{"id":4249,"date":"2019-03-27T03:26:35","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T03:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.incirliseviye.com\/?p=4249"},"modified":"2024-12-20T11:07:03","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T11:07:03","slug":"welcoming-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/?p=4249","title":{"rendered":"Welcoming Death"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Click:<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sodea.com.cn\/\">\u5168\u56fd\u697c\u51e4\u8bba\u575b<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>P<\/span>erry had always believed that after death, there was only infinite blackness; to find himself, then, in what appeared to be a sleazy cash advance storefront was somewhat surprising.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNext,\u201d droned the secretary behind the counter, and Perry realized she meant him. \u201cName, date of birth, and geographical coordinates of your exiting.\u201d Her hair was sprayed and hardened into a style depictive of the 1950s.<\/p>\n<p>Perry glanced behind him; the line snarled out and into a vacant parking lot farther than he could determine. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d he coughed, blinking dramatically, \u201cbut \u2026 where am I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The secretary peeked up then grumbled, \u201cSo you saw a line and thought you should cut, huh?\u201d And in a loud voice she called, \u201cWe got a breather!\u201d Immediately, two burly women burst from one of the doors behind the secretary and grabbed Perry by the biceps, towing him through another door on the opposite side. There, a terrific gray light blinded him, and the next thing he knew he was sitting across from a man in a windowless office.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust a minute,\u201d said the balding man, his wire-rimmed glasses halfway down his nose. He scribbled on a form, before he pitched the folder over his shoulder and toward one of the impossibly balanced piles behind him. It landed perfectly on top. \u201cNow, how can I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perry pulled at the loose fabric of his pants. \u201cWhat\u2019s \u2026 happening?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The squat man flashed a brusque smile and flicked through a tower of folders. He stopped on one that looked the same as every other. \u201cPerry J. Costa,\u201d he read. \u201cForty-eight years old. Two children. One ex-wife. Heart attack while browsing the Internet at work. Sound right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The memories came to Perry like a nail gun to his skull. \u201cI\u2019m\u201d \u2014 he panted \u2014 \u201cAm I dead?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The other man cleared his throat then jazzily danced his hands and sung, \u201cThey call me Death.\u201d From somewhere, a tinkling sound effect played, but upon its conclusion, Death resumed his sober disposition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you \u2026\u201d Perry began to have difficulty breathing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know. I look like a tax lawyer. Stupid joke.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All around Perry, the colors of the room seemed to turn soupy, his thoughts like the music of a merry-go-round getting faster and faster, the melody becoming shriller, distorted; the world ingesting him like \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Death snapped his fingers, and suddenly, everything popped into focus, Perry abruptly feeling as though he had taken a couple of his ex-wife\u2019s anxiety pills. \u201cYou\u2019re just dying,\u201d said Death. \u201cYou haven\u2019t died.\u201d He dragged a finger down Perry\u2019s folder. \u201cRight now, the EMT\u2019s are entering your building. You have until they try to resuscitate you to convince me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo convince you?\u201d said Perry. Though his mind had somehow surrendered to this reality, he could still discern something monumental was approaching.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d said Death, \u201cas to whether I put you back in that line or process your paperwork right now.\u201d Perry squinted, confused. \u201cLook,\u201d said Death, and he pulled down a string hanging above his desk. A white screen unrolled from the ceiling like a map kept above a chalkboard. \u201cThere\u2019s you,\u201d said Death, pointing to a stick figure with Xs for eyes. \u201cAnd there\u2019s me.\u201d He pointed to a magnificent drawing of a body builder in judicial robes. \u201c<em>You<\/em> convince <em>me<\/em>, got it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death yanked the string and the screen clattered upward. \u201cPersuade me to either relocate you to that line you stood in a couple minutes ago, or to send you on to the next stage in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before \u2026 whatever this was, Perry had been an insurance adjuster, where he had been the one needing the convincing. \u201cAnd how exactly\u201d \u2014 he wet his lips \u2014 \u201cdo I do that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death smiled with all of his teeth. \u201cWhy, you pass the test.