All I see is endless water, the waves moving ever so slightly. Such a wondrous sight to behold, the beautiful blue against the brightly lit yellow sky. I am ready. I look at my feet dangling, I steady them, I close my eyes, and as I prepare to jump, I hear a heavy voice.
“You sure you want to go ahead with this?” he asks me. I look back to see a black-clothed figure with a scythe beside him. A chill runs down my spine, I notice a tiny black kitten on his right shoulder, purring at his gentle touch. The kitten does make him look less daunting.
“Yes, I do. I'm done,” I reply with a sigh of resignation.
“OK, then I'll see you soon”, he replies nonchalantly.
“Wait, that's it? You're not going to talk me off the ledge?”
“Why would I?”
“I don’t know…I thought you would blabber on about how life is beautiful and shouldn't be wasted and some gibberish of sorts, like in movies.”
He chuckles, “Well, life is precious.”
“Oh, come on!” I say in frustration.
“Hear me out,” he says. “Life is precious. Your life is in your hands. If you want to go, I won't hold you back. At the end of the day, it is your decision to make, and I do not pass judgment on the circumstances I meet people in.”
I contemplate what Death just told me, and as I do, his kitten leaps off his shoulder and comes next to me. I hesitantly reach out my hand to pet her, and she curls her head beside my hand and begins to purr. I lift her without hesitation, place her on my lap, and gently pet her. Who knew, nearing death, I’d like cats? I always believed I was a dog person.
“So you won't call me a coward if I don't come with you now?” I ask him sheepishly.
“Of course not. Not many people can say they've talked to Death, so you're far from a coward.”
“Thanks,” I say, not fully convinced.
Would I be selfish if I did go with you? I thought to myself.
“No, you wouldn't be.”
“How did you do that?”, I look at him in sheer horror.
“I'm Death. I've got a few gifts,” he smiles at me proudly. “My dear child, it is your life. Only you have the right to do whatever you want with it. And if, after struggling for years, you want the struggle to end, it is far from being selfish.” My face lights up a bit on hearing this.
“I was so sure that I wanted to end things, I was so absolutely sure, then why the hell am I in such turmoil now? It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea; I had been thinking of this for months… I have no idea what to do now…”, I tell Death.
“It is completely natural for you to have this dilemma. Most humans have it once they’ve had a conversation with me,” Death says. I never thought I would hear comfort in Death.
“Do you feel sad when people come to you of their own volition?”, I ask.
“To be honest, no, I do not; then again, I do not feel sad when anyone comes to me. I try my best to hasten the process so that people don’t suffer.”
“That is mighty kind of you. You know, you do have an unfair reputation, Death.”
“Yes, I completely agree!” he says excitedly. I chuckle.
“So what now?” I ask.
“Well, what did you decide?”
“Honestly, I don't know, but thank you for this. I appreciate it.” I extend my hand, and strangely, his hand has a warm touch to it.
“Your cat is an absolute sweetheart,” I say. As I look into the sea, I turn to see Death disappear, leaving behind his scythe...
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