A cool breeze blew against my knees as the children squealed in the park, racing to capture each other in a game of tag.

 I closed my eyes against it just as it died off again. Perhaps life wasn’t meant to be so cruel, so horrible, perhaps it was just meant to be played out. Living, if thats what you’d call it. White knee-high socks strung up to my thighs and an oak walking stick grazing in the breeze in my left hand was definitely not my idea of living. The scent of freshly mowed grass, the warmth of the sun and lavender invades my senses, a constant reminder of my dear wife Utiah.

 “Hello David” A gruff voice pulls my attention to the suddenly occupied space beside me. A young man sits ever so casually, dressed in a tainted yellow trench coat and a hidden black suit staring blankly ahead. His soft features brings peace to me as confusion stirs my withering mind, clouded with the excuse of early morning pills that I feel were somewhat unwanted. 

 “Have we met?” He turns to me with a small smile dancing on his lips.

 “I believe we have. I came to you yesterday, and the day before that ,and every other day before that. Do you not remember me?” Honestly no I don’t. Questions swarm my mind as I run my thumb over the dull ache of my elbow crook to see reddened puncture marks.

 “What’s happening to me?” He goes back to staring blankly ahead as he sighs at a small child who had taken a tumble from the firemen pole. 

 “They don’t understand David. It’s often hard for your kind to accept us for what we are..” Anger and frustration begin to spark through my veins like a ticking time bomb in its final minutes, stripping back the wires of what little sanity I had left. 

 “What do you want?” I snap furiously gritting my teeth suddenly angry. He does not seem to acknowledge my question but rather continues. 

 “You know, just when you think you understand, it’ll turn out you were wrong. You didn’t understand at all.” My brow furrows in confusion as he leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees watching the birds play peacefully in the tree above. 

 “What’s that supposed to mean?” I croak, voice suddenly struck down by paranoia. 

 “Come, walk with me. There’s some things you must know.” As he stands, a white feather lands itself beside the dried bird poop i wished i warned him about, had i have known he was coming. Though it left no stain. A pigeon purrs a song in the tree tops, acknowledging the poop and accepting that it was his own , as I follow the mysterious man into the child’s park. The laughter of a small brunette boy, wearing a blue and white stripped t-shirt and tanned cargo pants echoed as he played tag with a blonde girl sporting a high pony tail.

 “Utiah, stop…I need to tag you. I’m getting tired” The little boy panted and whined, sweat gluing his hair to his forehead and cheeks. I looked at the man as he clicked his fingers, opening a small portal at the bottom of the red slide, a small smirk etched on his face. 

It occurred to me, that boy was me and I was done living. It was time to go home with the little girl that grew up to be my wife.