Soulseeker

The last life that Derek saved before Death came to visit him was that of his classmate, Morgan van Thorne.

Derek never really knew Morgan that well. They only saw each other when they sat in the same lunchroom together, albeit on opposite sides of the room, and in gym class when the other boys teased her about the way her arms jiggled when she raised her hands or when she tried jogging around the football field during their running exercises. Derek remembered taking part in the teasing a couple of times. Who didn’t? It was like an initiation into being a proper asshole. And what teenage boy didn’t want that kind of honor?

He saw Morgan’s light when he passed her in the hall as he was on his way to English class. It burned from the back of her neck, right where her spinal column was. Of course, none of the other students in the hall could see it, but Derek slowed his pace as he stared, almost openmouthed, at Morgan van Thorne’s neck.

“Dude.” Nathan was next to him, heading in the same direction. “You checkin’ out Morgan or something?”

“What?” Morgan’s neck was nearly blinding him. That was a sure sign that it was going to happen soon. Possibly here. But...but this was in school. What on earth could happen to Morgan van Thorne in school environment that would cause her imminent demise?

“I asked if Morgan was looking less like a whale today than normal. You’re staring at her like she’s Megan Fox.”

“Okay, two things. First, Megan Fox isn’t hot. At all. And two, I can look at a girl without wanting to get in her pants, okay?”

Nathan shook his head. “You’re smoking something, man.”

“Why, because I looked at Morgan?”

“No, because you don’t think Megan Fox is hot. There’s a reason her last name is ‘Fox,’ bro. She is one.”



Stalking Morgan van Thorne wasn’t in Derek’s daily planner for that particular Wednesday, but that was what he ended up doing as he dodged other students in the halls in an attempt to keep an eye on her. The light on the back of her neck was painfully bright now; Derek felt as though he were looking directly into the sun. Normally he was prepared for this sort of thing, as he learned to carry a pair of sunglasses with him to protect him from the bright rays of peoples’ last few minutes alive. But he had never, not once, expected to be saving a life at his high school, and so his sunglasses were waiting in his car outside. He would just have to squint.

Morgan made a right into the staircase, and as Derek rounded the corner, suddenly Morgan’s light lit up like a flame. It would be only seconds now. Derek had saved enough people to recognize the signs.

Which means, it happens here. In the staircase.

Of course.

There, coming up the stairs, was Amy Feinstein.

Amy and Morgan had an odd relationship with each other. Something about them once being the best of friends, until high school happened and Amy decided to try and gain an ‘in’ with a better crowd. That, of course, didn’t include her fat friend Morgan.

The abandonment happened midway through freshman year.

The bullying happened the first day of sophomore year.

The trips to the guidance counselor happened near the end of sophomore year.

The suicide attempt happened midway through junior year.

And now, here they were, two faces in the hallway that Derek would normally pass by without much of a care. The death light on Morgan begged otherwise.

At the top of the stairs, Amy and Morgan came face to face with each other.

And that’s when the pieces clicked in Derek’s mind, and he knew what was about to happen.

He ran at them, barreling through a gaggle of freshmen, and what happened next unfolded as if in slow motion.

“Fat bitch,” Amy spat as she and Morgan locked eyes.

And Amy hip-checked her. Morgan stumbled to the side and her foot slipped off the top step. Her eyes widened in sudden panic and she threw her arms out to the sides, flailing wildly as she reeled backwards. Amy’s eyes began to widen but she made no move to save her former friend.

Derek reached them just as Morgan began sailing backwards. He grabbed her outstretched arm and, with all the strength he could muster, pulled her violently towards him and spun her around at the same time. Luck was on his side, because she was successfully thrown back onto the landing, hitting the ground hard with her knees and hands. She might bruise, but she would live.

Almost instantaneously, the light on her neck went out.

Derek collapsed on the top stair; his head in his hands, nervous sweat dampening his brow. He had been so, so afraid that he wouldn’t make it in time –

“Morgan?” Amy’s voice sounded tiny and far away. “Morgan, oh my God...I didn’t mean...I’m so sorry...”

Morgan’s breathless weeping prompted the other girl to get to her knees and throw her arms around her. Derek watched, half exhausted and half elated that one more life was saved. One more life that didn’t need to be lost. Not yet, at any rate.

“Thank you.” Morgan was gasping for the strength to say this to Derek. “Thank you, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Derek said, waving it off.

Amy helped Morgan get to her feet, shooting Derek one sorrowful look before leading the girl away from the staircase and towards her class at a slow pace, forgoing the fact that the late bell had already rung and they were all late.

Derek remained sitting on the staircase, and within seconds he was alone. Everyone was in class.

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. It was hard being him, watching everyone around you, double checking your loved ones for that one little pinprick of light that would soon grow and become a beacon of ruination, an end to their lives, a reminder of their mortality.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” an unfamiliar voice asked him.

Derek stumbled to his feet and turned. A pretty brown-haired girl stood halfway up the stairs, staring at him with a nonplussed expression on her dainty face. Figuring he was standing in her way, Derek moved to the side of the stairs to let her pass. She didn’t move.

“Or do you just like skipping class?” she asked him, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact that he had moved out of the way.

“What are you, the hall monitor?” Derek retorted. He wasn’t about to let his good mood get ruined. “Tell it to someone who cares.”

The girl tossed her long hair over her shoulder and glared at him with the bluest pair of eyes he’d ever seen. “Well you sure have an attitude.”

“And you sure know how to bring a guy’s mood down.”

The girl cocked an eyebrow. “What, saving that girl made you happier than a kid in a candy store? Kind of pathetic, isn’t it?”

“How is saving a life ‘pathetic’? Or do you enjoy kicking puppies as well? What do you do on weekends, knock down old ladies on the street?”

“She was supposed to die, you asshole.”

Derek fumbled to find the words to properly express his outrage. How dare she! “What do you people have against Morgan? Just because she isn’t a skinny little bitch like you –”

“Whoa, hold on there, cowboy.” The girl raised her hands as if to shield herself. “You know what, this was my bad. I think we’re getting off to a really bad start here.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were offering the hand of friendship.”

Derek’s sarcasm didn’t translate so well. The girl shook her head. “No, no, don’t be sorry, it was my mistake. I should’ve introduced myself properly instead of just barging in here.”

She bounded up the stairs faster than Derek thought was humanly possible and landed right in front of him, her skinny pale hand outstretched as she asked for a handshake. Derek grabbed it and found, to his surprise, that she had a very strong, firm grip.

“Your name is...?” She trailed off, an eyebrow raised, her blue eyes sparkling.

“Derek...” He had no idea where this was going.

And there was no way in hell he could’ve predicted her response.

“Nice to meet you Derek. I’m Death. And I’d like to know what the fuck gives you the right to mess with my shit.”