April McDermott: NOT TIME YET

April McDermott is a shortlist winner nominee of the 2024 Adelaide Literary Award Contest in the category of Short Stories, with her work titled Not Time Yet. April lives in Chelmsford, Massachusetts with her Grandfather and her cat, Cicero. She has previously published poetry and short fiction with Adelaide Literary Magazine. She also has work published with the Academy of the Heart and Mind, Scarlet Leaf Review, and Mobius Boulevard.

Not Time Yet

Death stood over the girl.

Her lifeless eyes stared back at him, accusingly. He wanted to look away, but he could not. Instead, his gaze moved away from her haunted eyes and traveled down the tear-stained rivers running down her cheeks. He continued down her pale, white throat, her artery no longer bleeding life through her body. Finally, down her thin arm to the bloody and bruised cuts slicing across her wrist in every which way. His eyes glanced over to her right wrist and saw the same damage.

Now he did close his eyes. He closed them tight, trying to push away the image. Death was his life, as ironic as it sounded, but this was not him. This should not have happened. This was not death by Death. It was not her time yet. She had her entire life ahead of her. She was supposed to, at least. He shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be here...

Death opened his eyes again. He looked at the young girl, searing the scene into his mind.

All around him, the apartment swarmed with police and medical examiners and paramedics, none able to see Death. All these fragile human lives running around because one of theirs had fallen. Someone they didn't know, but all felt the sorrow, the injustice of a life cut too short. Perhaps, he thought surprisingly, they could sense it wasn't her time, too.

But then again, humans never thought there was a correct time for death.

Death stood over the body for a while longer. His head was spinning, his mind racing. He had not killed the girl. No one should have.

It had not been her time.

Death turned from the scene, turned his back on the dead girl, and was startled when he nearly slammed right into a very colorfully dressed comrade of his. The colorful, patchwork attire and floppy, feathered hat were the unique traits of the Pied Piper.

“Piper. What happened here? Have you been taking souls prematurely?!” Anger flared in Death’s eyes and voice. This child had not been ready to die!

Pied Piper shook his head violently. “No, sir! This wasn’t me!”

Death took a deep breath and sighed. “What happened?” He asked more calmly.

“I came as soon as I heard she died.” Pied Piper sounded close to tears. The complete opposite of how he normally was. “You see, this girl is under my watch.” He paused, then corrected himself with noticeable effort, “Was under my watch. She’s attempted suicide before, but I’ve kept her alive. It hasn’t been her time.” He shook his head. “It’s still not her time, but…someone took her.” His eyes began to water. “Death, what's going on?”

All of Death’s anger seeped out of him as he saw the pain his soldier was going through. He looked into Piper’s watery eyes. He had never seen him like this before, and as much as he didn't want to deal with the jovial Piper, this was even worse.

Death glanced back at the girl, the scene, and frowned. “Do you know anything about this, Piper?” He turned back to the colorful entity.

“I don't know anything,” he shook his head, “but this isn't the first one I've seen. There's been others, too.” He was near hysterics.

Death knew this was not the first case of premature death. A sudden rash of them had appeared all over the world. Then he heard Piper sniffling again beside him and he sighed. He had to deal with one problem at a time.

“Alright, Piper, let's go somewhere we can talk and calm down,” Death soothed. The sooner they got out of this haunted place, the better for both of them. Leave the humans to whatever is it they do with the soulless corpse left behind.

Death and Piper sat together on a park bench. He knew Piper liked sunshine, and it was a nice day. He figured this would help calm him.

“It wasn't her time, right?” He asked. Death thought he sounded a little better, but still not himself. Pied Piper wasn't looking at Death, but watching the people in the park, living their lives unaware of what occurred earlier today.

“No,” Death confirmed, “it was not her time.” He didn't understand how it was possible and yet this was not the first time it had happened. But only Death could bring death. So who was out there dealing death to those not ready to die? Had one of his soldiers gone rogue? Begun killing people before their due time? It was disturbing, to say the least. He would have to investigate. Something was very wrong. The ending of one’s life was sacred, it was not something to take lightly. Death was not something to be trifled with.

Death was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, that it took him a while to realize that Piper was staring at him. “I'm sorry, Piper, what did you say?”

“Who do you think is doing this?” Pied Piper asked.

“I don't know, but I'm going to find out,” Death vowed. Someone wasn't playing by the rules, and someone was going to be taught a lesson about the sanctity of death.

“Can I help? I want to help,” Piper spoke quietly, but firmly. Death knew Piper better than probably anyone. They saw his bright clothes, goofy smile, dancing feet, jovial style, and stayed away. And as much as Death lost patience with Piper, he knew he was one of the best, because of his heart. He was good for the children, and this was clearly affecting him. Piper knew more than most about the value of death. A rightful death.

Death looked into his eyes. He wasn't going to argue with him. “Alright, Piper, you can come, but don't get in my way.” Pied Piper nodded. Death sighed. He knew who he needed to talk to first.

Death and Piper traveled to the dark, damp cave of the Fates. The three witches made Death more uncomfortable than any others. They seemed to do it on purpose, it amused them to make others squirm.

