The first time she saw him was at the funeral of her grandmother friend.
With only five years of age, she didn’t understand much of what was happening around, people dressed in black or dark colors, weeping and sobbing quietly, other not so quiet; while others just greet people, and directed them to the casket where the old lady with white hair rested with a vibrant red dress and make up on her face, she look as if she where to go to party or a wedding, the small girl thought confused.
If it were because people were so sad, she could have thought that it was a party for the old lady.
Little Jade however didn’t say anything, her grandmother has told her to be silent and to not wander away with anyone unfamiliar from the chair she was placed at, while she went to talk to other in that strange place. And like a good and well behave granddaughter that she was, far serious than other children were, she obeys like it was sent in stone.
But could not avoid her curious eyes to wander around, looking at the pretty flowers near were the lady was sleeping, because what else could she be doing there with her eyes close? She reasons in her innocent mind.
She didn’t mind begin alone most of the time, it was something she deal with frequently when not with her grandma of her mother and older sister, but most of the time the adults tend to forget she was even around because of her shy nature and quiet personality.
After a few minutes later and with no sight from her guardian coming back, Jade took her little bag and from it came a sketchbook and pencil of many colors, and start to draw, totally ignoring those around her for a long, long time, until her grandma came back to get her.
“Jade” the strong but gently voice of the grandma called the title girl attention for her happy world.
“Grandma are we going yet?” she asks curiously, still sitting on the floor with her things on the chair she has previously been sat at as a makeshift table.
“Not quiet” was her answer, before motioning for the girl to pick up her things and follow her. “We have to go to another place before we can go home”
“Okay” Jade nod before taking her hand and walking to the black car waiting for them as everyone else was apparently leaving too.
Once in the car the ride was long and quiet, with the grandmother talking to a couple sitting beside them in quiets words that the little girl didn’t catch, but was more interest to watch the moving places from where they were passing by.
The next thing she knew was that they were walking in a huge file filled with stone pillar of many shape and heights, some has figures like angels or other type she didn’t recognize, but mostly what she did found curious is that there were names and number written in it.
Most curious.
She didn’t comment thou, not with so many people surrounding them, she was too timid to ask what that means and why it where there if the first place. In the end, they end up sitting again in a row of chairs put around a hole in the earth and the funny cot where the old lady with the red dress was sleeping on.
They sit at the back of the first column of chairs, and Jade frown a bit at the itch of the black dress her grandmother has made her wear to the strange party, it was long sleeves, and reach to below her knees with matching shoes; her long dark brown hair was braided in to a crown around her head with a clip, leaving her face free of hair from were she could hid behind, so she had to avert her black eyes to anywhere but the people around them.
It was awhile before the man with a strange robe finish speaking of thing the littler girl didn’t quiet understood many of the present were sobbing openly now, when the cot was closed and start to descend into the large hole in the ground.
Jade look on confused and alarmed at the sight, thinking about how would the lady do to breath under all that dirt and closed space? beside when would they get to eat the lemon cake the friends of her grandma make every time they visit? She didn’t understand, but could not ask her grandma when she turn to her and saw her crying into her handkerchief.
This only made her more confuse and a bit sad, she didn’t understand what was happening but she didn’t like her grandma begin sad.
She didn’t say anything either when her grandma told her to stay put and don’t move, while telling the woman beside herself to please keep an eye on the little girl, even thou Jade didn’t knew the tall lady with blond hair.
“Dear, Mrs. Carlson will look over you while I’m gone for a bit, behave and obey her, I’ll be back in a short while” and with that and a stern look set to the little girl, the elder lady turns and walk away.
Jade didn’t know how much time pass, but it appear to be a lot even for a child seen as most of the people were gone and the place was almost empty except for a few still lingering, even tho she could not see her grandma anywhere and the woman that was left in charge of her was a few feet away talking to four other persons not paying attention to her.
Her big bright eyes wander around until they landed in a faraway figure that was slowly approaching toward them, it a curious thing, with long flowing black robes that move with every step it took until he, she assume it was a he because she had never seen any woman that tall, stopped in front of the place where her grandma’s friend was sleeping.
Confuse she blinked, noticing that on one was paying him attention, and he appear to be whispering thing under his breath, and he was really dress strangely with what appear to be a long coat of pure black that cover him from top to bottom, and only his face was slightly showing.
“Do you think she can breathe down there?” she ventured to speak, even tho her grandma has told her to never speak to strangers but this person was just so strange that her curiosity won over her good behavior. “I think she is sleeping, but I don’t understand when she will wake up trapped down there”
The figure, slowly turn in her direction and she got the feeling that his eyes were boring into her person, because a shutter run through her body, but it didn’t feel bad, just strange. Seen he didn’t say anything, she look around and not spotting the person that was supposed to look over herself, Jade got down from the chair and walked toward the cloaked man, standing a respectable distance away.
“Do you know? When she will wake up?” Jade inquired staring up at him and startled at seeing his face for the first time.
He had a fair complexion, fairest than anyone she had meet, his hair or what she could see with the hood covering most of his features was white, as white as the snow in Winter, and his eyes were the palest grey she had ever seen in all her short life. they were like liquid mercury.
