Death had finally come for him.

For the past hour, Gregory watched the dark, shadowy figure looming at the foot of his bed. Even though both of his parents had been keeping vigilance at his bedside, the opaque figure stood unnoticed and silent.

Gregory wasn’t afraid of death. In fact, he had come to expect it, embrace it and was ready to be taken onto the next realm...wherever that may be.

This wasn’t the only time death had come calling.

The first time Gregory met death was when he was fourteen. Baseball season had just started and during the last inning of the game, Gregory had hit a ball far over into right field and took off running. But, as he ran past third plate and was headed for home, his chest started hurting. Thinking he was just out of breath, Gregory had run faster, only to collapse right before sliding into home plate.

He remembered feeling weightless and strangely unemotional as he hovered over his body. The coach was administering CPR, and a large crowd had gathered around them. As he continued to watch the chaotic scene before him, a warm, loving feeling washed over Gregory making him feel almost content. It was then that Gregory noticed the handsome man draped in a long, hooded black cape standing next to him.

As Gregory looked into black, fathomless eyes, he immediately realized that he was gazing into the eyes of the Grim Reaper. Gregory instinctively knew that he should be afraid. After all, who wouldn’t be afraid when death came to call? But, Gregory was so captivated by the Reaper’s beauty he didn’t feel fear at all. In all of his short life, Gregory had never seen a man as captivating as the creature before him. The Reaper’s face was all sharp edges, with his angular chin and straight aristocratic nose. He had high cheekbones and sensuously cruel looking full lips, but it was his hair that made him look softer somehow. Even though it was the deepest black, it hung in soft curls around his face making the creature look almost approachable...beautiful even.

Gregory knew most people would never consider death beautiful.

But, Gregory did.

When Gregory looked back at it, he remembered he wasn’t scared at all. In fact, he was more mesmerized by the creature standing beside him, than what was going on with his mortal body. A small smile formed on the Reaper’s lips and he cocked his head to the side as they both stared at each other for a few short moments.

The Reaper’s midnight black hair shone brightly in the early afternoon sun. It’s silky looking texture and curls made him appear more youthful than he was. Gregory just stood there and stared at the gorgeous being silently as the Reaper cocked his head a little and continued to assess Gregory with all knowing eyes.

“You aren’t afraid of me, young man?” The creature’s voice was deep and musical. It reminded Gregory of the symphonious sounds of the all-boys choir concert his mother had made him attend with her a few months ago. Instead of striking fear into Gregory, strangely the only thing that he could think of is, he’d bet the Reaper had a lovely singing voice.

Gregory shook his head. “I’m not afraid...saddened maybe.” Gregory glanced at his parents standing beside his limp body. His mother was crying uncontrollably and his father was doing his best to console her. “They’re not ready for me to go yet. We’ve made so many plans for my future.”

The Reaper reached out his hand. He had long, pale fingers and well-groomed nails.

He chuckled at the thought of this handsome, masculine creature getting his nails painted pink at the local salon.

The man dropped his hand and a glimmer of surprise sparked in those black eyes. “You laugh, young Gregory. What is it that you find so humorous about this situation?”

The creature’s statement only made Gregory laugh harder.

A smile formed on the Reaper’s lips, making the strong angles of his face look softer, and not as formidable as just a moment before. If anything, he was even more gorgeous when he smiled, and it made Gregory feel even more comforted than before.

Maybe he could talk death’s deliverer into allowing Gregory a little more time.

“Look, Mr. Reaper, I know you get asked this all the time...but is there any way I can stay a while longer? There’s so much I want to do in my life and my parents’ aren’t ready for me to leave like this.”

The smile on the Reaper’s face vanished and for the first time since their encounter, fear flooded through Gregory’s soul. He didn’t want to leave his parents so soon. Gregory knew they were in no way prepared for his death. He was their only child, and over the years, his parents’ had pinned all of their hopes and dreams in life on him. There was so much all of them hadn’t done or said to each other, and Gregory was deeply afraid that it really was too late.

“You don’t realize the consequences of what you ask for.”

“I do! Please...this will devastate my parents...it’s too soon,” Gregory pleaded as he reached out and grabbed the creature’s arm. The cloak was silky-soft and he could feel the heat of the Reaper’s arm through the fabric.

The Reaper looked down at Gregory’s hand and up into Gregory’s eyes.