A Deal with Death

Audrey made some very bad choices the day before the party.

Not the normal bad choices, like getting drunk and texting your ex. One, she was twelve, two, in no way this should have been categorized as a party, and three…

She made an actual deal with Death.

---

Uncle Tom said to envision the funeral as a party.

A really depressing party.

Audrey wasn’t sure why a funeral was a party, but you know what, when your parents are both dead, you have to come up with coping mechanisms.

Audrey actually saw her parents die, which is not something many twelve-year-olds could relate too. It was pretty early in the morning, and her parents had dragged her out on a morning walk to “admire the new leaves of fall.”

“Audrey, tie your shoes. You wouldn’t want to trip,” her mother had told her.

Those were the last words she had ever said alive. Audrey had bent down, tied her shoes, and when she stood up, her parents were crushed to death underneath a fallen tree. Everyone told her that during the storm the day before, lightning had struck the tree and made it unstable and cracked, whatever that meant.

But that wasn’t the point.

The fact was her parents were dead and she saw Death walking towards her parents’ bodies.

Death wasn’t like what the stories said: skeletons with scythes and black hooded cloaks. Death was a businessman, wearing a sharp suit and carrying a briefcase.

“Hello.” Death turned to her, holding out his hand. “Are you here to witness the nine o’clock appointment for Mr. Brian Rylie, née Kingbottom and Mrs. Madeline Rylie?”

“Apparently,” Audrey said, not knowing what else to do. She shook Death’s hand, his cold skin shocking her into reality.

She was meeting Death.

“Cause of death, crushed by a tree,” Death noted, and suddenly her parents were in front of her again, but bleached white. “Hello.”

“Oh my gosh,” Audrey gasped, pointing at her parent’s bodies, and then back at her… ghost parents?

“You know dear, it’s rude to point,” her mother chided her, turning back to Death.

“Okay, so it seems like you both are set up to be… reborn.” Death checked his watch. “And there are two new births happening right at the moment, please go through this door.”

A door materialized next to her parents, swinging open. They were about to go in, but Audrey leapt in front of the door before they could.

“No,” Audrey said, her voice shaking.

She was refusing Death.

That couldn’t have been good.

“Sorry, we’re almost late.” Her father tried to push her back, but Audrey stayed rooted to the spot.

“Audrey?” Death asked, pulling her aside. And just like that, her parents were gone through the door. “Audrey, I understand that this is hard for you to process, but please let them go. Would you rather them stay in this life, stuck between their physical form and their new life?”

“I don’t want them to die!” Audrey snapped.

“Very well.” Death rummaged through his pocket.

“Are you actually bringing them back?” Audrey asked, surprised. She didn’t actually expect that to work.

“Oh, no, I can’t do that before conferring with my supervisor.”

“Supervisor?”

“Here.” Death handed her a sleek business card, with Death & Co. embossed on the front. On the back, there was a series of instructions on how to call Death.

Step 1: Take a phone and dial 5555 and let ring.

Step 2: Place in the middle of a circle with a five-foot diameter, surround with candles and chocolate chip cookies (all outside the circle.)

Step 3: Speak with Death.

“Excuse me?” Audrey looked up, but Death was gone.

---

“Looking forward to the party?” Uncle Tom asked, handing Audrey a plate of his famous triple chocolate cookies.

“Not a party.” Audrey shook her head. “But, yes, I think I’m almost ready for it.”

“That’s good to hear,” Uncle Tom said. “If you ever need to talk–”

“You can always come to me,” Audrey finished for him. “Thanks Uncle Tom, but I think I’ll be okay.”

Audrey balanced the cookies on one hand, a package of candles on the other, and walked over to her parents’ shared office.

This seemed like a business meeting, so you might as well hold it in an office. Audrey dialed Death, placed it in the middle of a chalk circle, lit the candles and placed the cookies outside it.

“Hello?” A voice on the phone crackled, and Audrey choked on her words, feeling her eyes brim with tears.

She hadn’t cried since her parents died, but she was crying over a phone call? This week was getting weirder and weirder.

“Hi,” Audrey sniffled, and took a deep breath. “This is Audrey Rylie, daughter of Brian and Madeline Rylie?”

“Ah, right, I’ll send over Death number fifty eight right over.” The line went dead.

Suddenly, the same business man appeared in the circle, sitting inside it and handing Audrey her phone.

“Hello,” Death greeted her. “May I have the cookies?”

“S-sure.” Audrey handed Death the plate of cookies. “So… my parents?”

“Ah, right,” Death said around a bite of cookie. “Now, you said you didn't want them to die?”

“Yes.” Audrey nodded.

“Okay, so time for terms.” Death set down the empty plate, and pulled out a piece of paper. “Since I can’t bring them back right now, and since they are their own spirits and have to choose for themselves, the only thing I can do is give you time to talk to them. The earliest you can possibly see them is at their funeral, which is tomorrow. Does that work well for you?”

“What do I talk to them about?” Audrey asked, still nervously stuttering.

“Try and convince them to come back. But hurry, the way you can talk to them is draining and could cause damage.”

Just like before, Death was gone before Audrey could ask for clarification.

---

Death set her up for the meeting with her parents very unconventionally. She was in the first pew of the church, two matching coffins behind the priest. Audrey’s family was never that religious, but her grandmother was, so that was why it was a church ceremony instead of outside, like she knew her parents would have liked it.

The priest was saying something, and then he was praying, and everyone’s eyes were on Audrey.

“What?” Audrey asked, but no one answered.

“Oh, hello dear.” Her mother’s ghost was floating in front of one of the coffins, her father in front of the other. “Death number fifty eight told us you would be meeting with us.”

“Well, come on,” her father prompted her after she stood there for a moment, her mouth open. “Convince us to come back.”

“I…” Audrey looked down, and then realized why everyone was crowded around her. She was a ghost, floating right next to her limp body. She moved past the crowd of people, stepping through them.

“I can feel her spirit leaving us!” her grandmother cried, hands clasped together.

“You should stay because…” Audrey sighed. “I’m being selfish, aren't I?”

“Only a little.” Her mother patted her on the back. “You were always very perceptive, weren’t you?”

“This is just our new adventure.” Her father kneeled before her. “And you’re starting on your own.”

“Okay.” Audrey looked at the ceiling. “What should I do?”

“I don’t know, go to school,” her mother laughed gently. “Just be yourself.”

“Myself is spewing random facts that people don’t necessarily want to know.” Audrey smiled, the cold feeling in her chest starting to lift.

“Well… maybe keep that part of yourself quiet unless it’s appropriate at the moment.” Her father ruffled her hair. “But other than that, be yourself.”

“You’re only twelve, you have your entire life to figure everything out, be a kid for a little.” Her mother waved, and Audrey realized pieces of her ghost were flowing back into her body, a steady stream of liquid gold. “Oh, and tie your shoes.”

---

“Thank the Lord!” her grandmother wailed, lifting her hands to the sky.

Audrey started to cry, but then she was laughing. Through the tears, she could see her shoes untied, and then she started crying again.

Audrey allowed herself a space to grieve after, and burned the Death & Co. business card. She didn’t want to dabble with Death again until her own funeral.

Of course, Uncle Tom started calling her the star of the funeral, after she gave a heartfelt speech about how she knew her parents were fine, and enjoying their new life.

She never told anyone about her experiences with Death, because it was too surreal for anyone to take her seriously.

Audrey started her new, more independent adventure, this time without holding onto her parents.

People said she grew up too quickly.

Audrey said she learned how to handle herself, but still let her inner child free.

Because of Death, Audrey lived her life fuller.