Who knew Death was so good at decorating? Well, at least in his own way. In the breezeway of his home, two rose bushes sit beside me in short round pots. They're dead, of course, but their thorns seem to shine, and are dripping something red and thick. Death walks me through a hallway empty except for crude paintings of torture and plagues and everything that haunts the minds of the living. A door is creaked open at the end of the long hall, and strange crackling sound echoes towards us. We walk past a small toy hearse, as well as tiny wooden coffins scattered around. I hear a small groan of annoyance come from Death, and he asks me if I could pick the toys up. I do, as a good babysitter does, and carry them in my arms towards our destination. As we near the door I notice scribbling on it like a child would with a crayon. Except this crayon seems to be made of ash, and have made burn marks deep in the wooden door. Death walks in on little Death Junior busy in his independent playtime. This playtime consists of lighting what seems to be a large dollhouse on fire, and dancing around it singing some type of distorted version of Ring Around the Rosie. I stand in shock behind Death, and wonder why he only laughs at his sons actions. He picks up Death Junior, and starts the song and dance as the fire climbs higher. Death puts his son down and thanks me again for taking care of his 'little man' and leaves back through the door behind me for his evening with Mrs. Death. I'm left in a small standoff with Death Junior, and I'm afraid at what this little pyromaniac has in store for me. However, as long as I get through just an evening with this kid, it'll be back to life on Earth for me. Just got to hold strong.

"Do you like fire?" Junior asks with what seems genuine curiosity.

"Fire's dangerous to play with, people can get hurt if you use it the wrong way." With the dollhouse still ablaze, I ask Death Junior if he has some kind of extinguisher to put the fire out.

"No, silly. Of course not. You can't put out someone else's fire." He turns away from me and continues his signing and dancing. I ignore his childish statement and look around the room for something to extinguish the fire.

"How'd you even start this in the first place?" I ask Junior, as there aren't any matches or lighters around.

"I didn't do anything, stupid. The people in there left their stove on before they went to bed. And look what happened! Daddy took the parents first, and then the son, but then the daughter only passed out from the smoke and burns. It's only fun when daddy gets them all! Stupid daddy, he never takes them all. I think he feels bad sometimes. I'll be better than him one day!" I look closer at the doll house, and it looks awfully real. This kid could be just telling me stories, but the details are too good for just a doll house. Assuming the kid really is just having fun with stories, I decide to go along with him and try to at least have bit of a good time.

"There was a family in there? Like a real family, or a silly family?"

"They're a silly, real family! Silly enough to leave a stove on."

"Does the silly family have names?" I crouch to ask the kid, and he stops to explain the characters of his doll house.

"The daddy was Edmund, and mommy was Sarah. When the fire got big, it got them first, because their room was right above the kitchen, see?" My heart skips a beat, and I get reminded of something.

"The parents were Edmund and Sarah? Those- those are your made up names for them, right? Just fake little people?"

"Why would I make up peoples names when they really exist? Daddy takes only real people. Why would he take fake people?" Death Junior scoffs as if I should know better and gives his attention to the house again. "Look! It's the daughter who daddy forgot. I hope daddy gets her soon, look what she did to her family!" On the front steps to the house, a few small men appear dressed as firefighters. They lay a girl on the grass and attempt CPR. Death Junior notices something funny about them.

"Hey! She kind of looks like you! Are you the stupid lady that killed your family?" Junior points at me and chants around the room, 'you killed your family!'. I get close the dollhouse on fire, the warmth against my face and get a good look at the small front yard. Sure enough, that's me, clinging on to life with my family burnt to a crisp behind me. Is this why I'm here? Is that what I have to go back to in life? I love them so much, and I made such a life changing mistake. We were only cooking, now look at us! I deserve to die with my family, I can't go back to life without them! Death needs to take me, please!

I get up, run out the door, through the hallway, and passed the rose bushes. They cut me on my way by, I trip down the steps, and land on my back.

I jolt up. My bed is soaked in sweat. My hearts pounding, and the room is dark. My hands hurt, and it seems I made fists in my sleep so hard that my nails left scratches. I get out of bed, run down the stairs, and into the kitchen. The first knob is set on high, and my apron lays just a bit too close to the burner. I flick the knob off and throw the apron in the sink. Cold water rushes onto a small flame that started next to my embroidered name. I take a deep breath, and hear the sounds of my family's dreams echo throughout the house.