Annie sat at the edge of a cliff, kicking her feet contentedly. “Death?” She asked.

The tall figure standing at her shoulder stirred. “Yes?”

“What happens when I die?”

Death blinked. “What do you mean?”

Annie turned to face him, brow furrowed. “When people die, you send them on to the next life. And I’m going to die eventually. So…I’ll have to move on. And you’ll stay here.”

“Well…yes,” Death said. His voice was gravelly and hard to read, but Annie thought he sounded sad. She was good at telling how he felt.

“Then I won’t die for a long while,” the girl said, standing up happily. “I have to go now. Bye, Death!” Then she was gone, back in the world of the living.

***

Annie was crying. Death hadn’t known it was possible for a mortal to cry here, but Annie had spent more time here than almost any other mortal. He wasn’t surprised she’d figured it out.

“Annie?” He tried to sound gentle. It didn’t work. Somehow, though, she got it.

“I don’t want to go back,” she whimpered. “Please, don’t make me go back.”

And though he had often been called heartless, something in his chest ached for the young girl. “You…you know I can’t, Annie.”

“Can’t I just stay here a little longer? Mom and Dad are screaming so lound. And it’s my fault. Maybe…maybe if I was gone, they’d be happier.” Annie looked up at him desperately. “I want them to be happy again.”

“No, no,” Death said. “It isn’t your fault.”

“Yes it is,” she said firmly. “D-Dad told me so. He said that if I just had a normal heart, then we’d have enough money, and then Mom wouldn’t hate him, and-and-” she broke off, sniffling.

Slowly, Death sat down next to her, resting his scythe on the ground. He put an arm around her, and she fell into him, her crying getting louder. For a long minute, they just sat. Death didn’t try to promise that it would be okay. He’d been around too long to believe that, and he hated lying. “Did you know,” he finally said, “that most people hate me?”

Annie pulled back, dumbfounded. “Why do people hate you? You’re nice!”

Death’s mouth twitched, and he gestured at his black robe, his scythe, his pale face. “I’m Death.”

“That’s not fair! It’s not your fault people die.”

“No,” he agreed, “it isn’t. But they hate me anyway. And they have normal hearts. If you had a normal heart, maybe you’d hate me too.” It wasn’t perfect logic, but it was pretty, and Annie was the young.

She thought for a moment, then nodded. “Then I’m glad I don’t have a normal heart. And I’m never going to hate anyone.”

Death smiled. “I’m sure the world is better with you in it, Annie.”

Tears dry, Annie nodded, eyes glistening with determination. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

***

“Did you know,” Annie said, “that my teacher doesn’t get mad at me anymore? It’s annoying.”

“Shouldn’t that be a good thing?” Annie made a face, and Death laughed. “Sometimes you’ve just got to take what you can get.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, but it makes everyone else mad. Like, yesterday, I left my notebook at Dad’s house, and Mom wouldn’t let me go back to get it. And when I got into class, Mr. Flynn was yelling at Penny because she forgot her notebook. But he didn’t say anything to me, and now Penny hates me.”

“Ah…” Death nodded.

“But I don’t hate her,” Annie said, flashing him a dazzling smile. “Tomorrow, I’m going to bring her cookies. She likes oatmeal raisin ones the best, so I’ll make those ones.”

Death looked over at her. “You’re very wise, for a mortal.”

She winked at him. “I have a good teacher.” Then she frowned. “What do you mean, for a mortal?!”

***

Annie felt her heartrate slow, and she lay back in the grass, closing her eyes…and opened them in a world with black earth and a white sky. A moment later, a face that was nearly a skull appeared over hers. “Hi, Death,” she said.

“Hi, Annie,” he replied, mimicking her tone.

She laughed. “I don’t sound like that.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you?”

“I probably do,” she conceded. “How’s the Between?”

“Same as always,” Death murmured. “How’s living?” His mouth twitched into a gentle smirk. “How’s Jason?”

Annie sat up sharply, flushing and throwing a handful of deep black sand at him. “Shut up,” she said, but there was no malice in it. She paused. “He’s just as cute as he was yesterday.”

Death nodded somberly. “You’ve been here a lot, going by human time.”

“Every day,” Annie said. “Sometimes twice a day. The doctors say it’s getting worse.” Her lip trembled and she clenched her teeth, refusing to let the tears spiol. “We’ve been meeting with the school counselors, talking about career paths and colleges, that sort of thing. They—they told me not to bother choosing a college. They said not to even worry about taking required classes, just to enjoy the time I have left. No one even expects me to graduate high school, Death.”

Death sat next to her. “Hold on. You’re so strong, Annie. If anyone can survive, it’s you.”

“Right,” Annie said sarcastically, “it’s not like being friends with Death himself gives me an advantage or anything.”

Death shrugged. “Guilty as charged…except that I’m not keeping you alive. Or killing you. I’m just a glorified babysitter.”

Annie burst out laughing. “Death is my babysitter…” She was still laughing as she faded from view, as the sky became blue rather than white, and the sound of sirens filled her ears.

***

Annie spun on her heel, searching. “Death!” She screamed. “Where are you?”

