… I’m so cold... It’s so dark... Where am I? “Oooooooooooo,” an eerie voice echoed throughout the area. I looked around for the voice, but there was nothing. I tried to respond to the voice, but I couldn’t speak. My mouth couldn’t move. Wait... I don’t feel my mouth! I felt nothing!

“Ooooooooo,” the eerie voice echoed again through the dark. This is stupid, even by dream standards. I took a deep breath and tried to speak again, “This is stupid.” My voice echoed, but not as loudly as the eerie one. Was that my voice? It doesn’t sound like mine? Am I a ghost? “Ooooooo,” the voice echoed again. It sounds like it has gotten closer.

“Hello!” I responded.

“Hello there,” it whispered from behind me.

I jumped back in fear. I wasn’t afraid, but at the same time, I was. It was a weird feeling, a sense of hope that someone was there with me. Yet, it felt all too real, like my mind was playing tricks on me. The feeling of not knowing what’s going to happen is frightening. It felt like I was not in control for the first time in a while. I turn to face the specter’s voice. I had nothing left to lose. Did I? Did I really have nothing to lose? No... I have... No... I had something to lose, but not anymore. What was it? I can’t remember... I can’t remember!

“Having trouble remembering?” The voice said.

Remembering... I can’t remember anything. Wait! I remember that I’m in high school and I have a… a… sister or brother. I know for sure I had a mother, but did I have a father?

“I said. Are you having trouble remembering?” The voice said again.

“What?” I looked up at the specter’s voice. The specter resembled a human, if a human resembled an enormous skeleton that was two or three feet taller than me.

The skeleton wore a ring on each of its fingers. They varied in shades of red, purple, blue, and green. It wore purple robes, or was it a gown? It had a golden rim around the open and sleeves. Its boney chest is exposed and in the center of its chest. It had a glowing orb that changed from a dark red to a lighter shade of red. It shined like the skeleton’s eyes and emitted heat.

On his shoulders and back were five-pointed shoulder spikes that extended from each side and curved inwards like ocean waves. He had giant orbs on his shoulders. When shining in unison with its center orb, they created a face with a sinister smile? The two enormous orbs were a mix of blue and red. The orbs sometimes made faces that looked like they were screaming, laughing, crying. It looked like something out of a dream… a dream.

Its mouth cracked open, and a deep voice came from the skeleton. “Aren’t you scared, little boy?” The skeleton asked.

“Not really,” I said.

“Huh… It frightened humans a few hundred years ago.” The skeleton rubbed his bony chin.

“Well, a few hundred years ago, skeletons may have been scary, but now, not really. Why would I be scared of something made of calcium?”

“But I’m not any ordinary skeleton. I’m Death.”

“Yeah, I must be dreaming. If you’re Death, then I’m in an anime cause you’re too good-looking to be Death. I always imagined Death as someone who wore a torn black robe and carried a scythe. Not someone who looks like they’re a mix between an evil king and wizard.”

“I’ve frightened people for millennia. I am the end of all things. Nothing has or ever will escape my grasp. People worshiped me, sacrificed to me, to appease me. My name should bring any mortal to their knees. Tell me, why don’t you fear me?”

“Well, because you’re not the scariest thing I’ve dreamed of. One time I dreamed of a silicon-based life form. Imagine seeing a creature breathing sand instead of oxygen. Compared to you, I would rather see your boney edgelord looking ass than watching it try to breathe. Just imagine it breathing in sand, its throat scraping, every breath as painful as the last. It endures this over and over until it finally dies from an agonizing existence.”

“That’s disturbing.” The skeleton’s bone clattered, dropping its jaw.

“You’re Death. You’re supposed to fear nothing. Aren’t you the end of everything?”

The skeleton pointed at me like a father scolding his child. “Just because I’m Death doesn’t mean I can’t find things disturbing.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re a pretty lame god of death, even by my dream standards. I’ve had nightmares where I was slowly dying or watching someone I loved die. You can’t fear death if you’re already dead. That would be like me-”

“SILENCE!” the skeleton shouted. The sound of his voice paralyzed me. The skeleton places his boney hand on his head and sighs. “I just need to do the speech and get this over with. Why do I have to be the one that deals with the troublesome ones? This isn’t my day.’”

“Are there even any days or nights here?” I ask sarcastically, but I am a little curious.

Death’s teeth rattled. Its rings clattered against his fingers. Death looked like his mouth was going to nap off. It took a deep sigh before continuing. “Anyway, we have decided to reincarnate you.”

“Who’s we and why? I’m not even Japanese or live in Japan.”

“‘WE’ isn’t important. And I’m a god. We don’t see race.” Scoffed Death.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Wait, isn’t not seeing race also racist?”

Death smashed his staff on the ground. “SILENCE! If you speak one more time, I’ll send you to hell!”

I cough under my breath, “racist.”

“Alright, hell it is!” Death raised his staff, and the ground turned red as hands crawled up from the ground.

“Wait! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I’m pretty sure this is a dream, but I would rather not dream up my worst nightmares. I don’t want to see another claymation movie or dive into the sea.

“Oh, now you beg for forgiveness. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t send you to hell?”

