. There was an old woman\u2019s spirit roaming in Bangladesh that he needed to ferry in just twenty minutes.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath faced the child square on. \u201cI have an appointment.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOkay.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath thought that was a clear indication of their parting, but the boy was still standing there, smiling. \u201cSo now I must leave.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAw, you gotta go now?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nProgress, at last. \u201cYes.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll see you later then. You have to come back for the dog, right? Because you didn\u2019t catch it yet.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI do.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThursday. 5 o\u2019clock, EST.\u201d Why was he still talking?\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI think that\u2019s after school, so I can come help!\u201d The boy grinned again.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath started feeling nauseous again, but it had nothing to do with limbo.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh, and I\u2019m Colin. What\u2019s your name?\u201d the boy named Colin asked.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThat\u2019s, uh, kind of private\u2026\u201d Death\u2019s eyes shifted quickly, trying to find a suitable mortal name for a human male in Boston. \u201cMartin\u2026?\u201d he murmured, reading off a nearby street sign.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYour name\u2019s Martin?\u201d Colin inquired.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cUh\u2026yes, Martin it is, then.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMartin. It didn\u2019t have the same sweet ring to it as \u201cDeath\u201d, but he supposed it was a suitable substitute. Death looked down at the strangely talkative boy and gave him a stiff nod before he sped off in search of the nearest shadow.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOkay, bye Martin!\u201d Colin shouted at his back.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath didn\u2019t know how to respond. Around the corner, he dove into the shadow of an ice cream stand.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\nCommunicating with the living wasn\u2019t technically against the rules. But Death had learned from previous employees that it was certainly frowned upon, and he didn\u2019t need more trouble. So to avoid the boy, he rushed through every appointment on Thursday. But even at 4:30, Colin was waiting by the pizzeria, kicking his feet against the cement.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath made an executive decision to reschedule the appointment for tomorrow, but as he made his escape, he felt a tug at his sleeve.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe whipped his arm out of Colin\u2019s grasp. Prolonged contact between him and the living wouldn\u2019t end well.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin grinned, undeterred. \u201cHi Martin! How come you\u2019re early?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath sniffed down at him. He started towards the alley, since he had already been spotted. \u201cI finished my previous engagements earlier than expected,\u201d he replied. \u201cYou should not be here. You should be home, with family.\u201d Because from the window of the boy\u2019s soul, he could see that Colin did in fact have a family.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin hustled to catch up to Death. \u201cMy mom works a lot, and I have no brothers or sisters. And my dad\u2026he\u2019s a little sick.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSick?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYeah. Mom says he hears voices sometimes, and they won\u2019t leave him alone. So he\u2019s always sleeping. I\u2019m not s\u2019posed to go to his room.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAh,\u201d Death responded, a little put out. An issue of the mind then, outside his area of expertise.\n<\/p>\n
\nUnlike the last time he was here, the air was cool. Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and what the streets lacked in crowds, they made up for in shadows\u2014a perfect day for ferrying.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs the pair approached the chain link fence, the Border collie peered out from behind the dumpster.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhere\u2019s the dog?\u201d Colin asked upon Death\u2019s sudden stillness.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou can\u2019t see it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHow come?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBecause it\u2013it\u2019s just that\u2026it\u2019s kind of a ghost.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou can see ghosts?\u201d Colin\u2019s eyes were wide.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201c…Sometimes. But it\u2019s a secret.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWoah, that\u2019s so cool.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nIt was cool. A sudden tingle of appreciation expanded in Death\u2019s chest. At the very least, Colin had good taste.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin chattered on, and Death tuned him out. It was time to work. He focused, listening to the instinctive thrums that pulsed through his veins. He closed his eyes and the roaring life of Boston\u2019s streets faded away. When he opened his eyes, he felt the fading footsteps of the Border collie tap-tap-tap by the pizzeria.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath marched forwards, following the tracks, and the thrumming picked up speed. Each beat came faster than the last until he finally caught sight of his target. The Border collie was trotting happily along the sidewalk. Its tongue was out, and it was unsuspecting of its surroundings.\n<\/p>\n
