_Everyday the crows stare _ They watch as the wind whips her hair Everyday the rats gaze Watching, silent, through the haze __ Though wherever she goes it is grim, Everyday she thinks only of him.

Her old shoes slam against the cobble as she runs, scattering the crows and rats. The bells ring, signalling the end of a day. But still she sprints through the deserted street. Her slim frame cuts through the wind faster than anyone would think. She passes by the ripped flag, hanging limp despite the strong wind. A group of rats feasting on a pizza pause and stare as she passes by, tears streaming down her face.

Her feet splash into a puddle of murky water, adding itself to the mud embedded on her old grey shorts, so close. She continues running even when she feels the familiar sense of dread that follows the reapers. They grab her shaky shoulders, she kicks out at them, screaming and crying as she watches the gate disappear. She falls to her knees and screams, a sound of pure agony as they continue to drag her along. Numb to her pain.

But today is different. Today is his birthday. She has to get out. She bites and kicks like a rabid animal. She bites one of the reapers boney hands, she kicks at their shins, she aims her next kick carefully, and hits true. She hears a grunt. She hears a grunt! She hears a reaction. So she kicks again, once again at his crotch. Another hit. He grunts, but nothing more. The clock inches closer to midnight. His birthdays almost up.

She twists her arms out of their grip, overcome by rage and adrenaline. She runs through one of the alleyways, a large rock sits at the side of a building, she throws it at a nearby pane of glass, by the side of the road, it shatters and she picks up the largest shard. It cuts into her hand but the adrenaline stops the pain. When the reapers come for her she slashes through one of their robes, exposing the vulnerable white skin, taut over their bones. She stabs and brings out the shard of glass. He turns to dust and floats into the wind. Keeping her face to the other reapers, she reaches down towards the rock. Her hand comes up covered in blood, but holding it. She throws it at the closest reaper. And keeping hold of the glass she runs. Not bothering to turn her head. She runs through the alleyway. The bell tower comes out of the mist, her heart soars. She runs underneath the bell, and pauses, she knows shes safe. They can’t reach her here.

The crows live, in this hell, They watch the woman beneath the bell. The rats gaze, as they stand tall, And watch the bell begin to fall. __ Even though the future looks grim Still, she thinks only of him.

“Lazy ass.” Stork scoffed playfully to Grim Reaper, who hardly lifted a bony finger in centuries. Well, until now, if only to give him the finger in response.

As if that wasn’t enough, he then said with a nonchalant smile, “Not my problem. If the humans want to live forever, then fine by me. I’ve got better things to do.”

“Like what?” Stork asked sceptically.

“Like dream about visiting Atlantis. Or watch a nature documentary on koalas. Or cook pasta.” Grim proudly declared.

Stork’s voice softened. “I love pasta.”

“I know.” Grim Reaper rolled his eyes, “I ask you to come over for your favourite movie, but you’re busy. I ask you to come over for your favourite video game, but you’re busy. So maybe if I perfect your favourite recipe, you’ll finally visit me.”

Stork averted eye contact, his beak now shut. He didn’t think it bothered Grim that he wasn’t around as much as he used to be.

“Yet here you are now.” Grim Reaper crossed his arms and shrugged lightly. “Did you come to finally hang out, or did you just come to insult me?” He chuckled, yet there was a bitter truth to his words.

“No, I…” Stork felt awkward now. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to come with me. To, uh… leave the City of Death.”

Grim Reaper immediately snorted. “Whaaaat?” He asked, his voice an octave higher. “Really? You’re joking, right?”

“No!” Stork whined, trying to get him to take this seriously. “We can sneak past the other reapers and make it to the mortal— I mean, erm, human world! I’ll never have to overwork, and you’ll have stuff to do again, and we can hang out like we used to.”

There was a string of silence as Grim Reaper contemplated this, completely taken aback. He was used to his friend’s outlandish ideas, and this was possibly the most absurd of them all. Yet it sounded so, so tempting.

“But, um… a stork has never quit their job before. Reapers have, sure, but with how strict you guys are up there… Look, I mean, what would even happen to a human newborn if no one’s there to give it life?” Grim grimaced.

“I don’t know, but it’s better than making their overpopulation problem worse.” Stork dismissed carelessly. “Come on, there’s so much we can do together! We can visit Atlantis like you want. And we can see a real life koala too!”

Grim chuckled at his insistence. “Okay, okay! You might be onto something there.”

“See? Yes!” Stork fluttered his wings with eager little flaps. “So… shall we? Or do you want to stay here and do nothing all day?” He teased.

No way would Grim Reaper take any more teasing. He laughed and picked up his satchel, and slung it around his shoulders.

Then he opened the door and said, “Over my dead body!”

