text: Before the beginning of history, many thousands of years ago, a parasite was created. Ravenous, and greedy, and through its actions it began to tear at the very fabric of reality.*Edina, Minnesota, United States of America, June 23rd, 2025*. Phil clambered to the top of his steel death trap, and began to clear the leaves from his drain pipes. He is a man of 63, a decade too old for such a chore, but with no child and only his even older wife to hold the ladder, he had little choice but to do it himself. The hairs on his head had all turned gray years ago, and his weight had all shifted towards his abdomen. His wife, Barbara, 65, held the ladder as steady as she could. Unlike her husband, her hair glowed with color, natural or no. That’s when He arrived, The Stranger, he was driving an old 93 Malibu, its dull blue paint scratched and torn to reveal the rusting aluminum shell beneath. He, having noticed this couple, pulled up to their driveway. From there he began to walk up to them as they both stand transfixed by their individual labors. He was the first to break the silence, a light cough was all that was needed to get Barbara’s attention. She, having been understandably startled by the sudden appearance of this stranger, jerked back almost pulling the ladder with her. He stood in rather plain clothing, a plain long sleeve, a plain pair of jeans, and a plain hair cut of obsidian, and he only looked even plainer in flesh. Nonetheless there seemed to be something wrong with him, his eyes lay framed with red, and the crimson had begun to seep into the very veins of the eye, giving him an appearance like that of a druggie. “Wh-Who are you!?” she trembled, still reeling from the shock.“ No one of consequence.” came the answer, with a voice even more average and yet... off. Almost as if purposefully plain. “I’m simply passing through, I saw you two struggling, may I be of any assistance” it was a formality, not a question, as he began to walk up to the ladder. “You can start by holding this fucker still so’s I don’t fall on my ass” came an angry reply from on high, Phil was holding onto dear life by the very pipes he was meant to clean. “I have a better idea” the stranger’s pale hands clasped onto the sides of the steel trap before continuing “Climb down fella, I like to meet you and finish your job myself”. No complaint was heard from Phil as he practically slid down onto the concrete pavement of his driveway. “‘Preciate it friend” came his thanks before turning a vile gaze towards his wife and quickly returning to being grateful. “May I ask your names before we begin?” “Name’s Phil, and this-” he gestured with his sight, with just a hint of that same vicious look from before “is my wife Barbara” “Pleasure to meet you both” he gave a wide smile, revealing snow white teeth, and quickly leapt onto the ladder without a second thought and cleaned the gutters without any aid. It took him less than a minute, he moved with an otherworldly level of efficiency. The conversation continued on as he worked and soon led them inside. First they made small talk, discussing the weather, talking about road conditions and travel. Then began a different line of query.“So tell me, you have any children?” “Goodness no” Barbara shot out before a second thought could suffocate the first. “Friends and family perhaps?” “We go to a monthly block party every month, hell Barb once dragged me down there while I had a stomach flu, spent half the party in the bathroom because she wanted to” Emphasizing with an indication of quotation “ ‘Save face’, *phhh* while she was saving face I was busy trying to save dinner!” he let out a laugh, although it seemed more an indication of anger than of joy. An awkward silence soon fell over the house as The Stranger continued to smile politely and Barbara began to be filled with a terrible query. Why was The Stranger passing through when he saw them? The thought soon took hold and became all she could think about. But for at least half a minute she dared not ask it. Until finally she could bare it no more, as if holding in the juiciest secret and not being able to tell anyone about it for years. “And why are you here?” Barbara finally found the courage to ask. The stranger took a minute, considering the question quite visibly before finally responding “I’m just passing ‘round” “Surely that can’t be all” Barbara had never been known to keep to herself, nor to leave others alone when they attempt to dodge a question. “Yep, just passing around, visiting and traveling. Although I am considering moving in with some folks if the opportunity presents itself” The Stranger admitted with some grief. “We have a spare guest bed if you need a place for tonig-” her eagerness finally giving way to remembrance, remembrance that she was not the master of the house. She turned an eye towards her husband, fortunately noticing an agreement in his own eyes. “We’d be happy to have you strang- oh shit! Where’re my manners? What’s your name traveler?” said Phil offering a hand as tribute. The Stranger took it and as he stared Phil in the face, and leaned in close before whispering “you may call me... **Death**.” as insects of all form and species began to shamble out from the stranger’s sleeves and writhe their way onto Phil’s own hand as he began to scream and attempt to free his hand, to revoke his sacrifice. But The Stranger’s hand held him with the strength of at least a half dozen men. The Stranger began to turn his neck towards Barbara, who had also begun to scream. Until she saw his face. It had begun to rot, yellow skin gave way to translucent blood, followed by green pus, which gave way to long decayed bone. His eyes now glowed with a necrotic light and he opened his mouth to behold an abyss, only for it to soon be filled with vile black and red. The substance flung from oblivion and branded Barbara and all the furniture around her. he soon turned his attention back towards Phil, still struggling and screaming, he had not yet looked The Stranger in the face since his horrid transformation. With the gentlest, yet most forceful of movements, The Stranger turned Phil’s screaming head towards The Stranger’s own Until they both stared each other down in silence. As Phil stared into The Stranger’s eyes, he felt that same feeling you get when you stare into the sun, but it was not just his eyes that felt it, his whole body now overcome by the sensation. He feared that if he continued to stare his entire being would be extinguished, not capable of withstanding its radiance. Soon, all of Phil’s nerves were engulfed in necrotic flame. The Stranger opened his mouth. Once the deed was done and both husband and wife lay in their living room covered in vicious bile and vomit, The Stranger put back on the mask he had worn when first meeting them, and walked over to his vehicle. As he made his way to the door of his run down vehicle, he stared up towards the sky and said “May your plague spread throughout these lands, and may it devour all of those who dare come in contact with it”. He climbed into the driver’s seat and began to ride. There was work yet to be done. **1** &#x200B; OP Note: Hello there, thanks for reading through the entire story! My name's Jonathan A. Harkness (with a name like that could I really do anything else as a hobby?). This is the first part of a larger short story, so far I'm only about a couple of parts in, and I've yet to really etched anything in stone yet. The purpose of my posting here isn't limited to me wanting to share a story with you all, I really wanted to get some opinions on it. I have shown the story to some friends, but fear that they've too much of a personal bias to get too much advice on it.What I want is critiques, things that worked and things that didn't, where you think the story should go (I've a small idea, but as I've said nothing's quite solidified and I can adapt), etc.I appreciate your comments. Thank you.