Reaper

Samuel stared into Amelia’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity. What he saw scared him to the core. In her silver gaze he saw his own insecurities, his own demise and his own inhibitions. She seared him; the blackness that resided in her stare engulfed him and took him to a place inside him that he never wanted to visit. In that place, the darkness that thrived in his dormant heart threatened to peak, it threatened to tear him apart from the inside out.

He reached for his own wrist and beyond his control began to tear the flesh. Black blood gushed over his palms and fingers, yet no pain was present. His chest suddenly felt heavy and the loud pounding of his rapid heartbeat dominated all sound. He gasped and took the first breath of air since the night he died. His lungs burned and warm liquid drizzle down his cheeks, tortured memories pounded in head as forceful blows repeatedly pierced his chest.
“That’s enough, Samuel” Axel said calmly as he snatched Samuel away from Amelia’s gaze. It was a simple shove but for Samuel it was like he was just sucker punched back to reality. Everything abruptly fell back in place. Breath and his heartbeat left his body and left tell-tale signs of it ever being there. His eyes came into focused, confusion and fear replaced sensibility.
“What the fuck just happened?” Samuel asked hysterically, Axel ignored him and dragged a finger down Samuel’s cheeks. On his finger was black liquid, undoubtedly Reaper blood, Samuel had been bleeding from his eyes.

“As it seems, when Legion touched Amelia’s soul, he transferred some of his powers to her and just watching what she did to you with just a stare, she took his powers of re-creation and destruction,” Axel explained. Samuel growled in frustration, he didn’t explain anything just gave him an assumption.

“What the hell does that mean? What did she just do to me?” he asked in exasperation.

“Basically, when you stare into her eyes for a set time, she brings you back to life and kills you all over again, its like a never ending cycle until you turn away or she closes her eyes, my guess is that in continuation eventually you’ll seep into non-existence.” Axel replied casually.

“And you stood there and let her test out her new powers on me? You son of a bitch! Do you have any idea how much that fucking hurt?!”

“Stop bitching, it only lasted seven seconds.” Axel replied flatly

“Seven seconds in hell feels like seven years,” Samuel retorted. Axel dismissed him and walked over to Amelia. He helped her sit up and wrapped his jacket around her to cover her bare chest. Her Reaper form rose from the cold solid corpse that laid on the table, her face was sullen and her lips were blue and dry from disuse. She looked at Samuel again and he instantly averted his eyes, he snarled in distain, hate boiled in the pit of his stomach along with rage, regret and guilt.

“Keep that thing away from me,” Samuel hissed before he stormed out of the morgue.

~~
Samuel sat on the roof of his mansion; he looked out sadly as he threw a small pebble that disappeared before it even touched the ground. He sighed and held is head in his hands, he didn’t want to mentor Amelia, he didn’t want to be in the same room as her, he didn’t want to be reminded of the monster he’d become. He didn’t want to relive his death every time he looked at her.

“You can’t run away from this, Samuel.” He heard Axel say beside him, Samuel scoffed at him and scooted away from him. “You’ve been running away from things all of your mortal and immortal life, its time to face something,”

“I can’t do it, I can’t mentor her…this life is torture and her face reminds me of it, let alone her eyes. Why me? Why did he choose me to guide her? Why must he torment me so?”

“I understand how this must pain you but this is no longer just about you, its about her, she’s lost in this boundless oblivion and she needs your light and wisdom to show her what she must do to survive,”

“What light? What wisdom? I possess neither of them, I am just another Reaper who apparently has yet to lose his stomach,” he said through gritted teeth. “You seen me in there, she picked me apart in seven seconds, how could I teach that lifeless thing anything?” Axel narrowed his eyes at him and turned Samuel to face him.

“You’ve yet to lose your heart, Samuel. You’re not like the rest of us Samuel, you still have part of your soul left in you, its locked in a place where Legion could never touch which is why you still show compassion for the living, which is why it was so easy for her to snap your life back,” Axel said firmly, his eyes softened and he glanced up at the sky for a moment and then looked back down at him. “You were never meant to be a Reaper, Samuel, you have the bearings and empathy of an Angel and I don’t believe He will forever forsake you. Let the light and the wisdom of your humanity guide you and Amelia both.” Axel said with a small smile, he pulled the rim of his shirt back and snatch off a chain and gave it to Samuel.

Samuel looked down at the silver cross in his hand and raised an eyebrow, he’d never been given such a trinket and he never imagined that he’d get a cross from Axel…or any Reaper for that matter. Samuel knew that if Legion ever found out that he possessed this that he’d be beaten.
“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It repeals Legion; it renders him weak like it would any demon, and it would keep Amelia’s gaze at bay. Also, because the Anti-Reaper’s eyes are blacked out, when you wear it, it temporarily blinds them to your true nature; they mistake you to be an Angel and therefore give you wide berth. There is only one problem; Angels are drawn to it,” Axel said as he looked down at it. Samuel looked down at it once more and frowned.

“But wouldn’t I be repelled to it also, like I am to churches?” Samuel asked. Churches to Reapers were like Kryptonite to Superman, they didn’t dare to step a foot in one. As soon as a Reaper or Anti-Reaper steps over the threshold they’re immortal pain is ignited and they begin to literally wither into none-existence which is even worst than being a Reaper. When they’re in that state they cannot be seen or felt by anyone alive or dead, they suffer eternal solitude and isolation with no destination.

“No, crosses hold a small amount of benevolent energy that would repel demons and such but since our souls were devoured by Legion and never crossed into hell we are immune to it but it’s not the same with churches. Churches are a place or worship and are overflowing with benevolent energy as well as drifting prayers, although evil acts by man can be committed in the church it is still too pure of a place for beings like us,” Axel explained, Samuel nodded in understanding but he never really got an answer to his previous question.

“But why are you giving it to me? Don’t you need it?”

“I believe you will have more use for it than I, I think He is more likely to answer a prayer from you than me,”

“I never pictured you for the religious or sentimental type, Axel”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Samuel,” Axel said quietly as he stood up.

“Obviously,” Samuel replied as he looked back down at the cross. The statement, however fell on deaf ears, Axel was gone.