R
roddystewart
Guest
This was a short story I entered for our school writing competition which I won first place in my age group, please have a look at it and post some comments as I would appreciate some views on it. It's a short story about a man who faces death which challenges his views on the world. Enjoy!
Alan Davidson had been a doctor for about ten years; he had helped many patients, mended bones and cured illnesses. He had met many different people through his job and he felt that he should always do his best to help someone in trouble even if it was a lost cause and even if it put his life at risk.
It was a Thursday night and the road was dead quiet, the wind was bitter and the sky was clear. You could see the stars twinkle and shine across the grey darkness of the night sky. Alan was making his way home after a long stressful day at the hospital. Suddenly he slammed on the brakes, ahead of him was a man dressed in rags standing on the side of the overpass, which he was driving on. The man stood at the very edge, Alan knew what was happening, the man was going to kill himself. He got out of his car and walked towards the man slowly, he didnt want to startle the man and make him jump.
Alan opened his mouth; he didnt know what to say. How do you talk a man out of killing himself? The man turned around and looked at Alan with a look of desperation and sadness. The man spoke
Dont try and talk me out of this.
Look, whats wrong? It can be bad enough to make you want to kill yourself, Alan said trying not to anger the man.
You want to know whats wrong, the man chuckled to himself. Ill tell you whats wrong, Im fed up of this bloody job. He continued.
. And that job is? Alan asked.
The man smirked Im death.
Alan looked at the man with a dumfounded look on his face.
I dont expect you to believe me, I want a world without death, I want to end it all, the man was shouting now. From now on your mortal world will be deathless.
Suddenly the man disappeared and Alan was left alone, a cool breeze blew and Alan felt afraid. Who or what was that man and was he telling the truth,
All questions would be answered within 24 hours.
The next day at work was odd to say the very least. Car crash victims were walking away uninjured and patients with fatal illnesses were walking away miraculously cured. All through the day Alan kept thinking about that man on the bridge the night before. He must have been telling the truth, that man had to be Death. There was no other explanation. A world without death he thought, how great would that be, everyone would live forever.
But the more Alan thought about it, the worse this scenario sounded. The population would expand rapidly and the world would become overcrowded. Food supplies would diminish and the world would become a living hell. Alan knew what he had to do he had to find death and persuade him to bring death back.
That night he waited at the overpass, hoping death would reappear. Alan stood there waiting staring into the sky. The moon was full that night and was glowing beautifully, the only sound he could hear were the cars going underneath him and the whispering breeze that blew softly. It was too calm and a little eerie.
Suddenly the peace was shattered when Alan suddenly heard a crash. He ran to the side of the overpass, two cars had collided. One car had had its rear end smashed in completely. A crash that should have been fatal for both drivers, yet both drivers just walked out of the cars. Both were in shock but seemed physically unharmed.
It was then that death suddenly reappeared. He watched the drivers and then turned to Alan and spoke
What do you think of a deathless world then?
You need to bring death to the world again Alan said desperately.
Give me one good reason Death said slyly.
Because youre death, its your job!
But what if I dont like this job
It doesnt matter, sometime youve just got to do these things whether you like it or not, Alan said.
Fine, I suppose youre right, Ill return to being death then.
Youre doing the right thing Alan replied.
I better check the list to see whose turn it is to die, Death sighed, it was at that time Death looked at him.
It was then Alan saw the car coming.
Alan Davidson had been a doctor for about ten years; he had helped many patients, mended bones and cured illnesses. He had met many different people through his job and he felt that he should always do his best to help someone in trouble even if it was a lost cause and even if it put his life at risk.
It was a Thursday night and the road was dead quiet, the wind was bitter and the sky was clear. You could see the stars twinkle and shine across the grey darkness of the night sky. Alan was making his way home after a long stressful day at the hospital. Suddenly he slammed on the brakes, ahead of him was a man dressed in rags standing on the side of the overpass, which he was driving on. The man stood at the very edge, Alan knew what was happening, the man was going to kill himself. He got out of his car and walked towards the man slowly, he didnt want to startle the man and make him jump.
Alan opened his mouth; he didnt know what to say. How do you talk a man out of killing himself? The man turned around and looked at Alan with a look of desperation and sadness. The man spoke
Dont try and talk me out of this.
Look, whats wrong? It can be bad enough to make you want to kill yourself, Alan said trying not to anger the man.
You want to know whats wrong, the man chuckled to himself. Ill tell you whats wrong, Im fed up of this bloody job. He continued.
. And that job is? Alan asked.
The man smirked Im death.
Alan looked at the man with a dumfounded look on his face.
I dont expect you to believe me, I want a world without death, I want to end it all, the man was shouting now. From now on your mortal world will be deathless.
Suddenly the man disappeared and Alan was left alone, a cool breeze blew and Alan felt afraid. Who or what was that man and was he telling the truth,
All questions would be answered within 24 hours.
The next day at work was odd to say the very least. Car crash victims were walking away uninjured and patients with fatal illnesses were walking away miraculously cured. All through the day Alan kept thinking about that man on the bridge the night before. He must have been telling the truth, that man had to be Death. There was no other explanation. A world without death he thought, how great would that be, everyone would live forever.
But the more Alan thought about it, the worse this scenario sounded. The population would expand rapidly and the world would become overcrowded. Food supplies would diminish and the world would become a living hell. Alan knew what he had to do he had to find death and persuade him to bring death back.
That night he waited at the overpass, hoping death would reappear. Alan stood there waiting staring into the sky. The moon was full that night and was glowing beautifully, the only sound he could hear were the cars going underneath him and the whispering breeze that blew softly. It was too calm and a little eerie.
Suddenly the peace was shattered when Alan suddenly heard a crash. He ran to the side of the overpass, two cars had collided. One car had had its rear end smashed in completely. A crash that should have been fatal for both drivers, yet both drivers just walked out of the cars. Both were in shock but seemed physically unharmed.
It was then that death suddenly reappeared. He watched the drivers and then turned to Alan and spoke
What do you think of a deathless world then?
You need to bring death to the world again Alan said desperately.
Give me one good reason Death said slyly.
Because youre death, its your job!
But what if I dont like this job
It doesnt matter, sometime youve just got to do these things whether you like it or not, Alan said.
Fine, I suppose youre right, Ill return to being death then.
Youre doing the right thing Alan replied.
I better check the list to see whose turn it is to die, Death sighed, it was at that time Death looked at him.
It was then Alan saw the car coming.
