Age of Death

Give the humans to me! Look at me, I am virtually powerless. And look at you! All of this learning and science has caused millions of your creatures to turn their backs on you! Some mock you, and hate you. They blame you for their troubles. How can you allow this? Give them to me, God! Let me be the way I once was! Once I was powerful and mighty! Humans feared me! Now, it is a common trend among your beasts to embrace me. Embrace death! Ha! Give them to me, God!"

Death stood by the dying fire trembling with excitement. Silence echoed in every corner of the room. The whispers stopped. Death turned feebly, and stumbled back to the chair. Instead of sitting, he turned and faced the chair, a faraway look in his eyes. He spoke with a shaking voice.

"Once I was terrifying and potent. I sat in this chair and claimed life after life. People dismayed at the mere thought of me, and prayed to you for salvation from me. These times are over. The Age of Death is over. Now is the death of Death. Imagine! What a concept. And so I rest. Never could I have conceived this happening. Mighty and powerful Death! Death is dead!"

Death slowly sank back into the chair. He leaned back, his breath rattling and his chest heaving. His eyes fluttered for a moment, and were still.

Back on earth, everything froze. In hospitals, patients healed. Stab wounds closed, gunshot injuries disappeared. Hungry stomachs were full, creatures coexisted harmoniously. People went to churches and praised God, bowed down on their knees, thanked God, what a miracle! Happiness and joy seeped from every corner. And then, the corners began to disappear. In their place, people filled. More and more people appeared, and the earth began to fill. Soon, the amount of people surpassed the amount of standing room. The world crammed with creatures. Chaos erupted. The world was out of food, but none died. People were hungry, sickly, but remained sick, instead of passing on into death. Violence rose, and kinsmen turned on one another. Still, more and more people appeared. The oxygen ran out, the air was gone, and people suffocated, but no one died, because death was no more. Pain and suffering was everywhere. God looked down on the people, God's children, and saw the torment and misery. A slow wave of God's hand. Free will.