[ WP ] Much like jury duty , citizens are chosen at random to spend a day as Death .

Well here was the big day. My day as death. Everyone has to be death every once in a while for our precinct. The letters are sent out a month in advance and work excepts are quickly given. After all who wants to tell the representative of death no? I put on an all black suit. Only fitting obviously and I slicked back my hair. I walked out to my drive way and there was the messenger. A scythe was resting against its shoulder. The darkness was reviled from behind the robes as the figure waved awkwardly. I sighed and waved back as I walked over. 
 `` You know the rules, yes?'' it's beady red eyes blasted judgment onto me. 
 
 `` Yes I know them. No taking people who are not on the list. No removing people's names off the list. Take everyone who is on the list by twelve tonight or else you will pay the ultimate price.'' Everyone knew the rules yet only enough no one knows the ultimate price. 
 
 `` Good'' The figure then raised the scythe to my forehead and chanted the usual Latin ritual. Finally hearing `` Mors et tenebrae in mundo'' I let out a breath as darkness burst from the point on my forehead. I looked at my hands to only see black masses emerging from the sleeves. `` Take these'' He handed me a sickle and rolled up scroll. `` Today's toll is rather small for this precinct'' and with that the it slammed the scythe into the ground and a black sphere swallowed the figure whole and disappeared into the ground. 
 
 `` Lets see who is on the list today'' Glossing over the names and times. One stood out. What a pain. My ex is the last name. Two spells were written on the bottom of the parchment. One for teleportation and one for invisibility. I tried to pronounce the teleportation spell. 
 `` iguana magica... shit, I cleared my voice and tried again `` Ianuae Magicae!'' A sphere of darkness enveloped me and brought me to a hospital room. `` Balls,'' I whispered. 
 The man's family stood by as I walked over. His son watched as I leaned over to see the medical chart. Even with death's spell making it impossible for this child to know who I am it still unnerved me.'Alexander Simmons'. I pulled out the parchment to double check.'Alexander Simmons, 10:30 am'. The nearby clock tower chimed. 
 `` It is time'' 
 
 The wife pulled the child closer and covered his face. He did n't know that I could see him watching through her fingers. But my hands were tied. I took the sickle and placed the blade against his throat. His last breath escaped as I pulled close. There was no blood. There never is. Just a beam of green light against his skin. I heard the monitor flat line. 
 `` Ianuae Magicae'' I could n't stand being in that hospital room. The rest of the day went easy enough. Some hikers who fell to their death had to wait a bit. I got there just a minute late which lead to an awkward conversation but they were understanding after all every adult has to be death at least once. Finally it was coming close *she* was after this one. 
 
 `` Ianuae Magicae'' This time was odd. I was not in sight of the poor guy. I was outside of some house in the dark. I looked up to see the blinds move. I gasp. It used to be where I lived. I tapped the sickle on the lock and it popped open. One of the perks of working for death I guess. I walked up the steps. They creaked like I remembered. Then I heard the even more creaking. I knew what that was but I had to go and see whether I wanted to or not. I knew this would be rough. It was written down so I had to, no matter the pain. I got to the top of the stairs and turned towards the door. Clothes littered the floor as I walked to the room. `` Umbra'' I whispered. My body slowly turned darker and I knew they could n't possibly see me but it still felt disturbing. I walked and opened the door. There she was tied to the bed with a man behind her. Sweat glistened as they moaned. I watched and waited for the time to come. For once I felt as dark as the figure I took on. It was unnerving and weird to watch but I knew she was happy. I smiled when she let a lustrous grin show. The ceiling fan shook above them. I saw the screws shaking loose and the drywall dust floating down. I waited for the deed to be done. Finally he let out an annoyingly loud moan and the fan fell. I walked over and threw a sheet over them as they gasped for air. I looked around the room waiting for their last breaths to come. 
 
 I saw her shoe box under the bed. The same one she had when I was with her. She kept her journal and other personal affects there. I let curiosity take the best of me and opened it. Her journal sat beneath some lingerie. His gasps lessened and I looked at the clock on the wall. 11:34. It was time and I slid the sickle past his throat. A flash of green light lit up the room. I looked at the parchment. Sarah Wilson, 11:42. I picked up her journal and turned the pages. I knew the first few pages. She showed me years ago. I turned to the end of what I knew and read. It was the usual break up stuff. The pain and then the writings about pain turned into pleasure as she wrote about a lover. The lover then turned into lovers as I turned the page. Each had their own perk but she kept writing about being empty inside. I turned the pages some more. More and more she wrote about being empty but the list of lovers became longer and longer. I felt sick so I went to put the journal back. A corner of a photo caught my eye in the bottom of the box. I pulled it up and recognized it instantly. It was us. I could n't remember where it was taken but I saw the smile on myself. It looked foreign on my young face. 
 
 I looked into the mirror and saw nothing. `` Umbra,'' I whispered. I appeared and saw the darkness I had become. Her moans of pain grew louder and I sat next to her. Her eyes grew wide as she knew what was happening. I untied her wrists and placed her head on my lap.I brushed her hair to the side and blotted the blood with my suit. I could n't feel her through the darkness but I wish I could. She moaned something but it was inaudible. 11:42 came around but I waited. I could n't do this to her. I stroked her hair more and held her close. Her breathing lessened and she then fell slept. I waited. I knew what I had done. The minute hand finally reached the top of the clock. 
 
 A booming voice echoed in the room `` LUX!'' My darkness dispersed. The parchment lit ablaze and the sickle dissolved. I held her in my own hands. The messenger was here and the room was cold. Frost formed on the glass and I shivered. 
 
 `` Why'' it hissed. His dark red eyes narrowed to slants. `` We have *never* missssssed a soul'' it spat. 
 
 `` Why?'' I let it sit in the air `` Because I loved her and as much as I hated her at times, she made me truly happy.'' 
 
 `` *Love*'' It sounded disgusted with my answer. 
 
 `` Yes.'' I closed my eyes and held her closer. 
 He took her life first. His scythe flashed bright enough that even my eyelids could n't keep the light out. I felt her life slip from my hands and her eyes fluttered open for just a moment. 
 `` **Stand Now**'' I gently placed her head next to her lover and stood to face the messenger. He placed the scythe upon the back of my head. `` Death is too easy for you'' 
 My eyes grew wide. I knew what he wanted. `` Wait n...'' but he sliced and cut it all out. 
 
 I ca n't remember what it was but I knew it was important. He then flashed away into darkness muttering. I looked around to see a gruesome scene. A lovely couple lying in bed with a ceiling fan. I did the only thing I could think of and phoned the police. It really sucked as I had to then explain to the police why my finger prints were all over the scene. Luckily death makes it easy for proof with the letters for work exemptions. I hope that couple is in love in heaven, I wish I knew her before she had to go.
