The New York lights flashed bright on the streets. It was drizzling in the night of April. He looked around as he walked up the road.

“Hey man! Where are you going?”, he said to a friend he met. “Hey! I’m going to pick up Ben from the station. He’s an old man now, so you know...”, his friend replied. “Yeah! Totally get it.”, he understood. “I’m in a hurry so I’ll talk to you later. I gotta pick him up at 9. Bye!”, his friend hurried away.

“See you soon!”, he replied.

He continued walking towards the Bronx-Lebanon Medical Center. On the way he met his another friend, “Where are you going brother?”, he asked. “Katina has organized a party on her terrace. I’m going there only.”, his friend looked on his watch, “I gotta change too. I hope I reach on time. See ya!”, his friend went away. “Byee!”, he wished back. He thought to himself how he hated going to parties and especially getting into a whole different attire was way too sickening for him but he did changed when it was required without any complains. He took out a paper from his pocket and stared it for long, “Sarah”, he said to himself. He then looked at his watch, “OHH NOO! I’ll be late!”, he ran away like the speed of wind blowing that night.

He reached the operation theater, walked past people and the guards, looking past the doctors he saw a nine-month old girl lying on the operation table. He moved towards her, she looked beautiful. He looked at the digital clock hanging on the wall, he never liked them because he found them very inaccurate. The head doctor said, “Time of death - 9:15 pm”.

“Not yet Mr.”, he said as he looked at his watch which showed numbers in Planck time units.

TICK TOCK

“Now.”, he exclaimed though it was no use to the doctors. The baby started crying but this time only he heard the cries. The body was wrapped up in sheets.

“Hey Baby Sarah! Time to go!” he said as he picked her up in his arms and the baby smiled.

×∞ Adin

19 December 2019

He came out of the room with Sarah in his hands. As he came in the corridor, he saw her family crying. Before she could see them, he turned around, “Change in plans! We won’t go from that gate. You like adventure?”, he asked. Sarah squealed as if she understood everything and agreed with blinking her sparkling eyes. “O baby! We’ll have fun! Let’s go flying!”, he said. He didn’t want her to cry by looking at her parents. The glass windows couldn’t stop them. He covered her with his hands and flew up in the sky.

Ben was waiting for the train with a stick in his right hand. There were less people there on the station. From the pillar far away he looked at Ben scrolling his phone. “Why can’t he see he’s too close to the track?!”, he sighed. He took out his watch, “Hmmm its time.”, he said as he started walking towards Ben. He jumped on the track, he could see the train coming from his left. The next moment Ben lost control, his stick slipped and he fell on the track. The train was on time.

TICK TOCK

He gave his hands to Ben who stood up in amazement. Ben could see the train passing through them. “Let’s go Ben. Its time.”, he said as he held Ben tightly. They flew up the roof of the station. He saw the Big Ben it showed 9:01. “These clocks are so wrong. I mean SERIOUSLY..! IT IS STILL 9!”, he also didn’t like inaccuracy like his friend. Ben was in no state to speak anything. He was simply shocked.

The people had gathered close to the track as they looked upon the body of Ben lying in the pool of blood. The ambulance is on its way.

“Hey Katina! Congratulations on your win! I read your article, you did an amazing job!”, said Irina. “Thanks love!”, she hugged her.

There were lights, food, booze and what not on her terrace. Katina had got a large sum of money as a prize in a writing competition and she was celebrating tonight. Reclining on the sofa he was getting grossed out. The smell of alcohol was disgusting, if it was possible he could’ve puked till now. He took out a page from his pocket, the mentioned time was minutes away so he thought he could just go away to take some fresh air. In the midst of loud music, he walked and headed towards the terrace railings and sat on it, facing the building on the other side. It was peaceful comparatively he thought to himself. In a minute Katina came and accompanied him. He could see her eyes were wet. She had a bottle of beer in her hands and some chips too. She started mumbling to herself but it was audible to him. He heard and saw how incomplete she felt in the crowd behind her. She consumed the whole liquor, he looked at one of the chips in her hands remembering that it was the same chip that was mentioned in the page he just went through. She had that chip and threw the others down and looked at their fall. She looked in the right and then in the left. The breeze felt cold. He looked into her eyes but she didn’t. She couldn’t.