\nUnlike his last three attempts, Death didn\u2019t make any sudden movements. He waited, and the dog continued to prowl aimlessly beside buildings. One of the dog\u2019s legs stepped in a narrow shadow casted by a nearby streetlamp, and only then did Death move. His hand reached up and clenched into a choking fist. The dog\u2019s body halted, looking down at its frozen legs. Releasing a high-pitched whine, the dog tried its best to shove its body forward. But it was too late.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Border collie\u2019s ear twitched and its head spun just in time Death rounding in. It quivered, and Death ran in anticipation. Just two more metres, and his job was secured.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHey Martin!\u201d yelled Colin\u2019s upset voice.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe activities of the living pooled back into his vision. Death blinked rapidly, confused.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin had jumped between him and the dog, eyes bright and brows scrunched. \u201cI said how come you keep trying to leave me behind!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath realized belatedly that he was still at a near running. He was approaching Colin at a frightening speed and he twisted his body to the side to avoid crashing into the kid. He stumbled, and just barely caught himself with the help of a sign pole.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin ran up to Death in concern, evidently forgetting his previous ill feelings. \u201cOh geez, are you okay!?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath ignored him, eyes seeking his target. When he found the dog scurrying back towards the pizzeria, he pointed at it in haste. \u201cThere!\u201d he shouted. \u201cThe dog is over there!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nColin perked up. \u201cWhere?\u201d he asked, running clumsily in the direction Death had pointed without a second thought.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cForwards\u2014to the front, to the front!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nColin obeyed immediately. Though he couldn\u2019t see the dog he was chasing, there was nothing but trust in his movements. He moved as fast as his little legs could carry him.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNow turn left!\u201d called Death.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe dog disappeared out of sight around the corner and Colin followed soon after. Death dissipated as quickly as he was able. He took form again at the alley\u2019s entrance, only to freeze once again. In his long years as the ferryman for the dead, he had never quite witnessed a scene like the one before him.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin was laughing. He was running back and forth and in circles and accomplishing nothing while onlookers smiled to themselves at the child\u2019s antics. But unbeknownst to Colin, the Border collie was running with him. It leapt and jumped around the boy, barking at him in its liveliness. It wasn\u2019t trying to escape\u2014it was playing.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin stopped when he saw Death. \u201cDid we catch it?\u201d he asked, panting and red-faced.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe dog ceased its playing, as well. It followed Colin\u2019s gaze and, upon seeing Death, immediately bolted the other direction and disappeared across the road.\n<\/p>\n
\nThunder growled somewhere far into the distance. The boss was getting angry again at another failure, but Death paid it no heed. He was looking at Colin in a new light.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe felt a smile stretch a slow path across his face. \u201cYou have proven yourself to be surprisingly useful today, Colin.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nA look of awe came upon Colin\u2019s face at the compliment. \u201cI have?\u201d he practically whispered.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh certainly.\u201d He pulled out his schedule book and took a quick peek into the next few days. \u201cI would be very grateful if you came back to help me on\u2026Monday. Yes, Monday afternoon. Same time.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou mean it?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI would not have said it otherwise. Will you come or not?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh y-yeah\u2013I\u2019ll come for sure!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cExcellent.\u201d Death penciled in his new appointment and put his schedule book back into his jacket. \u201cI will see you then. Please don\u2019t be late.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYup, see you on Monday, Martin!\u201d Colin chirped and waved at Death\u2019s back as he walked off, mentally preparing himself for his next appointment.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath couldn\u2019t help himself from turning around to get a good look at the boy. He looked deep, right into his fate, where the strings were weaving themselves together in accordance with his future. Colin had just under a month to live.\n<\/p>\n
