Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it's wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it. The darkness- that’s me. What do you mean, who am I?! Well! I have many names; Death, the Reaper, the Defeater of Empires, the Ultimate Reality, the Assassin against Whom No Lock Will Hold, the Harvester of Mankind, Mort, Bill Door, Beau Nidle and Mr. Scrub. I don’t have much, in the way of possessions- oh, except my horse. His name is Binky. In the way of my job- I’m not 7 feet tall, although I do have a fondness for black. I think it comes with the job. No, I don’t hate anyone. I don’t feel angry. Why? I’m Death. I don’t kill them, I just take them away afterwards.

I have knowledge, too. I remember being summoned into reluctant existence at the moment the first creature lived, in the certain knowledge that I would outlive life until the last being in the universe passed to its reward, when it would be my job, figuratively speaking, to put the chairs on the tables and turn all the lights off. Along with a few billion other Deaths.

You have questions? Is there a god? I don’t know. He hasn’t introduced himself, for sure.

Yes, people’s lives do pass in front of their eyes before they die. The process is called ‘living’.

No. Nothing is final. Nothing is absolute. Except Death, of course.

So be careful what you wish for. You never know who will be listening.

Or what, for that matter.

I don’t know about you, but I could kill for a curry. I’ll be seeing you later.