The near elderly man's legs were starting to feel like they were on fire...he'd been running for so long.

One moment he had been happily enjoying a meal with his family and the next he had collapsed from his chair, eyes bulging and his hand on his chest. His family went from happy to confused to worried as they tried to help him, but his heart attack was quick and, worse, it was fatal.

That was when he had seen it.

A human shaped figure dressed in a black torn hooded cape was stood by the restaurant doorway, staring straight at him. The ripped bottom cloth of the cape revealed the figure's feathery Velociraptor-like legs and feet. While one of its hands resembled that of a skeleton, the other, which was raised to the figure's chest, had huge claws that looked similar to Scythes. Green glowing eyes stared out from its hood, its stare blank yet determined.

The man stared back, eyes wide in panic: he knew what this figure was. He had heard stories about this...thing...chasing its victims down when they were at their weakest.

'N-NO! It's not my time!' the man managed to splutter out, but the figure ignored him and started stepping forward.

The man yelped and, somehow, got to his feet before he ran through the building and to the back door. He practically stumbled through it as it opened but he ignored that too, as he looked behind him and saw the figure still following.

'NO! STAY AWAY!' He yelped, continuing to run. He just kept going, running clumsily and yet not bumping into anyone. He occasionally looked behind him as he ran and realized the figure was still following, never getting tired and never slowing down. He yelped, terrified, and spun round to continue. But, in his hast, he hadn't noticed that the brick pavement had changed to cobbled stone and his foot caught the edge of a stone. The man yelped loudly as he fell forward and landed on the ground. Realizing he wasn't feeling any pain from the landing, he quickly turned round and shuffled back into the wall of a shop. He looked round in panic as he saw people walking past him; how had they not seen him fall?

'HELP! HEEEELP!' the man screamed and, yet no one answered. He blinked, growing confused, and stopped yelling as he watched people pass him by.

I͟ ̨tho̕ugh͞t ̕ya w͠ould'v͘e figur̕ed̛ o͝ut by ̢n̡oẁ

The man screamed as he turned his head and saw the figure sitting next to him. However, the figure sounded calm and...a little sad.

Not͝ ̧every͞òne͟ d̛o̢e̵s fig͏ure ít oút͏ ́but, the figure then turned to face the man, d͘i͡d̛ ̧ya͝ n̵ev͞ȩr ̨notiće ̵th̕a̧t, ́des̀pìt́e y͞a c͞lumśiness͜, ya ̶di͘dn't bu͢mp into ̶an̕yone̵ ̴o͡r anyth͏ín̕g?

The man had been trembling, but he slowly stopped as he thought about the question...then realized. He didn't feel his stomach drop, which he usually would've done, but he slowly looked down at himself and nearly choked: he could see the ground through his hands!

'W-what?! I died!? But...but...' the man yelled but then quietened as another realization hit him, and his eyes filled with glittering tears, 'I never had a chance to say goodbye...'

The figure had been watching him and now sighed, before taking his hood off. His skin was a very pale green, and his ears were long like an elf's ears. His eyes were glowing green, and it looked like someone had cut his nose clean off his skull, exposed bones showing. But this didn't seem to affect him; neither did the slashed off skin at one side of his jaw, which clearly showed hints of his sharp teeth. Or the deep cut across his neck, which never seemed to stop bleeding.

Nòt everyo̢ne ̵doe̕s b̛ut̡...I try̛ t̶o accom̕a̕ḑat͠ȩ ͟to t͠h̢ei͡r w̨i͞śhes̛ the figure said softly then smiled warmly, I͠ w͟ill͟ gìve y͡ou ̀s̷om̕e time, a̵nd life,̴ t͘o ̴say goo̕d͏b̀y͠e t̕o̕ yǫur ͘love̛d ͟ones. B́ut,́ ͘a̛ft͏er ͟th̢at̵, ̕I͘ ͠do̕ ha̧ve to c̨ollec̡t y͡a

The man stared at the figure, a slew of emotions going through him: sadness, confusion, guilt. But he wasn't expecting the figure to be so...understanding. He slowly looked round at the other people walking around, enjoying their life and blissfully unaware of the thing that affects every living creature. He huffed then slowly looked at the figure, who waited patiently with an expression of care and understanding.

'I...I would like that...very much...' the man whispered sadly. The figure nodded.

T́h̵is is̶ n͠eve͟r éa̢sy,̡ ͞b͏ut̢ i̡t ͢is ͘somethįng ͘that will͜ h͡ap̢pen͞.̀ A͢nd, ́if̕ I ćan͢ mak͟e͠ every͡one's ͜jour̢ney to̡ th͜è a͝ft̢e̛rl͜if̡e ̕comfo͜r͞tabl̢e, the͢n ̧I wi͘l̛l do. He said softly and the man smiled softly. He may be sad, but he wasn't scared of Death anymore.