She took a deep breath and jumped down leaving everything behind but he.

×∞ Adin

19 December 2019

He followed her down the 4 storey building. People screamed when they saw this horrifying sight. Katina laid on the ground with blood oozing out of her. He looked up and saw someone else of his kind come down. “Excuse me! I’m here for Katina. You must be mistaken!?”, he asked the new guest who now stood close to him. “I’m not here for her. I’m here to take what’s in her womb.”, the new beautifully dressed being said.

He was taken back in shock, Katina was pregnant.

TICK TOCK

He saw the weeks old baby taken away in a stunning carriage up in the sky.

People gathered near the motionless body of Katina. He now understood why the last words of Katina was sorry. It was for her unborn child. Her heart was miraculously still beating. The ambulance had come, the stretcher laid down and she was pulled up.

He saw his watch and then looked down at the darkening of the clothes he was wearing. The white clothes weren’t radiant anymore. He squinted his eyes.

TICK TOCK

Katina screamed as the ugly creature pulled her out. Forcefully. Red fire sparked in his eyes and out of his body it blazed into black flames. His clothes were changed in time. He tied her feet with chains of fire, no mercy at all. He couldn’t show mercy. He wouldn’t show mercy.

The ECG now moved in a subtle straight line, no rise whatsoever.

She didn’t wanted to go, she thought to have control over her life by killing herself but never thought that it would turn this way. She didn’t believed in God or in hereafter but now looking at the dreadful entity in front of her she knew it was late. Very late indeed. It was as if the monster of her childhood nightmares had come to life. Worse than any beast any child could have dreamt of. Her screams of denial was of no use, in the end she surrendered and left hope. Before closing her eyes she looked at her boyfriend, Jacob crying false tears. She saw the ambulance left the scene. He took her by the chains. She felt pain in her bodiless soul. He flew up pulling her with him. She dragged behind him. It felt like his fire lit up the whole night sky, nothing but fear flashed back. She felt the life she lived was heaven.

“Just a little more love! We’re about to reach the first heaven”, he said to which Sarah giggled. They were out of Earth, into space. “You see that light! We’re almost there.”, he smiled.

×∞ Adin

20 December 2019

"A 26 year old woman writer, Katina Peuyr died last night. Police is yet to confirm if it was an accident or suicide." Headlines of Norway's newspaper reported.

Journey of million miles ended at the gates of the first heaven. Infinite Angels lined up side by side to each other with different humans. All dead yet alive. They went further and farther away from the Earth. Passing gates of each heavens. On the way they met different Angels who looked at the pious souls and asked about who were they. The pious souls were covered in shrouds from Paradise and had the smell of best perfumes. After a time, the voice of the Almighty is heard telling the Angels to take the souls back to their graves.

The three questions were to be asked in the grave.

The pious souls saw what they have earned and the wicked souls saw what they have lost.

Coming back from the trip of the levels of the skies, Ben sees an army of Angels and for a moment it feels like the sky will fall. "What's happening...?", Ben asks fearfully. "Oh that! We see that almost everyday. Wars and accidents..", he answers. Ben cuts his reply, "But there's no World War going on. So what war are you talking about?"

"The torture on humanity in different parts of world is no less than a war!", he answers Ben's silly question. Ben didn't knew these many people die everyday. Inhuman humans, he thought.

"Baby Sarah I'll go now.", he said as he laid her in the grave. She started making faces of disapproval, she started liking him and therefore didn't wanted him to leave. "Don't worry! You won't be questioned. You are a sinless soul after all. Just wait for the Day of Judgement and after that you can have fun in Paradise. Till then you can enjoy the sweet air of Paradise that'll fill your grave.", he tried to make her understand.

Katina was screaming from pain the moment she was out of her body. "HELP ME!!", she shouted aloud. She was laid down and then saw two more Angels descend. She got afraid even more.

Ben laid down and answered the three questions easily that the two Angels asked. Ben saw him leaving. He took out the paper, a new name appeared on the list of people.

1) Serial number : 6468833886321789

2) Name : Talia

3) Place : Bathroom of the second apartment in right of the fourth building in La Latina.

4) Last food : Cranberry juice

Sarah chuckled as he took out his watch and set his watch according to the fifth column which mentioned the time, "I gotta change this time! Meet you soon at brothel, Maria!" He flew away.

