A Challenge for Thanatos

4:16 P.M. I’m going home after tiring day at work. Walking the same street, seeing the same sight, and meeting the same people every day. But today’s different. I was looking up reading billboards until my eyes accidentally caught something. A girl standing in outside railing of a building roof. I ran closer finding a place where I could clearly this event. One thing come to my mind, a suicide attempt. An event that I only saw the news on TV, now before my eyes. I feel very enthusiast! I start slowing down after seeing a figure of a man who was pulling the girl back, canceling today’s main event. I stopped in a small park and sat for a moment on the bench while processing what I just witness and looked at the turning-into-night sky and said, “Life is full of surprise, it seems.”“Who knows life will give you sparks when you feel disappointed in life.” Smirking I prepare myself to go back to home. “What if, that girl want to do that again, tomorrow?” A voice can be heard. I don’t know if it’s from my head or somewhere else. Stunned, I jolted to my senses. I don’t know why but that voice makes me Goosebumps and more enthusiast. I walked around to mark shortcuts and finding a better places to see the event tomorrow instead of walking home as if confirming the whisper.

8:24 P.M. I finally reach home after marking routes. Next day, I back as usual and walking the routes that I marked before to watch today’s event, a small bridge that connects one housing to other. Grabbing a piece of bread and throwing it into the river beneath to feed the fish as an alibi to cover my real intentions. No need to waste much time, the girl appeared once again at the exact same place. My mind was divided into two, surprised that yesterday’s whisper is right and why no other people see this event. Even though the bridge has quite people walking by. Some even picnic in the river bank. Again, there is the guy once again stopping her to attempt suicide. A bit shaking, I lost my bread from my hand then a touch snap back me to reality. A wise old man touch and ask me gently if I am alright. He saw me shaking and sweating. I said I’m fine and just a little stress about work. I’m looking back to that building, but they are already gone. I packed my things and say goodbye to the old man, passing the bridge then once again comes the voice, “Tomorrow” I immediately turned around making sure that nobody is playing with me but there was nothing strange. People just busy with their own business far away from me. I sweat like never speed up my step back to home. Eating, taking a shower, sitting, feels uncomfortable. Like someone’s watching. I threw myself onto the sofa, took the TV remote, and turned the TV on hoping to find a program that could relieve this strange feeling. I moved channel after channel until I stopped on one channel that discuss two never-heard figures to me, Eros and Thanatos.

Furthermore, I took my smartphone and look for more information about these two figures. It is said there are two types of people,

Those ruled by the desire for life, Eros

And those ruled by the desire of death, Thanatos

I went out onto my balcony, leaning my hands on the rail, and taking a deep breath.

“So, the girl keep answering the God of Death’s call.”

“If so, is this whisper also the call of the God of Death?”

I concluded while turning my head to the right of my house, to a building, a familiar building.

“There”

“I can see more clearly there!”

Said me spontaneously

The night wind blew releasing all my stress tonight. I feel clear. I go back, closing the balcony door, and sleep. Tomorrow morning I wake up as usual. Making a cup of tea, drink it and made up my mind and said,

“I know what to do.”

I prepared all my things and go to work as usual. After work, I went to the building I marked last night. Greet the security guards and showing my pass. I can get in and out from this building because of what happened in the past. I saved the daughter of this building’s owner when she fell from the second floor. He gave me this pass and a room for free to me as a reward.

Walking each floor I questioned all the way. What is the God of Death really intention? Why he show me all this? What does he want? I arrived at the eleventh floor, a perfect place to observe all things. The building that the girl is attempting to do her suicide is right next to it, in front of me. Suddenly I remembered what the little girl said that time. She felt someone was guiding her to the second floor, to the edge, and she slipped until fell down.

“Thanatos”

I muttered, annoyed knowing that he even invited an innocent little girl while clenching my fist tightly. I stood up looking at the building next door waiting for the main event. The main character finally shows up. Walking slowly to the outside railing, as she had been doing for a few days. Then comes the guy, again, saving the main character. Today’s a bit special. They had an intense argument before closing the show. Both of them looking at sky as they conclude their argument. Holding hands, they walked together. Surprisingly! To the outside railing, not into the building.

A bit surprised, I continued to watch the whole show. Wondering what will happen next. This time, some people see it too then panicked and took an action to avoid bad things happening. Then, in the flash of an eye,

They jumped!

Together, holding hands, smiling with a blushing face.

That happens really fast. People describe their condition like a smashed tomato, really hard. They even look like they were in the middle of the sea, of blood. But it is different to me. I saw them jump and fall lying on a flower bed. Strands of flowers flew from the thud. They are surrounded by eye-catching colorful flowers while smiling and still holding hands.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Come join us, release your painful stress”

A voice can be heard again. This time with something foggy before my eyes, outside the building, floating. I turned around toward the lift. Entering the lift, the go to the rooftop. The lift door closed cutting crowded outside, silent.

“Is this what they mean by being called by God of Death?”

“What is the point of all of this?!”

“Why are you showing this to me?!”

“What do you want?!”

I muttered angrily.

The lift stopped at the top of building. The door’s open and I walked out onto the open roof of the building.

“O God of Death, are you calling me too?”

“Do you pity me for my prolonged weariness in this world?”

“Have you been trying to show me the beauty of death through what happened to them?”

“Okay, if that’s what you want!”

The wind blew as if to welcome my arrival. I walked to the railing and looked down once more. There they are. This time I no longer see a beautiful flower bed, it was as like as what people inside building saw, a sea of blood, deep red. I smiled and turned around, laughed, and looking up to the sky,

“Nope!”

“I am strong!”

“I don’t need your pity of God of Death!”

“I can get through this life and end it naturally!”

Pointing my index finger to the sky, I continued,

“O God of Death or whatever people call you, this life is too precious for you to take it away”

“I won’t be swayed so easily!”

“O God of Death, I apologize to refuse your invitation”

“O God of Death, I challenge you!”

“Try to invite me loudly tomorrow and the next day, and the next day again”

I shouted, lowering my finger and walking into the building. This time all the fog I felt and saw disappeared. I feel so light after letting it all out. I walked to the lift and went down to pack my things and heading home. Closing the lift door, I saw a silhouette for the last time outside the lift. He smiled and I smiled back at him and said,

“I will not lose.”