Beta. Reaper

DEATH IN MY ROOM

Staring at myself in the mirror, I laughed at my appearance. The clash of the colours of my outfit could blind a person. Red, yellow, green, blue, they were all there. Sighing, I took off my blue pants and donned a yellow skirt, replacing my red shoes with black ones, before taking off my colourful bangles.

I made funny faces at my reflection like a deranged person, even going as far as smearing red lipstick from my lips to my chin. I giggled as I took off the horrendous makeup with wipes. Contrary to the belief of my High School mates, I wasn’t Harley Quinn.

In my outfit, I looked like a cartoonish sunflower and I didn’t care. The colours around me helped to brighten my mood and now more than ever, when I quite literally had Death hovering around me, I needed as much positive energy as I could get, even if the energy came from bright clothing.

I kissed my ugly and battered teddy goodbye as I prepared to leave for school. Matty had been given to me by my parents for my fourth birthday, a few months before they died and I was unashamedly attached to him. He was the last present I got from them and when I looked at him with his patchy coat, missing eyes and slight rips, all I could remember were my parent’s bright smiles as I promised to love Matty forever. Coincidentally, Ken’s wolf was also named Matthew, Matty for short.

I hefted my bag pack, taking a minute to appraise my outfit again. It was barely seven o’clock and school started at eight. The eerie silence of my house which made everything sound ten times louder was making me hear and see things that spooked me out, especially since the visit from the Grim Reaper, Reaper for short.

My eyes spoke of unease and unrest and I could feel the telltale signs of fatigue dragging my feet and hunching my shoulders. My eyes would not close for more than ten minutes in sleep that I would chase for hours. Everything reminded me of his visit and when I closed my eyes, I saw my family lifeless and bloody and standing above them, a darkness in the shape of a man, wielding and weaving a scythe, posed to cut out their souls and steal them away from me.

After the ten minutes of sleep, my eyes would open wide and my mouth would form a scream that would be trapped in my throat. My heart would leap out and do cartwheels and for a few minutes, I would wonder where I was and where the darkness had vanished to. In times when the darkness of my dreams stretched my mind so far out, it snapped, I would wake up and wonder who I was.

I was still staring into the mirror as my thoughts washed away my reality when I heard the same sound. It was still a faint pop like a smashed balloon with a reduced volume. In the mirror behind me was a shape made from darkness, lightened only by the white bones that took shape out of the darkness. 

“This is not real. You’re dreaming, Kels,” I chanted to myself. This figure had appeared to me a hundred times at night and it was here again. It couldn’t be. Death had things to do that didn’t involve hovering around me. I wasn’t on his list anymore, those words had been uttered from his mouth and even if one does not take the words of Death without a grain of salt, I couldn’t perceive any reason for him to lie to me. What use would that be to him?

“Hello, Kelly Black,” The darkness whispered but I didn’t want to believe it. I was imagining things. I had to be.

“You’re not really here,” I said to myself even as I felt the coldness of his presence begin to spread. Amusement danced around me and in that instant, I knew I wasn’t dreaming. There was no amusement surrounding Death in my dreams, only hardship.

“You said I was no longer on your list. What the heck do you still want with me?” I questioned with venom in my mouth. As I mouthed off, the bitter taste of regret and anger swelled in my mouth but the words were out already.

“Careful now, Kelly Black. You intrigue me but I am still the Grim Reaper. You should not take my presence lightly,” He said and laughter bubbled through my fear.

“I don’t understand, “ My voice caught with emotions. “I have told you that I don’t have any magic and you said I’m no longer on your list. I have no business with death, with you, so why won’t you leave me alone?” Despair rang in my words as my shoulders began to shake.

“I told you, your fear draws me in,” He perched himself on my pink sheets as he spoke, crossing his legs. As he sat, the cloth of night of his presence began to eat into my sheets and the once pink and fluffy bed clothing became covered in darkness.

“But you have better things to do,” I pressed. I was tired, fighting back a yawn, I continued “ There are souls around the globe for you to steal. Why bother me,” I asked. 

Confusion and contained anger rose into the air even as the cold intensified. "Stealing souls," The darkness laughed all around me. There was no mirth in this laughter, only bitterness. "I am many things, Kelly Black, but not a thief. I am Death, the destroyer of men, an advocate of time, a child of darkness, but I am NOT a thief,” The contained anger started to spill out from the container it was locked in. Mist escaped slowly from the tight lids of Death’s control and this mist spread cold and darkness in my otherwise warm and bright room. “I take what rightfully belongs to me and you are one of a few who have managed to cheat me in my lifetime," The last sentence was uttered in equal parts amazement and irritation.

“If you’re not a stealer of souls how do you explain your presence in my bedroom? I am not on your list, my soul is still mine for now but here you are, threatening me. I can see you and I should only be able to see you when my time has run out and I have to die,” I rushed out in one breath. I wasn’t big on mythology, but I had read some things since the last time Death had surprised me with a visit.

“I am not threatening you, Kelly Black. I smell your fear and I cannot resist its call. I don’t understand it myself, but I have to act with my instincts and they draw me to you. As for seeing me, well, anyone can see me if I want them to. I don’t bother to cloak myself from people who have exhausted the last grain of time in my hourglass and I am not bothering to cloak myself from you, “ He replied in a tone like sandpaper.

"So you’re here because you feel a – a pull towards me?” I asked in a small voice.

“ A pull?” This time the laughter didn’t echo around me. It boomed from the deepest part of his belly as he laughed. “The Grim Reaper does not feel a pull towards anyone!” He exclaimed with a laugh.

“Then why are you here? Why won’t you leave me alone. Surely, you must have someplace to be?” I asked politely, wondering just how politely I could tell Death to get out of my life.

"I am wherever I want,” The air around him bristled with indignation.

“ Why do you want to be here? Please, just go harvest your souls and leave me alone,” I pleaded in desperation. I was already late for school and the zeal to attend was no more. I simply wanted to sink into my bed, that was clothed in darkness, and sleep.

“ Your fear of me – it’s fading fast,” He said with a slight frown on his skeletal face. “That is strange,” Again, confusion rose into the air. 

Crazed laughter bubbled inside of me but I held it down. I was confusing Death as much as he was confusing me. He thought my fear was fading because I was mouthing off questions. Well, after a week of no sleep, my brain was fried but it was fear that kept me awake at night. Fear of him and what he could and would do to me. I knew what he was capable of and every time I looked at him, I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide out there for the rest of my life. Yet, I knew he would find me wherever I went.

“Oh trust me, it’s not fading, “ I replied. 

“Trust you?” He mused. “I do not trust, especially those who have cheated me once,” He said. “I smell your fear, Kelly Black, but this is not the kind of fear I inspire,” He finished.

“Well, I just put on some perfume. It may be messing with your senses,” I giggled nervously. “Why don’t you go someplace else? Breathe in some fresh air,” I suggested as I prepared to flee if he decided to sabotage me for my words.

“Interesting,” He muttered. “Now you mock me,” He continued and I giggled nervously again. “I must understand your magic, Kelly Black, “ He said and with his signature popping sound, he vanished. 

"Well I could get used to that. Not," I muttered to myself. The darkness surrounding my bed started to fade slowly as I watched. 

Checking the time, I cussed silently to myself. Instead of being super early like I had planned, I was already running late. The principal wasn’t the nicest person to latecomers, whether they ran a pack or not.