“Clotho. Lachesis. Atropos.” Death kept a healthy distance away from the trio. Piper stayed even further back, practically hiding behind him.

The witches looked at the pair, their eyes glowing in the dark. Their infamous golden threads hung all around them. The scissors gleamed like daggers, but they were far deadlier than that.

“Well, if it isn’t..”

“Death. We know why...”

“You’ve come...”

Death shuddered involuntarily. He was familiar with the way they spoke, always finishing each other’s sentences. It was unsettling. “I'm sure you do,” he conceded. It was best to make this as fast as possible, he could feel Piper shaking behind him. He wanted to get out of here, too. “Have you been taking souls before their time?”

The witches made a noise, which he assumed was meant as a laugh. It chilled him, but also angered him. This was not a laughing matter, it was not something to be taken so lightly.

“Allow us to assure you...”

“We’ve not been cutting thread...”

“Before it’s due...”

Death knew when humans were lying, but reading entities, especially the Fates, was a lot more difficult. Regardless he didn't think it was them. They respected death, if not always Death. As if echoing his own thoughts, Death heard Piper whisper behind him, “I believe them. Let's go from this place.”

Death nodded, there were other places and entities to see. He bid the Fates farewell and the pair was gone.

Death and Piper appeared in a meadow of wild flowers and bright sunshine, the complete opposite of where they had just left. Piper leaned in next to Death. “Those witches creep me out. Sorry.”

Death glanced over at the harlequin. It seemed like he was getting some of his color back, he must be feeling a little better. That was good. “No need to apologize, Piper. They creep me out, too.”

Then an angel descended from the blue sky and landed before the pair. “Hello, Death, Piper,” the angel greeted with a nod toward both.

“Hello, Azrael,” Death reciprocated.

“Hey, Az,” Piper chimed.

The angel flared his wings, then folded them back. His eyes were on Death. “I can guess why you are here. I have heard the disturbing news of souls passing before their rightful time.”

Death nodded. “Do you know anything about it, Azrael?”

“Alas, I do not,” the angel replied. “But it must be a powerful entity indeed to commit such acts so blatantly against law.”

Death had thought the same, but that left precious few options left of who could possibly be behind it. He felt Piper tug at his robe from behind like a little boy attracting attention from a parent. He turned to look at him.

“Where do we go next?” He asked quietly.

Death sighed. Where indeed? There were many forms and agents of death, but none he could picture breaking ranks and doing something so drastic as this. But it demanded answers. It demanded retribution. So without directly answering, Death gestured to Piper, “Come on.”

Death addressed Azrael once more. “Thank you, Azrael.”

The angel nodded. “I wish you success in your search.”

Death nodded his appreciation. Piper waved. “Bye, Az.” Then the pair was gone from the heavenly abode.

Death and Piper made visits to several other psychopomps spread across the world and some even beyond. But they were constantly met with the same response. No one knew anything. How was no one responsible for these crimes?! He was losing precious time running around in circles while another innocent may be meeting an early end that wasn't justified to take place.

As much as Death was feeling it, he knew Piper, beside him the entire time, was also losing hope. That was not a good sign, either. He was faced with the unfamiliar territory of not knowing what to do.

Then a crow flew down from the sky to perch on Death’s shoulder. It cawed into his ear and Death’s expression shifted to disturbed.

Piper glanced at him. “Is there another?” He asked quietly.

Death didn’t bother to look at his companion, he just responded, “Come.”

Death and Piper stood side-by-side over the deceased man. The man had smoked, drank, and seemed to have no regard for his life nor the lives of others. He owned what seemed like a personal armory. There were over a dozen guns in his closet, with piles of bullets lying haphazardly on the closet floor. He was a danger to himself and to others.

Piper frowned. It hadn’t been this man’s time, but maybe his death saved some lives. He had mixed feelings about this one.

Death was studying the situation in intense concentration. This one felt like a message. He just had to think; this could give him his breakthrough if he could just decipher the message.

None of the human flies of police and detective work had shown up yet. They had peace and quiet to study.

Piper shook his head in wonder, his eyes still roaming around the small apartment room. “It’s like this man lived in death.”

Something clicked in Death’s head. He snapped. “That’s it! I’ve been thinking about it all wrong. It’s not about death.” With no explanation, he laid a hand on Piper’s shoulder and they were gone from the death scene.

They appeared in a city alley, dark and damp.

Piper looked at Death. “What do you mean, sir? If it’s not about death, what’s it about?”

Death did not look at Piper, but instead pointed into the alley. There was a teenager slumped against the wall, shaking, near death. He was unconscious.

Next to the human there was an ethereal being of great light, an entity that only Death and Piper could see. Pied Piper’s jaw dropped in shock. They knew who that entity was, and it was the last being they would have ever thought was behind this.

Death reacted first and rushed over. Piper followed after.

The ethereal entity was dressed in lace and silk. Her hair was loose and fell in tangles along her back and over her shoulders. Her eyes, which usually shined so bright, looked dim. There was a jarring amount of blood on her wrist.

Death fell to his knees before the entity and snatched her arms. “Life?! What are you doing?!”

