Angel of Death

I stared down at the elderly man in the bed, pale skin, eyes closed tight as he slept. He looked in pain but I would soon fix that.

Alexander Forsythe

His name was written in bold on my scroll, so there was nothing I could do. Using my scythe I slashed the air and opened the portal to the judgment world. I stood my scythe by it's self while I took the man's soul from his body, as I did his facial features loosened and then he looked peaceful and painless. That was the only good thing, relieving some people from the pain they put up with in life. He stood beside me now, in spirit and stared down at himself and gasped. I could tell he was frightened so I turned to him and smiled.

"Are you, the Angel of Death?" He asked.

I nodded and he looked me over.

"Your not what I expected" He admitted now more calm than he was a minute ago.

"Everyone says that" I smiled as warmly as I could.

"What happens now?" He asked peering inside the portal.

"You go through there, and you will be judged. If you lived a good life you have two choices, if not then you have no choice over what happens to your soul" I told him.

His eyes widened and he looked a little self conscious.

"Don't worry, I can see how you lived, you will be judged well"

"What are my choices?" He asked.

"It's not my place to say" I told him.

He nodded and walked towards the portal.

"Thank you" He said with a nod and went through.

As soon as he did the portal closed up and I sighed. Over a thousand souls I had courted to the judgment world today. Looking at the scroll I decided to take a break. There was one place I went to when I needed a break. My life as the Angel of Death was pretty lonely, but I couldn't make friends. There was a large graveyard in Scotland, very specifically Rutherglen in Glasgow, this was where I went to mope and mourn. The life of the Angel of Death is depressing, but someone has to do it and unfortunately it's me. The moon was full and from the very top of the graveyard which was a large hill it was as though it was only me and the moon that existed. I unfolded my wings and stretched them, it felt good and I let the slight breeze whined through my feathers and sighed. I looked at the shiny black gravestone in front of me. It was a good few years old but I kept it clean, she deserved it.

I sat on the grass and stared at the stone and the small oval picture of her that occupied the right hand side of it. She was beautiful, kind and caring.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked.

"No...it's not your time" I said.

She nodded and stopped cowering from me. I tilted my head at her, how could she be so fearless? I tightened my hold on my scythe for now the fear was mine!

"What's your name?" She asked.

My hear thudded.

"My name?" I asked confused.

"Yes...don't you have one?" She asked.

"...Malikai" I whispered.

"Malikai...I'm Jenny" She smiled.

I had made a friend.

I turned my head away from her grave and held back the tears that threatened to spill. I had never cried, I had never known emotion until Jenny came into my life. I felt a burning sensation in my pocket and took the scroll out.

Robert Downing

I closed my eyes and I was there. I traveled with the speed of thought and arrived in an alley way that was dark and long. I couldn't see anyone so I closed my eyes and listened, I could hear grunting and whimpering. I followed it, fortunately not having to touch the dirty ground. I found Robert Downing on the floor with a pieced of wood sticking out of his blood soaked chest, blood also spurting out of his mouth, he grunted in pain. That didn't explain the whimpering...

I turned to see a young girl whimpering in the corner, I could smell her fear and guilt. I ignored her for now and used my scythe to open the portal. I then took his soul. He wasn't as calm as the other man and instead tried to flee from me. The girl sat eyes wide and mouth open as she saw the man's body stop twitching and his soul now running away. I held up my hand and placed my scythe in the ground so it stood it's self as I used my hand to send soul strings to Robert. He screamed and called for help, but no one could hear him, except the girl and I.

"Who are you? What do you want?" He screamed and covered his face as I pulled him to me.

"Robert Downing, you have lived a horrible life. You shall be sent to the Judgment World and be punished for your actions" I glared.

He screamed as I used the strings to direct him into the portal. He saw the portal and his eyes filled with terror as he knew what was coming. He screamed but he was powerless against my strength. His fingers reached out of the portal hoping I'd be merciful, but why should I when he wasn't? Once the portal closed I turned to the girl, she wiped tears from her eyes and coward away.

"Are..are you going to kill me?" She sniffed.

"No, it is not your time" I said.

She nodded and sniffed, wiping at her eyes and nose. The girl stood up and I saw her legs had been scratched and they shook as she got up and walked over to me.

"Are you...the Grim Reaper?" She asked.

I laughed and she looked confused.

"I prefer the term Angel of Death" I smiled.

She smiled too and laughed a little.

"Thank you..." She said.

"For what?" I asked confused.

"Saving me"

"I didn't, you saved yourself...I just came to take his soul" I told her.

"I'd like to think it was you" She said.

I stared in silence at this small fragile girl in front of me, she was a teenager but thin and delicate looking, it was sort of familiar.

"What's your name?" She asked.

My heart thumped against my chest and I wheezed slightly. Images of Jenny flashed through my mind and of the times we spent together. I hung my head; I couldn't have anyone else.

"I don't have one...I must go" I said.

Without saying goodbye or hearing one from her, I closed my eyes and opened them again to be greeted by the all too familiar gravestone. I knelt and bowed my head to the picture of Jenny and then flew so that I faced away from the full moon, not deserving the light on my face as I guarded the grave. I hung my head as I replayed the memory of the night I had taken her life.