Chapter One

“Life asked Death, why do people love me but hate you? Death responded, because you are a beautiful lie, and I’m the painful truth.” – Unknown

The clocks did not stop. No guardian angel took her by the hand. Nor did her life flash before her eyes. The only light in the living room was dappled, orange-red and gloomy; the last slivers of sunset peeking in through her old, nicotine-yellowed window blinds.

Blythe Foley knew death was near, she knew it like she knew the scents that augured in each and every change of the seasons. This smell, in particular, was so specific, so unmistakable, she shuddered at the memory it evoked. She craned her neck to make sure the windows were closed. They were. No way was this an actual smell in the room, then. It was her brain playing tricks on her, prepping her for the end. The book she’d been reading, The Girl on the Train, slid off her lap and tumbled onto the carpet.

As she bent to pick it up, a twinge in her left arm drew an old but familiar pain. It tightened like a red-hot piano wire up her arm to her shoulder, where the pain creased and threatened to snap into her chest.

But it didn’t. It dissipated.

As Blythe sank back in her favorite armchair, shivering in a cold sweat, gasping for breath, the relief was so strong she started to cry. Yes, she would get to say goodbye to Rose and Andy. All she needed was a few more days. So close to the end, the only thing she wanted from life now was to spend a bit more time with her children, no matter how distant they’d been lately. Blythe scooped up her framed photo of the three of them, taken on the last vacation they’d spent together—Palm Springs, summer 2008—and clutched it to her chest. For Pete’s sake, that was the memory she wanted to take with her, not the one death was insisting she…

“Since when did I insist on anything?”

Blythe sat up, frantically scanning the room. Half of it was wreathed in shadow, the other half held loosely by fingers of cooling light. Outside, the sunset’s glare reflected off the windows of neighboring apartments, needling the corner of her eye as she focused on the darkness in front of her.

“Who said that? Who’s there?” She motioned toward the phone on her medication table, but a strong knowing feeling deep inside told her it would be dumb to dial for help.

“Don’t you know? Have you not been expecting me?”

Again, the pungent, perfumed scent of wet hay mixed with burning motor oil—so specific to that tragic day from her past it took her breath away. That smell and that memory linked inextricably by death.

“Where are you?” she asked.

“Here in your living room.”

“Why don’t you show yourself?”

There was no reply.

“You should know I don’t receive uninvited guests,” Blythe said. “Why don’t you come back another time, when I’m better prepared?”

“Let me guess. Fifteen years from now? You’ll send a postcard when you’re ready?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know where to mail it, but sure, that sounds like a plan.” She swallowed. Cracking wise with death in the room probably wasn’t the smartest route to long life, but it was either that or slip away quietly. Blythe had never gone quietly in her life; she had no intention of starting now.

“That accent, that diction; they don’t go together,” she pointed out. “Texas, but your delivery is stiff and proper. Who are you supposed to be?”

“I never choose the form I take.”

“Form?”

He didn’t respond. The silence thickened, seemed to charge the air in the room. Together with the pungent scent, it excited the memory of that fateful day at the fair: no longer just the tragic outcome, now she recalled the happiness before it, the love she’d felt, the natural high of just being with all the people she cared about most in this world, all on the same outing, on the same damp, sunny day. Yes, there was love in the room with her, not just death. The scent was a bittersweet one, she realized.

He stepped half out of the shadows, into the cool dusk light that didn’t seem to fade.

Blythe squinted to see his face, but her eyesight wasn’t what it used to be. She put her glasses on. “You!”

But her reaction was knee-jerk, not backed by any sort of understanding. It was a familiar face she was seeing, but it took her several searching moments to place it, to give a name to the face and a memory to both.

“What are you doing here?”

He didn’t respond. The minute turn of his head toward the photos on the mantel revealed more of his young features. He was in his mid-twenties, handsome, clean-shaven, with dark brown, almost obsidian eyes that caught the embers of twilight and didn’t blink. His long, shoulder-length blond hair, a fashion she’d never really liked on men, despite being a teenager in the 60s, suited him. Less so his cotton shirt, black jacket, and pants, which came off as an ironic ensemble a rebel might wear for his grandma’s sake, to hide the fact that his usual wardrobe consisted of biker denim and an MC cut.

Of course, Blythe knew all this to be true because she knew him, the boy who’d come to fetch her, the boy whose face was death: His. Soon to be hers. It all made perfect sense, and yet she couldn’t quite swallow what was happening.

“Thomas Bonden, am I dreaming?”

“You tell me.”

“I-I think I must be. This is way too eerie.”

“And most reality isn’t?”

Her hands began to shake. The photo frame slid from her weak grip. Luckily, her tennis days hadn’t completely deserted her, those lightning reactions came to the rescue as she caught the picture and stood it on the medication table in one fluid heart-in-mouth motion. The ragged pulse returned to her chest, threatened to spread its tightness. But, several deep measured breaths managed to still it, at least momentarily.

