For the Love of Death

The woman ran her fingertips down his neck, she could see him visually shiver from her hiding spot at the window. The woman with long auburn, noticed too. She heard her giggle quietly. He blushed. His own fingers travelled down her back, releasing her body from her tight dress. He leaned towards her ear, “You’re so beautiful.”

Watching gives a being a sense of power that they could never explain. Lingering in the background like a shadow, analysing their subjects every move or decision and every detail of their appearance.

At the window, her green eyes were intrigued by the couple’s interactions. She followed the dress as it fell to the floor, exposing her freckled, tanned skin. Suddenly Miss Gray turned away, she was stunned that he was still watching. She flinched. He was in front of her. A wide hood hung around his head. His wavy black locks fell down past his ears.

“Not enjoying the show.” His gravelly, low voice was one of the few physical sensations Gray felt. It was like a warm hand on her invisible skin.

“This is a private moment. I have no right.”

“I thought you liked to watch.” His serious tone almost made it seem like he was offended. It was very true. She did like to watch people. It was only that morning she’d been wondering through the poppy field asylum. The screams lingered in the air and the constant babbling fueled Gray’s curiosity. As she drifted down the dim lit corridor, she examined the resident of each small room through the square window each door had.

Room 402. The girl’s innocent black eyes were already at the window when she peered in. She looked left and then right as far as the window frame would allow. When she believed the coast was clear, the small girl retreated and reached under her mattress. Gray was definitely intrigued now. The girl revealed a metal lighter. She rolled the ignitor a few times, watching the flame possessively. Grabbing the small teddy bear from her bed, she viciously tore its legs from its body. Gently, she ran the flickering, orange flame over the material. The fire consumed it almost instantly consumed the whole leg. The girl rolled it in her fingers. Gray wondered how her fingers weren’t scolded by the heat.

“I do, but I have to have limits. That is an intimate moment between two beings. I wouldn’t want someone to watch me without me knowing therefore I will not do the same.” She held her chin high, standing her ground. He couldn’t help, but release a chuckle. Gray’s face crumpled into a scowl. However, he was not intending on insulting her, in fact she fascinated him. No one had the confidence she had when they spoke to him. Usually, they act more like robots so in line they’re afraid to stray. Even, the people, who are unaware of his existence, fear his presence. Death haunts most people.

“And you have experienced many of these intimate moments?” He whispered, stepping closer to her. She could feel Death’s breath on her red lips.

She swallowed nervously. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Suddenly, Gray became a little sad. Biting her lip out of embarrassment, she started to walk away. “Wait.” He almost instinctively went to grab her arm, but stopped before he made contact with her bare skin. After hovering there for a few seconds, he quickly turned away and vanished into the air.

Sighing, Gray followed the lit streetlights up the hill to the church. There was no wind, but the air had a frosty chill. Gray could feel the temperature, but without a physical body she had no reaction to it.

Passing through the gates of the graveyard, the ground came to life. Black and white ghosts floated around the memorial stones.

“Evenin’ Miss Gray.” Todd Greenway tipped his top hat to her.

“How do you do, Mr. Greenway?” She curtsied politely in return. An elderly couple dances slowly by the flowerbeds. The winter had taken the colour from them and they were left as green storks sprouting from the soil.

Gray sat quietly on the bench and smiled as she saw them laughing, talking and dancing. She’d melted into the atmosphere, when he returned. As fast as they had appeared, they had disappeared again.

“So, tell me more about these intimate moments? As you’re the expert?” His words dripped with sarcasm. Annoyance flared inside Gray.

“You would never get it.” She attempted to keep her voice calm, but there was a growl vibrating in the background of her voice. “When someone makes you feel like a fire is burning inside, feeling their touch on your skin is like electricity flowing through you.” She could feel his intense gaze from where he sat. However, Gray continued to face forward,

“You crave it. You want it. A basic animal instinct, mixed with a more evolved feeling of desire and passion. You become perfectly harmonious. Two people raw, naked and merging together.” Her cheeks heated up at her own words.

He chuckled, “Sounds messy.” Gray rolled her eyes in disbelief.

“You know what, never mind.” She got up to leave again. She just wanted to get away from him in that moment.

“No. Tell me.” The hint of desperation in his voice hit her stomach.

“You don’t give. You take. Strength. Life. Soul. To get that sort of connection you need to give your body, heart and give up hiding your vulnerable parts. Show your scar inside and out.”

He pounced. He pushed her against the church wall. “Is that what I’ve done? Have I taken your strength, your life, your soul?”

“No.” She felt a strong urge to kiss him in that moment. “I have given it. To you.” Her forehead touched his and their noses brushed against each other.

He gripped the bricks from fingertips. His breathing quickened as he felt how close she was. She wanted him to give in, to take the wall down he’d placed between them. He wanted to. He wanted to so badly.

