You open your front door to find a towering, black robed figure peering down at you, scythe in one bone hand ,clipboard and ballpoint pen in the other. It looks at the clipboard, at you , then back at the clipboard and back at you again.

‘Didn’t I come for you last week?’ the Grim reaper says. You nod, somewhat fearfully. ‘You haven’t moved an inch since last Wednesday,’ the Grim reaper says, inspecting the roster on their clipboard.

The Grim reaper then looks closely at you and raises an eyebrow, sharp and raven black. ‘This is not good,’ it says, ‘not good at all,’ the Grim reaper scribbles something down on the clipboard. The Grim reaper then looks at you and your eyes flicker with a resigned despair, as you realise that this also is not a good sign.

‘Is everything OK?’ you say, your mouth dry and rasping with fear. The Grim reaper peers over the top of their glasses as they ask ‘What do you think? ’ in a clipped, impatient tone.

‘Not so good? I stutter feeling the urge to scratch my cheek as a horrible creepy crawly sensation itched deep beneath my skin.

I didn’t get much of a chance to look at the creature at my door who I now realised looked more like an accountant, long raven black hair was slicked back into a low ponytail and a pair of black rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of a straight aristocratic nose ,pale skin disappeared into the collar of a starched white shirt. It looked like a mortician or a funeral director.

Why was I still calling it an it ,surely it was a man? But I wasn’t sure. More scribbling ensued as a I stood silently eyeing up the opposition. The Grim reaper bit his lip and scribbled furiously.

I’m being judged? He had already been writing for sometime raising an eyebrow in impatience. I stepped forwards tentatively, this was it time to go all in. Death would either come up bust or make a giant killing I shrugged. Changing my mind again I moved tentatively backwards edging closer to the kitchen door which was thankfully open. Then I turned and ran.

‘Shit’, a voice roared out from behind me followed by a whoosh of cold air. I had barely touched the door before I felt the whisper touch of the Grim reaper’s scythe slicing across my back.

Then everything went dark.

“What the f**k !” Shouted Daniel. Oblivious to the fact that it was the actual reaper. “Nah Holmes who are you” asked Daniel. “You know who I am” replied the reaper in confusion.” “Have you never watched The Grim adventures of Bill and Mandy?” He asked Daniel as if he was expecting him to say yes. “Nah Holmes; Danny Phantom for life” he answered with a smile on his face. “Are you kidding me, Jesus people from the 90’s are even stupider than the 00’ kids.” The reaper sighed. He walks slowly behind and Daniel shouts “Give me a twirl Holmes” laughing hysterically. The reaper sighed even louder telling Daniel “You know I’m here to kill you right?” “Prove it show me that you’re actually the reaper!” Daniel says like an absolute idiot. “I can’t show you” the reaper says in a mumbled voice as if feeling embarrassed. “Why Mr.Reaper? Is it Mrs.Reaper” Daniel snickered. “No it’s just I’m not supposed to...” he said “my girlfriend broke up with me and she used to always tell me not to” the reaper had a frown growing on his face. “You wanna go for a drink up at my apartment?” Daniel asked the Reaper. “Uhhh, I don’t know I’m on the job right now and I mean I’m supposed to kill you bro” “Kill me after bro because you need the support right now” Daniel said. “You right home skillet” the Reaper said. *** ”So what's it like being the reaper?” Daniel asked in curiosity. ”It’s a struggle. Let me tell you, all day everyday just killing people is exhausting.” the reaper told Daniel. ”Then quit” Daniel said with such ease. Of course it was easy to him, he didn't know that the only job a reaper can have is reaping. ”I cant quit, its the only job I can have” he told Daniel. When in his head he wondered

What would happen if I quit? Would I lose all respect from my peers. Would I be disowned?Or would I just live off my what I have?

”listen whatever happens you can come and live with me bro” Daniel said laying his hand on the reaper. ”Really?” said the reaper to Daniel with a surprised look on his face. ”Damn, wait you can’t” Daniel responded with sadness on his face. ”Why?” the reaper asked him with a frown on his face as well. ”Well... You're gonna kill me today” Daniel answered the reaper. ”Listen I'll make you a deal” the reaper told him. ”Ill let you a full life if you let me live with you” the reaper proposed. ”DEAL!” he shouted. ”Come on over here holmes” Daniel told him as they hugged. *** Weeks go by... Daniel is still breathing and the reaper is still living. I don’t know how to end this story other than the infamous.

THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER BI**HES!

there was no shock resonating through my body at this point. the reaper comes and goes due to my depression. i get so overwhelmed and death seems easy. however, someone always finds me right before i walk through the gate with the reaper. this time felt different. i was alone when i swallowed the pills. made sure to cancel my plans and turn off my locations. as the reaper took my hand, i smiled. i finally felt warm. rather than the usual chill that encompasses my body. the gate came closer and closer. i felt numb & free. the gate opened and we walked forward. there wasn’t any music like the books say, no break in the sky. just calm. the ringing in my head stopped, the buzzing in my feet dulled. i was warm & finally free