Breath taker

Part 2- The End Of A Journey

Lorelai stood before an old woman's hospital bed. Her breath caught on every breath, the only other sound beside the beeping of the machines surrounding her.

Lorelai knew that she was alone, her mother, father and sisters had died before she'd met her husband, who she'd taken many years ago, and her only son had left her alone when he'd turned eighteen, searching for something he valued more than family. The woman was one of the few who'd been able to see her before reaching their death bed. These such people, however are cursed to wander their lives alone, knowing pain worse than the average person.

The elderly lady opened her closed eyes, and saw Lorelai, standing at the foot of her bed. She chuckled "Why hello Lorelai. It is, for once, a pleasure to see you.". Lorelai smiled. "Hello, Naomi." she said. Naomi patted the bed for the Reaper to sit upon. Lorelai took the offer. "So, is it finally my turn?" she asked. "It is indeed, my friend.".

Naomi was one of the few who was pleasurable with Lorelai. Most who could see her, cursed her name and her sight. They blamed her for their misfortune and their loved ones'deaths. Naomi, however, seemed to understand that Lorelai was taking them to a better place and that she didn't find it pleasurable, separating mother from child, lover from lover.

Lorelai reached to stroke the blade of her scythe, when Naomi stopped her. "Don't. Please don't take me in the shape of a monster that people fear. Take me in the shape of one of my oldest friends." she pleaded. Lorelai sighed.

"Very well then, old friend." she raised her scythe as Naomi closed her eyes.

She struck it down, separating the woman's soul from her body. Lorelai watched as her spirit rose, leaving her body behind. The old woman stood beside her as she opened her eyes.

"Better?" she asked the ghost. "I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of my chest. I feel like a drifting feather. Free." Naomi exclaimed, amazed.

"Come along then, you aren't the only one whose timer is up."

"Who is it next?" the elderly ghost asked.

"A child fighting cancer, he's in so much pain currently."

"Then let's not keep him waiting."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The boy lay there, so clearly in pain. His mother sat beside him, her head in her hands. It was clear that she knew the end was coming. They both knew, the doctors had said any day. The boy saw the spirit and the ghost appear in his hospital room and smiled.

"Hey mommy."

The woman looked up. "Yes sweetheart?"

"Are you gonna be alright when I... y'know die?"

"I dunno."

"Promise me. Because I know that I will be. But I need to know that you'll be okay when I leave you alone, all by yourself."

"I-I promise then. I promise that I'll be fine."

"Good. Mommy, can you go get us puddings? The strawberry one that you like?" he asked her.

"Sure. Sure. I'll be back in a sec." the woman got up.

"Hey Mama?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

The woman got up and closed the door.

"I didn't want her to be here when I die." he said. Lorelai smiled. "You're a very brave boy, you know that right. You're so brave.". He looked to the ghost beside the spirit of death.

"Does dying hurt?" he asked. "Quite the opposite actually, it's like a heavy backpack has been taken off your shoulders and you can finally fly." Naomi smiled kindly at him.

"Can you give me a moment? And some paper and a pen?" he asked. "Sure" Lorelai said as she walked up to a table, where a piece of paper, and a marker was. The boy took it eagerly. He began to write.

Injoy the puddings. Sorry caus Im not here to et 1 with you. I love u

It was a simple message, misspelled, but one that would bring his mother and doctors to tears when they found him.

"She loves you. Very much. You did the right thing, sending her away." Lorelai said.

"I know that she wouldn't be able to stand being in the room as I died." he exclaimed.

Lorelai smiled a sweet smile as she looked down at the hourglass around her neck.

"It's time. Close your eyes. Imagine that you're flying above the clouds. Feel your breath catch. It's me taking away your pain. But I can't just take that by itself. I also have to take your breath. But now, you will never have to breathe the dirty city air. You can't breathe anymore, but with your burdens gone, you can glide in the air, you can drift above the clouds."

Lorelai separated his pure soul from his mortal body with a silent swipe of her scythe as she spoke.

"You can go anywhere you want to go, see what you always wanted to. And when you have, you can come back to my home."

The boy's spirit floated up, away from its separated body. He opened his eyes and gasped as he zoomed around his old hospital room.

"Now follow me, and I will show you how to reach the afterlife, just so you know how to get there after you've seen what you wanted to see. Naomi, would you like to go with him so he doesn't get into trouble, or gets lost?"

"It would be my pleasure." the old woman said beaming. She raised her hand and took the flying boy's hand as they followed the Grim Reaper to the underworld.