The boy held the pills tight to his chest, tears sliding down his face slowly. He choked back a sob. He had to stay silent for this to work. If someone caught him doing this...
"Let's not give them the chance." The voice responded.
Without further hesitation, he swallowed them all, gagging. He started to feel his limbs get heavy, going limp. Finally... finally he saw the light leave his eyes... he felt himself loss consciousness.
"So... how does this work?" The boy asked the reaper.
"How does what work?" He replied.
"This." He answered, gesturing to his body on the ground. "I'm dead... right?"
"Well, not yet. You must complete a task first."
"Name it." The scene changed. A basketball court formed around them.
"Shoot the ball." The boy looked at the reaper, confused.
"That's it? That's the task?"
"It is."
"That's easy!"
He took the ball in his hands and seemingly effortlessly shot a 3-pointer. The world melted around them. A classroom formed around them, with only one desk in the room. A paper lay on top of it. The boy walked up to it.
"A math test?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Do the test. It's your next task."
"But I did what you asked!"
"I know. This is the next task."
He sighed, then sat at the desk. A few minutes later, he held it up. The reaper took it, looked at it for a minute.
"You got them all right Bryant."
"I'm good at math."
"This was a test two grade levels above your own."
"I'm very good at math."
The reaper paused.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"Who cares? I passed the tests. I'm dead."
"I do Bryant."
"An architect."
"You'd make a great architect."
"No I won't. I'm dead."
"Not yet. One more test."
"Really? Why do they matter? I'm going to just die at the end of them anyway!"
The scene finally changed to a hospital room. Bryant's body was in the bed. His father sat next to him, crying quietly, as a doctor stood over him.
"We don't know if he'll make it yet. He took quite a few pills." The doctor spoke quietly.
Bryant's breath caught in his throat.
"W-why did you show me this?"
"This is the final test, Bryant... could you leave him? Like this?"
Bryant suddenly sobbed.
"I have to! It's all too much, please, please just take me! I can't wake up and face him! If I'm dead, it'll be easier for him to move on! Just take me!"
The reaper leaned down, and embraced him.
"Bryant, shh, shh, it'll be okay."
The world changed around them. They were in a park, right at sunrise. The reaper sat on the grass, then patted the ground next to him. Bryant's knees buckled, and the reaper caught him, then pulled him close.
"Bryant, I am not here to take you."
"B-b-b- but I passed the tests!"
"Exactly. Bryant, you shot a perfect 3-pointer like it was the easiest thing you've done! You passed a math test that no one your age is expected to pass! You are amazing Bryant! You have so much potential, so much power to do good in this world. I don't want to take you from it!"
"I don't care about my potential anymore... I don't want to be in a world without them."
"I know, Bryant... I know. They didn't want to leave you and your dad. But they didn't have a choice... you do."
Bryant buried his face into the reaper's cloak. A sob escaped him.
"Bryant... I'm not sure that your dad can take another loss. He... he already thinks about doing.. this. But he stays for you. You're all he has left."
Another sob.
"If you really want to go... if you can't keep living... I will let you. At the end of the day... it's your choice, not mine. But.. I really do think you should stay."
He clung tighter to the reaper.
"How- how can I face him? How could I do this to him? He's never going to forgive me!"
"Oh, Bryant." He hugged him tighter. "He's just going to be relieved that you're alive."
Bryant hugged him even tighter.
"Can I- can I please go back?" He whispered.
"Of course, child. Of course."
Bryant woke up.
