Reaper

Samuel looked in his full-sized mirror, he looked like he’d been through hell, black blood caked his face and under his shirt there was a bold bloody orb on his chest. His lungs burned and warm liquid drizzle down his cheeks, tortured memories pounded in his head as forceful blows repeatedly pierced his chest The memory of the earlier events shocked him. Axel had been right, he had been reliving his own death, the piercing blows…they had been gun shots repeatedly penetrating his chest.

What kind of creature had Legion created? His perfect match no doubt. He actually didn’t know how to clean himself off, water passed through him and he never knew that Reapers could bleed. Was it possible for him to faze through his own blood? He tried and to his surprise it worked. He prepared himself mentally for what was to come, he placed the cross Axel had given him around his neck and hid it under his shirt. It was time to come face to face with the woman who, only a few hours ago had almost pushed him into non-existence.

He fazed himself through the carpet and fell to the floor below just outside of Aani’s room. Aani was a Reaper he’d met when he first came to Louisiana. She like Axel had a lot to teach him and she posed as a sort of parental figure. He hated addressing her like that and so did she, he hated his parents and although she was maternal her stubborn demeanor denied her from admitting it. When Samuel and Axel transported back to the mansion, axel had dropped Amelia in her care. Aani was one of the only two female Reapers that resided in the mansion and since the other female Reaper, Madison, was out, he left it up to her to clothe Amelia.

He took a deep breath; he dreaded entering the room… Axel had told him that he had to stop running sometime and that Amelia was his responsibility but just the same, Amelia was all his fears and regrets personified. They said that all troubles and the terrors of your life would end once you were dead but Samuel found that to be completely false. He couldn’t find peace in anything he did, whether he was alive or dead, he found that he was in a predicament he didn’t want to be in. He looked at the doors that housed his moving corpse of a woman who had the power to physically break him, a woman that he himself brought to her death and had the lone opportunity to come face to face with his immortal sins.

He cringed, he didn’t want to be weak, he swore to himself that after the pitiful existence he had in the realm of living he would not demean and humiliate himself by showing weakness. With new resolve he knitted his eyebrows and stepped forward. He was a man, a man that stood the test of time and laughed at the futile attempts of death’s embrace. He was a man who had the power to destroy entire generations with a single kiss. He was a man who had a Reaper terminator at his disposal. He wouldn’t let a useless emotion like fear consume him. He was fear.

He fazed through Aani’s doors and strode in with a godly gait. The first thing he saw was Amelia sitting in the balcony, her head leaning back on the chair like she was gazing at the night sky…except…her eyes were bonded, no doubt so Aani could dress her and not relive her demise. Samuel frowned, Amelia would get used to the night sky soon enough. Samuel didn’t bother to even look; he’d had enough of the stars and half moons. When a Reaper was born, it was like the day they died would replay forever. Samuel died at 10: 47 PM, so it was always night for him. It could be six in the morning in reality but in his eyes it was always night, always the same 246 visible stars and the First Quarter moon, time zones didn’t matter…it was always the same. Amelia died a quarter till midnight, on a Waxing Gibbous moon, one day she’ll dread seeing that moon, one day she’ll pray for it to grow the crescent and become a full.

“Making plans for her already?” Aani asked, knocking Samuel out of his thoughts. He hadn’t realized that he’d been staring at Amelia until Aani’s comment registered in his mind. He turned to Aani, a true beauty in her own right. She had a slim figure, beautiful full lips smiled at him; eerie silver eyes warily watched him. Flawless brown skin simmered and glowed in reflection to whatever sunset she saw in her eyes, and a mess of black curls adorned her head and shook with her animated head movements. “She’s been asking for you,” Aani said as she walked over to Amelia and helped her out of the chair and lead her to Samuel. Samuel scanned her quickly; as long as she wasn’t naked he had no opinion on what she was wearing. She wore a very modern black strapless Victorian inspired corset dress; it was short in the front and gave view to her flower lace clad legs, and it trailed in the back. Her wavy hair was almost completely covered by the long black hooded cloak that trained behind her. Black leather boots covered her feet and short black lace gloves covered her hands.

Aani’s words rung clear in his mind and he looked back at her. She’d been asking for him? How did she know who he was? “She asked for me?” Samuel asked in confusion.

“Samuel?” Amelia called hoarsely. Samuel turned to her and watched as she started to remove the blindfold that was over her eyes.

