Life In The Eyes of Death

By Kashish

Death heard another call as another fox fell into his hands. He sighed, departing to welcome the poor thing to the afterlife. So many deaths, the number increasing every day. They have been keeping him busy, never sparing any time for him to rest. 

It’s not like he looked any different despite being worn out. All he was a ghostly, white, hollow skeleton with nothing but emptiness and darkness within him. He always wore a dark, hooded cloak to cover his nothingness. The dying ones were already terrified by the aspect of death. A walking skeleton slowly creeping onto them wouldn’t help. His eyes were two wells of deep abyss. He was nothing.

He reached his destination, seeing the little red fox gasp for air, clearly in extreme pain because of his bloody injury around the bottom of his bright neck, the red darkening his brown body.

But before Death could approach the dying soul, he felt her. Just the presence of her was enough to give life to an entire forest. The sulking, withering flowers bloomed bright and fresh, standing tight and proud to display its beauty with new-found life. Lush and dark green flowed back into the pale leaves swaying in the light breeze carrying the sweet scent of the flowers. The sunlight came down in hard, bright rays, squeezing its way to the forest floor through the dense leaves creating a yellow-green canopy over the bushes and shrubs packed with bright, fresh berries. Birds chirped with sudden creativity in their complex songs, filling the air with a melodious harmony for the colorful, fluttering butterflies to dance in. 

Only then did Death see her approach the pale fox, each of her movements elegant and majestic. Her steps were unimaginably soft, almost like she was floating instead of walking across land. 

Death took a step back, taking the cover of a mighty pine. He would not interfere. If there was a chance for life, she would have it.

With graceful movements, she got to her knees, using her longs, slender arms to gently carry the injured fox with her touch as soft as cotton. 

“Shhhhh…” she soothed the fox. “It’s alright. You’re okay.”

Her voice was sweet and smooth, like all the melodious calls of all singing birds to ever exist had merged into a single, harmonic, note. A voice that was enough to give life to all those who had given up on hope. A voice that made Death long for more. A voice that made all his weariness trickle away. It was the closest he ever got to experience her world full of life.

He peeked past the dark bark of the tree he took refuge under. There she was, effortlessly beautiful. Her skin was like snow: pure white, with an impossible softness to it. It shimmered in the sunlight, which seemed to make her skin glow with gentle, but radiant power. Her thick, long hair toppled down her back in tender curves, bouncing up and down as she moved. Blue was the color of her hair, a deep blue, like the ocean, flowing in the wind like the trickle of a river. A crown of fresh, bright flowers, each rich in scent and color, rested on her head. A crown that was queenlier than any other made of gold. Why would she need gold? She was Life, and Life was beauty.

Her slender hands calmingly stroked the fox that lay in her arms, each stroke bringing life back into it bit by bit. How at peace she looked, giving what she had to others. How Death wished he could do the same with all the souls. But he was the very thing they were afraid of, while Life was what they longed for. And he could tell why. Life gave, while Death took.

After Life had healed the fox, she set him down with tender hands, encouragingly nudging him to run into the wild like he had new-found life, which was quite true. After a grateful, low bow, the jumpy, little thing dashed away, running like the wind. 

A sweet and kind smile played on Life’s lips, clearly glad to see her beings thriving like they were supposed to. 

Then the singing birds and the dancing butterflies couldn’t hold still anymore. They all fluttered down to be in her close presence, the birds singing with joy and the butterflies gracefully twirling in the air, showing off their bright colors. Life let out a wonderful sound, a sound that was just happiness with no impurities infiltrating it. It was pure, and it was all Death wanted to hear. A lively, musical laugh hitting him with a fresh wave of joy. After all, that was what Life was. A being of bliss.

Death must have come too far out from his pine, for Life looked up at him with those unique, irreplaceable eyes. The sclera of her eyes was deep blue, dark enough to look like black, but not quite there. Her irises were bright gold, twinkling and shimmering like stars in the dark void of the universe. Her eyes held every beauty that ever existed, the universe itself. 

She beamed at him with her lips the color of bright roses, gesturing him to come over. Death hesitated, afraid his presence would disrupt the bubble of joy life had created.

Life sighed and got up, taking soft steps towards him. The birds and butterflies hovered around her, singing melodious tunes. The breeze made her hair dance with some stray flower petals clinging onto its length. Her leaf-green silk gown shimmered as it shifted in the sunlight, gleaming like it enjoyed the sun’s presence.

She chuckled as the birds and butterflies flew around her, some resting on her shoulders and arms. She lovingly stroked them with her slender hands, and they cooed and chirped on her touch. Delicate bracelets made of flowers wrapped around her wrists as if they were the crown of her hands.

“I beat you,” she teased, the stars in her eyes twinkling mischievously. 

Death smiled. Or at least, he commanded his non-existent muscles to move in a smile. “I’m never disappointed when you win.” And that was true. He hated seeing the pain and sorrow in his victims, the life in their eyes slowly washing out. He couldn’t stand seeing Life’s creatures suffer like that.

Life studied him, then stared into his eyes with those bright eyes. “Your eyes are so dark,” she commented.

“And your eyes hold the universe,” Death replied.

Life gave that same, warm, smile she always gave. “Do you know why I create so many lives?” she asked.

Death smiled. “I know.”

Life beamed. “They are my gifts to you. Something to fill you up. And I know you will take care of them for eternity. That is why I send them to you,” she explained, reaching her arm out to allow a blue jay to perch on.

Death raised his hand and the shimmering, white ghosts of blue jays that had passed appeared, dancing in the air as the flew to meet their living siblings, who chirped with excitement and shot off. “And I keep them forever,” Death said. They were gifts from life, and Death would always keep them with him. He would always give them a paradise to live in. A place where they could enjoy the best parts of Life and forget about the horrible ones. A place of eternal happiness.

Life and Death gazed at the jays in awe, who were singing together and dancing with each other in the air, both the live ones and the ones who had died, creating such harmony between them. But this harmony wouldn’t last for long. Not in Life’s world. The sun would set, and the forest would fall into a deep slumber. Predators would prey on them. Lumberjacks would destroy their homes. Food may not be guaranteed. Everything here was short-lasting. 

But in Death’s realm, there was no worry. Every day was a day of peace and joy. Every day was a day they could sing in, a day they could laugh in, a day they could rest in. For Life was a lie, and Death was the truth. If only they understood the mercy of Death.

By Kashish