Life and Death

As a child, I was always fascinated by death, especially when exploring myths and legends that covered Death as an entity. This became an obsession as I reached my teenage years, and even led me to pursue subjects like mythology and theology in my higher studies.

One night, I was driving home after work when my brakes stopped working, forcing me off the road and into a lamp post. When I woke up, or what I thought was waking up, I found myself in a hospital room, but my soul was floating next to my body. Mom and Dad were there, so were a few of my relatives.

“Am I dead?” I asked myself.

“No, you still have time, although how much may depend on you,” a voice rose from behind.

I turned around to find a figure standing before me, dressed in dark attire and with an aura that was alluring for reasons I couldn’t comprehend.

“Who… Who are you?” I asked.

“I’m the one person you’ve been searching for information about all your life; the same person your mother asked you not to ask questions about when you were just six years old.” They smiled with those words.

I froze as I realised who stood before me. Death—I had finally met Death.

“So, is this it for me? Should I prepare to move on to the afterlife?”

“Is that really what you want?” they asked, gesturing to me to look at my family.

Mom and Dad were both in tears as they sat next to me, holding my hand tight. A couple of my cousins were just outside the hospital room; they were also in tears while in a serious conversation.

“You’re in a coma at the moment, but I can allow you to rejoin your family right away if you play a game of chess with me.”

Death’s offer was perplexing. “What if I lose?” I asked.

“Then you remain this way until you naturally recover, although there is no certainty that you will fully recover. A game with me ensures that you return, that is all.”

“And why do you offer me this opportunity?”

“I’m merely a guide for the dead, and a source of comfort for those trapped in between. I grant the same opportunity to everyone who experiences this; you are no exception. So, what do you say?”

Seeing the state my family and relatives were in, I couldn’t help but accept Death’s invitation. And so, we played a game of chess, which was the most fun I had experienced in recent months, as having to juggle studies and work had become tedious. I found myself victorious against Death, and as promised, they allowed my soul to return to my body.