A Bit Too Early

         “You're early,” said the Grim Reaper, with a hint of surprise.
         A sulking man looked around then focused on the hooded scythed man in front of him. “I know who you are, and I’d say that you’re late. 18 years late.”
         The reaper strokes his chin, “18 years you say? Weren’t you an infant back then?”
         “Aye, I was… I… it… I was dealt a bad hand. Drunkard parents, bad school, no social skills,” the man laughed, “It was the whole spiel.”
         “I see. You understand life had only just begun for you?”
         “Would it have been much different? A meaningless job, no love, and not to mention a continuing lack of friends.”
         “Hmmm…” the Reaper takes a moment to think, “I have an idea. Follow me.” The reaper led the young man down a long corridor. As they continued walking the boy saw a slew of doors, each with a unique design.
         “What are they for?” the boy asked as he saw each door
         “Hmm?”
         “The doors.”
         “Ah, they are my gateway to the mortal world. Each one leads to a different individual. Each door I made with to represent each person’s personality. Normally, after people enter my space, their door is destroyed. Sometimes though, in cases such as your own, I leave it there, just in case,” the Reaper looks for and takes a moment, “Generally speaking, I observe and take people when they are ready,” the Reaper stated matter of factly.
         “Why didn’t you come for me?”
         “It’s quite simple, I didn’t think you were ready. You know, you aren’t the first person to come to me rather than the other way around,” remarked the Reaper. He then seemed to take a breath, despite its utter unnecessity, before continuing, “In fact, these last few decades, I’ve been seeing more and more young people such as you come without my guidance. It’s-”
         As the Reaper was finishing his speech, a door right down the hall opened and middle-aged man entered through it. The man was slumped, easily in his 40’s, maybe even his 50’s. He hair was unkempt and his clothes were filthy.
         The Reaper and the boy stopped. The Reaper then looked to the boy and said, “I’m afraid that that may have been the door I was taking you to.” Right as he said that another door opened, right beside the first one, and out of it came a woman of similar age and condition as the man. “Now I am certain that it was the doors I wanted to show you.”
         The Reaper and the boy run down the hall to where the newcomers were, hugging and crying. As they hear the footsteps, they turn and see the boy and the Reaper. The room was then silent. Not even the loudest of crickets or birds would be rude enough to break this silence. The boy, the man, and the woman all looked at one another silent, still, and surprised. The Reaper, ever opportunistic walked to the middle of the group, making sure to allow them all to clearly see each other. He then addressed the boy, “John, your parents did love you, they did care. You did have others in the mortal realm who did care, whether or not you noticed. Look at your parents, John. They decided to make that ultimate choice because they did care about you.”
         The father butted in, “We still do, even if we never did well in expressing it, we still do.”
         “It is only natural,” The mother added.
         “Do you see now, John?” The Reaper asked.
         “You said now wasn’t the right time. Then when is?” John inquired to the Reaper.
         “You will know when the time comes. ‘How?’ you may ask? Well, I’ll be there waiting, ready to embrace you.”
         “Alright then. Mom, Dad, see you on the other side.”
         The parents walked back through the door with the Reaper’s approval, then the Reaper led John to his door. As John walked through, he waved to the Reaper, “See you then.”
         “Don’t rush it.”