Short Stories (BxB)

Death - Noah & Azrail

Around 4700 words.

Death's POV

I didn't understand Life.

Not until...

The child's cries filled the room as the mother's screams and heavy breathing died down.

I watched from afar but the connection and love between the child and the new mother could have been seen from miles away.

Its cries were soon quieted just from hearing its own mother's heartbeat. As the child's tears stopped, the mother's started. The room filled with the feeling of love. Even I, an immortal being, could feel it.

As the room calmed down, the nurses left and it was just the mother and father in the room, I decided to take a closer look. Which, in hindsight, may have been a mistake.

I saw the child's face up close. It had been cleaned and it was sleeping peacefully in its parent's arms. It was... sweet.

I sensed Life's presence but for one reason or another, I couldn't back away from the child.

I felt Life stand beside me.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

"The child is average."

They smiled, "Life. Birth. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It was very messy. The child was well below average when it came out."

"I can see past your mask, Death. I know you are interested in this one."

"So?" I asked, bored of the conversation.

"Remember to not get attached. Everything lives and then dies."

"And when it dies it comes to me, I am well aware of how it works."

They put their hand on my shoulder, "Just a reminder."

Then they were gone.

It took me a long while to leave after. The child was just so... peaceful.

No being was ever that peaceful in life.

**

I found myself keeping track of the child.

After it left the hospital I observed the parent's new dynamic after having to care for a small human.

It was pathetic to say the least.

Beings that had been on earth for over twenty years, could barely take care of a smaller human.

I checked in on it a few times more after, to see if the parents had failed yet and if I needed to send the child to heaven.

That never happened though. And I felt myself be... relieved.

Strange. I liked my job. Why did I prefer to not have to do it with that child?

Birthdays – a strange name because it was only born once – was when I decided to check on it after the parents got better at caring for it. Sometimes I would check in between those times. Out of curiosity. Accidents did happen.

When it turned seventeen years of age it began to... detect me.

Something no human had ever done before.

Life noticed and once again warned me not to get attached to anything. It would live and it would die. It would go to heaven or hell and my existence would keep going.

I was well aware.

But something about the human... compelled me to ignore the warnings.

**