The darkness of the room was unfathomable. It was as though one was staring right into the abyss. But one would expect to bump into something, an object of some sort, if greeted with such darkness and obscurity. However, I kept on walking, but felt as though I was making no movement forward. After what seemed like hours of struggling to make some progress, I came to an abrupt halt, becoming aware of a sound that set my nerves on edge.
The echo was not exactly frightening, for it was the soft hum of a piano; muffled notes that bounced off invisible walls in my direction. It seemed distant, yet so close, as if it was being played right beside me but I was not able to reach it. It was also as though someone, or something, was playing it for me.
I began to take tiny steps again, hoping that I would stumble against something that would give me some clue of where I was. Suddenly, I again came to a stop, noticing a strange-shaped figure standing in my path. I walked forward, but was not able to reach the figure. It was in the same place as it was before, a few feet away.
Realizing with odd delight that the unknown figure was a piano, I also noticed that no one was playing it. An invisible force was pushing down on the delicate-looking keys of the elegant instrument. However frightening this may sound, the resonance of the sound that came out of that beautiful object was unexplainable. The soft notes tinkled like chimes. I was not aware anymore of the fact that it was being played by itself, for I was so amazed by the quality of those notes.
Foolish as it sounds, I sat down in the seat that accompanied the piano, and began to play. Let me assure you, never in my life have I touched such an instrument. A chill surged up my spine as I began to play with anomalous fluency. The same hushed and simply stunning music was released from the piano, as my fingers pushed down on the refined keys in a flow that even I could not put in plain words.
My head turned around abruptly, as my eyes scanned my surroundings, for my ears had noticed another sound, one that was not so alluring. The once muffled and faint footsteps rapidly became increasingly distinct. Before I knew it, a hooded figure in a large black robe was a few feet away from me. I was no longer sitting down on the piano seat. Stupidly, I stepped up to the figure, until I was simply a few inches away from its completely shadowed face. With an abrupt flurry of a very long-fingered, yellow-nailed and grayish hand, the black hood flew off. Its features were so frightening that I fell back, unexplainably terrified yet mesmerized by the bloodcurdling figure.
Its eyes were merely slits, yet they bored into my own eyes with such intensity. Each red eye held a red glint. The head was hairless, completely ball-like. The mouth was also a slit, hardly perceptible.
When it parted its lips to speak, a raspy and impassive voice came out. Yet, it was like it held numerous voices: youth and age, male and female.
“How nice to see you.” it said, with what seemed like a sneer. “So, you have come to join me, I see. What a surprise.”
“What are you talking about?” I managed to mutter.
Its sneer grew as it continued to speak. “I am Death, and you have just played the Death Notes. It is time for you to join me.”
Don’t get me wrong; I was so frightened I could have fainted. But an undetectable force caused me to stay where I was. I watched with terrified eyes as Death took out a silver knife with his name engraved on the handle. He held it before him for a few seconds, as if to admire its beauty. Giving a quick sneer, the knife whizzed towards my chest, and I died… then and there.
About five centuries have passed. For the past years since my brutal yet extraordinary death, I am the one that plays that gorgeous piano in order to lure those whose time has come to meet Death.