Collateral Damage

Negative Four Days, Part II

I sit on the bed at home alone. Jessabelle's death is making me feel so guilty; the guilt is eating me alive.

"Hello."

I let out a scream and jump about fifty feet. 

The guy in front of me laughs. He has pale skin (it looked like he had never seen the sun before), and black hair that matched his soulless eyes. 

"Who the hell are you?!" I manage to yell.

"Me? I'm... well, you can just call me Death."

"Am I dead?" I blurt out. Death chuckles at me.

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

"I have a proposition for you."

"What...?!"

"It involves your... friend, Jessabelle Corey?"

"I'm listening..."

Death smirks. "Good... then, here is your deal. I will send you back 21 days to the past, and you will have the opportunity to save Jessabelle."

"...what's the catch?"

"The catch? You don't really want to know."

I shudder. "Let me think..."

"I already know your answer, Oliver Chandler. Do you have any questions?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait a second. I never said yes!"

"I never said you did."

"..."

"But by all means, please continue."

"I need to think..." The image of Jessabelle's empty desk flashes into my mind. Then her brother breaking down at the funeral. Then Renee. I shudder. "Fine."

"Fine what?"

"I'll take your damn deal! I have a question though."

"Go ahead."

"Why 21 days?"

"A few reasons. One is that it is the distance between your birthdays."

"What...?"

"You were born on November 19th. Jessabelle Corey was born on December 9th-"

"Oh god... she killed herself on her birthday..."

"Purposely so." 

"..."

"As I was saying, you were born twenty one days apart. It took Jessabelle twenty one days to decide that suicide was the best option. You must not let this happen."

"Yeah, no shit." I mutter. "Great. I take your deal. Take me to the past and whatever."

"You know, you're one of the only ones who didn't ask how to save the victim."

"Oh really? Well, I want to save her. Me. It's my job. I doubt you'd help me anyways."

"You're an interesting one... then, prepare to go."

"Okay..."

He turns around and disappears. The world spins around, blurring wildly until I get too dizzy and everything goes black.