"What's up?" I thought to myself while sorting, looking out the window of Gran's Ford GT. The sun obscured the tiered hills, palm trees and elms fanning supple greens. She was commenting about this or that particular. Damnit, not even a pair.

"Oh you know," Death replied, "Randomly interjecting myself into depressed folk in the cliched post-modern sense. What the hell, right?"

"Passes the time. So what's on your mind?" I closed my eyes, 'mmmhmm'ing to whatever useless musing passed into and straight out of my left ear.

"Eh, just checking up on you. You're bad for business. I like that," It almost seemed to smile. "No, seriously, having to come up with witty dialogue in thousands of people's minds simultaneous with processing insurance claims gets old. Even a spare second is appreciated."

I blinked, sortof shrugging. "Thanks."

"You thought about me any?" Death casually inquired.

"Ah you know," raising my eyebrows a bit, "Here and there. Mostly in the figurative sense. You know: everything is death and life, beginning and ending in the same moment but extending out beyond that. Here and there. Give me three."

"Right...so where are you going?" It asked, tossing down three cards.

"Hell if I know or care much," I began, "Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. In this case it's going against having my needs taken care of for me versus being an adult. Raise you one."

"See that," It chuckled, "raise two."

"Plucky bastard. Yeah, I approach it like paying a parking fine. And...I see you all the time, y'know, but I need space. I see you in the eyes and actions of my family, seeing the patterns that'll keep continuing, day into week into month. I appreciate why so many people need their fantasies now. You've heard it before, but could you save me from myself?"

"Call."

Death had a royal straight flush. Typical.

"Expect 'em sometime soon, lad."

"Didn't you hear my question?" I asked.

"Didn't you hear my answer?" Death asked back.

"Witty part's getting a little stale. Come on, just hold my hand until we get home."

And the more that I think about it, the less I'm worried by the fact that I play poker this often.

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