\u201d Pulling open a drawer, Death retrieved a pack of cigarettes and smacked one out. \u201cYou mind?\u201d Without waiting for a response, he lit it. \u201cTypically, the test is a three-step process,\u201d wheezed Death, who began coughing after his first drag. \u201cFirst, there\u2019s the first part. Next, comes the next part. And you\u2019ll conclude with the conclusion. Are you ready?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWait, what? That didn\u2019t \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFantastic!\u201d said Death, and he reached forward for Perry\u2019s wrist, pinned it to the table, then took the cherry end of his cigarette and buried it into the flesh on the back of Perry\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n<p>Screaming. Lots of screaming.<\/p>\n<p>Then blackness.<\/p>\n<p><span>Read all six winning stories from The 2016 Great American Fiction Contest <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Winner<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Zelda, Burning&#8221;<br \/>\nby Celeste McMaster<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Runners-Up<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;The Magic Circle&#8221;<br \/>\nby Ruth Knafo Setton<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;A Ring, Some Pearls, Perhaps a Watch&#8221;<br \/>\nby Marlene Olin<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Welcoming Death&#8221;<br \/>\nby Jake Teeny<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Five in the Fifth&#8221;<br \/>\nby Eileen M. Hopsicker<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;A Short Ride to Mercy&#8221;<br \/>\nby Jim Gray<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Not a complete sort of blackness, but the kind that comes when you first turn the lights out and your eyes have yet to adjust. And a few moments later, Perry was able to blink some shapes back into vision. He was treading water \u2014 a black and milky type of water \u2014 inside of a cylinder that extended upward as far as Perry could see. \u201cHello!\u201d he shouted. The burn on the back of his hand tingled. \u201cIs anyone \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease, stop yelling,\u201d said Death. He was doing the backstroke in circles around their encasement. \u201cMore is always accomplished with quieter voices.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s going on? What\u2019d you do to me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019d you do to yourself, Perry J. Costa?\u201d Death rolled over and began doing the breaststroke. For such a squat man, he was remarkably lithe. \u201cYou\u2019re now on\u201d \u2014 he dipped underwater \u2014 \u201cof the test. This here is\u201d \u2014 he went under again \u2014 \u201cbottom to escape. My best advice\u201d \u2014 down he went \u2014 \u201cno do-over. Best to save\u201d \u2014 he submerged \u2014 \u201cdrowning isn\u2019t all that pleasant.\u201d He paused his circuit, treading with only his legs.<\/p>\n<p>Perry\u2019s eyes bulged. \u201cI didn\u2019t get any of that!\u201d Death motioned at him to lower his voice, and Perry hissed, \u201cWhat am I doing here? Where are we?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death scrunched his face as though it were obvious. \u201cWe\u2019re inside a pen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA pen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you have until \u2014\u201d suddenly, the whole pool slammed to the right, Perry knocked beneath a swell of ink \u201c\u2014 until she finishes writing her sentence.\u201d Perry clawed to stay above the liquid. \u201cThat means\u201d \u2014 and Death mimed writing the sentence: <em>boredom is the absence of a good idea<\/em> \u201c\u2014 you have about 17 seconds.\u201d He grinned. \u201cGood luck, Perry.\u201d Then he slid straight under as though reeled downward by his feet.<\/p>\n<p>Perry groped about the ink (briefly wondering why it wasn\u2019t more viscous) as he scrabbled through his memory of everything Death had said. He was in a pen?! <em>A pen?<\/em> What kind of ludicrous test was this? The walls jumped forward again, and ink splashed madly.<\/p>\n<p>Escape at the bottom. <em>That <\/em>Death had said.<\/p>\n<p>With a choppy gulp of air, Perry dove. Beneath the surface, opening his eyes was useless, while the scratch of the nib reverberated monstrously. Again, the pen jostled, and one of the walls smacked Perry, losing his breath and tumbling him in the endless blackness. And once recovered, he had no idea which way was down; however, his body\u2019s reckless need for breath concerned him more. The bobbing of his esophagus. The scraping of his lungs. His jaw pleaded to open, and finally, Perry, thrashing hopelessly, yielded.