Choices
Most people have never given much thought to how they would die one day. Imagine if you will that you had that kind of power. That you could pick the day, time and how you would die. This story tells of not a tragedy but of an awakening of one self-preservation
SCHEDULED MEETING
For me every day was the same. I awoke basically at the same time. Never lingering longer than was necessary with my time. I worked in an office building. Rode the elevator with my colleagues. Worked with a sexist boss. Ate lunch at the same time every day, went to water cooler converse with Michelle and clocked out at the same time every day. To me this depicted how my future would be. One big rut. That was until the first of April rolled around. My day went the same as usual for a Friday evening and I was just leaving the office building. I rode the elevator down to the parking lot with my boss Eleanor.
Eleanor was in her late fifties, bitter after her divorce of two years prior and oozed sexist thoughts. You would think that it would be towards men but it was geared towards women. Every other day she commented that the office should consist of male counter parts. Women as she would hiss out should be home and not sleeping with other woman husbands. To her women were no better than the gum under her shoe. As I stated it was April first and I rode the elevator to the parking lot to get to my little Acura. I wanted to escape any negative talk. All the while I wished that I was dead so I did not have to hear the rantings of my boss sounding in my ear. We both exited and that quieted the conversation.
I had just opened the car door slid in before I noticed that there was an envelope sitting on the passenger seat. I picked up and looked at the black seal and dropped it back onto the seat. I didn’t give it a second thought as I drove out of the office building and turned my car in the direction of my home. The traffic was at best light as I made my way home within an hour. I decided to not check my mail and headed for my apartment. I lived in the corner apartment of the old building and liked my privacy. I approached the sage colored door and found an envelope tapped to it.
Not giving it much thought I snatched it down and stuck my key into the lock. I pushed open the door and found that I was not alone. Before I could react, the figure raised its hand and I was propelled into the room. My apartment door slam closed behind me. I found myself sitting on the small sofa in my apartment across from a very distinguished young man. He casually glanced at his fingernails before he addressed me.
“Do you normally ignore personal letters?”
I was confused by his question so I responded with a “what?”
“Do you normally make it a habit of not reading your mail? Or any correspondence sent to you?”
“I haven’t gotten my mail and wait a minute what does that have to do with who you are and how you got in here. I know I locked the door.”
“Locks are of no consequence to me I simple turned the knob and walked in.”
His arrogance had me bristling in my seat. It was then that I took in his appearance, and felt a sense of forbidding. A small chill traveled up my spine as I stared at him.
“I see that you are now becoming aware of someone more important than yourself.”
Wait I thought someone more important than myself who did he think I was? I opened my mouth to speak but he waved his hand and my mouth closed on its own.
“I am here to go over a few rules with you before you open the envelops that I have so generously given to you.
“Rule one. You are NOT! To tell anyone that you and I have spoken about these events it will only end swiftly for you.
“Rule two. You have to decide before I leave how you plan to utilize this knowledge.”
“Rule three, you are to stay in constant contact with me. It is part of the condition, you know I have been assigned to be your keeper in all this.”
"Rules, what are these rule for? Why are you speaking about rules? I don’t know you and I don’t want to. I just want you to get out of my apartment and I promise I won’t call the police."
The smile that rode across his face was more frightening than the chill that I had just experienced.
“Now I am going to bestow the envelopes to you once again and this time I suggest that you read the contents carefully. I will wait.”
Two envelops appeared. The one with the black seal lay atop of the plain one that I had brought in that was attached to my door. Slowly I broken the seal and opened the envelop I pulled out the paper and unfolded it. Written there was the date August 30, 2018. I looked up but his eyes compelled me to read the contents of the other envelop. My hands shook while I tore it open and pulled out the folded paper. I read it twice before my hand slowly lowered itself to my lap.
To: Sarah Asher
From: Ashini (Death Chief Assistant)
Re: Manner of Demise
Ms. Sarah Asher, you are having the pleasure of meeting Ashini, Assistant to Death. This meeting is in preparation for your upcoming death in the next two years. This unique opportunity of bestowment is for you to have the power to choose how and when your death will take place. Since in life you have been mindful of other please note that you do not have to worry about the possibility of you taking a trip to hell as per instructions. Lucifer specifically does not take do-gooder's that may affect the population of hell.
Therefore, I have been sent to ensure that you pick a time, place and manner of your death. Once this envelop has been opened the choosing process is in effect. You cannot decline this offers as it is already predestined to happen.
Ashini. Assistant to Death.
My hand slowly fell to my lap and I stared at the figure sitting in the brooks brother suit before me. Was this a prank or was it truly divine intervention telling me that I was to die soon and that I had a choice in how I died.
“Get out.”
“What did you just say to me?”
“I said to get out! Who could be this cruel to even do this? If there is a creature known as Death or an entity for that matter. I don’t believe that it would send you. So, get out of my apartment and take this letter with you.”
Ashini just stared at me before he shrugged his shoulders and disappeared. I sat there for a few minutes longer before I stood on wobbly legs and fainted to the floor.
I awoke some time later to a quiet apartment alone. I sat up slowly and leaned my head against the sofa. There wasn’t much comfort coming from the brown sofa, but it was all the comfort that I had right now. I knew I didn’t drink or smoke but just had been on a bad mind trip. Was there really an entity name Ashini that was the assistant to death. Was it true that I was going to die at the end of august? I figured that I would sit there for a few minutes longer before I went to wash off the end of the work day.
It took me some time to gather up the courage to leave the sofa but I did. First, I checked my front door to make sure that it was locked and then padded down the hall to my room. I stripped in the dark and headed for the closet. Passing by the light switch I clicked it on with my hand and threw open the doors. I wasn’t going to go anywhere so I grabbed a pair of sweats and matching tee shirt. Threw them on the bed and went into the bathroom. I needed a hot shower to collect my frayed nerves and stayed under the spray until I was a wrinkle as a raisin. I snatched a towel from back of the door and loosely draped in around me and headed back into my room. Ashini voice made me scream and I dropped the towel. Damn it I just flashed Death's assistant.
“Why was it necessary for you to take so long in there?”
“Ah.”
“This is the first time that I have saw a human woman naked may I touch you.”
“No! Hell, no what are you doing here get out!”
“That request only works once. I am afraid that you and I are joined at the hip until you die. It’s part of the equation.”
I closed my eyes and held my breath for a fraction of a second. I opened them again to stare at Ashini who for some unexplained reason was going through my dresser drawers.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
“I am keeping my self-occupied while I am waiting for your acceptance of the memo.”
“You can forget that I’m not accepting that memo I have a job. I think you have made mistake. I must have offended him because he dropped my undies and turned towards me. The room suddenly took on a chill as he walked slowly towards me. The short distance and noise from the steps echoed in my head. His eyes glowed an eerie yellow as he leans towards me.
“I don’t make mistakes, you will accept the memo.”
Okay, when he put it that way what choice did I have. I could have tried to bargain with him but I knew that it would get me know where. So, I accepted. I reached into the draw selected my undergarment and grabbed something from the closet and got dressed.