(Suicide trigger warning)

The full moon's light shown brightly against the night; the stars twinkled, contradicting deaths arrival. The parents slept soundly unknowing of the destructive actions of their preteen daughter. The woman draped in a long black robe seemed to float through the closed door of the home. The old wood floors ceased to creak under her feet as she pass the parents closed the door and slowly approaches the staircase. She takes out a golden pocket watch, a gift from her husband. The ticking of the hands break the silence of the house until the figure puts the clock away. They carry on up the staircase of the house. 

She reaches the top and ease down the hallway, passing a closed door with a sleeping little boy tucked away. His heavy breathing is telling the figure he has a cold. The character makes its way past the entrance to the end of the hallway. A door is a jar with a slight stream of light coming. The figure takes out the pocket watch again, looking at the time before putting it away, they then move through the door into the room. 

The bright moon shines a light into the room, lighting up the figures prize. A thirteen-year-old, in her closet wearing a noose as a necklace. She takes out the scythe beneath her robe and taps the floor, stopping time, along with the girls last breathe. The character walks to the young girl and grabs the knocked over chair and sets it upright under the young girl's feet. They loosen the noose and place her on the chair before touching her head, awakening her.

Bright green eyes pop open in surprise and confusion. The young girl gasps as she sees the dark figure in front of her; a hood covers their face. 

"Hello, Ava," Thana's voice floats through the air instead of cutting it, instead of a croaky voice like Ava was expecting from the scary character, the sound is calming and soft. 

"How-how do you know my name?" Ava stutters nervously. She didn't know what was going on. She looks around and realizes she is still in her room. 

"It is my job," Thana whispers calmingly. She smiles but knows the young girl can not see her.

"Who are you?" Ava's question is quick like a bullet as her anxiety starts to build. Thana chuckles lightly as if the girl hadn't asked for her. 

"You know me as Death," Ava's eyes widen at Thana's words. She feels of her neck and feels the noose still wrapped around her throat, though not as tight. 

"Am I dead?" Ava asked with a shaky voice, in shock she went through with it, death didn't seem real. She was suddenly so scared of it all. 

"Not Quite," Thana whispers as she takes the noose from around Ava's neck, "We will see after our talk."

Death's words made her curious; she didn't understand what was going on, her suicide felt like years ago, even though it were mere minutes. Ava pushes a strand of short black hair behind her ear as Death helps her from the chair and sits her on the bed. Ava is shocked at how warm, and soft Death's hand is. She doesn't get to see much as Death's skin is cover by the black robe.

"Our talk?" Ava questions, trying to peak into the hood to see Death's face, but she only sees darkness. Thana smiles at the girls curiosity. Thana's eyes are still red and some people assumed she were a demon.

Death clears her throat making Ava even more shocked at how human Death seemed to act. "Yes our talk, you see Ava, I know everyone's time of death and how everyone will die, to the very last gory detail." Death looks down at the noose on the floor that was around Ava's neck before continuing. "You see, being Death means I can allow someone to push it off, or maybe cheat it. You call these miracles. Of course, fate doesn't allow me to do it all the time; she is tedious on sticking to the rules," Death explains, and Ava remains engrossed to Death's words curiosity nipping at her mind with every word. "Tonight, though, Ava, I will let you choose rather you live or die." 

"Why?" Ava asks breathlessly, why does she get to choose. Isn't it clear she didn't want to live?

"Why not?" Thana shoots back quickly, causing Ava to shrug. 

"No one wants me, they would all be happier if I weren't here," Ava argued, the feelings she felt before the suicide crashing into her like a tsunami. The girls all told her how much they would sing songs of joy to know Ava had killed her self. Her mother was disappointed that Ava was having a hard time keeping her grades up; her father always scolded her about her attitude, and her brother constantly wished he was an only child. All of them would be happier without her. 

"I know your argument on dying Ava, but let me tell you my argument on staying alive," Ava's eyes widen though it made sense, of course, Death would know why people would commit suicide. 

Ava sighs but nods willing to hear Death's side, how selfish would it be to pass it up anyway, this chance could go to anyone, but it's going to her. 

"Let me tell you first what will happen in the morning if you decide to take your last breath tonight," Death explains, and Ava's eyebrows push together, she never thought of the morning after, just the night of. 

"A gorgeous sunrise will start the deceiving morning; your mother will watch it rise as she breathes in. She feels it will be a good morning. She starts pancakes for you and your brother, she sneaks in chocolate chips into the batter, she knows it's your favorite, and your mother knows sometimes she is too hard on you. She kisses your father goodbye as he rushes to work. She calls for you and your brother, your brother comes down, you do not." Thana states knowingly as she looks down at Ava, they then look into the closet where Ava was previously hanging. 

"Your mother will send your little brother to wake you up. He finds you hanging and immediately calls for her, he doesn't quite understand, but he knows it isn't good. Your mother will find you, and she will scream. She will try and pick you up and remove the noose, she will call 911 and will try to revive you but, we will have already left, the pancakes will burn, and the cat won't get feed because it's your job to feed her in the morning." Death looks from the closet as the air tenses at her words, though their voice is soft, the words are devastating. "Your father will show up to the hospital in anger; grief likes to dress up that way sometimes." 

Death turns and looks at the computer screen that is brightly showing the taunting words of the girls. "The girls will cry and tell everyone how much they miss you."

"Bullshit," Ava cries slightly and shakes her head. 

Death nods her head. "Guilt has a funny way of dressing up as well." Death shrugs their shoulders at the bitter truth as they look back at the comments from the girls. She looks back at Ava. "Let me tell you what comes later," Ava doesn't say anything, but she slightly nods her head.

"Won't they be okay later?" Ava asks hopefully, and Death chuckles at the naive girl. 

"Your father will never step foot into this room again; he will cry every night in the shower and wonder how to carry on without his little girl." Death runs their hand on the bedsheets. "Your mother will lay in your bed; she will reach for you as if maybe you will come back to her. She will cry her apologies to an empty room. She will randomly whisper your name throughout the years. She won't be able to smell chocolate chip pancakes without breaking down. Your brother will get into drugs at the age of fifteen; he won't live past twenty-five. Your parents will divorce after that and never speak again." 

Death looks at Ava, "That is only a small fraction on why you shouldn't kill yourself, others are smaller, like concerts and puppies that won't get rescued because you're not there. Books you've never read and movies you've never seen. Places you've never been." Death states as they study Ava's face. Ava sighs at Death words and nods. 

"This sadness is temporary Ava; death is permanent." Thana states though she wants to laugh at the irony, Ava nods her head as she stands.

"Okay, okay, I will stay." Thana smiles at Ava's words though Ava doesn't see it.  

"Good, one day when I come back for you, I want you to tell me about all of it, tell me about life," Ava smiles at the irony of Death's words but nods. 

With that Thana takes out her scythe and taps the ground, she doesn't normally collect souls anymore, but sometimes she likes to watch life continue. Ava goes back to standing on the chair with a noose loosely around her neck and the full moon shining on her brightly. Ava looks around almost in a daze, she then takes the knot and unties it and puts the rope on the ground, reminding herself to put it back in her fathers camping bag tomorrow. She then climbs into bed, and Thana watches her fall asleep. 

Hours later, a gorgeous sunrise wakes her mother, who watches it with blissful optimism; she watches it for a moment before going into the kitchen and preparing chocolate chip pancakes.  
Thana watches the family before leaving, smiling to herself as peace settles inside her, a feeling she finally welcomed in her heart decades ago.

Death will always come, don't call her too early.

******

The end! Thank you all for being so patient!
I love you all and hope you stick around to read my other stories coming soon!