<\/p>\n<p>Ink guzzled inside his mouth and plunged into his lungs. Spasms across his chest tried to push it out, find air, breathe, breathe, but the horror was resolute. Perry was drowning. And as the blackness outside became blackness inside, Perry became indistinguishable from that infinite darkness.<\/p>\n<p>Until he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>When he blinked, there was only blue sky \u2014 beautiful, robin egg blue sky \u2014 the drowning moments ago, nothing more than a sweaty nightmare. And he was swinging \u2014 on a playground swing. His hands around the chains. His hips pinched atop the concave seat. And pumping his legs, the gaiety inside of him thickened into laughter. Until he looked down. For there beneath him was lots and lots of air, the distant ground hundreds of feet away.<\/p>\n<p>Perry shrieked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou failed,\u201d came Death\u2019s voice from behind. And when Perry peeped backward, he found his swing set attached and extended from a cliff.<\/p>\n<p>Perry\u2019s hands gnarled around the chains. \u201cAm I \u2026 am I dead then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death huffed. \u201cWhat\u2019s with all the concern about whether or not you\u2019re dead? You failed. That should be your grievance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not knowing why, Perry felt tears coming. \u201cAre you \u2014 are you going to process my papers?\u201d He thought about his two children, then, in a way he hadn\u2019t in decades.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI warned you not to be so careless with it, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t claim it.\u201d Perry shot a puzzled glance backward. \u201cYour one do-over,\u201d said Death. \u201cMost people need it for the second part of the test, and that\u2019s why I told you to save it. But technically, you could use it whenever.\u201d Death scratched at his bald scalp. Behind him, a prairie stretched out atop the cliff with a modern cottage a hundred feet back. Above it, there was a large billboard that read: EAT HERE. NOT THERE.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo \u2026 I\u2019m still taking the test?\u201d asked Perry. \u201cI can still convince you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death started doing elegant cartwheels near the edge of the cliff. \u201cYes. You can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do I have to do, then?\u201d Hope warmed Perry\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n<p>Pausing his cartwheel, his legs in the air, Death said, \u201cDo a full loop on that swing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d Perry peered upward at the bar to which the chains attached. \u201cBut that\u2019s \u2026 that\u2019s impossible!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou asked me what you had to do, and I told you,\u201d said Death, who had begun doing handstand pushups. \u201cPump your legs, flap your arms, do what you need to make you and your seat flip over that bar.\u201d Death popped back to his feet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd \u2026 and \u2026\u201d Perry tightened his clasp around the chains. \u201cWhat if I don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death sighed. \u201cAsking yourself why and telling yourself why are the same expressions with different punctuation. Take some advice, Perry: Don\u2019t get so caught up in grammar, all right?\u201d Death stepped toward the edge of the cliff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWait!\u201d cried Perry, and Death did. \u201cHow long do I have?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death glanced at his wrist where a watch could have been. \u201cAs many hours in a day as any man. And don\u2019t worry about the prior life.\u201d Death glanced at his other naked wrist. \u201cBack there, the EMTs are just arriving on your floor. Time\u2019s a bit dilated here.\u201d He pursed his lips as if to say more but instead uttered, \u201cGood luck, Perry.\u201d Then he jumped off the edge of the cliff and rocketed downward beyond sight.<\/p>\n<p>The wind buffeted Perry in the squat man\u2019s absence, and he clutched desperately to the chains. He couldn\u2019t be sure if he was more afraid of falling or failing, but either way he was scared. And for a while, his hips beginning to hurt, his hands smelling like metal, he just sat there. Although the burn on the back of his hand still stung (and this staggering height was most unappealing), everything around him was really quite lovely. The soft glow of the sun, the swish of the grasses behind. And before he realized it, Perry was casually rocking forward and back. He still didn\u2019t understand the purpose of the cottage and billboard, but then again, he really didn\u2019t understand anything that was happening.