Death at the FedEx-Kinkos.

It was morning when I met Death. She was doing kickflips in the FedEx-Kinkos parking lot, and when she saw me her eyebrows shot up, her mouth made a surprised little O, and in her distraction she bailed and landed on her knee at a bad angle. It made a sickly popping sound.

"Ow," she said, and looked a little sick.

"Are you ok?" I shouted, but didn't get close, because she was the physical manifestation of Death and I didn't want to get my shit creamed.

"Yeah, yeah!" she shouted, remembering who distracted her. She looked excited. "You're Phillips, Jon, right? 06/10/89? You're on my list, dude! Next week, Thursday or something. Wow, that's nuts!"

"How do I go?" I ask. "Also you're bleeding a lot, do you want me to go get some help?"

"Nah, that's fine," said Death, crawling to her feet. The fucked up knee buckled beneath her and she collapsed. "Shit," she muttered under her breath.

I fidgeted, rocking back and forth on my heels. "If I come help you, are you going to kill me?"

"Yeah, I exude a life-draining aura in a three foot radius around my body. You'd be dead before you got within fist-bumping distance."

"Oh," I said, and watched as she struggled to stand again. "Don't stand up, it's cool. Uhh..." I looked around for something to throw to her to use as an improvised crutch, like a stick or something. I couldn't find anything.

Death shifted her weight over and sat on her skateboard, her fucked up leg sticking straight out in front of her. It was bloody from where it had scraped against the concrete, and was slowly puffing up to the size of a grapefruit. "This sucks," she complained, and took out a yellow pack of Spirits.

"Those things will kill ya," I said, and checked the time on my phone as she lit up.

"Ha, good one."

"Yeah. Feel better, Death. See you next week?"

"Get your affairs in order, dude!"

"Can you tell me how I go?"

"I don't want to spoil anything. It's funny. You'll like it."

"I bet I will," I concede, and walk off, leaving Death rolling slightly back and forth on her skateboard, smoking, wincing at any movement of her fucked up knee.