Life and Death

Life and Death

Life and Death sat across from each other in this empty void. It was neither light nor dark, bright nor dim, enlightening nor defeating. 

Just this neutral empty void both could discuss an endless possibility of enigma. 

“So,” Spoke Life. “Doesn’t this feel all too familiar?” Death, glanced off into the void, then spoke, “I suppose, it’s amusing how so much can happen and yet… it all concludes to nothing, nothing but us.” 

Life stared at Death and his pessimistic views.  “I wouldn’t say that.” Disagreed Life. He smiled so brightly, like a star as he spoke, “I believe it all was worth something.” Death held his hand to block off Life’s shine, then scoffed to himself. “Then explain this, Life. Explain what has happened to this world we tried so hard to build. Lifetimes and lifetimes have happened and we have stood and watched it all wilt like a dying rose.” 

Life’s smile lowered along with Death as he matched him. Life crossed his arms and pondered what Death had said.

Life has always grown and bloomed, life never fails to keep living. Death follows, like a snake, taking something so precious and abolishing what little it had. Life had never understood Death, or tried to in that matter.

He had always seen Life has a gift everyone deserves. Every breeze, every creature, every soul. He believed they all deserved the right to live and to take away such a gift would be sin. 

“Hm.” Life could only respond in that moment. “Hm?” Death repeated to clarify. “Hm.” Life responded calmly. 

“You must be proud then.” Life bluntly said to Death, his chin held up as he gazed slightly down at him. “Proud?” Death asked, almost offended. “Yup.” Death looked into the void. 

There was nothing out there, nothing worth letting himself sink into at least. 

Death had always seen his job as a blessing, less so a gift. Everything in his eyes is a blessing, even dying. You are granted the gift of life. That gift is up to you to interpret, after all it’s your gift. However that gift is decided to be experienced, it reaches a deadline. 

Life to Death was like a vacation, and vacations must always have an end. Death understood the fear, the regret, the despair of Death. Granting someone the blessing of allowing someone to pass away calmly was a blessing to him. 

Death stared off into the void, then looked at Life. “No, I wouldn’t say proud..” Death spoke, regretfully. Life’s eyes widened as he leaned forward with a listening ear. 

Death spoke, “In my eyes, this isn't how I imagine death to be. Death shouldn’t be so-so dark, so endless, so… empty. When you die, you should be able to finally rest with an exhale of relief and without a worry. Without the worry of your loved ones as your regrets are swept away.”

Death looked at Life directly, “Is that too much to ask?” 

Life relaxed his gaze on Death as he spoke. 

For their entire existence they have only encountered each other once, and that was at the beginning. The beginning of everything, even before that. It was so long ago… 

How many lifetimes have passed? Were any words even spoken then? 

Life tilted his head slightly at the realization of this, then asked Death, with a bit of grayness, “How long ago has it been since we’ve spoken?” 

Death thought back, then replied, “I’m not sure… How long has the moon wrapped around this planet?” Life smiled at Death’s grim but amusing sense of humor as he let out a chuckle.

All these years, all this time.. 

The two of them had been at each other’s necks fighting for what they believed had been two opposites of the same coin. 

Right and wrong, light and dark, life and death. 

Death let a smile through his grim demeanor. He understood it just like Life, and smiled at the irony of it. 

“I find it ironic.” Death said, “That we watch over the world, watching humans and judging them. We judge their actions, their choices, how they choose to waste their little life and the emotions they express outwards like a haste of toxic air and yet… Here we are, matching their behavior nonetheless and being ever so childish.”

Life chuckled and placed his hands on his knees, “It would seem that way. I had always found every creature to walk this planet to be so… interesting. Humans specifically, How they work, repeat mistakes, fight for their ideals and ideas of right and wrong. I always wondered… Would I be the same as those who walk on this rock if I knew everything I knew? Would I want to know or… would I walk in ignorant bliss?” Life looked up at Death, waiting for an answer or response back to his statement. 

Death thought for a moment. He rarely saw humans, rarely interacted with them as Life gets to. He sees them in their final moments, no emotion ever the same. 

He’s seen them cry and sob, laugh and love, break and wither into their own emotions. He never saw a recurring pattern just… their last moments.

“I believe that…” Death spoke as Life listened. “If I were to be a human I’d live my life in ignorance. I’d wish to know nothing but the next action I’d have to do, to go out in my own way and well…” Death gazed up, eyes closed as he inhaled deeply at these thoughts, then he exhaled deeply, “To never know the fear of what’s to come after.”

Life leaned back a bit, hand under his chin as he pondered the words Death had conjured up. He saw humans at the very start of their journey and watched them, trusting them to make the right decisions and gifting others with their own talents and words. 

He had hoped that none of them would need to suffer but that would just be asking the impossible. He was stubborn at his creation, yes, but he was also intrigued at them. Their lives, their thoughts, the paths they decided to take, their choices. 

Something so small, so tiny, so innocent could alter decisions they made and it fascinated him deeply. 

“Would you live in ignorant bliss, Life?” Life snapped out of his daydream of thoughts. He stared blankly at the void, then smiled softly. 

“No, no I don’t think I could.” He responded, so sure and confident. Death’s face stiffed just a bit as he heard his answer. 

“And why is that?”

Life chuckled, then looked up at Death as he smiled. “To live in ignorant bliss would be damnation to me. I need to experience life with everything I’m allowed to discover. I need to… see everything, know everything, I need to live with open eyes and… to be blinded by ignorance would be wrong. Good or bad, I’d like to experience it all.” 

Life interlocked his hands as he leaned forward, then exhaled. “So, now what, Death?” 

Death interlocked his hands and copied life as he leaned forward. “I’m not sure, we were never given the choice, we just… did it.” 

Life chuckled a little as he turned his head away. Death looked at Life and thought deeply..

Several years must have passed by as the two of them thought. 

“You believe..” Death spoke. “That life is a gift, am I wrong?” Life moved his head to face Death as he corrected, “You are right.” Death stood. “Then Life, why not continue to grant life the freedom to live, the freedom to change and be given a chance.” 

Death held out his empathetic hand, the hand that would rewrite this tale again. Life smiled softly with a little pain in his eyes, then stood with Death.

“It should be a blessing for them as well, Death. To experience it all and then to conclude its end. Am I right?” Death smiled a little at his response, then gave a slight nod. “You are.” 

Life held his hand near Death’s open hand, then said, “Then let’s grant this world another chance. A chance of a blessing, a gift, a choice.”

Death gave a nod, then agreed, “A chance at life and death.” Life gave a nod.

Life and Death interlocked their hands together and a bright light began to glow between them. 

The world then began to start again, and the two would reunite once more in another lifetime.