“Why are you so pale?” she asked furrowing her brow. “I like your hair; did you dye it too look like that?” her curiosity was spiking alarmingly fast.
His eyes bored into hers with a little wonderment, before he inclined his head slightly to the side, his gaze scanning the surrounding before resting on her person again.
“Can you see me child?” his voice was soft and comforting.
“Of course, I can silly” she said smiling slightly but with a touch of confusion marrying her eyes. “Aren’t you hot in those clothes?”
“How curious, indeed” he muttered under his breathe, before acknowledging this little thing before him, because it was rare that they could feel him, much less see him. “I do not feel the heat nor the cold, little one”
Her mouth formed a little circle with her eyes wide open, wondering how was that possible. And the only thing that came to mind for that to be possible was what she had seen in tv.
“Are you a superhero? Like the ones on tv?” there was wonderment in her voices, her childish brain trying to understand what he had told her.
His lips twitch slightly in bemusement even tho his eyes or general expression remain blank and cold, devoid of any emotion beside a small curiosity.
“No, I’m afraid I’m not such thing” he shook his head, turning his head like a bird his eyes like liquid mercury.
“Hmmm” she hummed under breath, expression puzzled. “So, are you an Alien?”
“Try again” was all he said, with calmness.
“I do not know” she huffed scratching her head in frustration, and so asked. “Who are you then?”
“Not a who, child, but a what” he corrects softly, looking around once more before steeling his glance in the far distance deep in thoughts. “I am that of which the human fear most, they talk about me freely and yet when I approach deny my presence… I come and go like a capricious wind”
“I don’t know what that is” Jade sigh, shoulder dropping in defeat, before trying one more time to guess what he was. “Are you The Bogeyman? If so you don’t look too scary”
Mirth was evident in his eyes with the last answer, but he still shook his head in negative, meaning she hadn’t gotten it again. Taking pity in the disgruntled and dismay expression on the child, he decided to tell her directly, after all he had come to complete his job.
“Not the Bogeyman but close enough child” seeing her perk up a bit, his lips twitch in what could be describe as a small smile. “I am known by many names by many peoples, some call me The Grim Reaper other call me La Parca, but all known me better as Death”
Jade eyes were as big as saucers, her childish mind running around with the information given by that mysterious entity in front of her calling himself, Death. ‘Did it make sense?’ She wondered looking at the place where the old lady has been buried not long ago, and suddenly it all became clear to her, what was happening and why.
“Have… have you came to take grandma’s friend with you?” her voice understanding, looking meaningfully to the ground that still was fresh removed.
“I have” he nodded, before inclining his head to the side, observing her like a hawk, not detecting any fear in her, just acceptance of that what could only be impossible to most. “Doesn’t that scare you? Aren’t you afraid, child?”
“No” she shocked her head, her expression serious and contemplative, as much a small child could be at least. “Death doesn’t scare me I think, besides grandma always said that we should fear the living not the dead”
“An interesting belief” he nodded, before turning to look at the grave, his mercury eyes seeing something only he could.
Jade watching him with big eyes as he extended his pale hand toward the grave and suddenly there was cold air surrounding them, like someone has left open the refrigerator or just opened the door in winter, but it wasn’t scary just weir. Then he lowers the arm and mutter something under his breath, clearing talking to someone else and not her.
“It’s done” his velvety voice announced.
“Is she gone?” the question was genuine, even tho she didn’t see anything she did feel something, like a release of some sort.
“She is”
“Are you going to go too?” she asked him, feeling saddened all of a sudden.
“Indeed” looking at her downtrodden expression, he commented. “Why do you ask?”
“I thought we could talk a bit more” she pouted. “I’m most of the time alone, so maybe we could have colored in my book”
“My job is done, child I should not linger… Death wait for no one” he was puzzled as of her inquiry and wish to remain in his presence knowing what he was.
“It was nice meeting you, oh!” Jade suddenly remember that she had never introduce herself, like her grandma always told her to do when meeting knew people, even tho she didn’t know if he counted as a person or not. “My name is Jade Renner, nice to meet you” she extended her hand toward him, expectant.
Death look on with bemusement, thinking the child strange, but yet intriguing all the same, he lowered himself until he was almost at eye level with the little girl, but still he was taller than her petite frame.
“A pleasure, Jade” he grabbed her small and warm hand with his cold and smooth ones, which felt to her more like touching marble and yet it wasn’t hard as rock, just cool.
“What should I call you?” her little brow furrowed in concentration. “I can’t keep calling you Death, what would other would thing if I say that every time I’ll see you? Don’t you have another name that I can used?” she looked at him expectantly, naively assuming that they would meet again, before her time of parting came around.
After some thinking, his eyes like mercury focused on the child and with an indulgent look he finally said.
“Azrail, you may call me that”
“I hope I see you soon, and we could play next time” Jade grin widely looking at him as he stood and turn to walk again.
“Well see, child, well see” he said mysteriously, starting his retreat from the place of mourning that the humans bury the bodies of their love ones. He had others matters to attended to, materializing his scythe into his outstretch hand he concentrated on the next visit, and disappear from sight.
Leaving a curious and innocent child behind.!