The hot dog seller turned vicious. “Get out of here you stupid mutt!” He drew his foot back and heaved a kick at the animal.

  It was a dog - and a decently agile one at that. It weaved away, evading the man’s swinging leg.

  “Grrrr!” With his first kick missing he lined up again, as the dog made to pick up the hot dog that had dropped out of its mouth from the dodge maneuver. This time, the hot dog seller’s foot made contact, glancing the side of the dog’s face.

  ^Owwww!^ Yelped the dog. It lay on the ground, stunned.

  With an evil glint in his face, he drew his leg back for one, final kick, aiming right at the canine’s exposed belly.

  Time dripped like honey. One moment Ever was watching the violent scene unfold, the next he had put himself between the hot dog seller and the canine. The man tried to apply the brakes, but his intent was deadly: the boot connected with Ever’s ribs. He tumbled over, catching sight of the dog passing under him. Kicking slightly and twisting in mid air, he fell to the animal’s side.

  “Why did you get in the way?” The hot dog seller hissed. “Geez, are you OK?” There were people around the park starting to look at them. Ever gradually regained his breath, sat on the ground and hunched over. From the side, he heard scattering sounds; the dog was running further and further away, down the street, hot dog in its jaws.

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  Ever stood up, breath shallow and wincing as a sharp pain bolted through his ribs.

  This cretin, I’m going to come up and rip him to shreds! Ever held a hand to his head. Death was never angry. His threat had come through much louder than their usual volume of conversation. His skull pounded.

  “H-Hey, how about that hot dog? I’ll give you another one for free.” The hot dog salesman looked around skittishly.

  “I don’t want it,” Ever said, groaning. People seemed to be moving along now that Ever was on his feet. However, there was only one person who he wanted to leave.

  “Go, get out of my park.” Ever said quietly. A burning fist clenched deep in his core.

  “What do you mean, ‘get out of my park?’” It didn’t take long for the hot dog seller’s snide attitude to return. “I’ve got a permit here.”

  “I’ll ask you one more time,” Ever said. The fist was squeezing, trying to hold back something straining with all its might to escape. “Get out of my park.”

  “It’s a free world,” the guy said. He was looking at his hot dogs, turning them over with his tongs. “Who do you think you are anyway, the mayor? Even he doesn’t own the -”

  “I… am… Death!” The declaration ripped out of Ever, bursting out of his lungs as a shockwave blast, startling the birds in the trees. Where time oozed before it now seemed to stop entirely for a few seconds. The people who had started to leave were once again watching the dramatic scene unfold.

  “Alright, alright. Geez.” Face pale, the guy clacked his tongs onto the side, slid the lid closed on the hot dogs and started pushing the cart away. “Psycho.”