EP 492 – Story #4 – You are Joshua Jamestown and you are playing chess with Death.

You are Joshua Jamestown and you are playing chess with Death.
"Is it time?" asks Death, as he sets up the board on a table in front of you. "It's been so long."
"I told you," you reply. "We're waiting for some new rules to be added."
You see a skeleton man walk in an announce the new

wacky and ludicrous rules of chess:
- If your opponent has no pieces left, they can't move; all their pieces become yours.
- A pawn may take any piece on its first move (but only once).
- The King is immortal, but if his king is captured by another player, he dies instantly.
You beg Death to be the one to make the first move.  He agrees and you immediately use your pawn to take his King.  Death is defeated and you watch Death die.
 You think about what just happened to you in the past few minutes.
"So that's how it ends?" says Death. "All those years ago at my school? And now I've come back here...
 just to play chess with you again."
He looks at you with sad eyes.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
"That depends," you say, "on whether or not you want me to help you."
You try to cheer up Death and ask if he wants to start band.  For the first time ever, you see Death's eyes light up!
"Yes," he says. "Let's do that."
You decide to get started right away.
 You begin playing "In the Hall of the Mountain King" on your flute.
"That sounds like something Death would write," says Death. "Will you really help us?"
"Of course I will!"
Death breaks out his favorite instrument:
 the trombone. He plays a little tune and then adds some lyrics:
"Once upon a midnight dreary / While I pondered weak and weary / Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore."
You continue to jam with Death and are surprised by how happy he looks.
"This is nice," says Death. "Thanks."
After jamming together for a while, you decide to call it a night and head home. As you leave, you notice a strange glow coming from the window of your apartment.
 You go inside and find Death sitting at your piano.
"How did you get in here?" you ask.
"Oh, I'm Death. I can get into anywhere," he replies. "Are you ready to go home?"
You nod, but then you realize Death is just breaking into a new song:
"And the moonbeams brighten o'er her brow / As she follows me through the dark."
You try to go to sleep, but you just toss and turn as Death continues to play your piano.
 You keep hearing this terrible song:
"She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies / And all that's best of dark and bright / Meet in her aspect and her eyes..."
You interrupt Death and tell him that you have had enough of his music and tell him it is time to go.  Death ignores you and continues to sing
.
"Her hair was white as snow / Her lips, redder than blood / And the beard of her chin was as black as a crow."
You grab hold of Death's arm and try to drag him out of the room.
You scream, "I don't want to hear any more of you shitty music!"  You see Death about to tear up.  That really hurt his feelings.  You watch as Death slouches away and leaves.
You close the door behind Death, but when you finally look to the window, you see nothing there.
"Where did Death go?" you wonder aloud.
Your friend Lisa comes over to visit.
Lisa tells you there is a guy just crying his eyes out in the front lobby.  You go downstairs and confirm it is Death.
"What's wrong?" you ask him.
"Didn't you know?" Death says. "I never liked your music."
"But I thought we were friends," you reply.
"No," says Death.
You tell Death, "I didn't mean it, I was just tired!  Come on Death, there has to be something I can do to cheer you up?"  Death looks at you and says, "Well there is one thing you can do, you can
 take me back to my house!"
You agree, and you begin playing the song "Greensleeves" on your flute.
When you finish, Death seems happier than he has been all day.


	
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