[ WP ] Humans for all of recorded history have reported seeing a man or women close to them when they are on the brink of death . Today , this figure appears to you though you believed yourself to be in good health .

I stare impatiently at the flashing red man, panting heavily and seriously regretting my run from the bus due to the sweat I could feel pooling in my suit. And because I had stopped when a little old lady had hailed me down for directions, I had missed the walk signal anyway! I nervously check my watch. This crossing always takes at least five minutes. I am definitely going to be late for work. If I miss this presentation I'm almost entirely certain my overpaid, over-fed boss will fire me. 
 
 I stare anxiously into the passing traffic, the sunlight bouncing off the cars and shining into my eyes. The spot directly in front of me is glaringly bright and I start blinking as it appears to grow steadily brighter. Blinking is n't helping and the light is giving me rather a headache so I step back into the shade, briefly closing my eyes. 
 
 Taking a deep breath, I slowly open them, allowing the light to slip back in. To my horror I realised the bright light is now surrounding a serene woman in the middle of the road. She was draped in a flowing, floating dress, and the traffic seemingly passed right through her, paying no heed. I stare in disbelief, blinking, rubbing my eyes, swallowing what is either a cry of shock or a long scream. There is no reaction from the others waiting at the cross walk, and I'm panicking. My god, I've finally actually cracked and I'm seeing things. Forget being late to work, I'll be lucky if I'm not bloody committed today! I've seen my mother strapped to beds and poked and prodded with needles while she screamed at imaginary demons and can imagine no worse a hell. 
 
 I resolve to ignore it. I've seen A Beautiful Mind! Fuck you, serene, smiling figment of my imagination! My bravado is greatly shaken as she begins drifting slowly towards me. Should I just ditch work and run?! I ca n't just stand here! Not knowing what to do and not wanting anyone to know, I freeze. Stopping in front of me, she opens her mouth and I wait for her words as my stomach drops to the sidewalk. 
 `` It's time,'' she gently whispers, as she reaches out her hand. It touches my chest and I feel a small shudder run through my heart. I gasped involuntarily and few people turn to look at me. I grit my teeth and inwardly scream at myself to keep it together. Her serene smile is wavering slightly and seems to turn to confusion, but before I have time to puzzle upon it the green man finally pops up and I hurry around her across the road. 
 
 Except I can still see her. I do n't even have to look around, she's just hovering in the corner of my eye. I run past the entrance to my work into the dark alley beside. The cool, musty air hits my face as I lean against the bricks and squeeze my eyes shut. I need this job. I have two weeks off coming up and if I can just make it through this week... It's not even that bad! She's just smiling at me. It's all in my head, so it ca n't hurt me if I do n't react. Pep talk over, I steel myself for the day ahead, exit the ally, and walk through the doors into work. 
 
 I make it through the presentation. Not as perfectly as I could have, but pretty damn well, I think. I've actively avoided looking at the figure, or even thinking about the figure. But I do n't want to test my luck. Ducking under my desk I roughly thrust my fingers down my throat and before anyone takes notice I've started retching and run to the bathroom. 
 
 Excused from work, I decide that as this is an emergency I'm going to shell out the eighty dollars for an hour-long taxi home. I hail the first one I see and he pulls over. The figure floats in beside me as I give my address and we pull out into traffic. The driver turns the radio up and I count the songs. After eight songs have played I can take it no longer and I subtly glance at the figure beside me. We make eye contact before I quickly turn to look out the window. She looks very much less serene, seeming more... exasperated? Irritated? I could n't tell from my brief glance. As I was trying to work up the courage to look again, her cold little hand swiftly reached out to my chest. Like earlier, a spasm ran through my heart and again, I gasped. The driver frowned at me in the rearview mirror. Clutching my chest I look over at her in shock, and now she's looking distinctly annoyed. 
 `` It's time! ``, she says brusquely. When I do n't react she hits me in the chest and holds her hand there as my heart seems to shudder. 
 `` STOP! ``, I scream, throwing the door open as the taxi screeched to a halt, and sprinting down the street as the driver yelled after me. I could see her from the corner of my eye, effortlessly keeping pace. But worse, I could hear her. Her voice and become low and eerie and was repeating in a deep, insistent chant; `` ItstimeItstimeItstimeItstime-''. 
 
 But I was n't having it. Goddamnit I've just earned my first promotion and paid vacation after three years of solid work, I'm the fittest I've ever been, I'm about to propose to my goddamn girlfriend and `` IT'S NOT TIME!''. The words burst out of me and the light in the corner of my eye vanishes. I look around wildly, seeing nothing except an old couple looking nervously at me and a mother ushering her children past me. I run over to the road, slapping the crosswalk button. The glorious green man miraculously pops up immediately, and head down, I hurry away from the scene of embarrassment. I hear screeching and look up to see a bus metres from my face. It seemed to be moving in slow motion. I peered up into the window and could just see the eyes of the driver. He was n't even looking at the road! But he did look horrified, and as the bus drew within a meter of my body I followed his gaze to... the figure. Staring triumphantly at me. 

