He's not like I thought he would be; sinister, creepy, and way too in love with his job. Meeting Death is one of those experiences that only comes at that one certain time in your life. You never meet him before that time and once you do, you never forget it. I've met many people over my life that feared Death, they feared "oblivion" as they liked to call it. But they've never met him, there is no such thing as oblivion so they don't have anything to fear. Of course, they don't know that, if they did then they would be dead.
Death, I have found, is more scared of humans than we are of him. Although it's more likely that he hates us; not necessarily us but what we do to each other. It seems like wars are his greatest fear, it seems to me as though he hates his job. Of course these were merely questions that I thought would take a lot longer to get answered but it seems as though they came a little sooner than I'd planned. This is the story about how I died and met Death.
It was May 2nd 2014. I was home alone. My parents had gone out to see a movie and my brother was doing something with his friends, most likely at The Bagel Cafe. This was one of the rather rare occasions that I was actually home and alone for quite a long period of time. I used to treasure these moments with blasting music, dancing around, and singing at the top of my lungs. Of course, this time was no different. With my music on the highest it could go and my bedroom door closed I didn't have any chance of hearing the front door open. The first time I became aware of robbers was when one of them tripped over a set of shoes left in the hallway and cursed loudly. What went through my mind next was panic. People were in my house, strangers. What if they come upstairs? What if they find me? I decided to leave my music on; maybe they thought whoever lived here forgot to turn it off and if I turned if off they would know someone else was in the house.
I carefully walked to the top of the stairs, not very far from my room, and peaked to see who it was. Two people stood in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. I didn't see their faces because they were wearing all black. One of them was shorter and had a smaller build compared to his partner who was at least six feet tall and looked really strong. I tried to stay silent as I watched them walk into the living room and out of site. Placing my back against the railing (there was a short wall there where the railing was attached) I tried to slow my heart rate down enough to think straight.
Phone! was the first thing that came to mind. I had to get to the phone and call 911. I remembered there was one in my parents room at the end of the upstairs hallway. Carefully, I crawled into my parents room. I was almost able to reach the phone when I heard footsteps on the stairs, Damn it! They must have heard me! fing squeaky floors, I thought and mentally smacked myself. Thinking quickly I had tried to hide underneath the bed. Unfortunately for me I no longer fit under it and they eventually found me.
"Look what we have hear!" Thug One yelled to Thug Two; he must be up here alone, unfortunately he was the larger of the two. I saw him smile devilishly as he reached down and pulled me up by my hair. I didn't feel the point in struggling so I stood as still as I could as he pushed me towards the bedroom door. "Go on, run b**ch!" he whispered in my ear and shoved me onto the floor in front of him. I didn't dare look backwards as I ran for the stairs, almost tripping and falling on the way down the thought of the second robber escaped my mind when I saw the front door. It was open!
That's when it happened. My back was to the living room door so I didn't even see him coming. He quickly came up behind me, wrapped his right arm across my neck and shoved a pocket knife in my lower back. Letting me go I collapsed onto the hardwood floor in the porch. I could vaguely hear them shouting at each other; I guess the tall guy didn't agree with his partners actions.
My eyes started close as the world grew more and more fuzzy. Before my eyes closed fully I saw something at the end of the hallway. Death. He is roughly seven feet tall and completely black. As he walked towards me I noticed my eyesight improving, one thought raced through my mind. Am I going to live? I remember him looming over me; this gigantic black figure looking down at me.
No I heard. It sounded like it came from somewhere around the black figure's head. It sound deep and rough but reassuring at the same time. I looked down at the ground in confusion and looked in horror at my bloody body lying on the ground. Then I focused more on "myself", noticing I was wearing the same clothes I died in. I remember thinking about changing my clothes or something like that and hearing his voice again. This time he gave an answer I wasn't expecting. You will. Once you get there.
"Get where? Heaven?" When he didn't answer I started to panic. "Hell?" I whimpered. That's when I felt him pick me up. His hands were rather bony and I worried if he would be able to carry me then I remembered that I probably don't weight much more than a feather.
You will see, you will know, once you get there. Was all he said. I felt slightly comforted by Death, it was a strange feeling. Here I was, I had just died and was now being carried by Death to some unknown destination. Along the journey I would ask him many questions, not all he asked though. Some he answered in depth, while other were no more that one or two words. I found his point of view on the human world fascinating. He told me about the many different souls he had helped and some I found quite shocking. I'd kind of always wanted to meet Death and when I got the chance, he didn't disappoint.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
The Marks Building One
It all started with a simple design. A simple sketch of the building that lead to a scale model and then finally to the construction. I proposed it to the local government not excepting very much to happen; maybe a head nod and a "we'll think about it" but it was accepted with open arms. Let me tell you about that day.
5 years ago
New York City
It was a sunny day in New York City that day. The sky was an electric blu with no clouds in the sky. Some would say it was a sign, that's the way I like to look at it. Traffic was hell that day, usual NYC traffic, completely blocked no matter which street you go on. This caused me to choose the latter, the subway. During that day it's a bad choice but at rush hour it's a really hectic place to be.