Katina couldn't answer the three questions.

Who is your Lord?

What is your religion?

Who is your Prophet?

She felt like her mouth was sealed. All of a sudden like lightning she experienced gut-wrenching pain in her now complete body. The grave crushed her. She thought the one who took her soul out will stay but when she saw him leaving she managed to ask, "You wouldn't come back, right?" She didn't wanted him to remain there, he had already brought a lot of agony on her. He turned around and came close to her, black red fire burning in his eyes,

"I wouldn't. I'm ANGEL OF DEATH."

×∞ Adin

21 December 2019

"Hello Sir! Um..We're new here. So.. Um.. Will you guide us through the work?"

"Yeah Obviously! Why not? Well you..", he looked at the one on the right "..get the lights ready and you..", he looked at the other one on the left "..you get ready with the covers."

"These..", he showed the yellow covers to his senior. "No No No No.. The blue ones. Don't tell me you don't have it with you...", he saw denial on his face thus continued "..alright! No worries! Just get the blue ones fast, Jave will be here any moment.", the senior said. "But Sir what's the problem with the yellow.. I mean they all are covers, doesn't matter of what color?!", he said to which his senior controlled himself and said, "Look! Do as I say. Get the blue ones and hurry up! Its almost time.", he looked at his watch.

Allan, Nathan, Saul and Rick came to the hospital with Jave. The doctor came out along with the nurses and laid Jave on the stretcher. The friends told the doctor that Jave lost consciousness all of a sudden and that he has a history of a heart condition. Jave had faint heartbeats.

He looked at the watch, "Get ready!...Lights and Covers now!"

T i c k

"Where am I?", Jave could see himself on the stretcher, he saw strong bright light surrounding him. "Oh Goodness! Get your other wing out too. What are you saving the light for? Jave will obviously get a 360° view.", the senior told him so he quickly spread his other wing. Now both of his wings were in the sky sparking out bright white light. As the senior said Jave did turn to see around. "Am I outside.. In the other world!!!... Am I dead?", Jave bombarded himself with numerous questions as he tried to figure out what he was seeing. The doctors were giving him electric shocks and he could see his friends crying. He felt bad and then he smelled something good. "Did you..?", the senior looked at the one managing the covers, "..Uhh.. Yeah I mean I thought .. you know.. It was getting boring so I thought why not have some fragrance in the air.", he meekly said to which his companion raised his eyebrows in fear of getting scolded. "Oh thats so kind of you!..", the senior rolled his eyes "... why not take him to Paradise if thats what you want?! Don't do anything until asked. Got it?" Jave couldn't understand anything except that he was out of his body. "Its time!", the senior said.

"Ahhhhh! He's back! We got a beat!", the doctor said. His friends didn't stop crying just replaced the tears of sorrow with the ones of joy. The doctor then hurriedly took Jave inside the hospital.

"Sir, I'm still not clear about the covers.", he said as they flew up in the sky. "The covers. Yeah.. Well you're new so you'll learn the significance of the colors. There are hundreds of them even I know only the ones that are frequently used. For now I'll tell you that yellow are made for spying on the devils and the blue is there to be kept hidden from the dead. You must be knowing that living people can't see us so for cases like the one we just dealt where dead people are revived back to life, we are not supposed to show ourselves to them. The sounds don't travel outside the blue but in the green one it does. There are some covers just for the sake of precautions. I can go on talking about them the whole night. A big list, indeed...", the senior said. ".. Anymore questions?", he looked back. "Yeah.. I was wondering what is your job? I mean I did the covers and he, the lights. What did you do?", he asked.The senior felt something in his pocket, he took out the page and away he went without answering his question.

"Seriously! Are you an idiot or are you acting like one?", his companion exclaimed. "What? Cmon I don't know. I came into existence barely an hour ago. I'm curious.", he replied. His companion couldn't take it anymore and accelerated. "Okay if you don't wanna tell me who he was then tell me why he didn't come with us. And that page?", he shouted. He took out his page and whispered, "It was not definitely not like the one with me." His companion turned and shouted back, "You have to learn a lot, pages like that belong to special kind of Angels and its famously known as the 'List of Dead'!"

×∞ Adin

10 April 2020