“Aani, quickly, look away!” Samuel demanded and Aani obeyed and turned away from Amelia. Amelia snatched off the blindfold and looked up at him. She was beautiful, a damned goddess grounded on earth, no not earth, hell. The cross under his shirt glowed and hummed silently, it was working, it had nullified Amelia’s gaze on him but that didn’t stop her gaze from searching him. She was looking for an explanation, a reason for why she was she. She didn’t understand, most likely she also didn’t know she was dead.

“How do you know me?” Samuel asked her. Amelia looked at him, her eyes searching and her lips parted but no words were uttered, she closed it again and this time she shook her head as if she could shake the answer into her mind.

“I…I don’t know you. Who are you?” Amelia asked as she narrowed her eyes at him. Amelia was confused; she didn’t know where she was, or even who she was. She didn’t know who the beautiful woman who was avoiding her gaze was or who the handsome pale man was either. “Where am I?” Amelia asked as she turned away from Samuel and surveyed the interior of the room, her gaze danced across the room rapidly as she tried to document her surroundings. She found a mirror and looked over herself, she touched her face as if the first time she’d ever seen her own face, she touched over her dress and then pulled down the lace glove and looked at the tattoo that was on her wrist. “Amelia…” she said slowly as she read the small script, she looked up suddenly and looked at Samuel, “that’s my name isn’t it?” she asked softly, Samuel’s eyebrow cocked up and Aani just turned and stared at him with equal confusion.
“I have to go, Aani watch Amelia for a moment…and I don’t mean literally unless you want to die repeatedly but keep an indirect eye on her,” Samuel said before he transported to Legion’s chamber. Legion was sitting on his throne, eyes closed in peaceful bliss as a dozen wayward souls floated around him.
“What do you want, Sammy?” Legion hissed as his eyes peaked open; Samuel cringed and glared daggers at him. His brother used to call him Sammy along with his parents. He hated to be called that and Legion knew it.

“Don’t call me that,” Samuel hissed.

“I’ll call you anything I damn well please!” Legion retorted as he sat up and glared at Samuel, he hardly had the patients for Samuel and his defiance yet Samuel still remained one of Legion’s favorites. “What do you want? Why have to disturbed me?”

“Its about your new toy,” Samuel said with icy words as he walked closer to Legion’s throne. “She’s a walking Reaper killer, your power leaked into her and she has the ability to torture us until the ultimate death. She doesn’t know who she is, which in any case and in any world makes her unpredictable and therefore a liability-

“She’s no liability, she’s my perfect queen,” Legion said smugly as he cut Samuel off, “What? You didn’t think leaking my powers into Amelia was an accident did you? And as for her not knowing who she is, well I would think that’s a plus wouldn’t you? Better her know she is my queen then for her to realize that she was some innocent co-ed who was just out having fun and then was murdered by you…I think that would make it extremely more difficult for you to mentor her, don’t you agree?” Legion said softly, as if he was trying to school Samuel. Samuel gritted his teeth, Legion had purposely given her the power to destroy him, if she ever found out that he was the one that murdered her she would kill him, Legion figured that since Samuel’s immortal life was now on the line, he would ensure that she never found out whom she was. She’ll be his perfect queen, an ignorant and blissful pet.

“Why must you torture me like this?” Samuel asked through gritted teeth, Legion chuckled and was suddenly at Samuel’s side.

“Because, I love to hear you scream in your nightmares Samuel, nothing pleasures me more,” He whispered in Samuel’s ear and was suddenly seated on his throne. “I have a room especially made for my queen, the one on the top floor, make sure she’s comfortable.” Legion said casually as he waved his hand and Samuel was plunged back at the mansion in Aani’s room.

Samuel narrowed his eyes in rage, he couldn’t believe his fate. He looked up and saw that Amelia was sitting on the balcony again, he glared at her and walked over and grabbed her arm and transported them to the top floor to her new bed chambers. He pushed in the doors and glared in disgust at the room. While the rest of the mansion was a dusty wreck, Amelia’s room was posh and luxurious, with a golden hue and black marble floors; it was made for royalty…or the whore of a wealthy bastard. The ceiling was painted with gothic demons frolicking across flaming meadows; the bed was large and decorated with black satin sheets and loose black diamonds. The room itself was very large, it made up the entire top floor.

Amelia gaped as she entered the room, she spun in little circles as she surveyed her room.

“Is this for me? Is this my room?” She asked with a little glint in her eyes, Samuel turned to leave.

“Compliments of Legion…enjoy.” Samuel said coldly, Amelia smiled at Samuel’s back and threw herself on her bed.

“He must be really nice, to give me all this,” she replied as she made little angels in her pile of diamonds.

“Just shut up and get some sleep, we have a lot to do tomorrow,” Samuel retorted before he left.