A black cat trotting along the roadside. She looked rather matted and was clearly a stray. The sun was just beginning to set. It was the beginning of dusk.
A dark car began to accelerate when it began to come closer to the cat. The driver”s foot to the floor. He suddenly swerved hard towards the cat.
Crunch.
The sun continued to sink further below the clouds. The sky grew darker, the air became colder. A black cloak fluttering around thin, boney ankles. A wooden handle dipping into the damp evening earth next to the poor mangled body on the side of the road.
“Wake up small one.” A chilly voice emitted from under the hood of the cloak. A hand of bones gently petting the fur of the cold carcass. Slowly a clear figure of a kitten rose from the limp corpse tilting its head curiously at the figure of death.
“I have a job for you kitty. I heard you’ve done very well in your life and spread much joy.” Death spoke softly as he picked up the ghost. As the kitten hunkered down into the slim arms that held her the stars began to swirl around them in a cosmic dance as the world moved and shifted.
As the world and sky began to settle down a loud wailing noise could be heard. A small cottage was now in front of Death and the kitten. It’s thatched roof and stone walls indicating that they were in a very different place than before.
“In this cottage,” Death began gently petting the kitten’s head as he spoke. “There is a mother cat who has just given birth to a litter of still borns.” Death mumbled looking through the small window into a cozy living room with a plush couch and blazing fire in the fireplace.
“Your new job is to make your new mother and her new owner as happy as you made others in your past life.” Death continued explaining as the moved through the wall to the last kitten under its wailing mother.
“I know you will do perfectly here young one…” Death finished softly as he laid the ghost into the limp kitten. As he watched the small body wriggle back to life and snuggle into the warm belly of the larger cat the small woman who lived there came back. She was carrying a small towel in her hands a sad look on her face as she bent down to pick up the last kitten she gaped in glee.
Death knew that this job was done. He knew people only thought of him as a horrible occurrence, but he was glad to bring at least a little bit of joy into a world full of evil. Even though that evil did include himself.