And then he was there. “Yes? What’s wrong?” He looked her over, worried. “Annie?”

Her chest heaved. “Sarah is dying.”

Death looked away.

“How long?” Annie demanded. “How long does she have?”

Death looked pained. Funny, how she’d once thought him hard to read. “I can’t…”

“You can’t what?” Annie snapped. “Can’t save her? I know that, and that’s why I’m not asking you to.” Her voice cracked. “I just want to know how long my friend has. Please, Death…” Death looked down. His hood covered his face with shadows, and with his scythe in the air he suddenly looked poised. Ready to attack. Annie took a step back. “Please.”

“I can’t tell you,” Death whispered.

For a moment, Annie wanted to yell. Her hands were trembling, her heart was pounding too fast (or it would have been, if she wasn’t in the Between), and her eyes were stinging. She saw, then, why her friend was somethint so many people hated. And then she took a breath, a promise made long ago returning to her mind.

“Okay,” she said, though the word broke her heart. “Okay. Can you…can you at least tell me if I’ll see her again?”

Death looked up, his hood falling back. “I’m not supposed to. But I will.” He locked eyes with Annie, then shook his head. “Not in your mortal life. I don’t know what’ll happen after.”

“Okay,” Annie said. “O-okay. I can-I can-“ and then her eyes filled with tears. “It isn’t fair,” she said. “I know that’s childish. But…it isn’t. She had so much to live for. She had a boyfriend, and plans, and…and why her, and not me?” Death watched her, listening intently. Annie flushed. “It’s just…my parents have been prepared for my death since I was four, and all my friends know that they’ll go to my funeral someday. But she could have lived.”

“I’m sorry,” Death said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I never realized it hurt so much.”

Annie’s cheeks were wet, and she scrubbed at them furiously. “It’s good that it hurts,” she said. “If it didn’t hurt, it would mean I didn’t care. But…” she exhaled softly. “How am I supposed to go on living without her?”

Death shook his head. Wordlessly, he pulled her into a hug and held her as she sobbed. “I can give her a message, if you’d like,” he finally murmured. “Nothing long. But something.”

“Oh, please,” Annie said, throat tightening dangerously. “Tell her…tell her bye. Tell her I’ll miss her so, so much. And tell her that I’ll make sure Peli, her dog, gets fed. And that I love her.” Annie was fading, but she clutched desperately at Death. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”

***

“You’re quiet today.” Death smiled at his friend. “Is everything all right?”

Annie nodded slowly. “Yeah…can I ask you something, Death?”

“Of course,” Death said easily. “I can’t promise an answer, but you can always ask.”

“Right.” Annie looked over at him, and for a moment the only sound was the crunch of sand beneath their feet. “You…you know that I’m not really walking, out there. Or, well, doing anything.” Death nodded. “Well…I used to sing, but I haven’t even been able to do that, recently. So I started writing. And…I think I wrote a poem about you?”

Death blinked. “You think?”

Annie shrugged. “I’m not really sure. But I wrote it, and my mom saw it. She wants me to enter it to some contest, to ‘put my words into the world one last time’ or whatever. But I want you to hear it. Because it’s for you, really, not the world.”

“Okay,” Death said.

“Okay.” Annie smiled shyly, and Death smiled back.

“I am lost

To the world

That should have been mine.

I am a frequent visitor

In a world

Between the living and the dead.

My mother fears Death,

My friends crave it.

My teachers don’t speak of it,

And my enemies use it as a taunt.

But the world of life twists,

And turns,

And changes

Every time I dare to blink.

And when even my heart is inconsistent,

Death is a constant.

Not looming.

Not waiting.

But welcoming.

In a world of extremes,

I have found a home Between.

And when I come home,

It is Death who greets me.”

Annie looked at him, and Death found himself momentarily speechless. But just as he opened his mouth, Annie faded away, and Death was left alone in a colorless world.

***

Annie brushed sand from her clothes, standing up. “That was…unpleasant,” she muttered. She looked around, and jumped when she saw Death behind her. “Oh my-Death! Don’t do that, it’s terrifying.” But Death didn’t laugh, and she frowned. “Death?”

“This is it.” He spoke so quietly, she could barely hear him. Still, the words filled her with a creeping, icy dread. “It’s time, Annie.” Annie didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak. “I’ve never tried to save a mortal’s life before. But…I tried, Annie, I swear to you I tried.”

“I know,” Annie whispered. She wasn’t crying. How strange. Shouldn’t she be feeling something? She was about to die. “But we both knew it was only a matter of time. We called this place the Between for a reason.”

Death nodded. “But I hoped…”

“Me too.”

They were quiet for a long moment, and then Annie leaned up and gave Death a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for helping me live. Thank you for all of it. Whatever comes next, I’ll miss you.”

And for the first time he could remember, Death felt his eyes grow wet. “Remember,” he said, voice husky, “when you told me that hurt is good? Because it means that you care?” Annie nodded. “This hurts,” he whispered.

“Oh, Death…” Annie gave his hand a final squeeze, and then, one last time, she faded from the Between. Death reached for her, but she was gone.

And this time, she would never come back.