She blinked and everything around her turned black. Death was gone. The church had gone. It was as if she had suddenly lost her sight. Under her feet, Gray could feel that the ground was bumping and rough. Unsure where to look, she turned her head in every direction until she found some sort of light. As her eyes adjusted, brown silhouettes began to morph from the black. They were trees. The bare branches intertwined with the next tree. Their thin ends were like skeleton hands, ready to grab you at any moment. She attempted to step quietly but the sound of her steps echoed. The moon that had made an appearance, illuminated the path she took. The feeling of moist strands of grass brushing against her ankles made her look down at her feet and take her shoes off. The soil was moist and squelched between her toes. “Death!” She called out.

“You called.” He answered immediately over her shoulder. She jumped and turned, while releasing a startled scream. “I’m sorry. Did I scare you?” he smirked. Gray didn’t even answer she just continued in the direction she was going before. “No. This way, beautiful.” He grasped her hand and pulled her in a different direction. She had noticed the term of endearment but kept it to herself. She wasn’t going to complain.

He pushed through bushes made of black, twisted stems and thorns. Death seem unfazed by the sharp points. Gray, however, was concerned about his seemingly flawless skin, “Be careful. You’re going to cut yourself.” She held his hand with both of hers. Criss-crossed on his palm were tiny scratches.

“It’s nothing.” He turned his hand in her grip and took her hand. Pulling her through to the other side, she gasped.

On this side, the prickly bushes had bloomed steel grey roses. The overgrown grass was litter with small, dark red, wild flowers. Gray became lost in the sight. Further down, a glistening lake stretched out so far it could be mistaken for an ocean. Gray loved the water. She thought maybe here she could feel it on her feet. Without thinking, she was running towards it. Death was calling her from behind, but all she could think about was the crystal water. The soil changed to moist sand as she reached the shoreline. She stopped. The anticipation was too much. With a deep breath, Gray took a small step. The incoming wave of water tickled the tips of her toes. The cold feeling made them curl. Suddenly, something else caught her attention. A swirl of black flowed in towards her. The tip separated from one to five. It was a hand. It was reaching for her. She stumbled backwards. The wet sand sunk under her feet and in her panic, she fell. The fingers broke through the surface, revealing their long claws. From the wave, a scaly creature leapt. It had the tail of a fish and the torso of a woman. Her hair was fizzy and black. It was as if she had a lion’s mane. Her sinister eyes had no pupils or irises. They were completely white. She hissed at Gray and lashed out with her claws. A boot slammed into her hand before she could reach Gray. The creature whimpered.

“Get back now!” Death roared. Gray hadn't heard or seen him approach. He just appeared. The scaly woman recoiled. She curled and when she unravelled herself she looked completely different. Her locks of black hair had been tamed into perfect curls. She, suddenly, had glacier blue eyes that looked as though they could hypnotise anyone who gazed upon them.

“Help me.” She begged. Gray looked to Death for a reaction. He was angry. His eyes had turned black. It spread through skin like veins around his eyes.

“I said get back!” In his hands. Death formed a seethe. He swung it over his head into the ground making both Gray and the woman scream. She slithered quickly back into the water. “No. Stop. She needed help.” Gray launched forward and tried to run after the woman, but Death held her back.

“No, she didn’t. Stop.” Death held her waist to his. His height allowed him to lift her from the ground. Gray quickly calmed down. “She was a siren. She definitely didn’t need help.”

“A siren?” Gray clenched her eyebrows “I thought they were just myths.”

Death chuckled deeply, “They are very real. They only live in my realm though which is probably why you have never seen one.”

When the fear settled in her stomach, she realised that he hadn’t let her down. She couldn’t help but settle in his embrace. His body was surprisingly warm against her back. Slowly, he placed her back on the ground, still keeping his arms firmly around her waist. His breath tickled the skin in her shoulder. Gray turned her head to see Death had closed his eyes. Against her back, she could feel he was breathing heavy. She wanted to ask what he was thinking about but she didn’t want the moment to end. This was better than any sensation she’d felt.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered against her ear. Before he could retract his hold, she latched onto his forearms.

“No. Stay.” It came out as almost a beg. Death chuckled. He released everything, other than her hand and spun her around so she was facing him. He gave her a gentle smile. Placing a soft kiss on her cheek, he leads her away from the water and back to the garden. They interlocked their fingers. Gray and Death sat comfortable on the grassy meadow. It was dotted with small red flowers, creating a sprinkle of colour amongst the dull coloured grass.

“Why did you bring me here?” Gray asked softly. She tucked her knees up and rested her weight on her hand. Rubbing the blades of grass between her fingers, she thought about the feelings that were growing intensely despite everything she didn’t know about him.

“Just thought you’d want a change of scenery.” He replied nonchalantly. Gray couldn’t help but feel slightly heavier with disappointment.

“Is that all?” Gray had to swallow her frustration and try not to let it seep into her voice. She took a chance and looked up to see his face. His expression wasn’t giving anything away. He was looking off towards the water.

