The Conversation

The Conversation By David Vorhees “Who goes there?” The man said. “ I know someone is there, who are you?” “Me, I am no one.” Another man said coming out of the shadow. The man was pale and wore a Black cloak with a black shirt and tie. “ No one at all James.” “How, how do you know my name?” James said sounded more that a little worried. “I know all about you James.” The pale man said as he sat down in the padded chair across from James. “I know your name is James Marston, I know you grew up in a village not far from here, I know you made your fortune in stocks and bonds, and I even know when you are going to die.” “So you’re here to kill me, is that it?” James said. “Who sent you, was it William? That blasted partner of mine has been wanting me dead for years. Just couldn’t wait any longer is that it? Well you listen he…” James stopped abruptly as he stared at the young man across from him. He fell back into his chair. “ I, I won’t fight. Truth is I am tired. Tired of it all. Just go ahead and get on with it then.” “I am not here to kill you James. That’s not what I do.” The man said. “although people do think that of me.” “Then why are you here?” James said. “I am here to talk.” The man said. “Who are you, what is your name?” James asked. “ I have had many names over the years.” The man said. “Well what shall I call you then?” James said. “If you need a name to refer to me by you can call me Samael.” Samael said, “I have always liked that name.” “Samael it is then.” James said. “Well Samael, what would you like to talk about?” “How about life.” Samael said. “Life, what a broad, generic topic.” James said. “What would you like to know, the meaning of life? Not sure I can help you with that.” “Oh, I think you can,” Samael said, “but it’s not the meaning of life I wish to discuss but the meaning of your life.” “My life?” James said astonished. “not sure I can help you with that either. Not sure my life had any real meaning.” “Why would you say that?” Samael said staring at James intently. James sat there, not saying a word, just staring into the flames in the fireplace. “Does this fire feel cold to you?” “No, does it to you?” Samael Asked. “It doesn’t feel like anything.” James said coldly. “I feel we have gone off topic, why would you say your life had no meaning.” Samael asked. “What do you see when you look at me Samael?” James asked. “I see a man.” Samael said. “Yes. A man, a wealthy man by any and all standards save one.” James said. Samael leaned forward and listened. “You say you know I earned my wealth through the market and that is true, but I have done so many terrible things for money and power. Many things I am not proud of.” He looked an Samael who just sat there listening intently, not saying a sound. He looked at him more truly now and what he saw was the soft young face, a face that was both young and old at the same time, both familiar and completely strange. He didn’t understand it but he knew he could trust this stranger, this intruder. He had just met him but felt he had known him all his life. “I, I have cheated, lied, took advantage of women, abused narcotics, and all that combined is nothing compared to what I did to her.” “To who" Samael asked. “Jasmine, my Jasmine.” James said with a small smile forming on his mouth and a tear forming in his eye. “Whatever you did to her must have been terrible to weigh on you like this.” Samael said. “It was.” James said. “Tell me what did you do that was so terrible James?” Samael asked. “I will tell you and you will think me a fool.” James said. “I can promise you that I will not.” Samael said and James believed him without question. “I broke her heart.” James said. “I broke her heart so terrible bad I doubt it would never mend. I broke her heart and it in turn broke mine so terribly that I couldn’t stand the thought of her being so unhappy.” James paused for a long moment, “I so could not stand the thought of her misery that I ended it.” “How did you do that?” Samael said. “I killed her.” James said. “I snuck into her room as she slept and placed a pillow over her head and pushed down until she stopped moving. Then I returned home.” “I see.” Samael said. “Is that all you have to say is I see?” James asked angrily. “Did you love her?” Samael asked. “More than she ever knew.” James said quietly. “Then why?” Samael said “I told you why, to end her misery.” James said. “To end her misery or your own?” Samael asked. James stared at him then turned towards the fire and said “Both.” “How did you break her heart?” Samael asked. “It’s how it all started, so why did you break her heart?” “How or why?” James asked. “Both, I suppose.” Samael said. James stood up and walked towards the fireplace. Resting his arm on the mantle he began to speak, “We had met before all of this, before the money. We were both very young and to be honest I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. A month hadn’t past before I asked her father for permission to marry her. He liked me well enough and I had just started my job at the firm so he agreed. We married not even a year later. God, how I loved her, but that wasn’t enough. As I got better at my job I began to earn more money and with that came the desire for more.” “More money?” Samael said. James turned to look at him directly, “More everything. I wanted more. Greed had consumed me and with it so had lust. I took lovers, many lovers. Women young and old. They all gladly jumped into my bed, I never forced any of them, I didn’t have to, with money comes privileges.” “She found out.” Samael said. “Yes. She found out about it all. The women, the booze, but that wasn’t what truly broke her heart.” James said. “What was it?” Samael asked. “I had begun sleeping with her mother.” James said. “How did she find out?” Samael asked. “Back then I had kept a journal of all my exploits and one day she found it and read it.” James said. “And you killed her for it.” Samael said. “Yes and no.” James said, “As I said I killed her to end her misery, but also because I believed it would end mine as well.” “And did it?” Samael asked. “No.” James said. “It made it worse. My misery compounded with my guilt for my past deed and for killing her. To be truthful I died the moment she did. Dear God…” James began to cry. “Dear God, I beg for your forgiveness, I beg for hers. I do not deserve it but I beg it nonetheless.” “She forgave you.” Samael said. James turned to look at him, his eyes red, swollen, and his face wet with tears. “How… how could you possibly know that?” “Because I had a conversation with her just like the one, I am having with you now.” Samael said as James stared at him confounded. “I told you earlier that I have many names but most people call The Angel of Death or The Grim Reaper. Although, I admit I do not like those names all that much.” James froze in place. “So, you lied, you are here to kill me?” James said fearfully. “NO.” Samael said. “I told you I do not do that.” “Then what is it that you actually do?” James asked. “I help those who have recently died to crossover.” Samael said. “Am I to die soon then?” James asked not sure he truly wanted to know. “You died before I got here." Samael said. They sat there is silence for a moment. “What is to happen next, then?” James asked. “Next we leave.” Samael said standing up. He then walked over, put his arm around James, and then they were gone.