Whispers of Death by Alicia Rivoli Page A

best to calm the new spirit in his care.  My heart broke as I watched the two struggling souls, one human and one spirit.
        "Can't you do anything?" I asked Death.
        He shook his head. "Her life was just cut short by Fear. I can't even ease her pain."
        The door of the hospital room opened, and the man on the floor stood up.  The doctor dropped his head.  The man collapsed to the floor, his sobs louder now, mixed with sounds of "why her?" and "why us?"
        "What happened?" I asked.
        "She was diagnosed with cancer two weeks ago.  It spread so quickly that the doctors knew they couldn't stop it.  They gave her six months at the most, but this morning she collapsed while taking a shower.  There were no signs of trauma, so the doctors told him to just let her rest, and they could go home in a few hours." Death explained. "That is when Fear took over, and you watched the rest."
        I shivered at the memory of his black mist wrapping itself around her. "Couldn't you have saved her?"
        "No.  Fear has stolen my only way to ease her pain and the pain of others in hospitals and homes all over this world," he explained. "Without my Scythe, I can only accept them.  I can't ease their discomfort before or after they die.  That is why I brought you here, so you could see for yourself what is happening."
        "Wait, you brought me here?  The pull I felt was you?"
        "Yes," he explained.
        Understanding rushed through my mind. "Did you have something to do with Hunter's accident?" I said through clenched teeth.
        He nodded. "It was the only way to get you here.  I knew that you would do anything for your children."
        "You could have killed him!" I screamed.  My stomach was in knots.  I was sure I was going to throw up.
       "Hunter was never in any danger.  I would not harm you or your family. After all, you are the only one who can help me save these people," Death said calmly.
        "You made him fall off a swing and nearly break his neck!" My whole body was shaking with anger and fear.
        "No, I put Hunter in a deep sleep and then made it look like he fell off the swing.  Like I said, he was never in any danger."
        A dark shadow began growing on the floor in front of me; it quickly formed into a figure of a man.
        "Amelia, you need to control yourself! You have become so full of fear that you have summoned him back.  He will take more lives," Death said calmly but with a hint of urgency.
        Fear stood in front of me, his face full of hatred and humor.  The dark mist snaked through his fingertips and began slithering toward me.  It wrapped around my ankles, and I felt the pure panic and fear rise through my body.  More mist etched its way under a few more doors, and I could feel the pain of the patients on the other side of the wall.  I tried to clear my mind and picture something that made me happy.  I could see Mark, standing a few feet in front of me, his arms outstretched as Abby ran to him.  Her little arms wrapped around his neck as she squealed with delight.  Hunter threw himself into his father and intertwined himself onto his daddy's legs.  Mark stomped around the house with Hunter and Abby giggling.
        My heart filled with warmth at the sight of my family. I felt the darkness slipping from around my leg, so I kept going.  I thought of Olive and Peter on their wedding day and how beautiful she’d looked in her long white gown.  The lace from her veil laid gently down her back, and she smiled as Peter kissed her as his new bride.  Her cheeks were flushed, and she beamed as they took the floor for their first dance as husband and wife.  The joy rushed through my body, and the darkness retreated from the happy thoughts.  I could still sense the fear on the other side of the walls, but Fear was kept at a safe distance from me for now.
        Death watched as I controlled my emotions and push Fear further away