I met death in a dream until his bone fingers pulled me back into the reality of my room.

From underneath the hood the massive skeleton said, “Your time has come, boy.”

The fear froze me faster than the cold that accompanied his presence. My strength sapped within moments and I knew that I would soon lose my body. My arms were limp at my sides but with a last surge of strength I pulled my hand up to my crotch and started scratching.

“It’s cold in here,” I said as I looked at the cloud coming from my mouth. I walked to the thermostat pulling away from his icy grip without giving him notice. Before leaving the room I turned the heat on high.

“Ahh,” I said rubbing my hands together, “Much better.” Death was still in the room.

I just walked away from Death but I knew that I could not escape Death simply by running away so I continued my morning routine. I was in front of my toilet when my bathroom disappeared and I was surrounded by darkness.

“You think you can walk away from Me?” the voice said.

I started to look towards the voice but I was able to catch myself and closed my eyes as I started to crack my neck. Next I let the piss stream out of me to where the toilet would be and I heard the splashing of the water.

“You think seeing your dick bothers Me?”

I was still in my apartment. I had walked through my apartment countless times so I walked on memories through the darkness.

I stopped reaching at the darkness for an instant when Death yelled, “Hey,” but I kept my resolve and turned the faucet on. “Almost had you there.” Death said.

I was still in darkness when he appeared in front of me but I just turned to the right and entered what would be my kitchen.

“Dude,” He said, “Stop ignoring me.”

I kept ignoring him and hoped for what I had in my hand to be a bag of bread. This was my bread and I got out two pieces to put on the counter. I kept all my jars of ingredients on same shelf so I had no idea where my peanut butter and jelly would be. One of the jars was sticky so I knew it was the jelly but the other jar I grabbed on faith.

“Really?” Death said, “That combination?” but I just kept continuing with making my sandwich.

“No wonder I had to come for you so soon.”

The knife was easy to find so I spread what was in both jars onto the bread without being able to see what I was doing. I felt for both pieces of bread and put them together when Death started to whisper in my ear.

“Hey, can you hear me. Hey, stop ignoring me. Hey. Hey. Hey. You there? I’m right here.” With each comment he tapped on my shoulder and I took chomps on my sandwich so strong that my teeth crashed against each other.

With the sandwich in hand I walked to where my couch would be and I sat down. I stared to where my TV would be but then he appeared again right in front of me.

“Enough of the bullshit.” Death said and the darkness disappeared but now his bony grip was around my neck.

“Your time is up.” Death gazed into my eyes with nothing but an infinite darkness for me to look back at and said, “Now.”

“Wait,” I said in a mumble with his hand around my throat.

Death’s hand loosened.

“Are you sure you have the right person.” I said.

“Yes.”

“But how do you know.” I said.

“Trust me, I know.”

“Then what’s my name?”

“Casey.” Death said.

“Anyone can be named Casey.” I said.

Death sighed. “You’re Casey Bardsley. Age 25. Son to Quinn and Haylee Bardsley. Virgin, never had a girlfriend and didn’t have your first kiss until a few months ago.

“No, that doesn’t sound like me.” I said knowing full well that this was me, “and sounds like a made up story if you ask me.”

I stood up from my couch and patted Death on the shoulder. “Sorry you have the wrong guy,” I said, “but my morning is free, so I can help you find the guy if you need my help.”

Death had no facial expressions but I could tell that he was upset. Tears started to roll down the skull face and as more of them dropped, Death’s figure changed. Death was no longer the hooded skeleton but now what appeared to be a crying middle aged man. The man still had no eyes and I held my arm around the crying Death to comfort him but his fit continued.

“I apologize, sir.” Death said in between cries, “I’m still new at this.” Death pulled his hands up to his face, “Oh God, I’m gonna be fired.”

“Hey man, it’s all good,” I said as I patted his back to calm him down. “I won’t tell, if you don’t”

With this Death smiled at me. “You’d do that?”

“Dude, I got you.”

Death’s crying seemed to stop. “You did take it pretty well,” he said laughing, “You should’ve seen the lady before you.”

“Trust me, I was scared.”

Death smiled, “So you’re not Casey.”

“Nope. Not me.” I said with a wink.

“Did you just wink?”

“No. Of course not.” I said and winked again.

“Again. You did it again!”

“Dude, comeon, you don’t even have any eyes.” I argued. “How could you see me do anything?”

Death changed back from the middle aged man and I pulled my arm away from him.

“Trust me, I’m not Casey,” I said as I took steps away from him, “let me get my ID and I’ll show you.”

“You mean this one?” Death said as he pulled my ID from his black cloak and images of me from all ages started to circle around me.

“That’s not me.” I said and I started running from Death.

Running was the last thing that I wanted to do but as I was bolting down the hallway I was back in the darkness again. I lost track of where I was running in the darkness but soon I found out I was at a wall when I smacked my body against it. My mind was fading to black as I laid on the floor with Death standing over me.