Chasing Death

The days that followed

The week after losing Wyatt had been a blur between dealing with the police, trying to learn how to adjust to being on my own, and trying to get all the funeral things dealt with. See, he had left no will, he had no family. And I was the closest thing he had had to a partner. It all ended up falling on me, because no one else came forward or wanted to deal with it. I sat down at the living room desk and started working on some paperwork, taking notes and such while spending some time talking to Betsy.

“This doesn’t feel real.” I say looking into Betsy’s terrarium. I stare at her sitting in her froggy bowl looking back at me. Her shiny green frog skin and what seemed like a permanent smile on her little face were always so reassuring to me as she looked at me with her big black eyes, like she knew. She was who alerted me to everything that night.. To Death being here..

“Death..” I trailed off standing from the desk and slowly walked to the window to look out it. We had a small apartment, on the 10th floor downtown so the view was something else in the dark of night. It left time and space to dream and think… questionable thoughts. “I just don’t understand, Betsy.. Who is Death? Why were they surprised I could see them.. Why could I see them?" I put my hand against the window and stared out at the ever bustling city.

Turning from the window I went and sat by Betsy again. "I just.. why can't I stop thinking about them.. they seemed.. so.. human?" I stood up abruptly and put my hands on the table Betsy's terrarium was on. "I have to find them."

"Crrrrrrooo-aaakkkk" Betsy looked up at me with her knowing eyes.

"What do you mean how am I going to find LITERAL DEATH? I don't know! I was hoping you would…" I wandered off to grab my grey pea coat and pulled it on, tying the fabric belt around myself and then grabbed my boots, slipping my feet in quickly before looking myself over in the mirror. I picked up my newsie cap and put it on my head over top of my dark brown curls tilting it slightly before overlooking myself again in the mirror.

Betsy hopped towards the side of the glass and stared at me. It's like she always knew what I was thinking or doing. She thought I had lost my mind.

"Look. I'll be back soon. I just need to see them again. I don't know how to explain it. Just… trust me, okay?" I smile at my little froggy friend as I applied some lip gloss in the mirror. "I'll be back soon! I took my purse off the entry table and my keys from the hanger before blowing Betsy a kiss and running out the door.

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Betsy hopped back into her froggy dish and waited, what else was she going to do. She thought the girl was right off her rocker. But she was a frog, and the girl a human. Not much you can do when a human gets a dumb idea in their brain.