Disclaimer: The character Death belongs to DC Comics and is being used for non-profit entertainment only.

He floats in the watery world with no worries. It is dark, but he is not afraid, because he has never seen the light. He spends the time mostly sleeping, the rest he spends trying out his new body. When he sleeps, he dreams of this place. All his dreams are good, because he does not know what bad things are yet. "Life is good," he would say, if he understood the concept. Nothing hardly changed in this warm, watery world.

Until one day, the floodgates opened, and the oh so watery world started to be less watery. He felt an urge to move, and he felt himself being pushed involuntarily. He started to learn a new feeling; being scared. Deep inside, he knew that the warmth and predictability that had been his would be no more. Suddenly, the dark started to give way to light, and in a wild push, he looked out. The coldness hit him like a train. His eyes struggled to adjust to the incredible brightness. His lungs tried frantically to get used to the new task of breathing air. But they did not get a chance. As fast as it had begun, it was over.

A woman dressed in black with a silver amulet hanging in her neck walked towards him. "What happened?" He asked. The woman was not surprised by the sudden talking abilities of the young fellow. However, as soon as he asked, he knew what happened.

"It was your mother." The lady said in a soft voice.

"Why? Why did she do it?"

"Immaturity, some would say. Babies should not have babies. She was afraid to some degree. The truth is she does not understand yet what she has done."

He looked around and saw the surroundings. It was a high school bathroom. In a stall was a young girl, with his still body in her hands.

"So that's all I get?" He asked the lady in black.

"Yes, that's your lifetime."

"And her?"

"The magnitude of what she has done will weigh on her like a thousand tons forever. Eventually."

"So what comes now?"

"Come with me and find out."

And then there was the sound of wings.

Carlos J. Moreno

E-mail: morenocj@bp.com