One more hour. - Short Story

Slowly his steps came to a halt as what he had been searching for came into view, exhaustion pierced his bones but he continued anyway. The trunk of the tree had been much thicker then he remembered it but, it was still the same tree, it still held all those memories, the ones that made it special. Slowly the man lowered himself to the ground, landing with an unceremonious thud.

He felt the bags under his eyes, the callous on his hands... the sun on his face.

Many long years led up to this, leaves swaying gently at the same rhythm of the grass. Rest, rest for a moment, for one moment, that's what this was all about after all. The man had taken this pilgrimage to this specific tree, back when he was a younger man, a much younger boy.

A memory of the boy sitting at the tree, a friend of his laying beside him. 

"... And there was the sound of thunder."

"... is that it?"

"Yup! its all credits after."

"I don't get it, why'd he have to kill him?"

"i dunno, id probably kill you if you did the thing i told you not to!"

"yeah but, for us that's different! If i did something to piss you off, you'd just hit me not kill me!"

"..."

"ohh... okay I get it."

He could almost remember holding the little booklet in his hand, the persistent dryness in the back of his throat as he tried his best to read aloud. The old man doesn't know that person anymore, they had gone their separate ways long ago but, he still thinks of the memory fondly, of that person fondly. Its all gone now, no point in mulling it over now many, many years later. 

The old man felt himself sink into the ground, deeper then he thought. The sun's soft warmth providing much more comfort then he thought. The shadows in the corner of his eyes meant nothing compared to the view ahead, all grass ahead, no other tree for miles. Fingers inched passed the shadowy corners, slowly a whole sleeve came into view. The grass ruffled beside the old man, someone else taking a seat.

"I know you, don't I?"

"you know me alright." Said Death.

"If we were at my home, I would offer you a cup of coffee."

"I don't need coffee."

Death shook his head, a laugh almost taking his wispy features. He stared out into the grassy expanse, fabric like tendrils flowed effortlessly through the wind, a great blue sky reached out far beyond anyone's sight. Death turned to the old man once more.

"You will die within the hour. Can I spend this time with you?"

"I've lived for 70 years already, what's one more hour?"