Outside of Stephen's house, the sun, glowed, brightly in the aqua blue noon sky, tanning Stephen's white, painted roof, below. Inside of Stephen's house, Stephen sat on a rocking chair in his living room, surrounding his two grandchildren, sitting on the floor, next to him. "So, grandpa, how was grandma like when she was still alive?", asks Christoper. "Christopher-", says Loretta, nudging her brother. "It's okay, Loretta. It's been a long time. A very long time. I will tell you guys", says Stephen. "Really?", asks Christoper. "Yes, Christopher", says Stephen. "Well my wife; your grandma was a very nice and beautiful women. She made me feel happy on even my saddest days and from the day that I married her, up until the day she died, I don't think I ever stopped smiling because I never stopped loving her, not for one second." "So, how come you never remarried?", asks Christopher. "Christopher-", says Loretta, nudging her brother, again. "Well because I knew that I would never find a women like her. Not if I searched the whole world, would I find a women like her, so I'll never remarry. Our love has went past, 'til death due us part", says Stephen. "How did she die?", asks Christopher. "Well, she died from lung cancer, which I, to this day, find rather odd because as long as I've known your grandma, I never saw her smoke one cigarette or and kind of tobacco and she never said she did in the past. So, I suppose that it was just her time and she had lived her years and the grim reaper came and took her away from me", says Stephen, feeling a little bit chocked up. "Where did he take her, grandpa?", asks Christopher. "He took her to Heaven, Chris...he took her to heaven and now she is up there, watching over you and your sister to make sure that you, two are safe and healthy", says Stephen. "When do you think your time will be when the grim reaper takes you to Heaven, grandpa?", asks Christopher. "Christopher-", says Loretta. "Sorry grandpa. Christoper, you don't need to worry. Grandpa will be around for many, many years, isn't that right, grandpa?" "Yes...yes that's right", says Stephen, hesitantly. "See, Chris, you don't need to worry", says Loretta. "And stop asking so many questions", says Loretta under her breath to her brother, so Stephen can't hear her. "So you kids want to play outside because I have to take my pills", says Stephen. "Sure grandpa", says Loretta. "Okay I'll show you, the backdoor", says Stephen as he gets up from out of his rocking chair and leads Loretta and Christopher into the kitchen. "What the hell?", says Stephen as he steps into the kitchen. Outside of the kitchen window, sitting on a tree branch is a vulture, staring, menacingly at Stephen. "What grandpa?", asks Loretta as her and her brother enter the kitchen. "Yeah, what happened?", asks Christopher. The vulture then turned his stare to Christopher and Loretta and then back at Stephen. The vulture then lifted up its claw, sticking up its three sharp, bony fingers, as it stared menacingly at Stephen and then disappeared as Stephen blinked his eyes. "Uhh, nothing...nothing", says Stephen. "Are you sure, grandpa?", asks Loretta. "Yes...yes I'm sure", says Stephen. "Okay, well, me and Chris are going to play outside", says Loretta with a concerned voice. "Okay, okay, run along now", says Stephen as he slumped down in a chair at the kitchen table. Loretta and Christopher then exit the house through the backdoor on the far side of the kitchen, opposite of Stephen. Stephen then rests his left elbow on the kitchen table and his left hand on his forehand. "Jesus...I'm starting to see things", says Stephen in a voice filled with distress.

The next morning, Stephen awoke to the sound of blue jays, chirping in the backyard. Stephen then made his way out of bed and walked out of his room into the hallway. Stephen then walked down his hallway until he reached the stairs, which he would walk down, which lead into his dining room. Stephen then walked towards the entrance into his kitchen, but then stopped because loud barks are now heard coming from inside the kitchen, which sounds like it could be coming from a dog. "Oh God, what could be going on, now?", says Stephen in aggravated voice. Stephen then walks into his kitchen and sees his dog, Sparky, barking viciously at his kitchen window. Outside of the kitchen window is a vulture, sitting high, on a tree branch, staring at Stephen with an ugly snarl in his face which would scare the bravest men out of their wits. The vulture then looked down at Sparky, barking angrily at him and then back at Stephen. The vulture then lifted up its claw, sticking up its two sharp, bony fingers as it stared gravely at Stephen and then disappeared as Stephen blinked his eyes. "What the hell is going on?", says Stephen in pure shock. "Sparky, are you alright?", asks Stephen as he turn his attention to his dog, Sparky, standing pronely, looking out the kitchen window, while maintaining a very stiff posture. "Sparky?" Sparky then collapsed on the kitchen floor, with white, soapy, foam dripping from his open mouth and with wide, open eyes which were revealed to be pure white, showing no signs of pupils or coloring. Next to Sparky's dead body, lying on the floor, was a note. Stephen picked up the note. The note was entirely written in blood and says:

Vulture

The day grows thin and the night grows cold
The vulture will come when I become too old
For my life, it has come to seek
Through its powers, it will often reep
The vulture will take my life when my three days are done
And I pray to God, it doesn't reach any of my loved ones
As its claws grow weary, it will take mine
As my clock stops in the hands of times

That morning, Stephen buried Sparky in his backyard. Stephen now sits in a chair at his kitchen table with his hands, covering his face, mourning the death of his dog, Sparky and thinking about the mysterious note, written in blood, he had found, beside Sparky's body. "What the hell is going on here?", says Stephen. "Why am I seeing this vulture, every morning? What does it want? How did he kill Sparky? I must be going crazy." Stephen then moves his hands off of his face and directs his attention to his window, where he could see the mound of dirt, in his backyard, which Sparky is buried under. The sky, outside, is pure white, leaving a pale, cold image, surrounding, Stephen's backyard. In Stephen's backyard, no birds flew or chirped, no squirrels ran up and down trees, and no grass grew in the soil, his backyard has become a cold, shell of its former self. Stephen then directs his attention, away from his window and stares off, thinking of the grave look in the eyes of the hideous vulture who haunts him, every morning for the last two days and the look of the face of his dead dog, Sparky, his one and only companion, now Stephen is left alone.

The next morning, Stephen got out of bed and put on his robe, which he retrieved from his closet and made his way downstairs. On his way to the kitchen, his phone, rang in the dining room. The caller ID of the phone, read: "Lawerence, Albert." Stephen then walked over to the phone and picked it up and placed the receiver of the phone to his ear. "Hello dad", says Albert. "Hey Albert, how are you doing?", asks Stephen. "Not good, dad. Not good", says Albert. "Why is that?", asks Stephen. "Well, yesterday, I had to take both, Loretta and Christopher to the emergency room. They were foaming at the mouth and their eyes were rolled to the back of their head and they kept muttering things about vultures. The doctor's there are stumped on what's wrong with them. I might have to transfer them to a different hospital with more reliable doctors", says Albert. "Oh my God, I hope they get better and what's this you say about vultures?", asks Stephen. "Well, I was driving them both to the emergency room, they were keep saying things like, 'beware of the vulture and don't let him get me and only one day left', they were really freaking me out. Poor guys. I hope they get better, real soon. Dad, do you know anything about this vulture thing, they're talking about? Did you tell them a story about some kind of evil vulture or something?", asks Albert. There was no response. "Dad?", says Albert. "No, Albert...no...not that I recall.", says Stephen. "So, what hospital are they staying at?", asks Stephen. "They are staying at St. Joesph Hospital", says Albert. "Oh St. Joesph's...well, I'll visit them as soon as I can", says Stephen."Okay, well, I'll keep you updated. Talk to you soon, dad", says Albert. "Alright, bye", says Stephen. "Bye", says Albert. Stephen then hangs up the phone. "What is going on?", says Stephen, with panic and worry in his voice.