A Dance With Death

Chapter 1

Eliza looked up at the man in front of her who had just told her he was Death, then burst out laughing. "That's a good one. It's probably the best one I've heard yet. Seriously, though, who are you?" Tears started rolling down her face as she continued to laugh, but the man did not seem fazed by her actions. Instead, he looked at her quizzically. "I don't know what is making you laugh this hard," he said, "But, I've been watching you for a long time, Eliza. The girl who escaped Death through a witch's curse, so intriguing. But, now you have called upon me, little bird. And I've come to claim my prize." Eliza's laughing ceased as her eyes widened. "Wait, you're serious? No, you can't be real. Wait... am I dead? Did I finally die? Is this the afterlife?"

The man stepped closer to her, his eyes shining like molten silver, grasping her hand in his. Eliza went to take a step back, then again realized her back was literally against the wall. She could not run away, even if she wanted to. "You're not dead, Eliza. You wanted the 'cold embrace of death' to take you away. That was your words." Eliza pulled her hand from Death's, moving her hands up to push against his chest, to try to gain some space between their two bodies. She felt life she was being suffocated with his body so close to hers, smelling more enticing than any man she had ever been around during her time on the mortal plane.

Death stared down at her and asked, "You're not scared of me, little bird, are you?" "First, I'm not a little bird, so stop calling me that. I didn't mean that phrase literally. I meant that I wanted to die. Did you not hear the rest of my words? See where I was, who I was visiting?" The man smirked at her, then stepped back. "I saw exactly what you were doing. Mourning a loss from centuries ago. But, I'm afraid the rest of what you said was invalid the moment you spoke the words that called upon me. Your words formed a contract with me the moment you uttered them. And no, I can't die like your past lover, so don't think that you can get rid of me so easily."

Eliza pushed herself off the wall, moving to the side, trying to move around the man who easily towered over her. She thought about her past lover, Alexander, in that moment. The cold touch she had felt as he passed away all those years ago. "You took Alexander from me," she said to Death, staring at him, cold and impassive. "I take all souls to the beyond when it is their time. You could feel me that day, but you just weren't ready to see me yet." Eliza asked, "And you've been watching me? For how long?"

Death thought back for a moment and said, "I want to say about fifty years after you were turned immortal. Before you even met your lover. I realized that your soul was still on the earthen plane, much past its time. Most human souls do not cling to the earthen plan like yours has. All souls have a purpose, and once that purpose is completed, they pass on with my assistance. But when I saw how young you still were, how alive, I realized that something was different about you from all the other mortals. So, I did some investigating and found out about your curse. How cute for the witch to think you could evade Death himself forever. I was intrigued by you, so I followed you, wanting to find out everything I could about you. I was just waiting for the day you would eventually call upon me, allow me to make you mine. And it seems that today is that day."

Eliza was shocked by his confession, wanting to get distance between herself and her supernatural stalker. She started to inch her way around him, keeping her back against the wall. She seemed to finally gain enough distance to move around him when he reached out, grasping her wrist and pulling her against his chest. "You have three days to decide, Eliza. I won't force you into anything you don't want." Eliza gulped, not understanding the meaning behind his words. "What if I decide that I don't want this in three days? What, then?" "Let's just say little bird, you can try to fly away all you want, but you won't want to when the three days is up. You can't... no, you won't want to escape me." Death moved to stroke the back of his hand down Eliza's face, then let her go. He stepped back, tipped his head towards her, and said, "Remember... three days." Then, he disappeared in a whirl of darkness.