The ethereal being took a while to focus, like she was trapped in a trance. She fought against Death at first, not completely aware of where she was or her current engagement.

But he only gripped her arms tighter. “Life! Look at me!” Death demanded.

Finally, she looked at him. Their gazes met and sparks flew about in the air. Her light and his dark. He watched her closely, studying her eyes as they came back into focus and he could see her register who was in front of her.

“Death?”

“What are you doing to yourself?” He asked gently, his eyes drifting to the leakage on her wrist.

She also looked down at her wrists and her eyes began to tear as she clutched at Death. “I can't take it anymore, Death. They are abusing me, destroying me, from the inside. It has been so painful. Too much pain, too much hurt. I had to make it stop,” she cried.

Death frowned, not understanding. “What do you mean? Who is hurting you?” His voice was full of concern.

Life's eyes hardened for a second, dimming her light slightly, but it may as well have been night and day for Death. Her grip tightened, not in fear this time, but anger. She glanced at the teenager slumped beside her. “Humans,” she said disdainfully. He had never heard her speak in such a tone, especially not about humans. Her eyes returned to him. It was not a place of hate she spoke from, but one of pain. “They do not care for me anymore, Death. Why should I care for them?”

He tried to keep his voice as calm and gentle as he could. He had never seen Life so irrational, so out of control. “Life, you must stop. You’re killing yourself,” he spoke as gently as he could.

“They're killing me,” she replied. “If they don't want me, then they won't have me.” She met his gaze. They stared at each other for a while. “They try to end my existence, I'm just giving them what they want.”

“You are ending lives before their true time,” Death scolded. “You of all beings know how precious your gift is. How precious you are.”

“I am not precious to some. They make me feel worthless, Death. They put me through so much pain, like they are waging a war against me...” She paused, every word was like a dagger in her heart. “They do not deserve me.”

Piper looked away from the pair. His legs wobbled beneath him and he leaned against the wall to steady himself. He couldn’t even look at Life, it was too painful. Her words were breaking his heart.

Death, however, never looked away from those tear-filled eyes. He released Life’s arms and brought his hands up to her face. “It’s not about what they deserve. It’s about what you deserve. It’s about what Life deserves. And Life deserves to live.” He caressed her cheeks, wiping her tears away.

“Look at what they’re doing to me!” She brushed his hands away. “They drink so much I can’t function. They smoke so much I can’t breathe. They inject me with poison and kill me from the inside. They dull me in ways I couldn't even imagine. They drown me out. They pin and prick me. They try to murder me and kill themselves. They try to kill me by killing others! It is torture.” They each glanced at the teenager slumped beside Life. There was a needle in the crook of his elbow. She didn't look at him this time. “They are bleeding me dry, Death. So I decided to end the pain. For my own sake and theirs.”

Finally, it started to make sense to Death, what Life was trying to say, what she was trying to do. His heart broke for her. “Life, I am so sorry I didn't see it sooner. But don't do this to yourself. Do not diminish your worth because some mortals cannot see it. You are precious, the most precious thing in this world. You know it as well as I. The sad fact is, some people don't know it, they don’t understand. Sometimes, you’re just too great an idea to comprehend, but it's up to you to show them how much they need you when they feel the exact opposite. You are all these people have.” He shook his head for a moment. “It’s unfair. I know it's so unfair to you. Your job is so much harder than mine, and I do not envy you for it. But you are so much more than any human could possibly fathom. You cannot give up on them, Life.” He gently took her chin and made her look at him.

“They do not want me,” she cried again.

“Of course they do, they just sometimes get blinded by other things. They want you, my dear, they need you. They love you. Your sweet taste in their mouths and overwhelming sweet aroma in their noses. The beauty they see everyday around them and the chorus of remarkable music they hear from your very existence. They crave it more than you will ever realize. I see it on the other side. Don't let the blindness of some of them fool you. You are their only way out. You must save them, Life, not succumb to them,” he pleaded.

She didn't say anything for a while.

“Give me your hand,” Death requested.

She did as he asked.

“Remember, you are never alone. Give the humans life, give them what you have to offer, give them what you deserve. And I will take care of the rest.”

She held his gaze for a while. “You are with me?” She finally asked.

“I am always with you, as you are always with me. And I will always be here for you, for all eternity.” He glanced at her wrists. “But you must do this for yourself,” he ordered.

Life nodded and brought her wound to her lips and kissed it. Brilliant, ethereal skin took over the dull red.

The teenager beside her stirred, then gasped as he regained consciousness. He looked down at the needle and threw it from his arm. He stumbled to his feet, leaning wearily against the wall for support. He was breathing heavily, the effort exhausting him, but eventually the boy found his footing and made his way slowly out of the alley and into the light of the day.

Piper jumped for joy and started dancing in celebration. He leaned down and gave Life a kiss on her cheek. She giggled, and it was music to their ears.

Death helped Life back up to her feet. “Do not forget how precious you are. Do not let humanity judge you, but show them the truth.” He stepped back to let her stand on her own. “I cannot exist without you. Nothing can, my dear.”

Life smiled. “Thank you.” She leaned forward and kissed Death on the cheek, then disappeared into the breeze.