"Boy, as I stated in our very first meeting, for which I highly doubt you even remember, I go by many names. for example Mot, Thanatos, Dullahan, Smierc, Hel, Giltine, La Murta, The White horsemen.. starting to ring any bells?" He replied in a very sarcastic dignified manner. To which upon hearing those words, my intuition kicked in. 

Telling me to run, and run fast...

Because, right then and there I realized if I didn't, I knew I wouldn't be me anymore. Then while not looking back, as I ran away. I could hear this...Thing, sighing loudly. As though he really didn't care if I heard him or not?

 "Why do they always try to run?" he muttered, following behind me as I ran.

And as I made my way through to the lobby, I thought to myself,"Why is that entity, this creature? That "man!" still following me? and what in gods name is it babbling about?...I'm not dead?"

Once there, while in the lobby, I temporarily stopped in my tracks, looking to see if I was still being followed. And as I did so,  I heard the entities voice again. Clear as day.

"Still not convinced, are we? How sad?.." 

It said, startling me once again, As I quickly looked around. Trying to spot the entity, the creature now masquerading as a man.

" What the hell do you want from me?!" 

I angrily shouted, while trying to hide the fact that I was undoubtedly scared shitless. But as usual,  I received no answer back. Which made me begin to wonder. Did the entity finally give up on me? did the creature finally see I was not ready to play their game? Or was this fucker just toying with me? I don't know?

But I can tell you one thing, I do know ...I really need to get out of here?

 walking to the hospital's nearest exit, I began contemplating on the event's prior to this, wondering if that thing following me really was death in the flesh? And if it was, why? I'm not dead. I mean it's silly to even think that? Cause if I "were", wouldn't I wake up somewhere else? You know the whole heaven, hell bit? But then again, if I wasn't. Then tell me this, who's fucking body was that in the morgue?....

Maybe, I better leave?...

Reaching the revolving doors, however. A woman dressed in extravagant clothes, practically glued to her cell phone. while holding her six-year-old daughter in the other hand, bumped into me in the process as they entered the hospital.

Still shaken, however, from earlier, I quickly spun around and snapped, shouting.

"Hey, will it kill you to put down your phone, and watch where the hell you're going next time!?"

And as I said that, not a damn thing happened, hell she never even glanced up at me? Just continued yammering on her phone. "How rude" it's like she didn't even see me like I'm not even here? But Ironically, that's not even the worst part.

I mean, out of all the eeriest things, out of today's ordeal, had to of been exactly this moment. When, I shouted loud enough for the whole lobby to hear me. Yet not one passerby looked up from what they were doing. Except for the cell phone woman's six-year-old daughter, who was obviously horrified at my outburst.

Which made me in some small way feel sorry for her, but the more I thought about it, for some reason. It made what seemed like a small situation become extremely disturbing? Because as I quickly left the building, with that girl's terrified gaze in my mind, I thought. "Why didn't anyone else react? I mean I'm not fucking invisible!?" Then, once again as if it were reading my mind, the entity jeered.  "Well, of corse you're invisible, boy, you're dead. how many times must I repeat myself?"

Hearing its voice once more, I stopped stone cold in my tracks. "Where are you, show yourself!?" I shouted, as loud as I could. But, just like earlier, no answer?"Why is this bastard toying with me?.." I muttered to no one in particular.  

Not expecting to get an answer back, the entity masquerading as a man, claiming to be death, whispered once again. This time loud enough to the point where it could have been standing directly behind me. "Because child it's apparently obvious, you need to learn the hard way."  Turning around once more, quickly getting ready to defend myself, I came face to face with nothing but thin air once again. "Why am I not surprised?" I muttered. Breathing a sigh of relief, as I walked away, off the hospital grounds. Trying to act as though nothing happened or in this case, block it out.

Because  honestly there is no denying it now, something happened... something fucking actually happened. But just as I made it to the nearest crosswalk, I tried pushing the signal button to walk across the street. Only to find out it was completely useless? The button refused to work. Even after, I pushed the stupid thing in three...maybe four times? Though after awhile, I just gave up and stood there waiting for the stupid light to eventually change on its own. Hoping, deep down, that it would change sooner rather than later. Since that thing could still be out there, lurking around somewhereBut, as I was lost in somewhat paranoid thought. I felt a pair of ice cold hands violently press against my back. Shoving me right out in front of an on-coming bus as it passed, not giving me anytime to get out of the way, I quickly shut my eyes, covering my face with my hands. In a desperate attempt to protect myself. But, soon after, as the thought of being hit by a six thousand and one pound bus terrified me. I felt something strange, as a huge gust of wind passed through me.

Expecting the worst, I slowly uncovered my face, lowering my defense's as I opened my eye's, I was relieved to see, I was still in one piece. "What the fuck just happened?" I asked myself, not noticing as I wobbled to my feet, that everything around me had stopped, as though time were standing still.

"What on earth is going on?...."