\nA sudden pain twisted in Death\u2019s gut, and he stumbled back, clutching his stomach. The sky darkened, thunder growling again, and he knew it wasn\u2019t only Colin\u2019s days that were numbered. He had to ferry that dog on Monday, no matter the cost.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n\u201cHi Martin!\u201d Colin greeted Death the following Monday, right on time.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cColin,\u201d Death acknowledged, checking his watch. \u201cI\u2019ve got the dog booked in for the rest of the hour. As long as we use our time efficiently, we should manage to finish the job today.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath and Colin set off, one trailing just behind the other. Death decided to locate the Border collie\u2019s spirit without use of his shadows. It would be slower, but there was less chance of accidentally losing his shepherd, Colin.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe sky was gloomy with overcast and the winds were picking up, rustling the trees in an agitated manner. Anxiety crawled like ants through Death\u2019s gut. He suppressed the urge to shiver.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin skipped up to walk alongside him. \u201cSo how was your day?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath stopped, taken aback by the unexpected question. \u201cIt was\u2026it was fine. I did some other jobs today. They all went well enough.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThat sounds like a good day, then.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI suppose it is.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath tried to reclaim his focus on his ghost dog search, but he realized Colin was still looking at him in a strange fashion. His smile hadn\u2019t waned, but his eyebrows were raised in expectation. Death quickly went over their short conversation in his head. \u201cAnd\u2026how was your day?\u201d he asked, voice faltering.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin\u2019s eyes squinted with his grin, evidently satisfied. \u201cMine was good too! We had music class today, so that was pretty fun.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nHe went along to tell him all about his day and the little details in between, and Death hummed here and there to prove he was listening.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath spotted the Border collie sitting under the window sill of Dan\u2019s Pizza Place, panting and watching people walk by.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Colin asked when Death stood still. \u201cDid you find Charlie yet?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cCharlie?\u201d Death asked, bemused.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWell yeah, every dog has to have a name. And Charlie is a great name!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAre you sure you would not rather name it something else?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nColin looked offended at the very thought. \u201cWhat? Why, what\u2019s wrong with Charlie?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNothing, it\u2019s just\u2026never mind. You may call the dog Charlie,\u201d Death said and Colin beamed.\n<\/p>\n
\nWas \u201cCharlie\u201d a suitable name for a female? He supposed it didn\u2019t matter.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe first thing I want you to do is to keep walking and don\u2019t stop until you get near the windows at the pizzeria right over there,\u201d Death instructed. \u201cTurn back to face me and keep walking back and forth. Remember the little alleyway where you first saw me?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nColin nodded eagerly. \u201cYes, where we met!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhen I give the signal I want you to run right to the fence at the end. Can you do that?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo problem.\u201d His brown eyes were bright with determination.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath hid behind a light post while he watched Colin walk casually towards Dan\u2019s Pizza Place, exactly as he had told him. His eyes flicked back occasionally to Death for the signal.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Border collie\u2019s ears perked up at the appearance of the boy. When Colin started walking back and forth, it stood up and wagged its tail.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath snapped his fingers. Catching on, Colin turned and ran right into the alley, trying and failing to suppress his excited smile. The dog barked and trailed after him.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath swooped across the street immediately. He finally reached the alley\u2019s entrance and just as Colin made it to the chain link fence, he struck his arms forward, hands shaking with anticipation. Shadows crawled up from the ground and pinned the dog down from where it was running. The dog struggled and tried to wriggle its way out, but the shadows kept their hold tight.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath grinned. He looked up, ready to congratulate Colin on his good work. But Colin\u2019s smiling eyes were nowhere to be found.\n<\/p>\n
\nInstead, Death was met with the abhorrent sight of Colin\u2019s stiff, dead body. His skin seemed almost gray yet his eyes remained open, unblinking, kept wide for the world to see.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath loosened his grasp on the shadows. As soon as the shadows grew slack, the dog sprung up from the ground and sprinted off, dashing past Death with its tail between its legs.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMartin?\u201d Colin asked, panting a little. \u201cDid we catch Charlie yet?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nHe blinked himself out of his stupor, focusing on Colin. They boy was still alive. He was okay. Still, Death felt uncharacteristically cold. His hands were shaking, and he wondered if what he felt was fear.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo,\u201d Death answered, and the clouds darkened. \u201cWe didn\u2019t catch Charlie yet.\u201d When Colin\u2019s face fell, he added, \u201cBut that\u2019s okay. It was my fault. You\u2026you did very well.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nAnd just like that, Colin was smiling again. How could a creature be so easy to please?\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOkay, well do you want to try again?