BE ON CLOUD UNIVERSE [END]

'DEATH' - PONGTONG

⚠️TW⚠️

[PONG POV]

"Care to fucking explain?"

It’s a quiet, foggy afternoon. Most of the neighbors had already gone off to work or school or whatever other obligations they had. Pong had been sitting on his porch, sipping his third cup of coffee and arguing with his editor over email. It had been a perfectly normal day, which was to say, a tedious and miserable day. That was until some bastard Pong thought he’d never see again showed up on his street, just as young as the day he had died and smiling like he didn’t have a care in the world.

"Hello to you too."

"Oh, don’t pull that shit. What is this?"

Pong shut his laptop and gave his full attention to Tong, who just stared back at him with that grin. It had been twenty years, and still Pong remembered that grin. 

"I thought you’d be happy to see me. Didn’t you miss me?"

Pong didn’t respond. Instead, he stood up, grabbing his cane and making his way down his lawn. Tong didn’t move from his spot, despite his perfectly functional legs, which only made Pong even more bitter. 

"Oh, i wouldn’t get too close. This form isn’t exactly stable, and i’d hate to leave already. You just stay back there, alright?"

It was strange. Tong didn’t speak like how Pong remembered. He was a bit too calm, a bit too formal, a bit too distant. It was the same voice and the same body, but something deep within Pong knew that it wasn’t the same man.
 

"What are you? Some kinda ghost? Spirit? I know you ain’t Tong, that’s for damn sure."

That was the first thing to break through Tong’s frozen grin. His eyebrows rose, and the corners of his lips fell just a bit. 

"Odd. Usually it takes a while longer for people to realize. Guess you’re a sharp one, even in your old age, huh?"

"Don’t patronize me."

Tong laughed, small and polite.

"Sorry, sorry, i don’t mean to be rude. I suppose i just wasn’t prepared for this, you know?"

Pong saw no humor in the situation. 

"I'll ask again, what is this? What are you? You show up, pretending to be my husband, for what? A laugh? Is this some sick joke?"

"No, nothing like that. I’m...well, how do i put this?"

Tong took a step forward, though his body didn’t follow him. The body of Rainer disintegrated and dissipated into the surrounding fog, leaving this being in a new body. Though, Pong soon realized, it wasn’t just a new body. There were several. Each movement, however small, caused this being to transform into a new person. A tall man, a small child, a famous actor, an ancient queen, each new face leaving just as quickly as it arrived. Pong could barely stand to look at it. 

"I guess i’m Death? Is that the name you use?"

It’s voice was just as bad as it’s appearance. Constantly changing pitches and tones, all echoing those who’ve already passed.

"You’re... So, what? have you come to kill me?"

Death shrugged.

"Maybe! That will depend on the choices you make here."