Crown Of Ashes

Someone is calling.

Ed: "Who the hell is calling at this hour?"

Picks up the phone.

Mark: "Hey, Ed."

Ed: "Please, in God's name, leave me alone. It's literally 5 a.m."

Mark: "Pff, weak."

Ed: "Mark, I'm gonna punch you through the screen."

Mark: "Shiver me timbers. Anyway, I'll start packing up."

Ed: "God, how much do you hate yourself?"

Mark: "Alright, bye, boo-boo."

Ed: "I hope you crash your car."

Mark packs his stuff up and starts driving.

Mark: "Hmmm, alright, I'll take that road. The Wendy's manager scares the hell outta me."

30 minutes later...

Mark: "Huh? What's a guy doing on a cold road like this?"

As Mark gets closer, he sees a completely nude person in this wintery hellhole.

Mark: "What if he was robbed?" But then he spots a weird F-like symbol engraved in the guy's hand. His common sense kicks in. Gun out. He doesn't start the engine and speed away. Nope. He's worried. What if this guy's really been robbed? Or worse?

Although, he wasn't shaking from the lethal cold...

Mark: "So what if he's dead?"

But the weird dude stands up and faces him—

Mark: "Holy crap, that's a tall, white-haired monster."

Standing next to him makes Mark shiver, like the devil's standing right there.

Somehow, Mark gathers strength. He grabs his keys, adrenaline kicking in, runs to his car, and slams the engine on before flying out of there like a bat outta hell. He looks back, but where's the devil dude?

Gone. Like the air swallowed him up.

Mark: "Well, that's... confusing. I'm gonna just sleep it off at my brother's house."

9 hours later...

Mark: "Ragh! I can't sleep. What, now I'm paranoid?"

Can't stop thinking about that mark. Duh, of course, he can't.

Mark: "Alright, internet, show me something before my brother comes back from the grocery store and thinks I'm losing it."

30 minutes later...

Ed: "Honey, I'm hoooome. I brought some stuff."

Mark: "Not now, Ed. I'm trying to concentrate."

Ed: "Aye? Ohhh, the web. I know some good sites. Trust me, it won't disappoint."

Mark: "No, I'm trying to figure out if this is a cult, a gang, or something worse."

Ed: "Oh, I know. The Cane's mark. It's probably a tattoo. I mean, it looks cool."

Mark: "No, he had it engraved in his arm. And he was naked in this freezing weather."

Ed: "And? What, you think there's a cult trying to become immortal? Dude, immortality sucks. You can be sliced, diced, and you're still alive. Regeneration's probably made up."

Mark: "What do you mean 'made up'? Of course, it's made up—it's immortality!"

Ed: "Read the Bible, Tata boy."

Mark: "The wha—anyways, when's mom coming?"

Ed: "Right about—"

Ding-ding

Ed: "Now."

The door opens.

Stranger: "Hello there."

Ed: "Uh, we don't have any money right now, so sorry?"

Stranger: "You bafun, I'm not here for that."

Ed: "What did you call me?"

The stranger steps in.

Stranger: "Well, there you are."

Mark: "Uh, do I know you?"

Stranger: "No, but your ancestors do."

Ed: "Aye, monkey brains, what do you think you're doing in my house?"

Stranger: "Oh, Ruth, save your anger for later, please."

Ed: "What? How'd you know that?"

Stranger: "Ruth, what a horrible name. What, are you a dog?"

Ed: "I'm neither a dog, nor am I a bafun."

Stranger: "Oh really? Then what are you? One of billions of people wasting their lives. Living for satisfaction. Living to die. Tell me, 'Ed,' does anyone in this world love you for you? Not for being their brother, son, or friend."

Stranger: "No."

Stranger: "Has anyone loved YOU, Ruth?"

Ed: "Who the hell are you, and what do you want?"

Stranger: "I go by many names, in many languages and metaphors."

Stranger: "I am the end. The end of the universe, and the end of every single atom. And the end of myself, too."

Ed: "Wha... you're death? Like, literally? Just boom, and humans don't exist anymore?"

Death: "No, not literally, you dumbo."

Death: "As long as I'm alive, nothing ends fully."

Ed: "They go to heaven?"

Death: "They go nowhere."

Ed: "So they become ghosts?"

Death: "What are you even talking about?"

Death: "When a person or being dies, they go nowhere. They still exist in nowhere, but not much of them remains."

Death: "Alright, this is getting way too weird. Where is he?"

Mark: "The guy with the sick mark?"

Death: "Cane."

Ed: "Figured."

Mark: "Even if it's Cane, why do you care? He's suffering, and you know he should."

Death: "Yeah, that's propaganda. God doesn't exist, as far as I know."

Ed: "Death is atheist? Wow, I need a drink."

Mark: "What? Then who was Christ? What about angels?"

Death: "Yeah, Cane kinda played all the famous roles. Christ, a lot of saints, even Alexander the Great. And a bunch of genocidal people."

Mark: "Hitler?"

Death: "Nah, but he was Stalin. Now he's a homeless bum."

Mark: "Wait, they all look different, so how?"

Death: "The mark is a fallen angel."

Death: "Looks like the Morning Star isn't as bright as it used to be."

Ed: "You still look like an old person."

Death: "I'm as old as creation."

Death: "Oh, and don't go to Wendy's too many times."

Death: "Anyway, I better be going, since you two dumbos don't know anything."

Death: "I'll check the place where you saw him."

Mark: "Wait."

Death: "What?"

Mark: "Do you believe in mankind?"

Death: "... No."

The Horseman stood up and left.

Ed: "Looks like he knows everything."

Mark: ":|"