Words Of a Feather

April 4, 2044

The lowest number of deaths ever

Only 4 people had died, and Death

Was displeased with 3

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The first soul was a young man named Yariel O. L. Osborne

Full of life and freedom, he chased the wind and burst from the ashes

Performing feats of danger until his final breath

Life was but a game for this man, and what happens when a fool takes this literally?

The young man went to a gambling tournament

He was unable to keep up; strings to his neck, blades to his back, fire surrounding him

The young man competed until he lost

And for that fatal failure, he was dealt a blow to the head

Death slowly flew to him after a few minutes, taking its precious time

It smelled some lovely roses, admired a few couples

Enjoyed the bright lights of the city

Even went on a ride before collecting this first soul

Yariel cried the cry of a warrior and pounced at Death

Death easily picked up the soul and miserably went about its day

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The second soul was a young adult woman named Terra Fye

She was almost done with college and ready to go to the real world

But she wasn’t, and instead, her mind filled with worry

She stayed in her apartment, crushed inside the box that would be her home

She never got to enjoy the eternally glorious ocean, the timeless streets

The potential friends and lifelong connections

She never found the opportunity to discover herself

To her merit, she died of old age in her sleep with no one to hear her last words

Death enjoyed itself on its journey to her room

It made some friends, found an interest in cooking, went bungee jumping

Crossed from Beijing to Cairo to her apartment until reaching the second soul

Terra begged not to be taken and let out a ghastly scream

Death easily picked up the soul and miserably went about its day

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The third soul was a middle-aged man named Isaiah D. Cornell

He worked in retail for 8 exhausting, wasted hours of his time for 5 days a week

His soul was already taken before it was taken

After losing someone dear to him, he believes life itself to no longer be a treasure

He didn’t care if he burned or drowned, he just wanted it to end

On this day, the man drove to work to continue selling his soul

Death lived with more content as it was taken to the man’s house

Death drove around hoping to make the most of its day

Even though it existed forever, it never dare depreciate its existence

Eventually, Death’s driver crashed into the same car as the man

Isaiah looked at Death, not shedding a tear nor screaming in fear

Death easily picked up the soul and miserably went about its day

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The fourth soul was an elderly woman named Grace Lee

She was already retired and she saw it all despite having a troubled youth

She was able to enjoy the small things in life

And the bigger picture as well

She knew when to have fun, and also, when to sit still for a moment

She was able to work and made enough money to go on a trip once every two years

It may have not been too extravagant, but every time she went, it was worthwhile

Eventually, the people around her were caught in Death’s clutches

It may have triggered her, but it never left an embellishment of tragedy on her

She found ways to move on and appreciate what or who she still had

For life was but a chance for her to be happy

And even when it was difficult or tiresome, she couldn’t give up on the one thing keeping her, and everyone else, alive

Finally, Death found her

Grace was surprised to see it, but she knew it was her time

She smiled, held Death’s hand, and the two of them walked to the afterlife together