Escaping Death

Trigger Warning: Suicide

Henry was an introverted teen who struggled with self-esteem and standing up for himself while growing up. Towards his late teens, Henry took his own life because of bullying at school. Just before he passed on, however, he remembered standing in a grey world resembling earth; and before him stood a figure wearing a grey cloak, and with swirling grey patterns on their face and hands. She was holding a tall, wooden staff with a raven’s head carved into the top.

“Who… Who are you.”

“Death. I’m here to escort you, Henry.”

Henry looked over to his side and noticed James, his only friend, clinging to his body in the bedroom. He wished things hadn’t turned out like this; seeing James’ muffled cries, he only hated himself all the more.

“You may still have a chance,” Death said.

“For what?”

“To apologise.” Death took in a deep breath; her hands began to shake.

Henry stepped forward. “What’s happening to you?”

“It’s almost time, we must hurry.”

Henry took one last look at James before leaving with Death. The next time he opened his eyes, he was lying in bed in a dark room, and next to him was Death’s cloak folded on a desk, and her staff leaning up against the wall next to it.

“Good, you’re awake.” A deep voice resonated throughout the entire room, and from the shadows of the entrance emerged another cloaked figure who looked much like Death. The only difference was that both his cloak and his body patterns were red instead of grey.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Henry looked around as he sprang up and leaned against the bedpost. “Where’s Death?”

The man stopped advancing with that last question, turning towards Death’s belongings. “She’s gone… That’s where you come in.” The man turned to Henry. “We would like you to take up her mantle. Be Death.”

Henry found his heart pounding in his head, his breath suddenly growing heavy as his body began to freeze. “Me… What? What are you saying?”

The man stepped forward and knelt before him. “She said you may still have a chance to apologise to your best friend, right?”

Henry remained silent. He looked away, clenching his fists.

The man rose to his feet and turned around. “If you’re not willing, it’s fine, we can still find another.” As he began to walk away, however, Henry jumped out of bed and stepped forward, even though his legs shook with every step.

“I’ll do it, Mr.…?”

A surprised chuckle echoed in the room. “War. Just ‘War’.” He turned around and smiled. “Welcome aboard,” War said before leaving the room.

At first, Henry thought his being Death would help teach his bullies a lesson, for feelings of bitterness still lingered in his soul, but War advised against his ideas. “We are not to interfere with the natural order, only preside over it. Disobey these rules and the consequences will be severe.”

Burying the past was a task Henry struggled to accomplish, and he struggled even more with the task at hand. Finding himself in the midst of tragedies much like his own life story, his insecurities drove him into seclusion in the dark halls of the netherworld. And so, even in the midst of dark wars and conquests, even in the deep bowels of famine and pestilence, death became a fate far beyond anyone’s reach. Humans continued to grow old and suffer without any escape as a century passed without a single death. The planet’s resources began to dwindle, and what little space they had began to grow thin.

War had made several attempts to persuade Henry to resume his duties, but Henry turned him down each time. It was not long after that the governing entities of life and the afterlife convened to discuss the fate of the current Death, for if he were to disregard his duties any longer, they would strip him of his powers and banish him to the Veil for all eternity.

War pleaded on Henry’s behalf, asking that he be given one last chance to change Henry’s mind. His plea was heard, but one chance was all he had. They would make no exceptions. Seeing no room for failure, War took Henry by force to see the one person he hoped would change his mind.

They appeared in a hospital room, where a withered old man coughed and hacked and shivered under a thin bedsheet as he looked through a closed window with tear-filled eyes. A hundred years had passed, but Henry recognised James the second he saw him. He wished he could speak with him and ask his forgiveness for what he had done. If only he hadn’t—

War interrupted his thoughts. “He has cancer, Henry. And there are hundreds of thousands more like him out there that need you more than anything.” War placed a gentle hand upon Henry’s shoulder. “You can’t keep running away from everything. Your actions always have consequences, whether you like it or not.”

Henry lowered his head as tears began to roll down his face. “I’ll do it.”

The first person Henry greeted was James. There was not a second of hesitation in his apology, and James accepted it without question. “I’m just glad I got to see my best friend one last time,” he said before he passed through the Veil.

James’ kind words and forgiveness were all Henry needed. From that moment forward, he performed his duties without question for the next nine centuries.