nothing 14

Eliza sat on her bed listening to the wind blowing out in the cold grey world. She found herself sitting there most days. If not there she was being brought to a clinic to be told they could do nothing for her. That was over though. She would remain in her room for the rest of her days. 

Twelve years old and now facing the end of life, she was not scared. She was sad for all those she would leave behind and all that she would never experience. But she was not afraid to die. It was the next step. 

Four long years of exhaustion and pain had worn her down physically but not mentally. Her imagination made up for the experiences missed, transporting her in dreams to magical worlds where she could run again. Sometimes fly. She drew pictures of these places when she had the strength and wrote stories to herself. It had been weeks since she had the strength to do so, and she knew likely she would never again. 

The brightest time of the overcast winter day arrived with a visitor. Death made their way into the room unseen and sat beside Eliza. They eyed her exhausted body and electric mind. 

Eliza turned to look into deaths eyes, her green eyes meeting their blue on red. She was not surprised, she was not frightened. Death sat in a dark glow of black and grey, black cloak surrounding their body of pale, their face slightly glowing with piercing eyes that were otherworldly. A knowing expression worn by both. 

"I suppose it's time," Eliza said calmly. 

Death nodded.

Eliza sighed deeply, looking back to the window by her bedside. Trees flowed gently in a breeze. 

Death was struck by how accepting she was of their presence. They sat a moment in thought. Reaching a hand of bone out they touched the shoulder of the child and viewed a life that would never be. 

If she had not been destined to die, not been crippled by illness, a life would have flourished. The years of high school would bring out a caring loving soul wanting no more than to help others. After college a career of helping the helpless. Love found and family made. So much good. So much happiness. Death would have met her at an old age in sleep. 

Death withdrew their hand. Eliza looked over at them again. 

"I am ready," she said quietly. She saw Death shed a single tear. "It's ok, I understand." She rested her hand on Deaths. Never had anyone consoled Death itself. If cognizant of Death they were blamed. They were made out to be the bad force of the universe to bring upon finality. Death was evil. But the child saw through this.

Death stood up and reached a hand out. Eliza took it and stood up from her body. They walked into the abyss together.

Hand in hand, Death escorted Eliza from the plane of the living through the dimension out of time and space. Darkness surrounded then except for a pathway of dark gold laid out before them, floating in space. 

Eliza felt strength again, how she had remembered feeling before she was sick. She held onto Deaths hand with a reassuring grip. Death was perplexed. 

They reached a door of ornate carved wood that stood alone at the end of the path. Death looked down at the girl. Eyes permanently wide in an empty skull. She looked back with a smile. 

"Do I go in?" She asked, still grasping the hand of bone lifting up energeticaly onto her toes and down. 

Death nodded slowly.

"Oh. Already? Can I stay with you a while?" She asked looking at the door then back.

Death stood still. Staring. Eliza continued to feel more and more strength. 

"I would really like to go with you!" She smiled and looked around for where they may go next. 

Death was an escort of souls to nothing. They were to bring by any means necessary no matter how difficult doomed entities to this door, and have them go through. 

Death spoke for the first time in a long time. Their voice was quiet and low. "Go with me? I take the living here, it is my existence." 

"I can help! I feel so much better and I'd like to help people even if it is in death and with Death. Can't I?" She looked unsure of if this was an option, but since she was feeling so energized and was eager to help anyone as she had not been able to do in life, there she stood. Asking. 

"If you go with me now, you will become what I am. In time. And time will cease to exist. You will lose yourself, identity. It is a curse to exist as I," Death said calmly. However, they were excited at the idea of a friendly precence. Something they had never experienced. This is partially why they had lingered so long in transport.

"If I can help, that is ok," Eliza said with a nod. 

So it was that Death gained a friend and partner in Eliza that day. The girl at Deaths side, a gentle soul to ease the pain of the transfer of Death.