To Cheat Death

Chapter 5

Lucius had been pacing the floor for about two hours. He had already scoffed the pitiful amount of bread he was given for his dinner and was fresh out of ideas on how to avoid the hangmans noose. Still he couldn't help but feel that someone was watching him. Lucius lay on the cell floor and gazed up at the ceiling when the cell came across as being far colder than it had been a few moments ago, Lucius sat bolt upright and looked by the cell door and saw Death sitting on a rocking chair knitting what looked to be a black hat.

Death didn't look up at Lucius and didn't appear to notice Lucius' raised eyebrow at him. There was silence in the cell for a while until Lucius got bored and broke it.

"I take it you finished the jumper?" He asked, leaning casually against one of the cell walls.

Death stopped his knitting and looked up at Lucius with his bright purple eyes before turning to look at his knitting pattern and returned to paying attention to his knitting needles.

"I do wish you wouldn't lean against the wall like that, who are you trying to impress? Just sit down for God's sake" came Deaths familiar hollow voice.

Lucius felt a little awkward and sat down cross legged on the floor gazing up at Death.

"So?" Prompted Lucius.

Death looked at him, "oh the jumper? Yes I finished that, quite comfortable"

Lucius nodded with a slight smile, "I'm glad"

Death continued knitting and silence fell over the cell again. Minutes passed but this time it was Death that broke the silence.

"Why weren't you more careful to avoid the hangman? Surely you knew you would have been caught?"

Lucius raised his eyebrows, surprised at what appeared to be Deaths caring nature. He shrugged his shoulders and shuffled backward to lean against the cell wall. "It seemed like a good idea at the time"

"Did it?"

"Those bonds were practically perfect! I should have gotten away!"

"Should being the operative word there"

Silence fell over the cell again.

"Why didn't you get an apprenticeship or something? Isn't that what you humans do?"

Lucius let out a hearty laugh, "oh sure Mr D, if you are of a certain standing then yea get an apprenticeship but for folk like me...nah...I never stood a chance"

Death had now placed his knitting needles down and gave his full attention to Lucius. "That doesn't seem fair"

"No. It's not, but that's London" sighed Lucius.

A thought had occurred to Death while having this conversation. He took out Lucius' pocketwatch and saw it was still ticking, when he thought about Lucius going to the hangman the hands slowed down to the point where Death looked over to him to make sure that he was still breathing. Then when he thought of his idea the hands began ticking away quite happily, possibly more efficiently than it had ever done before.

Lucius had, unbeknownst to Death, crawled over to see what Death was staring at.

"What's that Mr D?" He asked eyeing up the pocketwatch.

Death studied him and came to the conclusion that this was the work of Miss Fate and, afterall, who was he to interfere with someone else's department?

"I'll tell you, but there are conditions, is that understood?" Said Death slowly.

"What kind of conditions Mr D?"

"You will become my apprentice"

The familiar presence of silence fell over the cell again and Lucius burst into fits of laughter.

"Have I said something amusing?" Asked Death.

"Me being your apprentice" gasped Lucius, holding his stomach where he had a stitch from laughing. "I can't be"

"Why not? You haven't got anything better to do"

At this Lucius paused and realised that Death was being utterly serious with him.

"Holy shit you mean it" exhaled Lucius. "You really mean it"

"Of course I do, of course the shifts are irregular but you will have a bed, food, clothes and won't die"

"So I'll do what you do? Like with the sythe and cloak and things?"

"Eventually, but I'll need to show you the paperwork system - it's a bit shit if I'm honest but that's the worst part of the job"

"Mr D, I can't really read or write though. Learning how to take the bonds took me ages, I won't be able to work your paperwork system"

"Well, that won't be too difficult"

"Mr D are you serious?"

"I am incapable of being anything else"

"Then Mr D, I gladly accept your apprenticeship" grinned Lucius. "So what is that?"

"This is your time, the hands stop which means your dead and then it's our job to collect them and see that they go wherever they need to"

"Who decides when their time is up?"

"Don't worry about it, it's not our department"

"Well where do the souls go after we collect them?"

"Also not our department"

"Oh...umm Mr D?"

"Yes"

"Do you suppose that we could get out of here?"

Death stood up from his rocking chair, placed his knitting on the seat and grabbed his sythe. " Yes, we really should be getting on, you need a good feeding. Now take my arm and hold on"

There was a snap like the sound of a bone breaking and the cell was empty.

So perhaps when your time finally runs out you may be faced with Death himself in his black cloak and sythe or Lucius Todd with his jet black suit, cane and top hat.

And that is the tale of how Death successfully halved the amount of paperwork he had to do, how Time got rid of his irritating pocketwatch,and how Lucius Todd cheated and became Death.