A Game

Ah the memories. He watched the bright green line jump rhythmically across the iridescent blackness of the screen. Once every second. A bit too slow to be called healthy apparently. Watching his heart beats drift by somehow reminded him of a video game he used to play. The beats would indicate his health status and start flashing every time he got wounded. But which game had that been? GTA? No, most certainly not. Fallout? Maybe. He couldn't remember. Those had been good old times. Death had been waiting behind every corner, but still he had always won. But this game would be different.

He turned his head. Someone was standing there, at the side of his bed. Had someone come in? His daughter had just left and the the nurse had said that they wouldn't disturb him until morning. He looked up.
"I always thought the Reaper wore a black cloak and carried a huge scythe."
The pale, bald man in the black suit smirked. "A fashionable man must go with the current style", he said in a soothing voice and adjusted his designer tie. "So many people have died for beauty, I shouldn't let such an opportunity pass by."
"Hm." He hadn't expected his encounter with Death to start with a discussion of fashion.
“You started it. You made a comment about my outfit”, replied the Reaper, and before he could ask, the man added: “Yes, I can. Oh come on, don't be surprised.”
He didn't say anything.
“I'm sorry, I really should stop doing that. You people can't know. But it's such a great feeling to read the thoughts of you mortals. I tried to quit once. Worst minute of my life.” The Reaper stopped and grinned. “Get it? Worst minute of my live?”

He closed his eyes and turned away. “You do talk a lot, do you?” he whispered.
“Well, usually it's you mortals who do the talking. Most of you get really chatty when I turn up. It's like they want to get all that stuff of their chest before their time's up. Even after three and a half billion years of life on Earth I still can't figure out why.” The reaper shook his head, incredulous.
“So what do I have to do then to get you to shut up?” he murmured.
“What? Oh! You know what, let's play a game! It's been ages since I've played a game! I've seen you humans do it all the time, it looks like so much fun!”
“Bloody Hell...”
“You don't want to? Oh come on, please! I know, let's make a deal. If you win, I'll let you live as long as you want. Deal?”
“I don't know, I'm pretty satisfied with what I've achieved in life...”
“Don't be such a killjoy! I'll give you your health back! And your beauty and your virility! Come on, do it for me.” The man in the black suit looked at him with the eyes of a sad puppy.
“All right, fine. I guess I can't say no to that”, he grumbled.
“Wonderful! What do you want to play? There are so many games I want to try! One of those shooting games? No, that's boring. Something new, something exciting!” The well-dressed Reaper had started hectically pacing through the hospital room, trying to decide. “I know! The Sims! That looks fun!”
“Oh no, come on. Please choose another one. The Sims is a single player game. You can play that all day when you... get home, I guess?” He complained.
“All right, all right. What else is there? Hrm...”
“Let's just play Black Jack.” He never expected his death to be painful. Traumatic, maybe. Spectacular, possibly but unlikely. But this? This was taking it to a whole new level.
“Black Jack? Oh, great idea! Such a peaceful game. But now that I think of it, I've met quite a few people whom it got deeply into dept and ended up getting killed while trying to procure the money to pay them off...”
“That's just human nature, not the fault of the game. Can we get on with it?”
“Of course!” Death pulled a pack of playing cards from his pocket.

The deck was an eerie work of art. The card backs were adorned with pearly white skulls, the faces drawn in midnight black or the deep red of human blood. The man in the suit shuffled them expertly with cold fingers and gave him two cards before taking two for himself.”
The Reaper studied his cards insistently, his forehead showing the visible markings of a brain working at full capacity. “Uh this is so exciting! I think... I'll take another card”, he decided and slowly reached for the pile. “What about you?”
“Blackjack. I win.” he replied coldly and revealed his cards. “Now get out.”
“But- but- don't you-” the Reaper stammered. It was such a bizarre sight. Of all emotions, confusion seemed to be the one least appropriate to the Grim Reaper.
“Sorry, rules are rules. Do I get my life now?”
“Well... I guess so...” The sad man stammered.
“Better luck next time. Ask the guy next door, maybe he'll play with you”, he halfheartedly tried cheering him up. Death grinned
“I sure will! Enjoy the rest of your day!”, the Grim Reaper called out and bounced out through the door.
He smiled and closed his eyes.
Respawning in 3...2...1