Monday 8 September 2014

Let Me Take You Down

David Kane looked down at his unconscious form, fighting for his own life. His father was in the chair next to his bed, asleep, his hand clutching his son's. The ECG beeped steadily. The room was dark and bleak. David looked down at his feet and took a deep breath.

“You're not dead... not yet at least.” a female voice said from behind him. He turned round to face a woman in her late twenties. She was wearing black court shoes, black pencil skirt and a white shirt. Her hair was up in a tight French bun.

“Who are you?” he asked her.

She smiled. “I think a better question would be 'what' are you?'... I'm Death.”

“But... you don't...” He stammered, gesturing his hand suggestively at her outfit. “I mean, what about... the...?”

“Oh I know, I know.” Death chuckled. “Where's the cape and scythe? My real form tends to... intimidate mortals, so I had to use a vessel. Don't you worry: the human's been dead for years.”

From the back of her dress, she took out a brown envelope and handed it to him. From it, he took out a piece of paper and read it. It was the death certificate of the woman Death was currently possessing.

“What do you want from me?” he asked her as she circled him, observing him from head to toe. Death wanted to make sure the soldier she was sent to recruit for Michael was fit, strong, determined.

“There is a war going on in the Afterlife: those who fight for Michael and those who fight for Samael.” she explained.

“And whose side are you on?”

'Humans... they ask too many questions...' she thought.

“Michael's, of course. He believes that mortals need to know that the afterlife exists. Samael, on the other hand, wants us to be unseen and take over the mortal world, make it his.”

“So where do I come in?”

“Michael has been recruiting brave mortals who were of service in their past life. Doctors, nurses, soldiers, policemen, the whole lot, and build an army.”

“And you want me to join this army.” David said. Death nodded. “This is a lot to take in.”

“I understand, Kane. But if you want your friends and family on this Earth to live a long, happy life then Michael and his army need their last solider... you.” she told him, and then smiled softly. “Your friends Greg and Hendrickson are in our army. They were the ones who told me about you. They told me of your experience in the army, and I was impressed. Young, but you've seen a lot of deaths.”

He smiled weakly upon hearing about his two old buddies from the army. They also died in action. “If I die in this war... what happens to me?”

“You remain in the afterlife for eternity. It's really not that bad, Kane. Everyone has their own afterlife. It can be whatever you want it to be. You can have any person you want—dead or alive—even celebrities.” She stared at his unreadable facial expression, and after a brief moment of silence, she asked him, “So? What do you say?”

David didn't say anything. He simply looked at Death with a puzzled look on his face, but then put on his most serious face and raised his right hand against the side of his forehead, saluting. Death smiled professionally—deep down ecstatic of having recruited another good soldier on their side—and kneeled down next to the bed where David's corpse was lying, the ECG still beeping monotonously, and kissed the man in the bed on the forehead. Suddenly, the ECG started beeping, displaying a flatline. The walls surrounding the room broke down as if by an explosion, and the pair found themselves standing at the top of an infinite-looking staircase.

“Welcome to the afterlife, Sgt. Kane.”

*

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