Death Is A Welcomed Guest

1

"Ricky?" My older cousin Josh asked through the hospital door.
"Come in." I called back to him as I sat up in my bed. 
"Guess what." He said as he plopped down next to me. 
"What?" I asked, totally disinterest by anything he had to say.
"You get to come home today." He sing songed as he stood up and started to pack up the few things I had.
"Are you serious?" I asked.  Going home is the only thing I've wanted for the past month.
"Just have to go to Kellin's office and sign some paperwork and then were off." He said enthusiastically as he grabbed my bag and left the room.  I followed after him quickly.
"Glad to see you're smiling." Kellin said as he escorted us back to his office.  I looked down to the floor, suddenly becoming self conscious.  Out of the curtain of black hair that hid my face I saw a dark shadow walking towards me.  When I went to look up at it, it disappeared from my vision as though it was a figment of my imagination. 
"You okay?" Josh asked as he looked back at me where I had stopped.  I nodded with a bit of hesitation before quickening my pace to catch up with him.
"Ready to be free?" Kellin asked as he held his office door open for me. I nodded as I took a seat on the leather couch that was against the wall.
"Let's get this done then." He said as he went to his desk and grabbed a small yet substantial stack of papers.

"It's cold." I said as I walked out under the overcast sky.
"That's typically what fall is like." Josh responded sarcastically as he hit the button on his keys to open his car.
"Do you have a sweatshirt in here?" I asked as I climbed into the passenger's seat.
"Uh, I think there's one behind you." He said whilst he pulled out of the parking spot.  I turned around in my seat to see the black shadow fade abruptly.  I cautiously grabbed the black hoodie from the seat and turned back to be facing forward.
"We're you wearing this before?" I asked as I slipped the warm sweatshirt over my head.
"No, it's been sitting in here for a couple of days. Why?" He stated as we pulled onto the main road.
"It's warm. Like human body warm." I said, not that I wasn't grateful for the soft fabric against my cold skin.
"It could've been sitting in the sun or something." He explained as a way of shrugging off the idea.  I buckled myself into the plush chair and sat there in silence.

"Movie?" Josh asked as we made our way through the front door.
"You bet, just let me change." I said as I made my way through the kitchen and to a set of stairs.
"Be safe." He responded as I started to my bedroom. Just because I almost died one time I told you I was going to get changed, doesn't mean I'm going to almost die every time. Just as I was about to round the corner into my room, I bumped into a dark clothed figure.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." The girl said as she put a hand on my shoulder to stable me.
"It's okay. It's my fault." I said as I studied her.  She had blue eyes and pale skin.  Her body adorn in a black sweatshirt I recognized as one of Josh's, tight black skinny jeans and a pair of black stilettos.
"I'm Devin, Josh's boyfriend."  She said as she stuck out her hand for me to shake.  Devin? Boyfriend? 
"I'm Ricky, his cousin." I stuttered nervously.  Since when did Josh have a boyfriend and how in all fuck is that a guy?
"It's nice to meet you." He said as he looked down at the floor and walked past me. 

"Movie time?" I asked as I entered the sunken in living room.  Josh and Devin had their faces latched together as if they needed each others spit like air.
"Uh? What? Yeah. Sorry." Josh said as he pulled away from Devin in a panic.
"It's okay.  I'll see you guys tomorrow." I said as I turned around to head back upstairs. Something in my mind told me to look up, and I did just in time to catch the shadow enter my room.  I sprinted up the rest of the stairs and took a sharp right through the doorway. One part of me was expecting it to be gone, after all it is just a fucking shadow. The other part of me told myself that it's a human and it's going to kill me. There's nothing wrong with that though. As I rounded the corner I saw the bleached white face I've thought about for so long.
"Hey Ricky." He said quietly as he held his arms out to me.
"You just had to send me back here for a second time, didn't you. Couldn't let me die." I practically yelled at him.
"You just had to try to kill yourself." Death said as he reached for me.
"Don't touch me." I screamed.
"Be quiet." He said as he wrapped his warm arms around me. I gave up fighting him and let my head rest against his chest.
"Are you okay?" Josh said as he burst through my bedroom door.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I said as I pulled out of Death's arms.
"Are you sure?" Josh asked as he looked around my room. I nodded as Death rested his hands on my shoulders.
"Who were you yelling at?" Josh asked as he leaned against the door jam.
"No one." I said quickly.
"Hey, I'm standing right here." Death said as he gave my shoulders a light squeeze.
"Do you want me to bring you to see Kellin?" He asked, probably thinking I'm insane.
"No. I'm fine." I said quickly, getting tired of his questions.
"Okay... well call for me if you need anything." Josh said as he took one last look around before leaving me.
"Come on. We have quite a bit to catch up on." Death said as he removed his hands from my shoulder then to my ribs. He slowly slid his hands down my sides until they were tightly pulling at my hips.