I walk around, shielded my the robes I bear. Enchanted with the ability of invisibility, I am not seen, heard or spotted. I see the exit. Guarded heavily by the undead, ready to rip and tear through my flesh. I make a mad dash, the robe flies off after getting snagged. I barely make it. The horde of the undead saw me, but it was too late, I was out. The memories come flooding back, having to find dumpsters to sleep in, hiding from the creatures that awaited my flesh and bones on the daily. Blood sucking vampires, werewolf’s, demons and heretics awaited the streets for any human canvas to pass by. We were dropped in random areas, like a call of duty video game nightmare. We had to collect weapons and defend ourselves everyday to avoid death. The only reason I found out there was an exit from this hell was because of a brave soul, yes a soul. When a human dies, their soul wonders the City of Death hopeful for a way out just like the flesh of us. I’m so glad that I made it. I’m so happy it feels like a dream. I pinch myself just to make sure I’m not dreaming. Turns out I’m no longer who I say I am. My soul has been wondering the streets for years. My invisibility cloak. It’s no cloak, I’m merely a ghost. A remnant of what I once was. No one escapes the city of death. No one.

The city was dark, ruined, and black. But the thing I remembered the most was the screaming. Screaming tortured souls who thought they didn’t belong here. I used to be one of them you know, until I found a way out.

The bell tower on Fifth Boulevard was a part of my route. The same thing every day. Little did the bell keeper know, I had been sent to the wrong place. Not the city of the living, the special city for the dead who were extra evil. I wasn’t necessarily evil, just misunderstood, and yes, I do know karate. It was simple, really, but I’m telling you this anyway. While cupping my hands into the water fountain for a drink, I noticed a glint of metal. Yes, they poisoned our water with metal to torture our insides, but we were already dead. I reached for the knife, (the idiot who put this in here would for sure be fired.) I inched closer to my guard, pretending I was ready to be locked up again, and stabbed him through the middle. The chances of this being a knife with rusty copper was low, and I probably would’ve been punished. Somehow it wasn’t, and I knew he was guiding me. My eyes glinted with tears, and I watched as the guard collapsed to the stone floor covered in sharp metal shards to give us tetanus. Before the alarm sounded I ran. The city gates were near, I could sense it. I didn’t take any wrong turns, and the gates were open. I said a silent prayer to thank him, and ran. The green valley shone before me, and below that the city of life. ”I’m coming Charlie.” And I ran.

I followed lost souls trying to find their way out of the city. They attuned their silence To the eerie tinkering of bells. A slight gust of wind posed risk of obliteration, Softened the crunch of October’s brittle leaves.

Blue shadows enshrouded me—

I saw the undertaker lurking in the fog, Hooks for hands, Shovels for feet.

He started to dig a sinkhole For the earth to take me in as her dust. Buried alive to unbury what’s been killing me lately.

My pine box will go unfulfilled for another day. My tomb without an epitaph.

I trekked the underworld caverns Until I reached an opening in the space between the living and the dead.

I poked my head out To intoxicate my senses with fresh air. It is brighter up here—

A world in full color.

A travler seeking shelter for the night wondered into a city. He didn’t know this city or even knew there was a city hear.

              He knew something was off the second he was in the city limits. Unlike outside, the city had a dark aura around it. A tanted blue washed over everything, like a corps. No life was in site.

              He wanted to get himself and his horse out as soon as possible. 

               As his horse trotted through the cobblestone streets, the click clack was all he herd. Then a bell tolled. The air got unatraly cold. 

               It started with one, then two, five, now easily one hundred twisted forms emerged out of the shadows. Each looked vaguely human. Some had a nooses around there necks, others were impaled or beheded. All signs of death, or execution. 

               He started to sprint on his horse as the dead twisted forms surrounded him with broken limbs, gaping mouths, and  hollowed out eyes. 

                 They started to crawl up his horse, sending it into a panic. The horse kicked and thrashed. Each movement chunks of flesh was ripped away. 

                 The horse collapsed and the travler was ripped away from it. 

                  He kicked and punched and somehow got away as the forms surrounded the horse. 

                  Runing away he looked back to see if the forms where chasing him. Instead he saw the dead body of his horse twisting and breaking until it fully transformed and stood. 

                 Head twisted upside down, limbs splayed and backwards, bones sticking out like spikes, the horses took charge at the travler. 

                The travler ran despretly despite knowing he couldn’t out run the twisted horses. 

                 Hearing the horses right on his heals he started to prey. 

                 Mabby some one heard him, because he saw the end of the city. 

                He jumped forward as the horse opened its wide mouth full of sharp teeth. The traveler could of sworn he felt the air around him shift as the horse just missed a bite, then the travler was out. 

                 He had crossed the city limits. One more second he would of bean a twisted being of death. 

                 Looking back he saw the city disappear in a cloud of smoke. 

                 He survived and told his story. Then it was passed on and on until it was a legend, but he knew the truth. The City of Death was very real and waiting to kill.

