Angel of Death

November 7, 1872

"Oh, Claudia..."

An old man was sitting by the fireplace, softly snickering. "I miss you every single passing day." Anton mourned his wife, Claudia, who passed away exactly four years ago. "Happy birthday my dear, wherever you may be now." Anton's tears roll down his cheeks. "I will always treasure the memories we made, but I wish we could have made so many more." Anton takes off his hat and presses it up against his heart. "My dear Claudia, how I miss you. It... drives me insane. Oh Claudia, what I would not give to hold you in my arms once more."

Anton's mourning is interrupted by a knock on the door. "Go away!" Anton shouts, clearly wanting to be left alone. Yet, the door was knocked on again, and again, and again. "I said leave me be! Let me wallow in self-pity in peace!" A woman's voice sounded from the other side of the door. "Anton? Anton! It's me! Claudia!"

Anton stared at the door. "Goddammit. It's those damned hallucinations again. Here I was thinking those ended years ago." Anton turned away from the door. "It's time to move on Anton. It's not real. She's gone. She's gone." Anton muttered to himself, holding back a flood of tears.

"Anton, please!" Open the door!" Anton got up from his chair. "Well, whether or not it's real. I would like to see her again. Just one more time." Anton shuffles over to the door, drying his tears with the sleeve of his jacket. "Claudia..." Anton slowly opens the door. It creaks. "Anton!" In front of him stood Claudia. "Claudia... we cannot keep meeting like this. It... it's time for me to move on." Claudia jumped up and embraced him. "Anton! I- I'm alive!"

Anton's eyes widened upon feeling her physical touch. He wrapped his arms around her as tears began running down his cheeks. "Claudia... this embrace... oh thank Dori... it really is you." Anton held his wife tighter than ever before, not wanting to let go. "I missed you, my love", Claudia said, snickering into Anton's jacket. Anton mustered up the courage to speak in a moment that had left him speechless. "Happy birthday my dear. I missed you too, more than you could possibly imagine."

November 14, 1872

"Oh, Timmy... You- you don't deserve this."

Karen sat next to her son's bed at London's Children's Hospital. "M- mother..." Karen snickered. "Yes, dear. Mommy is here. Mommy will always be here." Timmy coughed as he moved his head to face his mother. "I- I don't feel good mother." The young boy coughed his lungs out as he tried to look his mother in the eyes. "It hurts." Karen folded her son's hand into hers. "I know it hurts sweetie." She tried to make eye contact with her son, but she could barely face him. "When all this is over, we will go buy you all the toys you could possibly want." Timmy smiled, albeit briefly. "Thank you, mommy. You are the best mommy I could ever wish for." Karen could no longer hold back the tears. "Mommy loves you, son. When all this is over you will never have to work at the factory again." A smile formed on Timmy's face. "Thank you, mommy. "I love you too." Timmy shut his eyes as he exhaled his last breath. Karen stared at his innocent smile as she felt his pulse fade away. A flood of tears streamed down her cheeks as she sat with him for what felt like centuries. "Mommy is so proud of you..." Karen closed her eyes and rested her head on her son's chest, but was soon interrupted by a bright light. She gathered her strength and raised her head, squinting at the light. It appeared blurry through the tears, but she could barely make out the form of a man. A man wearing a white robe had appeared in front of her. "W- who are you?" The robed figure walks over to the young child's body. It wraps its arms around him and picks him up. "No. No! No, you cannot take him." Karen got up from her chair, violently gesturing at the robed figure. "Leave him alone!"

"M- mommy?" Karen fell silent. "Mommy is that you?" She stared at her son. Who slowly opened his eyes. "I'm scared mommy." The robed figure handed the boy over to his mother. Karen took him and smiled as she could feel his pulse again. "I- I can't believe it."