-Before the Rain

[Words to Image. I find great joy in listening to an image tell its own story. For me, it is not always an obvious perception, as would be for others. But that is where the magic feeds my brain. Outside-the-box thinking. I hope you enjoy this one. If so, please comment. I do enjoy your opinions of what I do.]

Jessica met with death on a cold fall morning. As frightening as he was to the rest of the world, he was not to her. She longed for him. She begged for him to take her, but he would not. He was not there to take her life but to apologize.

He informed her that every millennium a new taker of life was randomly chosen and the lot fell on him. Now was his time. She knew his voice well, for she was in love with it prior to his own death. She had listened to it many times. She heard it express his love for her. She heard all the plans his voice had delivered to her hopeful ears. Plans for the rest of their life together. But his lot had robbed her of them. She wept the day she received the news, the day she watched him lowered, and she wept today.

Against all rules, he made himself known to her, in his new role. He loved her, even into death, so much that he was willing to defy the position. What could the fallout possibly be, any worse than what already was? Or so, he thought. He felt it worth the risk. The moment he did, he learned of her fate.

He informed her that he was now tasked with taking life and one day he would be cursed with taking hers.

"Take me, now!" she cried. "I cannot stand life without you!"

But he loved her. He informed her that her life would continue on. She would live long and find a greater love than hers was for him. She would not only make life plans with him but accomplish them, and well; he would be everything for her that pre-Death could not.

And then he apologized to her. Death dropped a single tear, and it sizzled the earth when it hit.

"I will be forced to take him from you, in a violent way. You will be looking into his eyes when I do. You will know it is me. You may curse me, that day, or you may feel sorrow because of how I must feel in this moment ... but I will have to do it. Regardless of if you hate or hurt, know that I will hurt. Another tear will touch the earth for you. In this, I am so sorry."

She begged that he find another way, defy all, anything.

"I cannot. I will be forced to watch you in pain for several years before I return for you. When I do, I will not be allowed to say a goodbye. It will be swift and you will not see me coming. The skies will rain heavily, that day, my love. I will finish my millennia and remember your face in everyone that I take. I will continue on in my own hell until another lot is pulled."

Jessica reached over and touched his skinless face. It was hard and cold and expressionless, but she could imagine his features and feel his agony.

"I will never stop loving you," she told him. "Even if I share some with another, yours will always be within me."

Death lowered his head and remained silent. He then looked up at her and promised, "Whenever you think of me ... just know ... I'm still here. You just can't see me."

Death left her. His love did not.

[Life is precious. Live, love, and make it count ... before your rain.]