Death Changed Everything for Bill Brown

[Story deals with issues of death. Death of a child]

They were a close-knit community living on the shores of Lake Erie. With 2500 residents, it was reasonable to assume that everyone knew everyone who lived nearby or that someone else knew someone who lived nearby. 

It was like a never-ending plague. Every day, everyone followed the same routine. This town is the last place on the planet where time stood still. There was no death, no new life, and the city's timeless state remained. Stuck. That's what they were. There was no way to move forward, nor was there a way to move backward. They were just stuck.

"Linda, I wish we could get the hell out of here," Bill said while working outside in their garden. "Sometimes I want to go on an adventure or experience something different. Don't you?"

" Bill, honey. You understand that it would disrupt the equilibrium, and there's no assurance that we will remain shielded from current threats once we step outside the barrier."

"I know, but don't you think it would be better than working in this goddamn flower garden all the time? It's the only thing we must look forward to daily."

"Bill. It's not that bad. At least we know what we need to do. Imagine if we had to think for ourselves. That would be horrible." She shook her head.  

There were many days when more residents wished to leave, but they understood that doing so would upset the balance of their existence. Everyone determined that what they knew was preferable to what they didn't know. Their terror was palpable.

Monochromatic and consistent: The flowers and birds were dull grey, with no songs to sing. The residents had long ago convinced themselves that birds didn't sing and flowers weren't bright, brilliant colours. The people smiled at this monochromatic display of sadness and gloom.

Bill and Linda pretended to love their life together. They relocated the full-sun flowers to the backyard, where they would receive shade. Linda could see them from her living room, hoping the flowers would be happier there. But no matter what they did with their flowers, they always looked the same—dreary and colourless. 

Bill and Linda first saw the dust funnel approaching the town from the border. They were shocked when the spinning funnel crossed the border without any action to contain or shield the town from it. 

"What on earth is happening in this town where time stands still, Bill?" Linda inquired, expressing her concern. "Look at that."

"I can't imagine love," Bill replied, his face puzzled. Was someone answering his prayers or listening to what he had said earlier in the week? Why did he feel a strange sensation come over him?  

"It's heading our way, Bill." And it's growing in size." Linda screamed.

"We should go inside!" Bill suggested. His unusual feelings made him worried.

"No, you leave. I'm curious to see where it goes," Linda stated.

"I cannot leave you alone with that thing on the loose, despite my disapproval of its appearance." Bill's voice trembled as he shook in dread.

Then it was upon them. The huge whirlwind stopped, and a gorgeous woman stepped from the twister funnel. 

"Hello." She remarked, "You must be Bill and Linda."

"Of course we are; who's asking?" Bill said this, bouncing from one leg to the other.

"Are you serious, Bill?" she asked. "Are you sure that's the question you want to ask me before we leave?" the stranger said. 

"No, no, no, I'm not. But I'm prepared to go." Bill dropped his trowel and gardening gloves.

"Wait a second. Where are you going, you two? Bill, I'm not sure I like what I heard from you," Linda protested.

Linda objected as she examined the stranger from head to toe. 

***

The woman waved to Linda, and with a quick flick of her eyes and a flash of her baby blues, they disappeared.

"What a strange twisting within my stomach!" My bowels let loose. My mouth is aching to escape. What exactly is it? What is this incredible feeling?" Bill said. 

"It's death, and you're taking it all in. Do you like the sensation?" The woman spoke her mind.

"Yes, it's a pleasant shift after nearly 250 years in that village where time stood still. When I first saw you approaching, I thought you would blow the monochrome blah grey out of town, but now I understand." Bill puffed up his chest and maintained direct eye contact with the woman.

"Oh no, silly. But it's an intriguing thought. "My spinner, however, does not perform actions but engages people in their interlude with death; some have even called me a soul spinner and collector."

"Wow! Is that what you're trying to do to me?" Bill's eyes widened as he leaned in closer to the stranger. 

"Precisely. I'll have to give it a shot, but congrats on embracing change so effectively. As a result, the flowers at your house will be colourful, so Linda can see them and remember you. But I have to go. You must remain here." 

He observed her as she spun away; she had someone in mind as her next soul to spin. 

***

After school, the youngsters tried to get enthusiastic by using the monkey bars they had used for the past 250 years.

"What exactly is that?" Rachel yelled. Her fear mounted as it drew nearer.

"Oh, I see. It's just dust." Anna exclaimed matter-of-factly. "But I also dislike its appearance. "Let's get going."

"I think it looks like the Tasmanian Devil in our cartoons. What if that's what it is?" Geno inquired. 

"What? How can a cartoon be real?" Anna shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I think we should head home and find Mom and Dad."

"I need to meet it, but not here," Rachel stated. "I have to go."

The energetic eight-year-old vanished before her siblings could absorb what she had said—or what it meant. She reached the centre of the football pitch. They watched as the whirlwind stopped, scooped her up, and continued swirling. 

Besides taking Rachel, the two children were unaware of what happened or why the whirling dirt funnel was there. When it did, colours appeared at their playground, such as real green grass and yellow dandelions. 

The playground was lively and vibrantly coloured. The two youngsters cheered and grinned from ear to ear as they rolled in the grass. 

When they returned home, their parents asked where Rachel was, and neither child knew what to tell them. Their father, the town's mayor, immediately sent out an emergency ring, instructing everyone to report to the town hall by six o'clock this evening. 

***

As the last person entered the hall, the mayor formed search parties for Rachel and Bill. The search parties created grid systems and were ready to go. While the mayor was finishing up,

---BLAM! The door blasted open and smashed into the wall. Everyone gasped, screamed, and knocked their knees in fear as they saw the funnel. 

Why hadn't they noticed it earlier? Everyone began to shake in their chairs, and a collective gasp of fright took over the room. The men stood in front of their wives and children. When the twister stopped, nobody could believe their eyes.

The woman who stepped out of the funnel began to sing, and those who knew the words flocked to her like hungry mosquitoes to a hiker in need of a fresh meal. She grinned and continued to sing until all of those she needed to collect were there, ready to go with her. She took her collection, and they were off. Those who feared her were instantly relaxed and at ease. 

The town burst into vibrant reds, blues, and canary yellows while songbirds filled the air with beautiful tunes. The town's barriers broke. The survivors stepped outside and were astounded by what they saw. 

Pregnant women progress through different stages. Teenagers grow into young adults, while young children become tweens and teens. They can't believe what they are seeing. Smiles and tears flow. Men with bald heads, beards, and moustaches now know the cost of living in colour. They realize birth and death are part of the cycle of life. Guts and chunky bellies are visible. People wear glasses, braces, canes, hearing aids, and walkers. 

The sudden loss crippled some people, who moaned in agony as they realized what they had lost. But they began to see life and death in everything. Their misery quickly turned into happiness. People's smiles were legitimate and genuine. The monotonous existence in this town had come to an end. 

This time, she left a note for the townspeople. It read,

I came to town to erase your frowns. 

Death was missing, and it was up to me to fix it.

You needed so badly to live differently from the life you had.

People now understand the landscape.

Instead of fearing death, consider adhering to it.

When we are alive, we live; when we die, we give.

Giving is necessary so that others can live.

Death

People began to focus on and crave death. They wanted it more than anything else in the world. They understood the life cycle and wanted to play their role in it. They understood its meaning and wanted to be like Bill. Their catalyst for change.