He was surrounded by the blue glow as his robe was torn from his body and fell into shreds, disappearing within the floor hugging fog. The blast stopped and Death fell to the floor naked and vulnerable.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!" I yelled.

The Head Reaper smiled. "He is mortal now. He will live with you on Earth. He will feel hunger, thirst, tiredness, frustration, anxiety, anger, grief and pain. He will suffer as humans suffer. Humanity is his punishment. And yours!"

Then with a flick of his hand everything began to spin again. The darkness was replaced by the colours of our lounge. The colours were merged together at first until everything slowed and became clear. We were back.

Jen and I stared at the quivering naked man at our feet. He was lying in the fetal position his eyes tightly closed. I touched his shoulder reassuringly. "Death, you're safe now. We're back home."

His eyes slowly opened. He looked up at me uncertainly. I helped him to his feet.

"I'm mortal now. I have to live!" He appeared to be weighed down by a heaviness he'd never shown before. A deep depression had set in.

I looked at him and smiled. "In my book that's a good thing. You've got us. Friends who care about you."

Death looked at Jen for confirmation. She nodded compassionately.

"You've got the opportunity to do whatever you want with your life," I continued. "Choosing a new name would  be a good start. You can discover a passion, a sense of purpose. You could meet someone. Fall in love like we have." I reached out and took Jens hand. "I know life isn't easy. It can be hard, grueling even. But by God it's worth it! Life is a challenge. It's a call to action. This life is yours now. And it's askng you: What are you going to do with it?"

Death stared back at me. Now he was in awe. "Life isn't a punishment?"

"Nope." I shook my head.

Deaths defeated expression morphed into a beaming, heart-melting smile. "I get to live!!"

THE END!
© Andrew J Sinclair