Mia's palms were slick with sweat as she clung to the ledge of the towering building. It was an impulse decision, one fueled by a desire to feel something-- anything-- other than the overwhelming numbness that had been gnawing at her soul for months. But as she peered down at the ant-like figures scurrying about the streets below, the reality of what she had done hit her like a ton of bricks.

Suddenly, there was shouting. A group of people had gathered on the sidewalk beneath her, all craning their necks to see the reckless young woman perched precariously on the edge of the roof. One woman was screaming into her phone, presumably calling the police, while another man was trying to coax Mia down with gentle words.

But then there was a new voice, one that cut through the chaos like a knife.

"Get down from there right this second, you headache of a person!" The words were sharp and biting, laced with anger and frustration.

Mia's heart sank as she recognized the voice. It was her ex-boyfriend, Jack-- the last person she wanted to see in this moment. But before she could even process the shock, Jack was shouldering his way through the crowd and making a beeline for her.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he snarled, his eyes blazing with a mix of fear and fury. "You could have died up here, Mia!"

She didn't know how to respond. All the reasons she had climbed up here in the first place-- the crushing weight of her depression, the feeling of being lost and alone-- suddenly seemed so trivial in the face of Jack's anger.

"I...I don't know," she stammered, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "I just...I needed to feel something."

"Well, you could have felt something a lot worse than a headache, you know," Jack spat, inching closer to her. "Now come on, let's get you down from here before things get any worse."

Mia nodded mutely, feeling numb once again as Jack guided her back over the edge of the building and onto solid ground. The crowd had started to disperse by this point, but Mia could still feel the weight of their gazes on her. She took one final look over the ledge from where she had previously hung, and with one resolute nod, she begins to turn away, only to find herself alone. Where the hell was Jack?

She spun her body left and right, looked over her shoulder and back down the side of the building, but he was nowhere to be seen. Did she imagine it all? She swore the voices were real. Feeling a presence behind her, she quickly spun around in relief, only for her face to drain of color thereafter.

Suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm and a man dressed in black quickly dragged her away from the edge. While keeping a viselike grip around her wrist, he motioned for her to remain quiet and to follow him. She hesitated for a moment, Wondering if this mysterious man really was Jack, but the sounds of propellers chopping through the air drowned everything within its presence.

The man led her to a small side door on the roof and opened it, gesturing for her to step inside. Even up close Mia couldn’t distinguish his features, and this made her a bit more nervous than when she hung moments from her death. She looked back to the helicopter, but it was too late. The SWAT team had breached the roof and were making their way towards her. With a deep breath, she stepped inside and the man shut the door behind her.

For a moment, Mia was in total darkness, but then a dim light flickered to life. She looked around and saw that she was in a small room, barely big enough for two people. The man stood in front of her, his face still obscured by the darkness.

“Who are you?” Mia asked, her voice shaking.

The man didn’t answer, but instead reached out and grabbed her arm. Mia thrashed wildly within his hold and tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. It was not long before his strong build overpowered her weak frame. She felt a sharp pain explode in her neck before everything went black.

When Mia woke up, she was lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room. She tried to move, but found her wrists and ankles shackled down. Panic set in as she craned her neck left and right, trying to figure out where she was and what was going on.

Suddenly, the door opened and the man walked in. This time, Mia could see his face clearly. It was a face she recognized all too well. It was the face of the man who had killed her husband and child.

“You should have stayed on that roof,” he said, a twisted smile on his face. “Now, you’re all mine.”

“W-who are you,” she asked in a fearful breath.

“I am Death. Pleased to meet you, Honeycakes. Now, now. Don’t worry that troubled head no longer. I am here to solve all your problems.”

The woman's eyes widened in terror. "Death? Am I dead?"

Death chuckled, a deep and eerie sound that seemed to echo in the stillness. "Not yet, my dear. But your time is coming."

Mia trembled, fear and confusion swirling inside her. "Why are you here? What problems are you talking about?"

Death leaned closer, his breath cold and putrid. "Oh, Honeycakes, you humans always have problems. Worries, regrets, fears... they all weigh you down. But I am here to offer you a way out."

"A way out?" Her voice shook. "What do you mean?"

"Simple." Death straightened up and gestured grandly. "I can take your problems away. All of them. All you have to do is come with me."

The woman's mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. Was this a dream? A hallucination? Or was Death truly here to take her away?

"And where would we go?" she asked, her voice small and hesitant.

"To a better place," Death replied smoothly. "A place where there is no pain, no sorrow, no fear. Just peace."

She hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest. The idea of leaving behind all her problems was tempting, but the thought of following Death into the unknown was terrifying.

"I... I don't know," Mia whispered.

Death's eyes gleamed with a strange light. "Think about it, Honeycakes. But don't take too long. I'll be waiting."

Coming to, Mille looked around despondently as she replayed death‘s message in her head. She looked over at the man who had a arm over her shoulder and visibly relaxed at Jack’s anguished features. As she and Jack made their way down the street, she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he hadn't shown up when he did. Would she have jumped? Would anyone have been able to stop her?

The questions swirled around in her mind, but there were no answers. Just the bitter taste of regret and the promise of more headaches to come.