“Was there something else you wanted?” His dark brown eyes shifted to where she sat. Trying to hold the tears back, she took a deep shaky breath.

“I’d like to go back now, please.” When she got up from the ground, he quickly followed.

“Wait, why?”

“Because I want to.” She started walking. She had no idea where she was going, but Gray just wanted to move away from him. Grasping onto her upper arm, he spun her around. He looked angry. It startled Gray.

“I know this place isn’t the prettiest. But it's home and when someone welcomes you into their home you should be polite, even if you think it’s ugly.” Gray’s mouth dropped open. Did he really think that was what this was about?

“You are clueless. For a being that has existed from thousands of years, you really haven’t learnt anything. We have played this game for decades. Despite the fact I’m going to live forever, I’m wasting away doing this. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

Before she could turn around again, he grabbed her and pulled Gray’s body against his. “No,” she shouted, “you can’t do that and expect me to continue to obediently bend over for you. Not anymore.” They stared intensely into each other’s eyes. Neither of them wanted to back down.

“Is that what you want, Miss Gray?” Death whispered, “Do you want me to bend you over? Do you want me to touch you? I kill with my touch. I am Death.”

She brought her expression so close that their noses were brushing, “I am already dead. You spark life into me.”

Suddenly, his lips were on hers. They moved together in an aggressive dance with both sides wanting domination. In the end, he won. Lifting her from the ground, he pulled her knees so her legs wrapped around his body. He kneeled down, resting her weight on his knees. He tore the dress from her body. It didn’t even cross her mind that it was her only dress. It dropped away from her body. Her skin was so pale, it was almost translucent. Her handful sized breasts were held by a delicate, black, lace bra. Death pulled away, breathing heavily. Gray blushed as his eyes examined her body. She watched him bite his bottom lip, which sent a shiver down her spine. “You’re stunning.” He met her eye again. Lowering her onto the grass, he began to place kisses down her neck to the top of her breasts. His lingering touch made Gray arch her back towards him, releasing a quiet moan. He held her hips against his. His hands slide up her back from her bottom to the clasp of her bra. Pulling it away, he was presented with her perky breasts. Feeling him nip at her skin, she threaded her fingers through his shaggy black hair encouraging him to continue. A sharp pain shocked her nipples as he nibbled on them. Gray had never been touched like this. He was at the waistband of her underwear now. His fingers traced the edge of her waistband. “Stop teasing me, you horrible man.” Gray whined with a smile.

He chuckled. “I am Death. My beautiful lady,” he whispered against her skin, “you should have predicted that.”

Her eyes fell closed as the material of her underwear tickled the skin of legs down to her ankles before being removed. Lifting her foot up to his shoulder, he began to kiss her thin legs. Her arousal spilled from the pores of her skin, awakening the predator urges in Death. He pulled his trousers down with one hand while continuing down her legs. He caressed the flesh of her thighs. She felt his breath descend along her stomach until they were face to face. Her green eyes reminded Death of the moss on trees. He loved to walk through the forest. It was calm. The smell mellowed the frustration.

With one hand on her hip and the other held the back of her head, he hesitated, “Are you sure?” She nodded with an encouraging smile. He didn’t hold back as he pushed fully into her. She gasped. Pain shot through her hips then melted into an erotic pleasure. The gasp fell into a low moan.

When Gray awoke on the grass, her naked body was covered by Death’s black cloak. But she was also alone. It was silent other than calm movement of the water. Next to her, in her view, lying next to her hand was a black rose. It was a goodbye. Her eyes swelled with tears. She couldn’t believe how stupid she’d been. Bringing her knee up to her chest, she wrapped the black fabric closer to her body. Shaking from sorrow, her chest hurt.

“Melanie.” It was so gentle that she almost missed it over the sound of her sobs. She stayed hidden. She didn’t want him to see her face. The back of his fingers tickled her skin. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I thought you’d left me.”

He gave her a smile and shook her head, “I wouldn’t do that to you again,” he added, “I was getting you a present.” He handed her an item wrapped in plain brown paper with a black ribbon tied in a crooked bow, he’d clearly unskillfully tied himself. She held it in her feminine hands. He looked away shyly. Gray had never seen him so vulnerable. It was as if he was embarrassed.

“Open it.” He muttered insistently. Pulling the ribbon loose, she began to unfold the paper. “You could just rip it open.”

Clenching her eyebrows, Gray replied, “Why would I do that? I can reuse it later.” Death chuckled, “Obviously. How silly of me.” When she’d finally removed the outer layer, a stunning dark blue dress unravelled itself. She gasped. She stood, dropping the cloak that was hiding her body. Death stiffened, remembering the night before and admiring her slender figure like it was the first time all over again. The dress fit her body perfectly as she pulled over her head. She turned so he could see that she needed zipping up. His fingers glided up the skin of her back taking the zip with him.

“Just as beautiful as the ocean. And the same colour too.”