My appointment was at 5:30pm in primetime rush hour. It was a miricale that I managed to get on the right train at the right time without much of a delay. I arrived at City Hall at 5:15pm, giving me enough time to go over my presentation.
"Charlie Wax?" I stood from my chair and looked at the women. "They're ready to see you now" She continued, stepping aside to let me pass. "Good Luck."
"Thank you. I might need it" I replied with a smile. Walking through the glass door I saw a long hallway, The wallpaper looked brand new and was a dull red and black pattern. The carpet was a solid baige that ran from the waiting room all of the way to the end of the hall.
I reached the door with the name William Shardner on a silver plaque; opening it I was waved inside. From there I closed the door and pitched my idea. I didn't end up coming out for another hour and a half. Mr. Shardner loved the idea of a safe place for the city's poor people, as well as the homeless. He was especially essactic when I mentioned that it wouldn't cost millions of dollars to build.
Present Day
That day was when my dream of helping people took a step further. Mr. Shardner has asked me to come back in a month with a revised plan and a scale model of the building. He also said to bring a list of material suppliers and a cost estimate.
When I had gone to see him to present a finalized plan, along with the scale model, that same women had been there. We smiled at each other as I had walked past her and through the door. Mr. Shardner has been even more excited at my plans for the building and had said and I quote, "Go home, sleep and wait for my call." I'd figured at that point that it was going smoothly. The call, I thought, would be a confirmation of approval from the council about construction.
Four Years Ago
July 24 2021
New York City
This day was a little more cloudy than the first day. Not too cloudy as to block out the sun but enough that it looked on the verge of raining. Cars still blocked the streets and horns honked in annoyance as I sat at my kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee.
My heart was racing as I waited for the call. The call that would determine the future of my dream.
I took a sip of coffee and jumped when my phone rang. I answered and smiled at the news. The entire council had accepted my proposal and ordered that construction begin ASAP.
Present Day
Today was the day, The MARKS Building One was about to open for business. Months before opening we had held a registration for people living on the street. Making arrangements for different people, depending on their working condition.
I, myself have not seen the finished building yet but everyone outside the car was screaming loudly. I prepared myself and existed the limo. Turning around I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
My dream had come true, I was going to help so many people with this one building. 35 stories high with 118 floors and 10 apartments on each floor, That meant 1,180 apartments in total, which meant 1,180 homeless and poor with a safe place to live. My work though, had only just begun.
5 years ago
New York City
It was a sunny day in New York City that day. The sky was an electric blu with no clouds in the sky. Some would say it was a sign, that's the way I like to look at it. Traffic was hell that day, usual NYC traffic, completely blocked no matter which street you go on. This caused me to choose the latter, the subway. During that day it's a bad choice but at rush hour it's a really hectic place to be.
My appointment was at 5:30pm in primetime rush hour. It was a miricale that I managed to get on the right train at the right time without much of a delay. I arrived at City Hall at 5:15pm, giving me enough time to go over my presentation.
"Charlie Wax?" I stood from my chair and looked at the women. "They're ready to see you now" She continued, stepping aside to let me pass. "Good Luck."
"Thank you. I might need it" I replied with a smile. Walking through the glass door I saw a long hallway, The wallpaper looked brand new and was a dull red and black pattern. The carpet was a solid baige that ran from the waiting room all of the way to the end of the hall.
I reached the door with the name William Shardner on a silver plaque; opening it I was waved inside. From there I closed the door and pitched my idea. I didn't end up coming out for another hour and a half. Mr. Shardner loved the idea of a safe place for the city's poor people, as well as the homeless. He was especially essactic when I mentioned that it wouldn't cost millions of dollars to build.
Present Day
That day was when my dream of helping people took a step further. Mr. Shardner has asked me to come back in a month with a revised plan and a scale model of the building. He also said to bring a list of material suppliers and a cost estimate.
When I had gone to see him to present a finalized plan, along with the scale model, that same women had been there. We smiled at each other as I had walked past her and through the door. Mr. Shardner has been even more excited at my plans for the building and had said and I quote, "Go home, sleep and wait for my call." I'd figured at that point that it was going smoothly. The call, I thought, would be a confirmation of approval from the council about construction.
Four Years Ago
July 24 2021
New York City
This day was a little more cloudy than the first day. Not too cloudy as to block out the sun but enough that it looked on the verge of raining. Cars still blocked the streets and horns honked in annoyance as I sat at my kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee.
My heart was racing as I waited for the call. The call that would determine the future of my dream.
I took a sip of coffee and jumped when my phone rang. I answered and smiled at the news. The entire council had accepted my proposal and ordered that construction begin ASAP.
Present Day
Today was the day, The MARKS Building One was about to open for business. Months before opening we had held a registration for people living on the street. Making arrangements for different people, depending on their working condition.
