Talking to Death.

I was playing hide and seek with Shane when I found it. I hid in that dark closet in the corner of the room. Crouching down on the floor, hiding under luggage. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, that sent shivers down my spine. I screamed, but no noise came out. There wasn’t the familiar sound of the echo of the scream. It is like I didn’t even make a sound. A huge dark cloud exploded out in front of my eyes, and darkness enveloped the room. A huge figure in dark robes appeared right in front of my eyes. It was a skeleton-like creature, with robes covering most of its body. I tried to scream again, but the eerie darkness filled up my mouth. 

“Hello, Tyne.” It croaked. 

I scrambled away, but it snatched me back up. 

“Why are you scared?” I couldn’t speak. It frowned then shrugged like a teenager.

 “W-who are you?” I stammered. It blinked its empty sockets. 

“I am Death.” It simply said. My eyes widened. It laughed, but it sounds more like a dying human, wheezy, and hoarse. 

“W-why are you here? Am I going to die?” 

“Ah, but that is this the question Tyne!” 

“How do you know my name?” 

“Because I have been watching, and waiting for this time to come.” I shivered and pulled back again. 

“Where is Shane?” The skeleton was picking around the boxes and frowning.

 “Hmm, how démodé.” I frowned, and it turned to face me. 

“Oh, that boy.” He pulled Shane out of his pocket and tossed him around like a toy. 

“He is mine.” Death said and put him back in his robes. I gasped for breath, tears pouring out of my eyes. 

“W-who else have you come to take??” Death grinned his toothless smile and ticked off fingers. 

“Mom, dad, Elise, Vince, and you. So, I suppose that is your whole family. 

“What! Why?” 

“Well, because it’s time.” Death said simply. He advanced on me, and I screamed, this time the scream pushed itself out of my throat, and echoed around the room. Death growled as I heard footsteps pattering down the stairs.

 “Tyne!?” A deep voice called out. 

Dad. 

“Wait n-!” Death grabbed me by the throat and stuffed me in his robes, and darkness closed over me. I woke up in a small, dark, black room. 

“Ah, your awake want some tea?” Death asked sitting down on a black chair made of mist.

 “Am I in Hell?” I swear Death seemed to smile. 

“No dear child, you are with me. Death.”

 “But where is here?” Death gestured around the room. I saw nothing but a table and two chairs. 

“T-there is nothing,” I whispered. 

“Well, what did you expect?” 

I imagined heaven after death. I imagined a beautiful forest, and beach with all the people I love right next to me. 

“Hmm, well you were wrong.” I looked up. I must have said that out loud. 

“So, am I dead?” Death refilled his cup with a dark substance. 

“Yes, Tyne. You are dead.” I let out a wail. 

“How? What did you do?” Death waved his hand, and an image appeared in the room. I saw my father lying on the ground, his mouth shaped in an 

O. Black blood seeped out of his chest, and his eyes were removed. I let out a horrible scream. 

“W-what did you do? Why didn’t you take him like you took me?” Death glared at me. 

“I killed him because I had to. Tyne this may be hard to hear, but your father was a terrible man. I didn’t bring him because it causes more pain for the family to see their loved one dead. If I take them they assume they are missing, and might not be dead.” 

I slowly shook my head. 

“What did he do to deserve this?” 

“Your father was a cheat and a murderer. When he sold his products, he cheated on his customers. He would make the product seem better than it is. When his customers threatened to tell the police, he killed them and hid their bodies in the room you were hiding. That’s why I was there. To collect them.” 

I shivered. 

“He would never do that.” 

“Well, he did. Now have some tea.” 

I cautiously walked up to the table where Death was sitting, and slowly picked up the cup. I looked inside and smelled creamy foam. I took a sip and spat it out. 

“It tastes like death!!!”

 Death smiled. 

“I have to show you something, Tyne.” 

He stood up, and the cups disappeared. He walked to a rather small door that I didn’t notice. 

Death opened the door, and a revolting smell hit my nose. I gagged and covered my nose with my hand. Death walked in, but I held back, scared for what lies ahead of me. I looked in and screamed. Flies swarming around the room, buzzing in my ear. About ten bodies lie neatly in a long row, long dead, flesh rotting. I coughed, and made a gagging noise, but managed to croak.

 “What happened to them?” Death walked out of the room, and closed the door slowly, the smell still lingering in the air.

 “You remember the image I showed you of your father?” I nodded. 

“Well those blithering idiots tried to go through back to the living world, and instantly died. You just can’t don that.” I nodded. 

“Is there another place to go after you die?” Death nodded solemnly. 

“The Angel comes to get the good people.” I gasped. 

“Wait, what!! So…why am I hear, I’m good!” he laughed. 

“Tyne you catfished your best friend online, and you bullied that poor girl Shannon.” I gaped at him. 

“H-how do you know that?” 

“I watched you.”

 “B-but how do you even know what catfish means?” Death glared at me. 

“What do you think, I’m old, and talk like Shakespeare?” 

“Well, y-yes.” I murmured. 

“Well, your wrong.” I almost laughed, but what Death said got me thinking. 

They tried to go back to the living world. I should try that, but Death said they died instantly! Tyne why are you listening to Death, he is probably a liar and a cheat. He must cheat death! 

 I sighed and rubbed my temples. Death was again sitting at the table drinking tea, and looking at the images on the misty screen. 

That little cheat, he is stalking people.

 To my dismay, he was watching a baby with much interest. He then nodded and sipped his tea. 

“Death…what is that behind you?” Death whipped his head around, and I raced to the image and jumped. I heard a yell of surprise from Death, as darkness closed in on me, and I felt nothing more.

 I coughed and blinked open my eyes, a shaft of light peaking in through a crack on the wall. 

Ah-ha! I cheated Death! I thought triumphantly. 

I looked around and gasped. There was not the familiar sight of piles of boxes, but instead, a thick layer of dust was on the walls, on the floor. I stood up, yelping in pain. I looked around and saw no furniture or anything. 

Did they move? I was with Death for only half an hour surely. 

I saw spider webs on the walls, with a tiny brown spider in the middle. I saw a large rat race in front of my feet, and I screamed. It echoed off the walls.

 As I walked up the steps, I saw the occasional hornets’ nest and spiders. I called out for my mother, but there was no answer. I walked onto the street and saw police cars swarming the street. Police rushed over to me. 

“Tyne!” An officer yelled, and she wrapped me in a hug and rushed me to a patrol car. 

“Where were you!?” 

I couldn't answer, because I saw Vince sitting on an old porch, hair graying. "How long was I gone?"  

"You were missing for 30 years, but where were you?"

I laughed, and I swear I could see Death winking at me behind a car. 

“Oh, you know. Just talking to Death.”