Everything was normal, one beautiful day I had been walking down the street, buzzing with the joy of others, but it all came to an abrupt halt when an ear piercing screeching sounded. Then came the screams of people around me as they were killed off one by one. Everyone started running, their attempts seemingly failing as the creature attacked them, it seems that many people had been past the death date and the grim reaper had to make up for the lack of death. Instead of killing the people who’s time was up, the dark creature had simply chosen a city to pray upon instead. I ran towards a small shop, hoping to avoid anything and everything happening outside, when I reached the shop, I saw others also hiding, some crying, most silently staring into the distance, watching what was happening behind that tinted glass window.

How horrific that while most died that day, some lived on, only wondering through allies to avoid that dark creature, looking for every last person to step foot outside. Hoping to escape, I devised a plan, gathered everything I needed, and ran for it, it’d be a long way out but in the end, I get to have the normal life I wished to have before. Everything was abandoned, and broken, useless for hiding spots to sleep for the night and search for food. But regardless, I carried on till me legs nearly gave out on every occasion, running and running as fast as I could, not daring to look behind me.

Finally after weeks of running, I reached the end of the city, turning back just once before officially leaving and beginning my long way towards another city to once again restart me life.

As I flee, This city of death, I drop the key, And catch my breath.

I finally escaped, And opened the door, The night time draped, And I started a war.

The ghosts and ghouls, All followed my track, As strong as a bull, I felt their attack.

I fell to my defeat, And looked for the key, Oh how this treat, Has been taken from me.

My bare feet hit the ground hard and I just kept running. I didn’t look back and I bolted through the piles of debris as fast as I could. The clamoring of the town could be heard gaining up on me. I was scared. But now as much as I was determined.

The last thing I can remember is seeing these bright, beautiful flashing lights all around me…and then utter darkness. It felt as if I was drifting like a log down a river. I couldn’t feel anything yet everything seemed to be able to feel me. Time didn’t exist here. I could have been drifting for hours, days, months, even years. I had no way to tell.

Same as how I had no way to tell were I was going, yet I seemed to know the way. Like those rollercoaster I loved as a kid, I was just along for the ride. Then suddenly, I was here. Where exactly? I don’t know but I knew that I had arrived at my destination. Before me was a vast city, the buildings broken and seemingly abandoned. A heavy mist filled the streets, alleys, and corridors of the town. The only thing I could hear was the ringing of a large bell. I could see that in the center of the city was a tall tower and before it I could make out a small figure ringing it back and forth incessantly.

I began making my way through the abandoned streets, zigging and zagging my way through the mist. Then suddenly, I came before a women, she was holding a crying baby. I tried to speak to here, but my existence wasn’t acknowledged. That’s when I realized the baby she was holding, was me. The lady, my mother, was almost activated it felt by this epiphany. Her glance shot at me locking eyes, she began sobbing and screaming, “ you shouldn’t be here yet, you shouldn’t be here!”

Flustered, I turn and ran not being able to face this apparent being that seemed like my mother. My mother died when I was sixteen and I haven’t seen her since. A whole fourteen years. I ran and ran. As I did I began seeing fragments of my life all around me, talking to me, wanting to be seen again if only for a fleeting moment. Images of my first home run in baseball, my first dance with a girl, moments like this all whirling around in my head. Some moments stuck out more than others, there presence stronger like the day of my wedding to the love of my life. All this was happened and it was like my life was flashing before my eyes, in fact it was. Then a whole different sensation overcame me, shock. Am I dead?

I kept running, faster and faster if by some means my speed would keep me from my doom. Then suddenly I was upon the large bell tower I had seen outside the city. The bell still rang on and on and on. I entered the building and made my way up the stairs. I ascended a rounded staircase that seemed to go on and on. Finally after what felt like forever, I made it to the top, I came up behind a figure cloaked in black. He seemed unaware of my presence.

“Hello” I said, confused and timid, “do you know where I am?”

The figure stopped dead in his tracks, the bell being the only sound gave one final gong and then all was silent. It turned slowly to face me and that’s when to my horror, I could see that his face was that of a skeleton. Spiders moved in and out of his eye sockets, the being seemingly unbothered.

The being then said but a few words, “Death comes for all.” Suddenly, I couldn’t move. Some unknown force was holding me in place. Death floated slowly towards me and when he was right in front of me, a long skeleton hand slowly reached for my chest. Right as he was about to touch me I felt a jolt in my chest so powerful it send me flying over the edge of the tower. The last thing I remember is Death looking down on me and uttering one last phrase, “ we will meet again…”

When I hit the ground I was suddenly teleported to a different world, my world. All around me were the sound of police sirens. Someone was holding a flashlight in my eyes. I started gasping for breaths like I hadn’t breathed in years. “He’s breathing!” Someone shouted. “Sir you’ve been in a terrible car accident. We lost you there for a minute.”

I mumbled, “My wife, where is my wife.” My head fell to the side then and I could see here lying on the ground. People where huddled around her, but behind them all going unoticed, was the cloaked figure which I know now is death.