The Old Man And The Hourglass

CHAPTER 1: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DECLARE

Finally, after a long wait, Martha arrived. She opened the gate and asked for James’ help carrying the groceries. Martha froze, surprised by what she saw in front of their house: A very romantic dinner set up.

James came out of their house, wearing a suit. Martha found it silly and cute, and she smiled. James asked for Martha’s hand and slowly assisted her to her chair.

“ How about the car? It’s still outside,” Martha giggles as she asks.

“ F*ck the car, “ James answered, which made Martha laugh.

“ So, what are we eating, my handsome husband? “ Martha asked. “ I better hope it’s not your cooking,“ Martha said, reminding James what happened to them every time they ate something James cooked. They would get diarrhea.

“Of course not! “ James said and went to the kitchen. James had actually cooked something for them, using the ingredients he threw away earlier. The idea of Martha scolding him because they got diarrhea again scares him, so he decided to throw it away and reheat the food that he had reheated a couple of times already.

“ Sorry for the wait, the food is here, “ James said and served the reheated food. Martha looked at the food, then at James.

James, who couldn’t look directly at Martha’s eyes, explained, “ I’m sorry… the food is a little bit dry. I got very excited and reheated it too early, and I tried to make something else, but I didn’t want to poison us so– ”

Martha held James’ hand and face, “ Oh honey, you’re so sweet, ” she said and kissed him. “ Now help me get the groceries inside, and I’ll cook something for our date, “ Martha added, which James willingly did.

After a few minutes, they were back again in their romantic setup, eating dinner. The married couple was happy, celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary. They reminisced about everything they have done for the past 41 years together.

“ Wait a second, “ James said as he went inside their house. Martha patiently waited. After a few minutes, James went out. He went to Martha standing in front of her. James gave Martha his gift: it was the necklace he gave to Martha on their first date, which she had lost.

Martha was shocked and surprised to see the necklace. “ Well it’s not actually the lost necklace, but I made it to be exactly how I remembered it, ” James said.

“ YOU MADE THIS?! “ Martha exclaimed, as she couldn’t believe her husband could do something like that.

“ I’m an old man Martha, I have got a lot of time other than making myself fat, “ James said, which made them both burst into laughter.

“ Put it on my neck,” Martha said to James, which James gladly did.

After James put on the Necklace, he knelt down and held Martha’s hands.

“ My love, I knew from the moment I saw you… that this moment would come. The moment when you and I are both old and have our own family. I love you so much, my love and not even Death can stop my love for you. If he tries to take you away from me, I will hit him without any second thoughts with the bat I keep in our room.”

After James said this sweet message to Martha, the sky turned black and growled. Then lightning struck near the mountains. This startled both of them, and they rushed inside their house.

“ Looks like it’s going to rain, ” Martha said, looking at the sky from their windows.

“ Yeah, looks like it will,” James agreed.

Martha and James then headed to their room, exhausted from their anniversary celebration, they fell fast asleep.

As they were sleeping, the sound of knocking from their front door woke James up. He looked at the clock: it’s midnight. “ Who the hell knocks at someone’s door in the middle of the night? “ James murmured to himself.

James got up from their bed and grabbed his bat. He held the bat firmly, ready to swing it anytime as he slowly approached the front door. The knocking continued and became stronger. As he reached the door’s knob, it opened on its own,

A gush of wind entered their house as a figure of a man standing in the doorway could be seen. “ Who are you? What are you doing in my house in the middle of the night?” James asked.

The man entered. As he entered their house, the door shut on its own.

James, with all his strength, swung the bat towards the man, but the man stopped the bat with just his finger.

“ I thought you were going to hit me with your bat?... James “ the man smiled as he spoke those words to James.

James, baffled by what he saw, froze for a minute. Then the man suddenly disappeared. As James turned around facing their sofa, he saw the man sitting there. James approached the man slowly as he was ready to take another swing.

“ You really did it without hesitation, James, but you didn’t hit me! “ The man said as he looked at James, giving him a very devilish smile.

“ Get out of my house, boy. I’m too old to participate in your gimmick, “ James said, angry.

The man disappeared again and appeared out of nowhere behind James and whispered, “ So do I.”

James swung his bat again with his full power, but the man disappeared. As he looked for the man, turning in every direction, the scene changed. James saw himself and Martha from the window. He went out and saw himself kneeling on the ground. It’s the scene from their date where James said his sweet message.

Just after James said his message, everything stopped, and the man appeared.

“ How sweet of you, James, to say those words, MOCKING ME?! “ The man shouted as his pupils dilated with anger.

The scene disappeared. The surroundings returned to the living room. The man who was sitting on the sofa summoned a chair in front of him, inviting James to sit down. James stood still, afraid of taking another step closer to the man. He was sweating heavily.

“ Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you, not yet “ the man said.

“ You son of a–” James swung his bat, but he froze and was unable to move.

“Just sit down, James, “ the man commanded Jame’s body, which his body obeyed. Even if it was against James' will, he sat down in the chair.

“ WHO ARE YOU?WHAT DO YOU WANT?WHY ARE YOU HERE? “ James asked.

“Woaahh, calm down James. One question at a time, “ the man replied.

“ Okay, then my question is where did you buy that black suit? “ James asked, which made the man laugh. Then in an instant, the man stopped laughing. “ Seriously, now ask!” the man said with a flat expression.

“ Who are you?” James asked.

“ It is I James, the one whom you mocked in the name of your love, the one whom you said you’ll hit with your baseball bat. It is I am James, I am Death! ” the man said, which shocked the old James.

“ Don’t worry James, like I said I won’t do anything to you ” the death said, to make James calm.

“ Then why are you here? “ James asked.

Death pulls something from his pocket and puts it on the table: an hourglass. The hourglass shows that the sand from above is now low as it keeps falling down.

Death stood up and laughed as he said these words to James: “ I am here for your wife," James. I am here to take the life of your beloved wife, Martha Janeth Cruz! “