“This is the end, isn’t it? I’m out of time.”

“Yes.”

She dare not look him the eye. Instead, her gaze fixed on his shoes. Cheap but clean brown loafers, exactly what she’d expect Hank Bonden’s son to wear on a Sunday outing.

“So, this isn’t a dream?” she asked.

“Does it matter?”

“I…I don’t know. It seems like one, but it doesn’t feel like one.”

“People die in their sleep all the time, Blythe. When it arrives, what’s the difference?”

“When it arrives? You mean when you arrive?”

Again, he didn’t respond. Each silence flooded the room with heavy air, the kind that taxed her lungs. She knew she would have to fight if she wanted more time, but perhaps that, too, was futile. Unlike Rose and Andy, Death didn’t have a punctuality problem.

“Promise me it won’t hurt.” Still, she couldn’t look up at him. “The last time a heart attack nearly killed me, it hurt like hell.”

“I can’t…”

He didn’t finish. Blythe went cold as she watched his loafers step toward her. This had to be it; her final moments on this earth. Not the worst place to go, she had to admit, in her favorite armchair. But it was a shame, such a shame, that Rose wasn’t here to hold her hand. There was so much she wanted to tell her sweet, troubled daughter–her best friend–about life and love, about the secrets she’d never had a chance to share…

“I wish this didn’t have to happen tonight,” she admitted. “You know I’m not ready.”

“Is that your family?”

Blythe glanced up at him, her gaze almost pleading. He was looking at the photo she’d stood next to her. The flicker of longing she perceived in his dark eyes had to be coming from her, she knew—hello, this was Death here—but it was all the hope she had left. That he might somehow take pity on her, gift her a bit more time so she could say goodbye to her children. She stared hard at him, projecting all her emotions.

“Those are my darlings, yes. They’re all I have left in this world.”

“What are their names?”

“Rose and Andy.”

“Where are they?”

“Rose works in the city. She’s promised to come and see me, though. She’s supposed on her way tomorrow. If I could just have another day or two, I could—”

He interrupted with a slightly snappish “That isn’t how things are done, you know.”

Because everything he’d said beforehand had been so flat and emotionless, Blythe now sensed some sort of conflict in his voice. It took her aback, forced her to mentally reshuffle. She knew this was her shot—her only shot at convincing him.

“I realize it isn’t strictly by the books, but I love my kids more than anything. All I’m asking for is a couple more days to say goodbye. After that, I swear I’ll come gladly. Hell, when the time comes I’lleven hurry you along.”

He slowly paced to the sofa and back again without making a sound. Whatever was going on in his head, it had to be working in her favor, otherwise, he’d have shut her down straight away. Bizarrely, Death seemed to be in a quandary. She’d obviously got through to him somehow.

He sat facing her on the sofa, crossed his legs stiffly. “I accept your offer, Blythe.”

“You do?” Resisting the urge to scream with relief, she replied, “Thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“You have three days from tomorrow.”

“Three? That’s more—I mean that’s perfect. It’s precisely what I would’ve chosen. Three days.”

“With one condition,” he added.

“Oh?”

“I will be your guest for those three days.”

She squeezed one of her heart pills out of its foil wrapping and placed it under her tongue. “Okay, but what do you mean by a guest?”

“Call it what you will. Chaperon, escort, duenna. While you are here, I will be here.”

“Actually, you’re only a duenna if you’re an older woman minding young girls. And Spanish.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Am I hearing things, or did you just correct me?”

Blythe took a nervous sip of water. “Sorry. Old habit. I used to teach history—that was before I was history.”

“I know.”

“How much do you know?”

“Enough.”

“Then maybe you can tell me how I’m supposed to explain you to my visitors.”

His turn to ruminate, but this time his silence didn’t frighten her; it made her curious. The guy seemed so sure of himself, with that unearthly confidence, yet he didn’t have an answer ready, as though this situation was a first for him, too. Then there was the Spanish word he’d gotten wrong. How could an omnipotent force of the universe possibly make a mistake like that? Come to think of it, why was he giving her this reprieve?

“If you don’t mind me asking—and make no mistake, I’m eternally grateful and everything—but have you ever done this before? Granted a person extra time, I mean.”

“Not exactly.”

“So why me?”

“Why not you?”

Blythe pondered that one so hard that she pouted, something she’d done as a schoolgirl; and for the first time, Death smiled at her. It was a cute, cheeky lopsided grin that reminded her strongly of Hank Bonden, the boy’s father when he’d been a similar age.

“Don’t worry. That was a rhetorical question,” he told her.

“Ah. Well, in that case, I’ll repeat my question, which wasn’t at all rhetorical. Why me?”

“Because you asked nicely.”

“Yeesh. I wouldn’t want to play you at poker. Or do you prefer chess?” She threw him a wink.

