Deal With Death
Fran Fine stood before a being clad in a black hooded robe. Standing on a blue-hued cliff above an endless abyss of pure darkness, the woman swallowed hard, her fear threatening to consume her. Maxwell, Niles, C.C., Maggie, Gracie, and Brighton stood behind their beloved friend, their hands folded behind their backs.
"Do you have any defense, Ms. Fine?" asked the hooded figure, his voice echoing with a malicious presence. A bolt of lightning struck in the nightmarish realm, illuminating the cloaked being's face, revealing the skull he bore for a face.
"Yes, your honor," Fran replied, her nasal-influenced voice trembling. "I-I think this is a cruel thing to do to any living being. I shouldn't have to spend all eternity with the dead."
"I object, your honor," called out a zombie-like man wearing a ragged green shirt that dangled from his gray and corroding shoulders. "Ms. Fine will bring the undead eternal happiness just by showing us her beauty. As you have seen, she is not wanted on Earth."
"Maxwell Sheffield," the hooded figure said. "Do you agree with this statement?"
"No," the wealthy man answered. "No, your honor. Ms. Fine is..." Fran looked at her employer, her eyes beginning to blur over with worried tears. "...Is." Maxwell remembered his beloved wife lying silently in her tomb, all alone forever more. "...The closest thing to a mother my children have."
"In response to Mr. Sheffield's comment, I would like to call Maggie Sheffield to the stand," replied a black skeleton, whose eyes were mere holes where the pupils used to be.
The blond teenager walked forward, standing next to her nanny. A suffocatingly warm wind blew past her head, practically sealing her throat as she tried to breathe.
"Maggie," addressed the being in the black cloak. "I am Death, as you know...Tell me...is Fran Fine a fit mother figure for you and your siblings?"
"Yes," Maggie answered. "Fran's like a teacher and a friend to all of us...Every night, she reads Gracie a bedtime story. She taught me how to act on dates, and she's always there to give us support."
"Now, Maggie," replied a zombified man with a bald head. "Didn't Ms. Fine give you advice on things such as the most seductive way to kiss...How to hide a hickey from your father...and didn't her advice also get you pregnant roughly a month ago?"
The entire realm fell silent. Maxwell's jaw was dropped, unable to fathom the concept of his little angel losing her purity. Niles kept his eyes closed, blaming himself for what he could have done to make things better for Fran and the children.
"Ms. Fine, can you name even one person whose life you have made a positive difference in?" asked Death, his voice grave.
Feeling ashamed, Fran dropped her head. "No, your honor," she answered, holding back tears.
"But...Fran," Gracie said, walking forward. "What about the time you entered a beauty pageant with me because my mommy couldn't? What about the time I had chicken pox, and you stayed with me all day while I was in bed? Or all the times you read to me while it was storming outside and I couldn't sleep?"
Fran smiled, let out a relieved sigh, and wiped a tear from her eye. "Thank you, Gracie," she replied, wrapping her arms around the little girl, taking comfort with her.
"And Fran," added Brighton. "You taught me to live my own life, and not just rely on my father's money."
Maxwell remained silent, staring down at the ground.
"You were always a wonderful person to work with," Niles continued. "You never refused to help me with anything...The children were always a priority for you. You may not have given them the best advice...but you always did what you thought was right."
"Yeah, Fran," C.C. said. "And you even stayed friendly with me after you found out that I had feelings for Maxwell."
"Enough!" yelled Death, his voice echoing throughout the domain. "...Should you have hired another nanny, she could have been everything Ms. Fine was, and would have done much less damage. I apologize, Fran,...but you have not proven yourself. Unless other evidence of your morality or worth here is given, you will spend all of eternity as a bride to the dead."
Feeling her heart sink, Fran fell to her knees, and began to openly cry. Tears fell onto the black rocks near her face, only to turn to steam against their hot surface. Her long, black hair fell over her face, hiding it from the others. "I'm sorry," she said, her hoarse voice barely understandable. "I wish I could take everything back...be the person I was supposed to be."
The realm was drenched in silence. No one spoke, and all breaths taken could be heard.
"She will be ours!" called out one of the deceased. "She will love us for all eternity!"
Two specters draped in transparent white robes flew to Fran's sides, putting cold metal cuffs around her wrists, which were connected by a long, rusted chain. The two then pulled her up on her feet, though she kept her head down in sorrow, and pushed her towards the dead.
"Wait!" Maxwell screamed, finally standing up.
Every being present was shocked. None had expected Maxwell Sheffield to ever take such a stand.
"Ms. Fine...Fran," Maxwell began. "I know you aren't the best nanny,...your behavior is questionable at times...and worst of all,...I know you think I don't love you...But you have to know that you have made a world of difference to the children...to me...to a dying family that desperately needed a mother."
Fran's jaw was dropped as she heard her boss tell her that which she had waited her entire life to hear: what her greatest dreams and fantacies were made of. She was speechless.
"...I was afraid to tell you how I feel about you," the Englishman continued. "I felt like I was betraying my wife...But I know this is what she would want...Fran Fine...I love you...with all my body and soul. With every fiber of my being."
The cuffs around Fran's wrists shattered, and her hands were freed. Running towards her Maxwell, the woman felt her heart burn with love. "Maxwell!" she called, holding out her arms to embrace her entire group of friends.
Maxwell, Niles, C.C., Maggie, Gracie, and Brighton put their arms around Fran's sore and weak back, never wanting to let go.
"...Court dismissed," Death declared. "We have no reason to continue."
The dead dropped their rotting heads, growing depressed over their great loss. Meanwhile, the living lovingly embraced Fran, valuing her now more than they ever had. Fran closed her eyes, staying in happiness.
"I love you, Fran," Maxwell said, his voice warm.
"I love you, too, Maxwell," Fran replied, her voice equally warm and loving.
"We love you too, Fran," Niles, C.C., and the children added, feeling love coursing through their bodies and spirits.
"I love all of you," Fran replied, not opening her eyes. "I promise...I'll be a better nanny...and a better mother for all of you."
"I don't know that that's possible," Maxwell replied.
The group remained in the embrace, knowing nothing evil could tear them apart now. A cool breathe blew through Maggie's hair, giving her new comfort, knowing that everything would be alright.