Prose, She Was Never Truly Running Away.......Andriana Low ’25

She Was Never Truly Running Away

Andriana Low ’25

Some believe the world is split into good and bad, light and dark, villains and heroes. Death knew better than that. Once he came across three young women. Three very special women.

The three women had joined together on their journey to escape. What it was they needed to escape Death had never figured out, but he knew of their past and ambitions for the future. The first had been held back her whole life and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get free. The second was spoiled and was neither ready to give her spoils up nor work to keep her privilege. The last was a girl that had already accepted her past, the echoes of her burden in her mind, the scars that will forever remind her of what she has endured. When Death came across the three he was ready to take them for his own, claim them as he did with all souls. They had other plans, minds set on getting their fresh start. Being the first to ever stand up to Death he decided to grant them each a wish of their choosing.

The first spoke up immediately after hearing the offer. Asking for power, her wish was to be feared. No one would go against her power. Death granted this by giving her the throne and crown of her new nation. The second girl seeing the fortune she could so easily gain stepped forward next. She asked for a bag from which she could grab whatever riches she desired. Death granted her wish, creating her an endless bag from which whatever wealth she wanted would be within her grasp.

It took much longer for the last lady to step forward. Her only wish was to be able to escape, to travel to the lands she could only read about. Death also took longer when considering this wish. Eventually, he gave the last woman a book made of the oldest tree. The book would grant her the power to get to the lands she imagined, to be with the

characters she had only seen within her mind.

Once given their gifts he sent the ladies on their way, watching as they split paths one by one. It was within the next that the first women met Death once more. Having overestimated her power, as while she had the fear of her people she had not gained their respect. This led to uprisings against her within her queendom and soon after Death was able to claim her to hell.

The second woman had thrived with her newfound wealth, not realizing that it had to be coming from somewhere. Slowly the people began to realize there was money missing until it was narrowed down to be her fault. Soon after she met Death too.

Death searched for the last women for many years. He followed her through more realities than he expected of her. This was the first time Death had ever needed to chase someone. Used to people and souls alike quivering at the sight of him. When he finally caught up to the last woman he realized that she wasn’t truly running away from him. In fact, she never had been, all she wanted was to find a world where she could be at peace. Unfortunately, she never did, wherever she went she found drama, hate, war, Death. When Death finally found the woman he realized it was because she had stopped. She had finally come to terms with the fact that Death would catch up to her eventually. When she saw Death that last time she greeted him like an old friend, and for one of the first times Death realized that he could be both a burden but also a savior. Death and the last women walked away together. Where they were going we never heard, but for the women, it was there she found solidarity.