Life and Death

“Why don’t you like me, Life? Are you scared of me. Of Death?” Death chuckled lightly. She batted her eyelashes at Life. “Or do you just want nothing to do with me. Sometimes you love me, sometimes you don’t.” She bent down, the edges of her dress riding up right to her mid-thigh. 

Life looked away and cleared his throat “I am not scared of you. Why should I fear something as sad as you are.”

Death stood back up, her height about the same as Life’s. She held a white daisy in her hand. Every time she plucked the petal she said “Life loves me, he loves me not.” 

Life shifted to his right foot and crossed his arms over his chest, feeling uncomfortable “We aren’t talking about love right now, Death. We are talking about why you said I was scared of you.”

She smirked slightly “Because I know you are. You are full of fear, you and your people. While some of mine are full of pain and joy. How many of your people come to me every day?”

Life opened his mouth slightly and closed it again. He rubbed his jaw with one hand, the other by his side “To many.. Around 300,000 a day..” he said softly “But that still has nothing with fear.”

Death smiled brightly at him and leaned into him and plucked the last petal off of the flower “Oh, you do love me, don’t you.” She chuckled “Because your people love me. Some don’t, but most want me to come knocking on their door.” She looked in his bright blue eyes. 

He gritted his teeth. He couldn’t hate Death any stronger at this moment in time. “Just came to rub it in my face, didn't you.”

She shrugged and turned around, walking away “Your people love me, Life. They want me to come.” She turned her head slightly and looked back at him, her dark hair covering her shoulders “Make them love you again and they will stay. I’m their ticket away from you. You give them to much stress, to much heartbreak. Make their lives easier and many more will stay.”

Life growled lightly “I can’t make their lives easier! I’m not supposed to be easy, Death! Life is hard, Life is cruel! I’m supposed to make and ruin people’s days!” His hands clenched and he glared at her. “You, you’re to easy. Only the weak take you.”

She looked at him “No, only the ones you have hurt to much accept my embrace. Most have lived hard lives. They hurt themselves, other people. They can’t stand it. One day, you might remember how it was for you.”

He shook his head “Life is hard. It’s a hard road. Only the strong survive.”

“And they will end up coming to me right? All of your soldiers come to my side eventually.”

“And after they leave your side? Where do they go.” he shot back.

Her face was expressionless “Yours. It’s a never ending cycle isn’t it, love?”

He laughed “Exactly.”

“And they stay in my land for as long as they stayed in yours.” She said softly, not looking away from his eyes.

Life looked at her and then glanced away. He sighed “Why are you picking a fight with me.”

She took his hand and slipped the naked flower into it. She pulled away “Because everyone dies. Some choose to. Some don’t.. Realize that and make it easier for some.” She turned around and walked away, not giving him the satisfaction of looking back.