“Umm… because you made an effort to show up?” The hands had grabbed hold of me and were dragging me down slowly. Death didn’t respond, and I kept sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. I started panicking and needed to get out of this fast.

“Looks like this is goodbye. Any last words?”

“Alright! I’m a pathetic human being. I have no reason why you shouldn’t send me to hell. I cheat on tests when I don’t think they’re worth my time. I pirate movies and anime if I can’t watch them illegally. I’ve read porn and hentai. The weird shit people come up with. Why do people draw furry hentai about the souls of children inside robot animal suits? Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with people! I have no filter and run my mouth. If people ask me ‘does this dress look ugly on me?’ I’m honest and will say yes if it looks ugly on people. One time, I accidentally kicked the dog and blamed it on my sleeping sister. I’m rude to people sometimes because I feel a little entitled or I’m fed up with their shit.”

I looked up at the skeleton, who’s now towering over me, and leaned over to the side. It was like it was talking to something, and then sighs, “Fine, but you owe me.” It looks over to me and grumbles, “Alright, I’ve decided I won’t send you to hell, but there are conditions. First of all, shut up. Second, shut up! Third, if you speak again without my permission, I’ll drag your soul to hell.”

I nodded in agreement. “Yes, mam!” Quietly, I laughed and thought. “I’ll wake up soon, anyway. So it doesn’t really matter.”

“Now, we have decided to reincarnate you for our entertainment. You’ll be sent to another world-“

I interrupted Death, “So basically an Isekai or Mario?”

Death sighed and grunted, “What did I say- I had a speech planned out, and you ruined it. At least you get it so we can get this done faster. The last one was exhausting. Now onto the last part.” Death’s eyes glowed a sinister red. Death waved his hand and said with great strength. “Consider this an honor that I, Death, will give you another life. I will also grant you three wishes.”

I stared at it in confusion and raised my hand.

“You may speak.”

“So are you like a genie that looks like a scary skeleton cosplaying like a Legend of Zelda villain?”

The skeleton’s mouth dropped open. Death paused for a minute before continuing. “Just say your wishes.”

“Is there a catch?”

Death grinned, “Maybe.”

“Is there something that is required for me to do? Like a quest or prophecy?”

“If we don’t include him.” Death mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” he quickly responded. “There is none, but you may find life harder than you expect.”

“Can I know how I died?”

“I suppose... But do you really want to?” Death questioned me.

I nodded my head and asked, “Can I have my old memories?”

Death sat there and stared into the space of eternity, probably, before answering. “I suppose... But that would be a waste of a wish.”

“Why?” I asked.

“He’s an idiot.” The skeleton sighed.

“Can I-” Death cut me off.

“Yes.”

“I haven’t even asked anything yet,” I complained.

“I already know what it was. Let’s hurry it up.”

“Is there a limit to what I can choose?”

Death laughed, “Hehehe haha muwhahaha!!!” Death’s jaw rattled intensified the more he laughed. “So you finally figured it out. So speak your mind.”

I was about to speak before I paused. “Can I customize my new body?”

Death leaned to his right and grumbled, “No, he already had three wishes. Of course that counts as three! It’s his fault for not thinking. Fine, fine.” He sighed, leaning forward and placing his hand on his head again. “Sure, I’ll grant you this wish, but at a cost. Do you accept?” His eye holes glow blood red.

“Do I get to know the cost or is it some bullshit where you don’t say what the price is?”

“Yes or no? I don’t have all day.”

“Sigh, you’re not leaving me a choice.” I bite my tongue, “I accept.”

“Good, go on.” The skeleton’s eye holes go back to being empty.

“I want to be overpowered!”

“No.” Death said with a straight face. Though, he didn’t have the muscles and skin to have any other face than a straight face.

“Ok, I want to have the ultimate attack.”

“Hm… No.”

“Can I choose my species?”

"No."

“So, how was your day?”

“No.”

“That wasn’t a yes or no question!”

“No.”

“I didn’t ask a question!”

“Yes.”

“Hair color, eye color... forty-seven?”

“No, nope, what?”

I laughed uncontrollably, but I wasn’t happy. “Fuck no! Who’s able to say that they died and accept that? Right now, I still feel alive! How do I know this isn’t a dream?”

“I suppose you’re right.” Death stood up and waved its hand, vigorously declaring. “Now is the time for a restart!! May my skull forever be edged deep into your soul, symbolizing your beginning...” Then, in a menacing tone. “… and the end! Now get lost!!!”

“Wait!!!” I screamed.

“Now what!?” Death, now enraged. “We’re already finished.”

“I forgot to ask this earlier, but can I please be a boy?”

“No”

“Please! I really don’t want to learn to pee all over again.”

Death’s bony mouth wide open, “Are you kidding me!? That’s why you don’t want to be a girl? Not all the psychological and physiological changes?”

“Yeah, like peeing. That’s physiological,” I responded.

“I can’t–” Death smacked his face and groaned. Smearing his hand off his face, he grumbled. “Are you being serious?”

Something behind Death caught my eye. “What’s with the little girl behind you?”

“Fuck this!” Death waved his hand again. He raised his staff in the air. “Fuck you! Fuck off!” A flash of light surrounded me as Death faded from my vision, then everything went dark.

“Something’s not right. But everything is not right. The world is spinning, and so too am I.”