\u201d suggested Colin. \u201cWe can just keep trying until we catch him!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo, that\u2019s okay.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nThunder roared in the distance. Colin jumped in surprise and looked up. Death ignored the sky.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe still have some time left,\u201d Death said instead to Colin as rain began to fall. \u201cHow about you\u2026You can tell me more about your day? About music class?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nColin brightened instantly. He started a senseless story at once, and Death led him out of the alley. Death smiled politely and discreetly pulled his sleeve to cover his left hand, which had slowly begun to disappear like an old memory. He had already accepted his fate. He should have accepted it long ago, really.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe was Death after all, and death didn\u2019t get happy endings.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nColin\u2019s death day was coming fast\u2014Death could feel it. His fate strings tightened their weave with every passing day. Death could not yet see what was going to kill the innocent boy, but imagining possibilities made him sick in a way he couldn\u2019t stop.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath looked up from his spot by the telephone post. Colin was ten minutes late. Knowing the clinginess of that boy, he knew there had to be something holding him up. Without hesitation, Death stepped into the shadows of dusk and reformed in Colin\u2019s living room. This was his second visit.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt was eerily silent, as Colin\u2019s house often was. Death followed Colin\u2019s pulse of life to a closet at the back of the house. A flickering light bulb shone on the ceiling, illuminating the piles of books, holiday decorations, and other bits of scattered rubbish. Colin poked his head out from underneath a growing pile of old toys.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cColin,\u201d Death said, \u201cwhat are you doing?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh hey Martin! Did you let yourself in? I was just thinking about how we could get Charlie to like us and then I thought about bones and stuff and\u2013duh\u2013toys!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201c\u2018Toys\u2019,\u201d he repeated, trying very hard to ignore the mess the boy had made.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYeah, you know, balls and stuffies and things.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI see,\u201d Death said, although he did not. \u201cAnd why would we want the dog to like us?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nColin rolled his eyes and resumed terrorizing the closet contents. \u201cBecause we want him to follow us. Hey Martin, can you go down the hall to my bedroom real quick and see if you can find any other old toys? There should be some under the bed\u2026\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath heaved a sigh and trudged over to the other side of the house. But before he made it to Colin\u2019s room, a foul smell of something rotten and reeking caught his attention. Plugging his nose, Death realized the stench was coming from Colin\u2019s father\u2019s bedroom. His legs sped to the room, and he threw the door open at once.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt was the smell of slaughter.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin\u2019s father was sleeping, as he normally did. The plain white walls added to the sterile feel of the room, allayed by only a small vase of flowers on the bedside table. Everything seemed normal, not a breath out of time.\n<\/p>\n
\nBut Death could see it. He saw it disturbingly clear. This man, overcome with the sickness in his mind, the voices in his head. And in his confusion, his bony finger would enclose around Colin\u2019s throat. Colin, who would come to check on his father. Colin, whose once kicking body would soon crumple to the floor, eyes open and lifeless.\n<\/p>\n
\nBefore Death knew what was happening, his own fingers had snapped around the man\u2019s throat, not unlike the way he had seen him do to his son. Death\u2019s remaining hand squeezed with unadulterated malice. This man\u2014this heathen\u2014did not deserve to live. Not for another second. Rage roared within Death, and he let the darkest shadows of his power and immortality swallow the remaining vestiges of life.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs his life was sucked away, Colin\u2019s father was too consumed with confusion to make a noise.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMartin?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath dropped the body and whirled around.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin stood at the doorway, staring wide-eyed at the body of his father. \u201cWhat did you do?\u201d he whispered, voice cracking.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath felt his heart break at the sound.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin ran past Death and leaped onto the bed. He put his small hands on his father\u2019s shoulders and face. \u201cDad? Dad!?\u201d He turned his watery eyes to Death. \u201cWhat did you do!?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cColin, I\u2014You don\u2019t understand\u2014\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe\u2019s not breathing\u2026Why would you do this!?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath opened his mouth to answer, but the words had stopped forming in his head. All he could do was watch helplessly as Colin cried into the chest of his once-to-be-murderer. He watched as Colin\u2019s fate strings, which were once so tight, unravel and reweave themselves quickly, expanding into days, months, years. And Death knew then that, at the absolute least, Colin would live.\n<\/p>\n
