I opened my eyes.
Everything was blurry.
Where were my glasses?
I tried to look around for them.
Where even was I? It just looked like empty space to me.
Maybe it was just a very bright room and the lack of glasses didn't do it justice.
“So… Any regrets?” a voice I didn't recognize came from… Somewhere.
“Regrets…?” I was confused by the question.
“Any last words? A last meal perhaps?” he couldn't tell where the voice was coming from or how far away it was.
“What are you talking about?” I only got more lost the more this went on.
“You're dying, kid, I got here early though, so your last moments don't necessarily need to be that bad” I couldn't tell if the voice belonged to a man or a woman.
Dying…?
“Judging souls is not my job, I just reap them, so whatever you did in life is none of my concern” the voice sounded both so close yet so far away.
“I-” I felt a painful pull in his chest, everything spun around me, and the once bright, seemingly empty space, went dark.
When he finally opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was cold, he was so, so cold.
Somehow my glasses were back on my face.
“Hi~” I heard someone speak to my left. “You're awake!”.
My head snapped to look at a woman, or was it just a very pretty guy? Their voice didn't make it any more clear, but it wasn't the same person from before. “Uh… Hi…”
“You gave me quite the scare! Yes, it was quite worrying, good thing I came to the rescue! Who knows what would have happened, huh?” They chuckled, they talked very casually, almost cheerful, I couldn't really share the sentiment.
“Ah… Yes, sorry about that… I'll just- take my leave” Something told me that leaving was the wisest option.
“Leave? So soon?” they didn't seem to like the idea.
“Yes, I happen to have business to attend to” I had no plans for the rest of the day.
“I think your schedule is quite clear, actually, why don't you stay and help me make dinner?” They said it cheerfully, but it didn't sound inviting at all, it didn't even sound like a question.
“I'm really sorry… I got people waiting for me”
Their brow furrowed and their gaze hardened for a fraction of a second before they smiled. “Don't let me hold you then, we'll meet again”.
A statement of a fact. “Goodbye then… have a good day…”.
I stood up from the bed I'd been laying in and made my way to the door, bowing out of politeness before leaving.
They waved me off and said nothing else. What a strange encounter, it left me on edge.
I was also worried about that other strange voice, it said I had been dying, what a concerning thing to hear right before waking up in an unfamiliar place.
My chest still hurt and I was still cold…
I took off my glasses to rub away the tiredness from my eyes.
I saw a cat walk by except…
Why was it stone...?
I could have sworn that cat was alive and moving a second ago.
I put my glasses back on, it was definitely stone, a statue, just in the middle on the road.
I simply stared at it, utterly lost, what the hell happened?
It took me a full minute before I decided to move the cat to the side of the road and looked for some flowers to leave in front of it.
I didn't know what happened, or why I left flowers, it just felt like the right thing to do.
I went home.
No one was there expecting me.
I made some tea, to try to relax and warm up, I added honey to it. It was nice.
It didn't ease my worries or the cold.
Perhaps a nap would help, maybe it would help ease the pain in my chest as well.
I turned off the lights and snuggled under the covers, closing my eyes.
As sleep took me over, I found myself in that strange empty space once more before I heard that voice again.
“Trying to escape the clutches of death, huh?” It sent chills down my spine.
“I mean, I can't really blame you, but come on, I was trying to be nice and all, I don't offer a last meal to just anyone” I couldn't speak.
“Just wanted to stop by to let you know you're not off the hook, after all, death comes for everyone, you can't avoid it, only postpone it” it's tone was casual.
“... I didn't do anything…” It was barely a whisper.
“Pardon?” It seemed confused by what I said.
“I don't know what happened, I didn't do anything” it came out a bit louder, slightly faster.
“Hmm… You saying someone else meddled with your death?” It sounded a bit more serious.
Was that what I was saying?
“Did a doctor get to you in time or something?” It continued.
A doctor…? They didn't seem like a doctor…
“I… Don't think they were a doctor…” I said, a bit unsure myself.
“Then how exactly did they bring you back from the brink of death?” it's tone was doubtful and accusatory.
“I don't know… Was I really dying…?” I was getting a little overwhelmed.
“Are you doubting me?”
Wrong thing to say. Damage control.
“It's just a hard thing to believe, don't you think…?” I was supposedly talking to the Grim Reaper right now, what had my life come to?
