To Cheat Death

Chapter 1

He watched as the clock hands slowed, any minute now he thought. The little pocketwatch still ticked but it was definitely  slowing down this time.

"Mr Addams!" Called the, for now, mysterious voice. "I believe he should be informed, I am certain he has not long left"

A rather small stout man dressed smartly in a grey suit entered the dark room.

"Shouldn't we wait until it has stopped sir? You know how he hates to have his time wasted and that clock is rather...difficult sir" he said slowly.

The mysterious man turned to look at Mr Addams. His face was hardly visible under his dark top hat but Mr Addams could tell he was getting frustrated.

"Time belongs to me and I am perfectly aware of this, as you have put it, difficult clock but this time I am quite certain" he sneered standing up and moving to the front of his desk.

"I'm sorry sir...it is just that he does hate the paperwork involved. And this is not the first time this watch has caused him, if you forgive the wording sir, grief" Mr Addams trailed. He found himself avoiding the gaze of his employer and instead looking to all the other hanging pocketwatches, dangling from the high ceiling.

The mysterious man continued to look at the pocketwatch in his hand. It was true that this watch had been, for lack of a better phrase, a bloody nuisance. This is not the first occasion that this watch had almost stopped but he was certain that today was the day.

"Sir?" Asked Mr Addams. "Mr Time?"

Time looked to Mr Addams. "Have you asked for him?"

"Just wanted to be absolutely sure sir"

Time examined the gold pocketwatch once more. "I'm certain. Get him". Time tossed the pocketwatch at Mr Addams carelessly.

"Directly Mr Time" said Mr Addams, placing the pocketwatch inside his breast pocket, he did a small bow and left.

Time returned to his desk, shrugged off his purple suit jacket and sat in his comfy chair.

"Mr Addams!" Called Time once more.

"Sir?" Mr Addams panted as he came jogging back into the room.

"Tell him that I'm not here, I don't want to hear his hollow voice. I can't be bothered with it today" he ordered.

"Yes sir" said Mr Addams and once more did a bow and left.

When he returned to his own desk he let out a rather large sigh. He had always worked for Time and generally he was good employer, he received good pay, had his own private quarters in Times mansion and had the added bonus of not dying. There was however one thing that Mr Addams hated, dreaded among all things about this job, speaking to him. Mr Addams thought he would have adapted to dealing with him by now but he couldn't help but feel cold and terrified when he arrived for his paperwork. Mr Addams began setting out the paperwork that was needed; name and location and all the bits and pieces that needed his signature. Once it was all laid neatly out he looked at the bell next to his desk and sighed.

"Best to get it over with Alfred" he muttered to himself.

He pulled down hard on the rope and a loud, almost empty bellowing ring echoed along the corridors of Mr Times home.  Mr Addams returned to his desk and waited. There was a sudden snap, the snap that sounds like a bone has been broken, split the air and there he was. Dressed in his dark black cloak, his bony hand clapping his sythe and his cold eyes staring at Mr Addams.

Mr Addams put on a small smile and tried not to shiver at the sudden cold air that had surrounded him.

"Good afternoon Mr Death" he greeted politely.