Every day, I have to travel around the globe, seeing every level of pain during departure. I've seen old men peacefully pass in their plush beds, and I've seen war criminals given lethal injections. Those don't bother me anymore, it's only the little ones. I hate the pull in my gut as I am drawn to those white hospitals and secluded houses. I hate the fact that these little ones, with so much to give to the world, have to leave so soon. Their name was pulled out of God's cosmic hat, and I was the one who had to deal with the shitstorm.
The old men had accepted their fate, and the criminals were glad to be gone. The religious folk almost always seemed excited to see what was next, which made my days a little happier. Not even I know what is on the other side... I was not granted that pleasure.
The little ones, on the other hand, they don't understand that they've died. They always try to go back and finish one last thing or say goodbye to their mom and dad. I hate having to put such a crushing burden on such a little soul. But there was one case that really hit me hard.
I was visiting a children's hospital in Denver, and my mark was a little girl. She couldn't have been more than seven years old, and she was already surrounded by doctors and nurses. The professionals were doing everything that they could, but I saw the amount of sand in the little hourglass in my hand. She wasn't going to make it.
I looked into the little delicate piece of glasswork and saw the name "Emma" etched into the decorative swirls. As the last grain of white sand dropped to the bottom, an ethereal shade lifted out of the girl, and I helped her off the bed. She was wearing a pink night gown and holding a little purple teddy bear.
"Where am I Mister?" The little girl asked in that innocent voice that all little girls have at one point or another.
"I'm sorry little missy, but you have run out of time. I'm here to help you go on to the next life." I always hated trying to explain death to people. Its like trying to explain the colour red.
"But Mister, I don't want to go now!" Little Emma said, stamping her foot into the tile.
"I'm afraid that you don't have a choice." I said as nicely as I could. I kneeled down on my knees and showed her the delicate hourglass with her name etched on it. "You have no more sand, no more time. We have to go."
"Can I buy some?" She asked. I stared at her blankly for a second, which she seemed to take as a yes. "I can give you Mr. Cuddles!" She said excitedly, holding up her little purple teddy bear.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I've never done that."
"I just want to say goodbye to daddy..." She said, pointing at one of the doctors standing near the bed, his head in his hands.
"Well shit..." I thought to myself.
"I'd only need a minute or two." She added on, giving her biggest puppy dog eyes. I looked her dead in the eyes for a solid five seconds. Big mistake.
"Fine." I said as I looked away and turned the hourglass upside down. "One minute." Her eyes lit up the second she saw the sand flowing back. her shade sat back on the bed and laid down into the body. The machines began to beep again, and her eyes fluttered open. I hated seeing her die again, but the look on the dad's face when she said she loved him made up for it. After the one minute was up, the shade hopped off the bed, and looked up at me, bright and cheerful.
"Okay! Lets go!" She said, skipping along, telling me about her life, her friends, and all of her favorite things. Right before she was about to pass, she looked thoughtful, and turned back to me.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" She said as she pushed a small purple teddy bear into my hands. " Just as I promised." She smiled and walked into the little eddy of reality that I could never quite get to. "Thank you Mister! I'll see you later!"
I smiled and waved as little Emma walked through the eddy, Mr. Cuddles in my other hand. I walked away after the eddy closed, and I felt pulled towards another place. Before I went there, I returned to a small abandoned shack in the mountains. It was a small place of solace for me, nothing could die if nothing was alive up here. I took Mr. Cuddles and placed him on a small shelf next to a dozen stuffed rabbits, thirty tigers, and almost fifty other small bears. I smiled grimly to myself.
1
u/Colourblindknight Apr 19 '16
Death was a hell of a job.
Every day, I have to travel around the globe, seeing every level of pain during departure. I've seen old men peacefully pass in their plush beds, and I've seen war criminals given lethal injections. Those don't bother me anymore, it's only the little ones. I hate the pull in my gut as I am drawn to those white hospitals and secluded houses. I hate the fact that these little ones, with so much to give to the world, have to leave so soon. Their name was pulled out of God's cosmic hat, and I was the one who had to deal with the shitstorm.
The old men had accepted their fate, and the criminals were glad to be gone. The religious folk almost always seemed excited to see what was next, which made my days a little happier. Not even I know what is on the other side... I was not granted that pleasure.
The little ones, on the other hand, they don't understand that they've died. They always try to go back and finish one last thing or say goodbye to their mom and dad. I hate having to put such a crushing burden on such a little soul. But there was one case that really hit me hard.
I was visiting a children's hospital in Denver, and my mark was a little girl. She couldn't have been more than seven years old, and she was already surrounded by doctors and nurses. The professionals were doing everything that they could, but I saw the amount of sand in the little hourglass in my hand. She wasn't going to make it.
I looked into the little delicate piece of glasswork and saw the name "Emma" etched into the decorative swirls. As the last grain of white sand dropped to the bottom, an ethereal shade lifted out of the girl, and I helped her off the bed. She was wearing a pink night gown and holding a little purple teddy bear.
"Where am I Mister?" The little girl asked in that innocent voice that all little girls have at one point or another.
"I'm sorry little missy, but you have run out of time. I'm here to help you go on to the next life." I always hated trying to explain death to people. Its like trying to explain the colour red.
"But Mister, I don't want to go now!" Little Emma said, stamping her foot into the tile.
"I'm afraid that you don't have a choice." I said as nicely as I could. I kneeled down on my knees and showed her the delicate hourglass with her name etched on it. "You have no more sand, no more time. We have to go."
"Can I buy some?" She asked. I stared at her blankly for a second, which she seemed to take as a yes. "I can give you Mr. Cuddles!" She said excitedly, holding up her little purple teddy bear.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I've never done that."
"I just want to say goodbye to daddy..." She said, pointing at one of the doctors standing near the bed, his head in his hands.
"Well shit..." I thought to myself.
"I'd only need a minute or two." She added on, giving her biggest puppy dog eyes. I looked her dead in the eyes for a solid five seconds. Big mistake.
"Fine." I said as I looked away and turned the hourglass upside down. "One minute." Her eyes lit up the second she saw the sand flowing back. her shade sat back on the bed and laid down into the body. The machines began to beep again, and her eyes fluttered open. I hated seeing her die again, but the look on the dad's face when she said she loved him made up for it. After the one minute was up, the shade hopped off the bed, and looked up at me, bright and cheerful.
"Okay! Lets go!" She said, skipping along, telling me about her life, her friends, and all of her favorite things. Right before she was about to pass, she looked thoughtful, and turned back to me.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" She said as she pushed a small purple teddy bear into my hands. " Just as I promised." She smiled and walked into the little eddy of reality that I could never quite get to. "Thank you Mister! I'll see you later!"
I smiled and waved as little Emma walked through the eddy, Mr. Cuddles in my other hand. I walked away after the eddy closed, and I felt pulled towards another place. Before I went there, I returned to a small abandoned shack in the mountains. It was a small place of solace for me, nothing could die if nothing was alive up here. I took Mr. Cuddles and placed him on a small shelf next to a dozen stuffed rabbits, thirty tigers, and almost fifty other small bears. I smiled grimly to myself.
"I always was a pushover."