The Grim Reaper’s Mate

Confrontation

“Well, well, well, David. Pushing your luck a bit, aren’t you?” The smooth, deep, whispery voice stopped me in my tracks. The very real threat stepped forward to face me with an unhappy frown. His eyes were trained on me knowingly.

“Grim Reaper,” I addressed him with a respectful bow.

“Isn’t it a little soon for you to be throwing away your second chance life, David?” He asked calmly.

“I didn’t do anything evil, sir... to my knowledge. I only did what was necessary and what was ordered, sparing those I deemed as innocent, just as you trained me,” I added quickly.

He stood quietly for a second, sizing me up. His black eyes flashed with barely concealed anger. Then he glared at me and shifted toward me threateningly.

“Don't patronize me. Be careful how you treat that innocent girl, David.” He responded slowly and with a slight growl to his threat. “She truly is an innocent. Pure and sweet. A rare treasure. You hurt her, make her bleed in any way, you forfeit your second chance.” I caught the innuendo and gulped.

“So since I chose not to kill her tonight, despite my orders...” I began warily.

Grim Reaper snorted a sarcastic laugh.

“Orders?!” He demanded. “Humans have such a poor grasp on justice. They murder the innocent alongside the guilty simply because of association. Your new boss is no angel. He isn't omnipotent. He doesn't know the whole story of people. How they got to where they are. What desperation pushed them along the way. Your ‘orders’ would have ended your second chance life before you even had a chance to plunge that knife into her side.” Then his eyebrows raised knowingly, “And also, before you had a chance to plunge anything else into her...”

My face heated up immediately. How did he know about that? Was he watching? Could he read my mind?

“Hey, she was the one who propositioned me,” I said hotly and with some embarrassment that he knew of our exchange and my own weakness.

“Doesn’t matter,” he snarled dismissively. “She was acting out of her fear of facing death alone. She was reacting to my presence. She didn't even recognize it, but I did. You’ve already died. You know how that feels. The panic. The adrenaline. The things you have done, the things you haven’t done, all flashing through your mind as you face your own demise. All the more reason for me to have acted to end you in that moment. Because you’ve been there. You know better. I could very easily consider a s****l act with her in that moment,” he paused, and I grimaced at the word I didn't want to hear, “r*pe.”

“You KNOW I would never r*pe a woman!” I exploded angrily. “My very own mother died from that abuse! Never! NEVER!” I was livid now. More angry at myself for realizing how close I had come to taking advantage of Christine’s situation for my own selfish desires. My own stupid, weak, human needs. For the first time, I felt like this body was a curse. I got caught up in the excitement of having a woman interested in me for the first time in either of my lives. I won't do that again. I promised myself right then and there to protect her like I should have protected my mother. No intimacy between us. I'll be her protector and her friend. I'll make up my failures to my mother by redeeming myself through Christine.

Grim Reaper nodded as if he had heard my thoughts. "Wise choice, David. You did well tonight. Though I'm not pleased with her living in your house, my time has not come, and she will be safer with you."

I didn't understand what he meant. What is he going on about? His time has not come?

"What do you..."

Grim Reaper's voice sounded apathetic now, and he nodded to himself. “Good. Then I’ll take my leave of you. Just know, I’m watching. Do not lay a hand on her in a way that would make me intervene. You know why I gave you a second chance. You are young and died with unfinished business. You had injustices done to you and to your beloved mother. You have my blessing to continue your second chance life as long as you do as we agreed. Destroy the violent. Protect the innocent. Bring justice. Leave the girl's chastity intact...Or face my wrath. She doesn't belong to you, David. You are not the one who has a right to her.”

With that, he was gone. I blinked a few times to clear my head. I've only seen Grim Reaper a couple of times, and he was disconnected from both situations I saw him in, simply watching from a distance as he ushered souls into Hell. I had broken through a barrier to get to him. I had been dead longer than those he was guiding into Hell, but my soul had lingered in anguish with all my regrets. That's when he gave me a second chance at life, but he still never acted interested in me or our agreement or in me.

He was a lot more engaged this time. Was it really only because he wanted to protect an innocent person? Then why do innocent people die all the time? It doesn't make sense that he suddenly felt the need to be so involved. I shook my head. It's not like Grim Reaper's decisions ever made any sense. No use dwelling on it. Time to return to Christine. And to protect her like my second life depended on it because, apparently, it does.