“Actually, I’m partial to Battleship.” He returned the wink, and she didn’t know whether to laugh out loud or shudder at the idea of the Grim Reaper having seen himself spoofed by an actor on screen. William Sadler, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. One of Rose’s favorite films.

“So, who are you? I mean what are you? What do I call you?”

“Call me…Bellamy.”

“Just Bellamy?”

“How about…Bellamy Scythe?”

Blythe pulled the two halves of her cardigan together and hugged herself. “Okay, just Bellamy.” She shifted position, unsure of this new intimacy they were sharing. He still hadn’t told her why he was doing this.

“The answers to all your questions will come in time,” he said. “For now, think of me as an interested observer.”

“Interested in what exactly?”

He brushed the knees of his trousers. “People, life, the things we take for granted.”

“Wait a minute. You said we, not you. Why is that? Were you human at some point?”

“I was born, I lived, and I died.”

“When was that?”

He grimaced. “A long time ago.”

Blythe noticed the sun was still setting behind her; its glare continued to hold half the room in twilight. In fact, it hadn’t faded in the slightest since Bellamy had appeared, as if he’d stopped time itself for this encounter.

“Interesting. Humor me, though. As I said, I used to teach history. So, which period are you from?”

His fingers wrought together in his lap. “I would prefer not to say. It’s no longer important.”

“Okay. But you do remember it, right? Your life?”

“In some ways.”

“And this soul collecting thing is what—an indefinite assignment?”

He didn’t reply. And that was all she could get out of him regarding his nature and his past. Presumably, the Grim Reaper’s contract of employment contained a nondisclosure clause. Either that or Bellamy just wasn’t used to opening up. After all, therapists might be a little hard to come by in the Soul Creditors’ Union.

But the longer they talked, well into the night, mostly about Blythe’s teaching days and her family, especially her children, the more she missed Rose. Time for sleep was time wasted when she only had three days to play with. And chatting with Death while waiting to die was a tad…counter-productive.

“When do you expect her?” Bellamy asked as Blythe glanced at her favorite photo for the umpteenth time. This time, though, she picked up on an edge in his voice, a kind of enthusiasm. It struck her as strange, given his job, but she realized it had been there all along. But not all the time. No, it was whenever he spoke of Rose.

“Do I have to share everything?” she replied.

“Not everything.”

“Then why so concerned?”

“As I said, I’m an interested—”

“Observer, yes. I got that part. If you must know, she’ll probably be here shortly after breakfast. Rose doesn’t do early unless it’s fashionable to be late.”

“Meaning what?”

“That she was born a rebel. Somebody in authority says jump, most people will ask how high. Rose, on the other hand, will make them jump for her.”

He twitched a smile. “Did that disappoint you? To have a daughter turn out that way?”

“Are you kidding? It’s my favorite thing about her. It makes Rose, well, Rose.”

“Do you mind if I try it, then?”

“What? Telling her to jump?”

“Yes. It was amusing how you told it just now.”

Blythe quirked an eyebrow. “Knock yourself out, pal. You might not be so amused when you get her reply.”

“You sound defensive.”

“You’re the Grim Reaper.”

His inscrutable gaze bore into her, as though he was trying to extract her thoughts about him. “Call me Bellamy.”

“Okay, Bellamy,” Blythe replied, enunciating every syllable. “What if I told you I wanted to spend tomorrow alone with Rose?”

“Then you would be in error. I will be joining you tomorrow.”

“Fair enough. But what if I told Rose not to come here at all? What if I don’t want her to meet you? What would you say then, huh?”

“I would say our agreement is void. You asked for three days so you could spend time with your children. No children, no three days. Decide now, Blythe.”

His poker face was something to behold, but there was that tension in his voice. An old emotion perhaps, bubbling to the surface.

“I was only asking,” she said. “Of course, I’m going to see them, and you’re welcome to tag along and…observe. So long as that’s all you have in mind.”

“Explain.”

“I’d rather you didn’t rub off on them. You know, the whole death thing.”

“That isn’t remotely what I had in—”

“Just so we know where we stand,” she interrupted. “I’m grateful for the three days, I really am, but I would rather kill myself than to let you interfere with my kids’ futures in any way. They are off-limits. Capiche?”

“You’ve made yourself clear, Blythe. Perhaps now we can be civil again.”

“Fine by me. Perhaps now you’ll let me rest for a while. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

He ran a hand through his long hair with awe, as though enjoying the sensation of being inside a human body again, then laced his fingers on the back of his head, and watched her watching him. A million questions that had been flying around in her head suddenly settled and sank like damp leaves on a lake. Through his eyes, she saw herself clearly for the first time in a long time. The sum of everything she’d done. The things she still had left to do.

Best of all, she had tomorrow.

The rest would take care of itself.

“Will you be here all night, Bellamy, even if I fall asleep?”

“Perhaps.”

“You don’t have, you know, other appointments to keep?”

The sun finally disappeared, leaving the room in near-total darkness. He replied, “Do I have to share everything?”