Making a Deal with Death

“In Reverse”

Submitted by Tracie Jekel

I didn’t know that when I woke up that day, it would be the start of my demise.

My mom came over and asked if she could take my son out for ice cream. Of course, I said, “Yes”…it was his grandma; he loved her so much!

On the way to the ice cream shop, there was an accident. A horrible accident. An arrogant teenage boy, with a fast car, thinking he was untouchable, and texting, insta-gramming, Facebooking his friends. 

“Look how fast I’m going!” He showed a picture of his speedometer at 110 mph.

Then I got the phone call.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Miss Jenkins?”

“Yes”

“Miss Clara Jenkins?”

“Yes”

“Can you please come to the police station as soon as possible?”

I grabbed my purse and keys and jumped into the car. When I arrived, there was an officer there to meet me; you know that’s never a good sign.

“Miss Jenkins, your son and mother have been in an accident. Your mother is on life support.”

“What about my son?”

Just then, a chaplain emerged from the police doors. “I’m so sorry, Miss Jenkins. Your son, Benjamin, didn’t survive the crash.”

I immediately fell to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably…the chaplain tried to console me. But no one can console you in the first moments of hearing that news.

He helped me back home. I appreciated that…I’m still not sure what I said or did during that drive back to my house. Everything was a blur.

When I got inside, I went to my bedroom, and knelt down and prayed. I didn’t know exactly what I was praying for; I just knew I wanted some kind of peace.

Then the room got very cold…and I felt defensive. I felt an insistent touch, prick, on my shoulder.

I turned around, and saw him…the dark shadow in a dark cloak, carrying a scythe. I didn’t say anything.

“I have a proposal for you,” he said.

In my exhausted, defeated state, I asked, “What…”

He responded, “I have a proposal for you. I can bring your son back, if you agree to my terms. All you have to do is love and care for him the way you did before he passed. If you don’t, I will take him, AND someone else you love. So you will get him back, but if you don’t follow my terms, you lose 2 people.”

Those seemed to be very simple terms…and I wanted my son back so badly, I agreed. I agreed.

The next couple hours were a blur…I had just made a deal with death to get my son back. 

I woke up to my son, Benjamin, asking if we could go to the park!

“We have to check on grandma first,” he said. “Make sure she has some food.”

There he was, my sweet Benjamin. Always concerned about others and making sure everyone was happy. His first thought was to check on his grandma in the hospital. We made our way there. He was very quiet.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“What if Grandma dies?”

“Well,” I said, as I kind of stammered for a response. It was at that moment that I realized that with all that had happened, I didn’t even consider the fact that my mother may not make it. “Let’s just go see Grandma and tell her we love her, how’s that?”

We walked into the room, and, to my surprise, my mother was sitting up in the bed and awake! I was overjoyed to see her in that condition!

“MOM!” I yelled as I ran over to give her the biggest hug. “I’m so happy you’re okay!”

Through her tears, she whispered, “Honey, I’m so, so sorry about Benjamin. The accident happened so fast, I’m sure he didn’t feel a thing. I’m sure he went in peace.”

“Mom, Benjamin is alive. He’s right here,” I said as I pointed in his direction, “he’s here, and he’s fine!”

Benjamin entered the room, and my mom went as pale as a ghost. “Get him out of here!” she screamed as she threw everything that wasn’t bolted down at him. Her heart monitor machine went off the charts; she began sweating, and hyperventilating. “Get him out of here!”

“Mom! Calm down! What’s wrong?”

Just then the nursing staff came in to calm her and find out what was happening. They tried to physically restrain her, but she had strength that I had never seen in my mom. I saw fear, bone-chilling fear in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Jenkins, but we are going to need you and your son to leave.”

I grabbed Benjamin’s hand and quickly left the hospital. As we settled into the car, I asked him if he was okay.

“Oh yeah,” he grinned and laughed, “I’m good!”

This was NOT the response I was expecting from him. His grandma had just screamed at him in fear and we were forced to leave the hospital. And now he’s smiling and laughing in the back seat, playing a video game.

I took him over to the park to play. I needed to clear my mind and figure out what the hell had just happened! The park was busy…lots of kids playing, people walking their dogs, some having picnics. 

I watched Benjamin for a while, and I noticed something odd. I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination because of the incident with Mom, or if it was really happening. Whenever he went to the swings, or the slide, or the merry-go-round, all of the other children would leave. They didn’t leave in a panic, they didn’t seem scared…but it felt like a shark approaching a school of fish. The “fish” felt something was wrong, so they left.

Then Benjamin walked over to a couple having a picnic, took food off of their blanket and started eating it! I immediately ran over and apologized to the couple and he and I got back in the car.

“Ben, what were you doing? You don’t just take food from people like that, you know better!”

And again, all I got was that laugh and grin.

When we got back home, I told Benjamin to take a bath and get ready for bed.

I called the hospital to check on Mom.

“Hello, this is Clara Jenkins. I’m calling to check on my mother. Is she doing okay?”

“One moment, Ms. Jenkins. I’ll get a nurse for you.”

A few moments later, I hear, “Hello, Ms. Jenkins. This is Nurse Davis. Your mother had a seizure soon after you left, but we stabilized her. She kept talking about “death” being in her room. She was on some pain medication from the accident, so we weren’t sure if that was maybe causing some confusion for her. Her heart rate and blood pressure spiked, but we were able to get it under control, and she’s resting comfortably now.” I thanked her and hung up.

So there I am…sitting on my bed wondering what the hell is going on. And just then, I feel it…

I look over, and there it is…the shadowy, cloaked figure again.

“You’re wondering what the hell happened, right?” he asked.

I stayed silent.

“You wanted your son back. He’s back…he’s taking a bath right now. You didn’t say you wanted his soul back, too.”

“I assumed it was a given that I wanted that, too,” I managed to get out through a clenched, angry jaw. 

“Oh,” death laughed,”you obviously have never made a deal with death. You have to be very specific. You see, you only asked for HIM back, so we provided his physical body, but not his soul. Good souls are very valuable where I come from, and we hang on to the good ones. Since you didn’t ask for HIS soul, we kept that, and just gave him some bits and pieces of leftover souls, which usually aren’t good ones. No one wants a bad soul. So they’re a dime a dozen! But don’t forget the proposal I made. I gave you your son. You have to take care of him, or I come back and take him AND someone else you love.”

“My mom?” I asked.

Without an answer, he disappeared into a nowhere.

As I sat on my bed, I thought to myself, “As soon as Mom dies, I’m killing Benjamin.”

At that moment, the bedroom door swung open, smacked the wall, and Benjamin stood there, with dead eyes…

“Not if I kill you first,” he said.