<\/p>\n<p>Overhead, the sun ticked through the sky, and in time (Perry having swung no higher than 45 degrees) dusk shaded the world pink. Not until now, then, did the anxiety bubble inside of his stomach. Every other minute, he had promised he would attempt the up-and-over. But every time he began, he convinced himself he still had more time.<\/p>\n<p>But the day was almost over. And that was all the time Death had allotted.<\/p>\n<p>Clenching his eyes, Perry began to work his legs outward, inward, outward, inward. But as he rose higher, there came an instant where he lifted out of his seat, and immediately, he slowed his pace. This was absurd! A silly dream children harbored. But the sun was weakening in its fight against the horizon, and soon, darkness would invade.<\/p>\n<p>For some reason, Perry suddenly thought of his childhood dog. His parents had named her Daisy, but Perry always called her Madeline in secret. And because he was the one who spent the most time with her, eventually, she only responded to that.<\/p>\n<p>Slapped back into his seat, Perry realized he had started pumping again. Vigorously. He kept thinking about Madeline \u2014 how she loved rides through the automated car wash; how she always looked at you before sneezing. And soon, Perry felt the blast of adrenaline, his body hovering parallel to the ground, his grip fierce around the chains, as he swung backward, ascending, rising until he stared nearly upside down at the cliff behind.<\/p>\n<p>It was now.<\/p>\n<p>With all the velocity he could charge, Perry gunned forward. He closed his eyes as he passed under the bar, soaring forward, upward. And as he felt himself become weightless, he peeked through his eyelids. He was above the bar. Thrill numbed his chest. He had \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, his momentum collapsed, and instead of swinging back around, he fell from his seat. The wind gushed by his ears. His eyes rippled with water. He tried to scream, but the surging air smothered his voice. Twisting, rolling, he was helpless to do anything but continue falling. And falling. And falling.<\/p>\n<p>Until he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>When he blinked, he was standing on a colorfully lit game show stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, who\u2019s ready to play \u2014\u201d The host, Death, dressed in a tuxedo, turned the microphone toward the live studio audience who chanted: \u201cIs. He. Living!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perry raised a hand to shield his eyes from the stabbing lights. He couldn\u2019t be certain, but he believed the audience was a collection of literal ducks. And as they opened their beaks to quack, the sound of applause emanated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday\u2019s contestant is Perry J. Costa,\u201d said Death. \u201cLet\u2019s give him a warm welcome, shall we?\u201d All the ducks quacked their claps. \u201cSo Perry\u201d \u2014 Death turned toward him \u2014 \u201care you ready to play <em>Is He Living<\/em>?\u201d Still stunned, Perry just blinked stupidly. \u201cFantastic!\u201d boomed Death. \u201cLet\u2019s get this started by \u201d \u2014 and his voice turned mysterious \u2014 \u201c<em>spinning the wheel<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cW-what\u2019s going on?\u201d mumbled Perry, letting Death guide him toward the back of the stage. Multitudes of colorful light bulbs, like those outlining the featured attractions at old movie theaters, covered the wall. And in the middle of everything was a giant wheel divided in fifths, the numeric spans 0 \u2013 10, 11 \u2013 20, and so forth up to 41 \u2013 50 emblazoned on the sections.<\/p>\n<p>Perry repeated his confusion, but Death ignored him. \u201cAs you all know,\u201d said Death, beaming at the audience, \u201cPerry, here, will spin the wheel to select a particular decade of his life. When one\u2019s been chosen, he will then list as many life achievements during that decade as he can. Each event will be awarded points by our three expert judges, and if Perry can score more than a hundred points for that decade, he gets a checkmark.\u201d Above the wheel, there were five empty neon squares. \u201cAnd if he can pass at least three out of five, he\u2019ll be our grand winner!\u201d The ducks applauded vociferously. \u201cAre you ready?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perry gawked around the stage. \u201cBut I failed,\u201d he said. \u201cI fell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From the corner of his mouth, Death muttered, \u201cYou just had to make it over the bar, remember? I didn\u2019t say you couldn\u2019t fall.\u201d Death resumed his persona. \u201cNow it\u2019s time to spin \u2026 the \u2026 <em>wheel<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shakily, Perry raised his hands, the burn there still tingly, and he gave a pull. As it rattled, Perry appraised his reality \u2014 drowning in a pen? falling through the sky? a game show contestant? \u2014 but before any conclusion was reached, the wheel clicked slowly onto 21 \u2013 30.