\nColin\u2019s hysterical sobs echoed through the room. Finally, he stood up, shakily wiping his eyes as he staggered out of the room towards the kitchen.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath trailed after him and watched him pick up the telephone and shakily try to relay that his father had died. When Colin hung up, he looked around the room, his eyebrows furrowed together.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath rushed forward and said, \u201cColin, I\u2019m sorry. I\u2019m so sorry. But you have to believe me, he\u2014\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe left me.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath stopped in his hand-wringing..\n<\/p>\n
\nBetrayal and sadness reflected in Colin\u2019s reddened eyes. \u201cHe just\u2026left me.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath\u2019s mouth zipped shut. Colin could no longer see him. And according to his fate, he wouldn\u2019t be able to see or hear him until he was well into his eighties. Death was suddenly struck with the overwhelming urge to hold the boy or be able to do something. But his hand was already filthy enough with death, and it remained limply still by his side.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe watched over Colin as he sat in his shaking sobs, seemingly alone. He stayed even after the police arrived and put yellow tape around the house. He stood next to Colin when his mother sprinted through the door and threw her arms around him, and he stayed when the boy was grilled again and again over what happened by cold, unfeeling men in white. Death stayed through it all. Only when Colin finally fell asleep in his mother\u2019s arms in the early hours of the morning did he leave.\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath walked aimlessly through the quiet streets of Boston. They were uncharacteristically empty, and Death absentmindedly thought that the emptiness suited him well. He finally fell back against the brick wall of the Dan\u2019s Pizza Place, where he and Colin first met. One of his arms came up and his hand pressed into the bricks to trace the grooves. As he stared back at the ground, something pricked behind his eyes. He swiped his eyes and realized he was crying.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe didn\u2019t know he was capable of such a thing.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe looked down into his hand. In it was one of the worn, stuffed animals Colin had scavenged from his closet\u2014a little white rabbit. Death had been unable to stop himself from taking it before he left. He hugged the toy tightly to himself, and remorse overflowed the gaping cavity in his chest. More tears spilled past his eyelids.\n<\/p>\n
\nBut he\u2019s alive, he told himself. He\u2019s alive he\u2019s alive he\u2019s alive.\n<\/p>\n
\nA faint, whistling whine made Death stiffen. He looked up to see Charlie sitting just a few feet from him, staring at him intently.\n<\/p>\n
\nSlowly, Death unfolded his arms and held out the rabbit. His trembling hands waved it back and forth until Charlie obediently padded over and took it with her jaw.\n<\/p>\n
\nShe plopped down between Death\u2019s legs, propping her head on top of his left foot. Uncertainly, Death reached out his hand and stroked her fur once, twice, then again and again. She was so soft. A tingle rushed through his left arm and he looked down to find his limb had reappeared. Once he could flex his fingers, Death wrapped both arms around the Border collie. He remained that way for a long time, idly petting Charlie until it became easier to breathe.\n<\/p>\n
\nEventually, he managed to pull himself up. Charlie stood up with him too, tail wagging, and Death took in a deep, shuddering breath. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his schedule book, grimacing at all the missed appointments. There was a young woman\u2019s spirit in Barcelona who he had been meaning to ferry for a while now. Death conjured up the shadows at the end of the pizzeria, scribbling away.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe wouldn\u2019t be able to see Colin again. All he could do was accept it. Because he was Death, and when did death ever get happy endings?\n<\/p>\n
\nCharlie ran and joined Death in the shadows, panting happily as the dark masses overtook her, as well. But then again, wasn\u2019t Martin allowed some happiness?\n<\/p>\n
\nDeath bent down and rubbed Charlie\u2019s head in the most affectionate way he knew how. \u201cI think you\u2019ll like Spain.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Samantha Balliet lives in Vancouver, where she has easy access to sushi and rainy days. She has a bachelor’s of psychology from the University of British Columbia, which she finds very helpful with writing her characters. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Contrary to popular belief, killing people was not part of Death\u2019s job description. In truth, he was more of a glorified chauffeur: a guide for the spirits of the dead on their journey to the next world. Once a soul became lost, whether sidetracked due to past regrets or a terrible sense of direction, Death …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107966,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,20138],"tags":[20139],"class_list":["post-140355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction","category-tcl-52-summer-2024","tag-the-colored-lens-52-summer-2024","entry entry-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/107966"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=140355"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140356,"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140355\/revisions\/140356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=140355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=140355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=140355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}