Then once again, just as those words absentmindedly slipped out of my mouth like clock-work the entity, masquerading as a man, now claiming to be death. Appeared before me. Dressed the way he was, the first time we met, all clad in black. This time carrying a much more somber look on it's thin white ghostly face.

"I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry, but there was no other way I could show you..."

He said, trying to show me some empathy, even though I could tell it was ready to use force if necessary. While not budging from where I was standing, I demanded, hoping to buy myself some more time. "Show me what? what exactly do you want to show me? besides scaring the living shit out of me?"

Smiling, as if the question struck the only sypathetic cord he had." I wanted to show you, young man that this is a harsh world and sadly your not a part of it anymore... so please give up this charade and come with me? He replied as he took a step towards me, knowing full well before I did, that I was out of options.

"What charade?..   I demanded, once again, as I took another step away from him." I mean, you're not exactly giving off the trust me, I'm not a psychopath vibe here, so why should I go anywhere with you? I mean, I don't even know who you are, much less" what" you are? I added

"Again, we've already been through this before, when  I gave you a second chance at life, you stupid fool. If you stay here, all you'll end up doing is driving yourself insane with grief."  the entity sighed, as it moved towards me, so fast, to the point where it was now standing an arm's length away from me. extending it's hand outward to me in a none threatening manner. Most likely hoping I would fall for it, taking the easy way out. But before even concidering the entities offer, I asked it point blankly.

"If what your saying is true? Mr. Tall dark and creepy as fuck, don't you think I would have noticed I was dead by now? I mean come on!, look at me I'm still in my body for..."

Then before I could finish what I was saying, the entity calling itself death finally...snapped. "Why you audacious little prick, you think you know it all don't you?" It jeered, as it grabbed my arm roughly, yanking me close to him. to the point where we were almost nose to nose, where I could distintly smell a mixture of moth balls, rotting flesh and embalming fluid on its breath, as it added." Well, I have some disheartening news for you, has it ever occured to you, that the horrendous trauma you went through, being a fucking idiot behind the window "Yet again?" that the man you once were. Died on that cold metal slab, the moment we first me in the emergency room?" 

And, as the entity said that, I felt like I was going to be sick. Not because of the entities breath, but on the fact that I though, maybe when I was on the operating table, that it was all in my head? I mean  when I tried to run away the first time.

was I actually going into shock?...

I'll bet that's why the doctors were trying to restrain me, now that I really think about it? But as I continued to ponder some more about it. The little girl's terrified face from before re-emerged in my mind like a bad taste in my mouth. As her terrified eye's locked onto mine as though she were a deer caught in headlights. "But, of I'm dead? Then that little girl?... how come she was able to see me when the other's couldn't?" I asked, still feeling unsure about what the entity had told me.

And as I did so, the creature smiled once again, letting go of me. Taking a step back as he gave me a little private space, for what I am guessing meant only little to him. As the thought of eventually bagging their prize happily raced through it's mind, it said.

" Child, to put it as simple as I possibly can, most human children are born gifted of sort's and rarely remain that way until the day, they grow up.

As he said that, while trying to come to grips with my new reality, I stammered "Holy shit...  so it's true then?...  I'm seriously fucking dead?"

Still smiling, as it watched me come to the obvious conclusion, the entity replied, in a well life's literally a bitch, but I'd be out of work kinda way."Why yes, yes you are..." . Then it added, as if he already knew my next question. "Alright, I'll explain once more very clearly, this time so you'll understand. Your death was fairly common and foolish, driving under the influence." As he said that, I slowly looked down at myself, remembering back when I saw the body on the cold slab in the morgue.

Picturing as my eye's began already undressing the white sheet from the corpse, I saw a huge V. shaped cut, reaching from the collar bone all the way down to the stomach, and when I snapped out of it. out of strange morbit yet terrifying curiousity, I decided to look down the shirt I was wearing. And with a look of mortification in my eyes, I saw the exact same thing, solidifying my fears completely.

 Chuckling, as it saw this, the entity slyly replied  "So, now that it's finally sunk in, I guess you might as well save me the trouble of reminding you of the obvious?"

"Obvious?"

I repeated, absentmindedly as though he were speaking a foreign language." That you have people waiting for you on the other side, and all you have to do is.. just cross over, once you do that, all your cares and worries will go flying right out the window." After that, without uttering another word, as the entities smile reverted to the same shit-eating grin it had when we first met and extended his hand towards me once more. Seeing, that I had already made up my mind before I did. I subconsciously reached out, finally grasping his long bony hand within my own, embracing it as if the entity were a long lost friend, leading me into a world beyond.........

.......Because my name was Joshua morgan,

I died in the summer of 92, when I was twenty-two years old, due to negligence and drunk driving, when I wrapped my Ford pickup truck around a telephone pole  which resulted in me being thrown through my windshield around 90 mpk, and dying in the hospital O.R...

Which, is where I met the Entity known as death for the last time, as he came for me.... Collecting?