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of my favorite decades!\u201d announced Death. \u201cNow are you ready, Perry?\u201d The 48-year-old began to assemble those years in his memory. \u201cAnd begin!\u201d Above the wheel and neon squares, the number \u201c15\u201d appeared, counting down the seconds.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUh \u2026 I got married,\u201d said Perry, his thoughts still a bit sticky. \u201cI had two children. Donny and Mindy.\u201d On the left side of the stage, a brawny woman, the co-hostess, hung slats on a board that listed Perry\u2019s achievements as well as the points each received; right now, he had a total of 46. \u201cI passed the insurance exam and started my career. I bought my first house. I bought my first car.\u201d Those last two only received a combined 12 points. \u201cI \u2026 I \u2026\u201d What else had he done? \u201cMy business trip in Canada. I graduated college. I \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd time!\u201d said Death. \u201cLet\u2019s see what he got!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The muscular hostess hung a panel with his total score, 103, and above the stage, a checkmark appeared in one of the neon boxes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSneaked by with that one didn\u2019t you, Perry?\u201d The ducks quacked chuckles.<\/p>\n<p>Perry strained to understand the scoring system as the woman emptied the board. A hundred and three points? That was it? At Death\u2019s instruction, however, he gave the wheel another spin, and when it stopped, the audience oohed nervously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh,\u201d said Death. \u201cThe dark years \u2026\u201d The wheel was on 11 \u2013 20.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe dark years?\u201d said Perry. \u201cThat was \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd begin!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Immediately, Perry clambered through his memory. There was his first kiss. His first dance. Graduation from high school. Honorable mention in the spelling bee. Perry tried to drag out more memories. Achievements! Think, think! But he kept returning to all the video games he had played, the Internet becoming prolific during that decade. And then of course, this was the era when Perry made his shower-time discovery of \u201cself-stimulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd time!\u201d said Death. Across the stage, the woman displayed the total: 74. \u201cSo close!\u201d And a large X buzzed into one of the neon squares. \u201cTwo down, three to go. Give it another spin!\u201d Perry wanted to protest \u2014 about what he didn\u2019t know \u2014 but instead, simply did as directed and pulled the wheel. It landed on 0 \u2013 10. Anxiously, he tugged on the ripples in his pants. What <em>life achievements<\/em> could he possibly have from that decade? And when Death commanded him to begin, he froze.<\/p>\n<p>For a few moments, Perry said nothing. That was elementary school. Preschool. When he was a baby. But what life achievements could a baby possibly \u2014 \u201cI learned to walk!\u201d shouted Perry suddenly. \u201cI learned to speak! I \u2014 I learned to write and play sports and run and read \u2014 I loved to read!\u201d The audience cheered on his enthusiasm. \u201cI created the game Lava Hop. In first grade, I climbed that tree no one else could. I got Madeline! I had my first ice cream. I kicked my first goal. I collected bugs and rocks and \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTime!\u201d declared Death, grinning.<\/p>\n<p>Perry\u2019s score: 617.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWowza!\u201d said Death. \u201cWhat a round!\u201d The swell of applause from the ducks agreed. \u201cThough maybe you should\u2019ve spread some of those points out, huh, Perry?\u201d But Perry was so enraptured by the glow of those recollections that he didn\u2019t hear Death, and without directive, he went ahead and spun the wheel again.<\/p>\n<p>This time, it stopped on 31 \u2013 40, and all the novel elation that had moments before magnetized Perry, dissipated. Thirty-three. That\u2019s how old he\u2019d been when Kayla left. Sitting on their living room sofa, their children visiting her sister, he\u2019d watched her lips move, say things, make sounds. He only nodded. A menial employee agreeing to whatever his superior said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you ready, Perry?\u201d This time, Death waited a moment. \u201cWe\u2019ll start the clock when you begin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perry stood there, running his lower lip between his teeth. \u201cThe divorce,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was the divorce.