The Roses of Death

The only part

Prologue: Primordial Chaos
In the beginning, before time began, there was chaos. No stars, no moon, no sun... no life. The universe was black, meaningless, with no beginning and no end. Then, a strand of swirling night, darker than dreams and nightmares, solidified into a winged figure. He was as beautiful as the gleaming edge of a silver knife, and a flash of moonlight on a raven's wing. Thanatos, god of death, opened his eyes and looked out upon the nothing.

"I am alone"

Prologue: A small town
It was one of those little places in the country somewhere with a few dozen houses and a road. They sit nestled between their green hills and green forests, and time never seems to pass.
​In a windswept school yard, a young boy sat, watching the others talk and play, but he felt as far away as the moon. Even his sister, the only person who ever bothered to talk to him was a distant presence. He watched as a group of boys threw back their heads and laughed, and thought:
"I am alone"

Chapter 1:
​"Come on, Than, just this once?" Hades, Lord of the Dead pleaded. "It'll be fun! We can party out of our minds, get it on with the ladies..."
​Across the carved obsidian floor of the cavern, under an overhang draped with black and white, Thanatos rolled his eyes. "You've been asking me for a thousand years, and I've been saying no for the same. You know what will happen when you bring Death to a party: Complete loss of atmosphere, followed by really bad excuses to get out and fear-worship. You don't want me to come."
​"Okay, okay, you grumbly old raincloud. Well, I'm leaving."
​Hades vanished into a wisp of black smoke and Thanatos sighed.
​The next day:
​"I'm dying! Stupid extra-potent alcoholic nectar!" Hades groaned.
​"Another good reason to not go to parties," Thanatos muttered superiorly. "I'm going to assume that since you're ridiculously hung over, I'm going to have to do all your jobs too?" he called to the moaning Lord of the Dead. Hades just mumbled something unintelligible, so Thanatos grabbed his list, spread his wings and disappeared.

Chapter 2:
​"Another day, another dream disappeared," sighed Rowan, climbing slowly out of bed.
​"Oh, don't be that way, Ro," chirped his sister Chelsea on the way out the door. "I'm going over to see Davie, so make sure you don't just mope around all day Ro."
​"Mmhm"
​Rowan ate, dressed, and slipped outside. He grabbed his bucket of water from its perch upon the stone wall and began carefully pouring it into his pots. Finally, he made it to the end of the garden, and his pride and joy: his first rose bush, still just as bright and green as when he had fist planted it. It had been his only friend during all those long years after his parents died, after he realized that there was no one who truly knew him.
​Suddenly, a sharp knock broke into his memories. Hurrying back into the house, Rowan opened the door to find old Mr. Brown with a silent tear on his cheek.
​"It's my wife, my Elizabeth. She's gone. Will you...?"
​"Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can," promised Rowan
​"Thank you, m'boy," the old man sighed, and turned towards the trek to his now-empty home.
​Rowan gave himself a moment to fondly remember the departed woman before walking briskly back out to his garden. Finding the fullest bloom on a bush near the door, he carefully cut it, then set of to the Brown house.
Rowan found the door open, with Mr. Brown and his three grown children, holding hands in silent mourning. Sarah, the youngest, stepped forward and welcomed him in with a whisper. Rowan went to the bed in the corner, on which lay a still form. Placing the rose on her chest, he bowed his head for a minute before leaving the family to their grief.

Chapter 3:
​Thanatos had quickly finished his round, and began to visit the places on Hades' list. As he flew into a small town, following the glow of a waiting soul, he had to blink because of the feeling that he had gone back in time. Thanatos landed in front of one of the thatched cottages, took a deep breath, made sure he was hidden from the eyes of the living, and walked in.
​When he reached out his hand to the glowing silhouette perched on the bed in the corner, she gasped in fear like they always did. He was murmuring reassurances when he noticed something odd: The woman's spirit was holding a single red rose, even while none could bring material possessions On.
​While he gently took the woman's hand, Thanatos asked, "Where did you get that flower?"
​"Oh, he brought it, after I was gone. He brings them for everyone. Grows them himself, he does. He's a good boy, that Rowan." And with that, she vanished.