“Don’t misunderstand, you're still on the brink of death, but something's keeping you just stable enough to not die, and that…” if I was cold before, I was freezing in that instant. “Pisses me off…” The voice sounded right next to me.
“And- and why is that…?” I don't even know what compelled me to ask. “Isn't that… A good thing…?”.
“Your time is already due, it was due hours ago and you're not dead yet, that’s not a ‘good thing’” the voice was annoyed. “If you're not the one messing with my job, someone else is, which makes everything more complicated for me”.
I felt an ice cold presence right in front of me despite not seeing anything.
“So you will tell me who it was and maybe I'll reconsider making your death a little more bearable” it's tone was not at all friendly.
“I don't know them! Their face, their voice, their house, it was all unfamiliar to me- i just know they live in the area and they said we'd meet again-” I said it all quickly and panicked, like I was trying to get everything out before anything else happened.
Just like that, its tone went back to being casual. “A local, huh? Makes sense, they said they'd meet you again? Guess I'll just have to follow you around a little longer then”.
“When you do meet them, ask for a black coffee with no sugar, I'll take that as my cue” It continued.
Cue? Cue for what?!
“A… Black coffee with no sugar…?” I echoed, still overwhelmed at the situation.
“Yes, pleasure doing business with you, sweet dreams!” With that, the presence was gone and I woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily.
That nap did not help at all…
It took me hours of laying in the dark before exhaustion took over and I fell asleep again, I didn't dream of anything.
I woke up late.
I'd have to skip breakfast if I wanted to make it to my shift.
I went to the bathroom. I had to at least clean up before going to work.
I washed my face and looked at myself in the mirror, two blue eyes staring back at me.
My eyes are not blue.
Why were they blue?
I looked closer, those pupils did not look right, and I couldn't even see the whites of my eyes.
As I got closer to the mirror, I noticed markings in my cheeks.
Were those… Whiskers…? Not actual whiskers, they just looked like whiskers... Didnt make it any less weird.
Maybe I was imagining things.
I was running late for work, so I took his hoodie and-
The hood had cat ears…
...Whatever, I didn't have time for this, I put it on without the hood, took my keys, and left for work.
I heard that chilling voice laugh at me.
So it really was just going to follow me like a stalker, huh?
“Whatever…” I grumbled.
I made it to the library in record time and, if any of my coworkers noticed my appearance, they didn't comment on it.
I was sitting on the reception desk, tending to a customer, when the person from yesterday came in.
“Hello” they had this big smile that didn't seem appropriate for the situation.
“Good afternoon, can I help you with anything?” I kept my voice level and my expression in check.
“Yes, can you tell me where to find a book about cats?” They rested their hands on the desk.
“Anything in particular about cats?” I had to keep the customer service persona intact while I was on the clock.
“Taking care of cats” their smile seemed to widen, it didn't feel as if they were making eye contact, but rather as if they were just… Looking at my eyes instead.
“The pet section is over there, surely you'll find something about cats there” I pointed to a corner of the library to my left.
“Thank you!” They left, I assumed, to look for a book that suited their needs.
I took a moment to calm down, taking a deep breath, before I quietly called out to one of my coworkers. “Hey Lily?”.
She turned to look at me. “What's up?”.
“Are you on break?” I was starting to reconsider going through with this, fidgeting with the zipper of my hoodie, unsure of whether it was a good idea or not.
“Yeah, why?”
I hesitated. “Can you get me a coffee?... Black with no sugar… I overslept this morning and kinda need a pick me up…” I tensed as the words left my mouth.
She blinked. “Sure…” She gave me a reassuring smile and went out the front door.
Not a second later the entire reception chilled over and this… Guy… walked in.
It was wearing black pajamas, flower pattern and everything, with the most torn black cloak I had ever seen.
Its hood had dog ears that somehow stood on their own and- it had a tail…
Maybe that's why the ears stood on their own…
It walked up to the desk like it owned the place and leaned on it, wearing a casual smile on its face. “So who am I looking for?”.
I couldn't just blatantly snitch on a customer, if I was going to do this, I had to be subtle about it.
“The pet section is over there…” I pointed to the same corner I had pointed the last person in.
It looked in the direction I pointed to and smiled. “Gotcha”.
It walked over to the pet section just as casually as when it walked up to the desk… hopefully it wouldn't get me in any trouble…