My best friend

It was a rainy day, I was walking on the road, watching the trees and houses. Suddenly, I saw a car coming at full speed. I didn’t had time to move and it crashed me. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel much pain and managed to get back on my feet. As I looked back, I noticed the driver rushing out of his car to check if the person he hit was okay. It was then that I realised—I was the person he accidentally crashed into.

Overwhelmed with fear and confusion, I started running, feeling an unusual chill in the air despite it being the month of June. Strangely, I didn’t experience any fatigue while running. Eventually, I stopped and took a moment to contemplate what was happening at that very moment. While I was deep in thought, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around and saw a tall figure wearing a black robe, holding a Scythe, and sporting a hood. The figure had a skeletal face, and I panicked, believing it to be a monster or ghost. I screamed and attempted to flee, but I stumbled and fell on the ground. I continued screaming for about a minute until the black figure spoke, “Are you done screaming, little boy?” His voice was gentle, accompanied by a charming accent. With a wave of his hand, he magically summoned a chair and sat on it. He introduced himself as ‘Death- the Grim Reaper’ and calmly stated, “I’m sorry to say, but you are dead. I understand it’s difficult to accept these words, but indeed, you are deceased.”

Still confused, I questioned why I hadn’t transitioned to the afterlife. I also wondered why Death was casually looking at my confused face. I inquired about this matter, he laughed and said, “Oh my dear boy! Looks like you have been thinking stupid things about the afterlife, do you think it’s that simple? Do you believe that after death, you’re automatically transported to heaven? Allow me to tell you about the Afterlife.” 

Feeling a mix of confusion and amusement about the situation I found myself in, I listened as Death explained, “When a person dies, I, the Grim Reaper, transport them to the Grimsylum—the place which falls between life and the afterlife. At this place, the individuals are judged based on their deeds. If one has done more good than harm, they are sent to Heaven. However, if their sins outweigh their good deeds, they are condemned to Hell, where the Devil subjects them to torment, such as being boiled in hot water.”

I was feeling sad, knowing the fact that I won’t be able to see my mom and loved ones again. I mustered the courage to ask Death if I could see my mom one last time. Heartlessly, he dismissed the idea, responding, “What purpose does it serve to see someone you love for the last time if you know you won’t see them again? Saying goodbye once and for all would only leave you devastated.”

Although I disagreed, a part of me understood his perspective. Death took my hand and teleported us to a strange yet captivating place he referred to as Grimsylum. The place resembled an elegant bank, with polished floors and a grand chandelier. Outside the windows, there were only white clouds and crows flying everywhere. Meanwhile, Death instructed me to approach a counter labeled “Judgement” and promptly disappeared into thin air.

I walked to the counter which had a long line of other deceased people. While I was waiting, I started to think, “Is this really what I should do? Wait here for my life to be judged and then sent to the afterlife?” I didn’t want all this to happen without seeing my mom one last time.

I broke the line and decided to find Mr. Death, I walked towards the help counter in the corner and asked Death’s whereabouts. There was another hooded figure. He said that he is in the world of life shifting those who died to Grimsylum. I expressed my desire to meet my mom before moving on to the afterlife, he regretfully replied, “Sorry, I can’t assist you.”

A few hours later, I spotted Death reappear with someone else. I rushed towards him and said, “Mr. Death, I really want to meet my mom. Can I meet her only for once?”

Death made an annoyed face and sighed, “Ugh… what’s the problem with you humans? When I told you that you cannot meet anyone, why are you asking me again? Why is it so important to meet her? I mean imagine you telling her, Hello mom, I died so I am here to say you goodbye, I will miss you and blah blah blah, rubbish.”  

I became furious and said, “Do you even know how it feels to leave your loved ones forever without even saying goodbye? Do you even have a heart?” He became quiet. Everyone at the counter started to stare at us. He made a sad face and teleported me into a room with two fancy chairs and a table that had a long list of people who were dead and alive. The room also had a painting of Death himself.

After a few minutes, Death entered the room and sat on his chair. He said, “Look, I am sorry, but you have to accept it all.” I became sad and asked, “How do you feel, separating people from their loved ones and bringing them here?”

Death thought about this and said, “I feel bad while separating people from their loved ones, but I also feel happy sometimes because I relieve those who live a life of misery, pain, stress, and full of sadness. It’s the bittersweet truth of death after all.”

I became sad, and he saw my sad face. He thought about something for a while and said, “Maybe you can see your mom for once.” I was shocked, thinking he was joking. He said, “I don’t know why, but I feel sad for you. I’ve never felt like this for a mortal being before.” He held my hand and took me outside of Grimsylum to a place that looked like a harbour with no water, just a boat.

Death asked the boatman, who was actually a crow, to take us to the world of the living. We sat on the boat. I asked him, “If you can teleport people to different worlds, then why not teleport me again?” He answered, “Because I can take dead souls to Grimsylum, but I can’t return them to the world of the living.”

I was excited yet sad to meet my mom for the last time. After a few minutes, Death asked, “How does it feel to live? What does the world look like as I can’t see it like a human does?” I answered, “The living world is filled with all emotions—sometimes you are sad and depressed, sometimes you are happy and glad. But the most important thing is that you feel and cherish it. Life gives us all these moments, and that’s what makes living so precious. That’s what I call living a life, experiencing everything.”

Death was quiet for a few minutes. He said sorry for being so heartless. He also said that he had never felt so happy while talking to someone. A few hours later, we reached my home. Death told me that nobody could see us, but they could feel that we are around. I ran inside my home and hugged my mother, who was crying. My hug made her feel that I was around. She felt happy and hoped that I was in a better place.

After this, I took Death to various places like a carnival, a bakery near a river, a grassland, and many more places. I also showed him a lot of objects he had never seen before, like sunglasses, beautiful trees, toys, machines, and flowers. I noticed that when he touched flowers, they died. It made Death a little sad.

After spending a few hours together, Death took me back to Grimsylum. I waited in line for my chance to come. After I was judged, they took me to ‘The Gate of Afterlife,’ saying that it would take me to the world I now belong to.

The gate was fancy and huge. It was so huge that an entire elephant could pass through it. I started to feel sad that I was all alone near the gate and would pass through it with no one by my side. Suddenly, I felt someone holding my hand—it was Death. He had a happy and charming face. I saw him smiling for the very first time. He said, “You won’t be alone while passing this gate… my friend. You made me feel how living feels. You made me experience joy from little things. I will never forget that I once had a friend.”

I felt joy and relief that I had someone by my side, my best friend—Death.