\u201d At the time, he had discounted her withdrawal. Her lessening. Everyone went through phases. \u201cI started working more,\u201d said Perry. Death looked to his co-hostess, but she only shrugged. \u201cI sold my car,\u201d said Perry. Really, though, it was just too frequent a reminder. \u201cI ate out a lot.\u201d On that couch, Kayla had said one thing that still barbed his thoughts before sleep: <em>It\u2019s like you\u2019ve forgotten<\/em>. Ironically, he couldn\u2019t recall what she was referencing, but every day he\u2019d ask himself, What if I\u2019d just remembered?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd time,\u201d Death softly said. Beside the empty scoreboard, the woman stood with her hands in her pockets. \u201cWell, ladies and gentlemen,\u201d said Death, \u201cthat evens the count at two-two, only the final decade left.\u201d The ducks shifted atop their seats. \u201cHey,\u201d whispered Death, putting a hand in the middle of Perry\u2019s back. \u201cEven those who try to lay in the sun forever still get burnt.\u201d Perry looked up. \u201cYou\u2019ve got another round, you know; might as well make the best of it. Besides, when\u2019s the next time you\u2019ll get to play this game?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Steeling himself, Perry nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll right,\u201d said Death, resuming character. \u201cAre we ready, audience?\u201d The ducks cheered. \u201cAre you ready, Perry?\u201d He nodded. \u201cThen let\u2019s begin!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perry closed his eyes and began thinking. The most recent decade, these memories were the most plentiful, which also made them the most cumbersome to filter. \u201cI got that gold watch from my company.\u201d This co-hostess awarded meager points. \u201cI \u2014 I started writing poetry. A little.\u201d This one earned him more. \u201cI joined that dating website. I bought a bike \u2026 though I haven\u2019t really used it. Oh! I started learning French.\u201d The audience\u2019s energy was growing. \u201cI \u2026 started cooking for myself. I joined that email thread for ballroom dancing. I went to the symphony and \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTime!\u201d said Death. \u201cWhat a round, what a round.\u201d The audience chattered anxiously as the brawny hostess hung Perry\u2019s total score. \u201cDid he make it, folks?\u201d And when the woman stepped back, she revealed the final tally: 82. \u201cOh, so close!\u201d Death patted Perry on the shoulder. \u201cYou gave it a good run, friend, but in the end \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWait!\u201d said Perry, and the ducks\u2019 consolatory applause trailed off. \u201cWait. I \u2014 I\u2019m not 50 yet. This decade isn\u2019t over.\u201d Death gave him a curious look. \u201cIn two years, I learned to walk, speak, and dress myself. What\u2019s to say I couldn\u2019t do something similar with these next two?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, your trajectory indicates \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t know that,\u201d said Perry, finding himself out of breath. \u201cYou don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death pondered these words. \u201cI\u2019ll have to consult with the judges.\u201d He pressed a finger to his empty ear, nodding and mumbling. After a moment, however, he looked up. \u201cThe judges say we still have to count this decade.\u201d The audience groaned. \u201cHowever, because there are another two years left, they agreed that you could only be judged on what you\u2019ve experienced. So as that\u2019s 8 of the 10 years, you only have to reach 8\/10 of the necessary 100 points, which in this case means you passed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death grinned. Perry grinned. The crowd erupted with ovation. Taking Perry\u2019s hand, Death raised it in the air; though, as he did, he pressed his thumb into the burn on the back of Perry\u2019s hand. A fiery pain jagged through his arm, and immediately, the world went silent.<\/p>\n<p>The ducks continued their clamor. Death voiced more congratulations. But to Perry, everything was infinitely mute. A soundproof door shut between him and the world. Death mouthed something to him, and Perry tried to express his inexplicable deafness, but his own vocal cords didn\u2019t even rattle in his throat. Again, Death patted him on the shoulder, smiled, and then hopped down from the stage, walking around it and through a door beneath an illuminated EXIT sign. Alone now, even the voice inside of Perry\u2019s head felt muffled, a heavy curtain severing his consciousness.<\/p>\n<p>He staggered off the stage in the direction of Death. And as he lurched through that door, he caught himself on what seemed to be a bathroom sink.<\/p>\n<p><em>His <\/em>bathroom sink.