"You're early," says the Grim Reaper with a hint of surprise. He thinks I'm going to cave, but he's definitely in for a surprise he might not like. Okay, you may think, 'Who are you to fool the Grim Reaper?' but the point is, who is he to lure me into death?

"Are you ready?" he asks with a smug tone, making me want to enact my plan as soon as possible. The earlier, the better. I'm not letting him cave, not when I'm so close to getting back at him. He claimed my brother, sister and best friends, leaving me scarred. When they were taken away, I made a promise I'm going to stick to, no matter what.

I'm going to beat the Grim Reaper at his own game, even it'll cost my life or those of the few people that are still by my side.

***

The fight for life is like a chess game. You make the wrong move, you're out. That's it. There's a huge difference, though. If you lose a game, you can ask for a rematch. But if you lose this fight, you're dead. This is what I keep repeating myself every time I try to lock my eyes into the shadowy figure with a black cloak and a huge ax in his left hand.

"Tell me, Kylie," he says out of the blue. "Kylie, right?"

I nod, gritting my teeth. "Kylie Hearn. Your nightmare, to you."

"Fierce. I like this." He snaps his fingers, letting go of his ax. "So, why should I spare you?"

I don't relent. "Why should I die? Haven't you already claimed other souls?"

"My job isn't over yet," he states. The more obvious this utterance seems, the worse. Blood is boiling in my veins, my fists are clenched, my face could turn blazing red at any time.

Still, I manage to retain my composure. "So, Death, have you ever feared not being able to comply to your task anymore?"

"Are you saying that I could die?" He spits while asking this question, angering me even further. "Nonsense. I'm immortal. And you're testing my patience, darling."

"Don't call me darling, you filthy son of a bitch!"

Before I know it, I shoot him with a blinding green ray, then I slump on the bare floor. As I try to realize why I did what I did, I notice that Death is no longer here. A pile of ashes is now taking his place by the dusty chair he was standing next to.

There's a chance that I might have killed the Grim Reaper, and now I fear the consequences of my action.

[442 words]