I, myself have not seen the finished building yet but everyone outside the car was screaming loudly. I prepared myself and existed the limo. Turning around I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
My dream had come true, I was going to help so many people with this one building. 35 stories high with 118 floors and 10 apartments on each floor, That meant 1,180 apartments in total, which meant 1,180 homeless and poor with a safe place to live. My work though, had only just begun.
When I Grow Up
The sun was still asleep when my alarm clock blared on my bedside table. When I opened my eyes I saw a white ceiling. Turning to my left I looked at my alarm clock; it read 5:30am. Time to get up; lucky me, getting stuck with the early shift this week, like all of the rookies.
Standing, my feet are forced onto the cold hardwood floor as I made m way towards the bathroom. Opening the door a small gush of cold winter air smacked my face, causing my eyes to open wide. Shivering, I showered and changed.
The sun was just starting to shine threw the kitchen window illuminating the flowers on the counter and blinding me as I walked into the room. Open books lay on the living room table from my late night studying; I had an exam on phobias in a few days so I had been studying hard.
With the sound of the coffee brewing I decided to make sure I had everything' all of my after-work clothes and workout clothes. Checking my bag I found all of my things in their places. Grabbing and pouring the coffee into a mug I brought the adieus bag's strap over my left shoulder and headed for the door.
I arrived at the station a little before seven; I was early. When I went into the locker room everyone was already there. I nodded at them and started to change. Not too long after I arrived out captain called the routine briefing meeting in the main conference room. Mostly it's just to give everyone their riding partners and assignments. The rookies are always with the same officer until they become full officers. These people are called training officers, they teach us the rules and test our abilities in the field.
My training officer had been on the force for almost 30 years, he's one of the most experience officers in the precinct. His car was usually fairly clean, no food wrappers or garbage. He was really helpful in showing me around and making sure that I knew what I was doing and confident in what I was doing. He also made sure that I was covered when I needed to go to class or take a test.
For the exam on Wednesday he promised to back me up and make sure everyone thought I took a sick day. Of course I called in sick that day but just in case everyone asked he promised to confirm the story.
Usually we just talked about work, he would teach me something new about the job and I would ask a million questions. We would respond to a few calls a day, mostly domestic calls, or hand out speeding tickets. That day was slow, not many calls and by the end of shift we hadn't arrested anyone, just given out a few tickets.
When I'd finished changing I headed home. No sense in going to the local bar plus I did not have anyone special to meet up with so I had taken the opportunity to study. Phobias, if you think about it, is actually quite an interesting topic to learn about. It makes you understand what people are afraid of and that allows you to try and help them. I headed over to the fridge where I pulled out left-over chili in a container. Placing it in the microwave I gathered my books from the living room table and brought them into the dining room. Getting the chili into a bowl and a glass of water from the refrigerator I sat down in front of my books for another long night of studying.
Standing, my feet are forced onto the cold hardwood floor as I made m way towards the bathroom. Opening the door a small gush of cold winter air smacked my face, causing my eyes to open wide. Shivering, I showered and changed.
The sun was just starting to shine threw the kitchen window illuminating the flowers on the counter and blinding me as I walked into the room. Open books lay on the living room table from my late night studying; I had an exam on phobias in a few days so I had been studying hard.
With the sound of the coffee brewing I decided to make sure I had everything' all of my after-work clothes and workout clothes. Checking my bag I found all of my things in their places. Grabbing and pouring the coffee into a mug I brought the adieus bag's strap over my left shoulder and headed for the door.
I arrived at the station a little before seven; I was early. When I went into the locker room everyone was already there. I nodded at them and started to change. Not too long after I arrived out captain called the routine briefing meeting in the main conference room. Mostly it's just to give everyone their riding partners and assignments. The rookies are always with the same officer until they become full officers. These people are called training officers, they teach us the rules and test our abilities in the field.
My training officer had been on the force for almost 30 years, he's one of the most experience officers in the precinct. His car was usually fairly clean, no food wrappers or garbage. He was really helpful in showing me around and making sure that I knew what I was doing and confident in what I was doing. He also made sure that I was covered when I needed to go to class or take a test.
For the exam on Wednesday he promised to back me up and make sure everyone thought I took a sick day. Of course I called in sick that day but just in case everyone asked he promised to confirm the story.
Usually we just talked about work, he would teach me something new about the job and I would ask a million questions. We would respond to a few calls a day, mostly domestic calls, or hand out speeding tickets. That day was slow, not many calls and by the end of shift we hadn't arrested anyone, just given out a few tickets.
When I'd finished changing I headed home. No sense in going to the local bar plus I did not have anyone special to meet up with so I had taken the opportunity to study. Phobias, if you think about it, is actually quite an interesting topic to learn about. It makes you understand what people are afraid of and that allows you to try and help them. I headed over to the fridge where I pulled out left-over chili in a container. Placing it in the microwave I gathered my books from the living room table and brought them into the dining room. Getting the chili into a bowl and a glass of water from the refrigerator I sat down in front of my books for another long night of studying.
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