Deaths Diary (Entry 17)

Entry Seventeen

The time period in which I earned the appearance of a skeleton demon with a scythe and dark clothing was during the Black Plague. Though I disagree with that idea that I am a demon or skeletal monster…I can understand why mankind would associate the plague with an evil manifestation. Sometimes I, myself believe that plague and disease is the work of the devil…but no…actually it is not. Allow me to discuss with you about illness and plague.

I can't even begin to name all of the different diseases that have appeared over the years, and I despise almost all of them. Many of your sci-fi and horror stories involve pandemics of biblical proportions ravaging the earth, and the reason why is obvious. I find it astonishing that you humans can all be so fragile, intelligent, and creative; all live on the same rock…and only find new ways of killing each other. Half of the diseases that have been released on the world in epidemic fashion have been caused by humanity. Sometimes it is accidental and sometimes it is an act of war or terrorism, regardless, it's kind of disheartening.
Recently, I have been hearing about a certain theory called the Gaia theory. This theory states the Earth is a self-sustaining planet. It has its own ways of dealing with overpopulation and harmful factors. For example, diseases such as the black plague, malaria, and small pox are all natural ways for the Earth to control the human population. To be honest, I believe that this isn't entirely false. The Earth is a self-sustaining planet, and it was created as a home for humans. It has four seasons, enough water to sustain life, oxygen, and it is far enough away from the sun to keep the earth warm without burning it up. It is a planet created to sustain life, and it obviously has natural ways of dealing with threats such as an o-zone layer and other such things….however, the idea that disease is the product of the Earth to thin out population is ludicrous. The Earth doesn't decide when a disease is released on people; God does.

I know all this because I have dealt with all forms of diseases. During the black plague I saw sights that would make your head spin and your stomach turn over. With such people…I was an angel of mercy rather than death. Allow me to tell you what happens. The bubonic plague starts with a fever and then progresses into a powerful headache. The body starts to undergo extreme chills and cold flashes. Nausea and vomiting follow afterwards and it is not uncommon to vomit blood. The appetite vanishes and you feel like you can't eat anything. Your blood vessels begin to burst and soon you develop problems with the lungs. Your body becomes starved of oxygen causing your lips to turn blue and your body to become cold and clammy. The cough is wretched as your lungs battle for that last bit of oxygen. It is a painful sight to watch as your body is literally fighting for survival. Eventually there will be respiratory failure as your lungs can't take any more stress and then….well…you and I both know what happens next.

In third world countries, I deal with epidemics of malaria, which is also a difficult thing to watch. Malaria is caused by mosquitos of all things, and in this way I can agree with the Gaia theory because mosquitos do seem to do a great job of naturally killing humans. I believe that mosquitos are the product of the devil himself because those little boogers have caused me an annoying amount of trouble. You humans should forget about fearing vampires and fear the real blood suckers that plague your homes. It is the female mosquito you should be most careful with, because those are the ones that suck blood and lay eggs. Do me a favor, won't you? In the spring and summer when you see a bucket or container of water with mosquito larvae in it…DUMP THE WRETCHED THING! Believe me: you could save millions of lives.

Cancer…good God in heaven, I hate cancer. I have claimed too many lives for the sake of cancer. It's not a disease you can transmit and even its causes aren't well known, but my God is this disease a monster to deal with. So many people have cursed me because of cancer…so many people have denounced God because of cancer. So much suffering…all because of cancer. I am glad that you humans are working so hard for a cure, because I would love for you to solve this disease like you did the plague or malaria. I can't take much more of these cancer patients who slowly die in drastic and very painful ways. There are other diseases as annoying as cancer like AIDS, but I will discuss AIDS another time…that is a topic for another time and place.

Of all the methods of killing, poison and disease are the worst ones to watch. With a gunshot or an electric chair…or even a lethal injection, the death doesn't contain symptoms; it's relatively quick. With disease, the death is never immediate and it can take hours to days…even weeks to be fatal. The pain that comes with my job is hard, but I like to think that I am showing some mercy when I take the souls of those plagued by disease. Think about it, would you want those people that you love to suffer for so long? Believe me, I would love for them to be cured magically too, but since that isn't plausible and is very unlikely, it is more merciful (in my opinion) to simply allow me to let them rest in peace. Then again…what do I know? I'm simply an errand boy for souls. Should I have an opinion? I'd like to think so.

I will write again later when I have the time.


Sincerely,


A.D