<\/p>\n<p>In front of him was that familiar, large mirror, his ghastly reflection looking more nauseated than he felt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWelcome to the third and final part,\u201d said Death. He stood inside the mirror, a mahogany door on his left and right. But behind Perry there was just the olive green wall, the room\u2019s only doors reflected in the mirror in front of him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe conclusion to this test may seem simple, but it\u2019s not,\u201d said Death. His voice sounded like it reverberated from every corner. \u201cOn my left\u201d \u2014 he pulled open the door \u2014 \u201cyou can return to my office, and we\u2019ll process your paperwork. On my right\u201d \u2014 he closed the previous door and opened the other \u2014 \u201cI can return you back to the line in front of my store.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perry forced himself to stand upright. On the counter was his frazzled toothbrush, while the soap had slipped into the sink. He scooped it back into its holder. The world on the other side of the mirror seemed brighter than the bathroom he stood in. \u201cI don\u2019t want to go back to your office,\u201d said Perry.<\/p>\n<p>Death nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I don\u2019t want to go back to that line either.\u201d Perry pulled at his pants and Death waited for him to say more. \u201cI mean, do I have to stand in line? Or can I \u2014 I don\u2019t know, run around that parking lot or something till it\u2019s my turn?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Death wet his lips. The faintest smile escaped them. \u201cCongratulations, Perry. You passed the final test.\u201d At those words, it wasn\u2019t simply relief that Perry felt. It was triumph.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately,\u201d said Death, averting his gaze, \u201cthe EMTs have already tried to resuscitate you. I\u2019m sorry, Perry. But \u2026 but you\u2019re too late.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perry clenched the sides of his pants. \u201cBut you said \u2026\u201d he mumbled. \u201cYou said if I passed, I could\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you passed <em>in time<\/em>.\u201d Death straightened his glasses. \u201cI am sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a liar,\u201d uttered Perry. \u201cYou\u2019re a cheat!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI respond to many names.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d said Perry. \u201cNo. I passed. You said I passed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen put me back!\u201d demanded Perry. \u201c<em>Please<\/em> put me back.\u201d There was an echo to his voice, those same tones used with Kayla. Anger. Pleading. \u201cPlease put me back there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Death removed his glasses and pulled a cloth from his pocket. He took his time, wiping every contour of the lenses, before he slipped them back on. \u201cI am never an answer,\u201d said Death. \u201cOnly a reminder.\u201d Then he tapped the outside of his pants pocket.<\/p>\n<p>Perry paused. Then stuck his own hand into his pocket. A lighter and a lone cigarette. The two men exchanged gazes as Perry raised the roll of tobacco. Rasped the lighter. Pressed the flame to the end. After a moment, it crinkled red.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot everyone gets this opportunity,\u201d said Death.<\/p>\n<p>Perry stared at the lit end of the cigarette and shrugged. \u201cNot everyone wants it.\u201d Then he buried the smoldering tip onto his previous burn.<\/p>\n<p>Screaming. Lots of screaming.<\/p>\n<p>Then blackness.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike before, Perry was immobile, the darkness implacable. Had Death tricked him? Was this the infinite blackness Perry had always imagined after dying? He tried to thrash, to move and kick and bite, but every part of him felt so weak.<\/p>\n<p>Then he heard it. Voices.<\/p>\n<p>A zipper undid loudly above him and the interior lights of an ambulance flooded his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh my God,\u201d said one of the paramedics. \u201cHe\u2019s breathing.\u201d<br \/>\n&#8212;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Click:\u5168\u56fd\u697c\u51e4\u8bba\u575b Perry had always believed that after death, there was only infinite blackness; to find himself, then, in what appeared to be a sleazy cash advance storefront was somewhat surprising. \u201cNext,\u201d droned the secretary behind the counter, and Perry realized she meant him. \u201cName, date of birth, and geographical coordinates of your exiting.\u201d Her hair &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onhee.com\/?p=4249\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Welcoming Death&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15692,"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4249\/revisions\/15692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onhee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}