text: With a mix of panic and desperation, I rushed to apply pressure to the wound. But hope quickly fled as I looked up to see a man made of only bones, standing 7 feet tall, with a scythe that radiated power and a cloak that was darker than the void itself. as he extended his hand, I inched away only to back into a tree. "please I don't want to die" I begged, but despite my pleading, the man cloaked in shadows still approached. With adrenaline coursing through me like the blood on my shirt, I grabbed the nearest tree branch and crashed it over his head. I honestly didn't expect anything to happen but to my surprise, I saw the scythe-wielding specter fall to the ground and groan in pain. knowing that this was my only chance at life, I immediately ran the other way. clutching the wound in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding, I formulated a plan as I made my escape. The only idea that came to mind was to run home and find something to defend myself with, so that's what I did. Looking back was a luxury that I couldn't afford so instead I said a prayer while trying my best to dodge the trees ahead of me. my house came into view and it started to feel like I could actually cheat death. While unlocking the door I fought the urge to collapse from exhaustion and finally took the chance to look behind me. no one was there? I knew I lucked out but I didn't think I'd be this far ahead of the guy. I let out a sigh of relief as I opened my door to see the grim reaper sitting on a chair with his arms crossed. I was at a loss for words, except for one. "fuck" The reaper wagged his finger in disappointment while he met my gaze with cold, empty eye sockets. "Let me show you something, Eric." I followed him into the bathroom, unsure of what was next but confident in the ending. "look in the mirror Eric" I did as instructed and saw myself as a rotting corpse. bits of skin hung off my face like ropes from a tree and flies buzzed around my still-bleeding wound, hungry for what little I had left. "I was like you once, alive. I don't remember when though, when you're like me time is like a comet. too fast to keep up with, always flying forwards until it one-day crashes. The first time I crashed it was from a heart attack at the ripe age of 60 and when I saw the reaper at my door, I hid. I started to rot, just like you and the stench was so unbearable I passed out. When I woke up, this is what I looked like. nothing but bones. That'll be you too one day Eric, just a black bag of bones holding a scythe wandering the earth harvesting souls that taste just like yours. Is that what you want?" I held my own gaze in the mirror as I watched my left eye start to liquidate. "no, it's not" The reaper tapped his scythe on my chest and felt something indescribable as the earth itself cut to black.