Prompt Lost
Death’s End
The last one was an old man.
He lived in a cave, far in the North, where it was mostly temperate, but still not temperate enough.
He was the last of his tribe, both specifically and, Death knew, in the broadest sense of the word.
Death knew this, because Death had taken them all already. Taken them all with a touch, and sent them on, wherever it is they go.
For eons, Death fulfilled this purpose, set upon him by forces He no more understood than an rat understands why it’s made to run a maze.
Humans held their ignorance in high esteem, but they were not alone in their lack of knowledge. In that regard, Death was not so different from them.
Now the last human lay dying on the floor of a cave.
The arc of their species was splayed out for Death in its entirety, but Death was not interested in such things, no matter how tragic.
Death had only one purpose, and that purpose drove Him inexorably towards the final man.
Hovering over the frail creature, Death hesitated for the first time, and a brief thought passed through Death’s mind.
“What of me, when this deed is done?”
With this thought came an emotion, the first Death had ever experienced.
Death felt afraid. Afraid to fulfill Its task, as surely as the dying human was about to fulfill his. This was the way of things – life was made, and life was ended. The task of the living was to be made, and to end. Death’s task was to ensure the system functioned.
Now that task was about to come to an end, and Death was afraid.
But as surely as man must be born and must die, so to must Death fulfill His task, His purpose.
Bending over the dying man, Death reached out His finger, one final time, and took the only life left to take.
Then Death was all that remained, and a great sleepiness took hold.
Death had never rested before, not for a moment, since time immemorial.
Still consumed with fear, Death decided that sleep would be good. Just a short rest, here in this cave, beside this old man.
As the world began to fade away, Death saw there was no fear in the Old Man’s face, and this gave Death some solace.
Perhaps, Death hoped, it would be the same for Him.
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