I Am Death

Amy blinked twice, trying to bring her surroundings into focus, but the painful throbbing in her head wasn't helping. She rubbed at her temples hoping to ease the pain. When she looked up again, she had to bite back a startled scream. Fog was all she could see. The ground beneath seemed non-existent, the fog so thick that she couldn't even see her feet. The hair on her arm prickled in awareness. She turned and this time the scream ripped from her throat.

Death stood before her. His black cape rippling in the wind that seemed to touch only Death itself. She couldn't see under its hood, but from her stories she remembered as a child, it could only be bad. The fog seemed to clear around the cloaked figure. Amy thought, the fog seemed to be clearing from all around her. Looking around, she could see that she was in fact in a grass field. Near the bottom of the field she could see rusted, chained closed gates. Amy turned to look back at Death. "Am I dead?" She inwardly cursed as soon as the words left her mouth. What a cliché question to ask. Death stood still for a moment, before nodding his hood. OK, so far so creepy. Amy tried to stay calm, but the realisation that she was dead seemed to skew her thoughts. Her vision became blurry and she shook her head to clear it. Her breathing became rapid and she felt her whole-body shake.

Amy was startled back to reality when Death took her hands. Flesh, not bone, she thought. Its hands were made of flesh. She looked up and for the first time could see under its hood. Piercing black eyes met her gaze, and her breathing returned to normal as his, oh yes Death was a he, thumbs stroked over her pulse points in a soothing gesture. She took in another breath, closing her eyes tight, willing it all to be some dream.

It was sometime later when she opened them again, tears appearing in her eyes. "So, this is it?"

Death nodded. "I'm here to guide you." His voice was soothing, she thought. Amy tilted her head slightly. "Guide me where, exactly." She looked around, and still saw the same field and gate.

Death stood pulling her up with him. He flicked back his hood, revealing black hair that reached his shoulders, dark intense eyes and a strong sharp jawline. He looked exactly like her fantasy crush. "I don't know. This is your death." He looked off, and she followed his gaze to the rusted gates. In a sudden gush of wind, they blew open. He looked back at her. "Think of me as an old friend, here to hold your hand until you reach the next bit of your journey."

"If I'm dead that's it. There is no other journey." She dug her heels in to the grass as he gently tugged her along. Death gave her a pained looked, before stopping. "Life just doesn't end, Amy." He pushed his head back from his eyes. "It's ongoing, forever changing. People are always learning, making mistakes, falling in and out of love and just being." He looked at her, but Amy just stared back. He sighed, and cupped her cheek with gentle hands. "Death isn't the end. It's the beginning of a new story, a new life." Amy pouted. "But I liked my old life. Why can't you take me back there?"

Death sighed again, taking her hand and walking with her towards the gate. "It's time for you to start new, and I'm here to help."

Amy felt his pulse from where he was holding on to her so tight. "OK. I trust you." She startled herself with her own words. Trusting a stranger wasn't the smartest move to make, but something about him seemed so familiar. Amy went with her instinct and gripped his hand firmly as walked through the gate and on to her new life. "Promise you won't let go?"

Death kissed her knuckles. "I promise to always find you, Amy."