Status: FIRST DRAFT
Grim
Two
Tommy saw Grim every now and then after their first encounter.
Once he saw him at a Donut King, right before the ambulance came and took away a man who had choked to death on a cream-filled donut. Grim came up to Tommy and said, with a mouthful of donut, “Junk food, bad for ya.” before disappearing into the crowd.
Another time, a little while after the Donut Incident, when Tommy was ten years old, Grim came to hang out with him at the beach. They built sand castles and talked about girls. Tommy liked Grim, he was funny. They hung out for a long time at the beach, right up until it was closed after two people mysteriously drowned in the calm ocean.
Grim came to Tommy’s eleventh birthday party. Grim was really the only person invited. They had fun there and it was the first time that Tommy had ever hung out with Grim and no one had died a strange death. Tommy knew that Grim killed people but he didn’t hate him for it, it was his job. And besides, death had never really bothered him.
“Grim,” Tommy had said that day,” Do you enjoy it?”
“Your party? Yes, I do.”
“No, not my party.”
“Sex? Yes, I enjoy that too.”
“Ew, no. Not that. That’s gross.”
“Wait ‘till you hit thirteen,” Grim mumbled under his breath, “Bet you won’t think it’s gross then.”
“I meant killing, do you enjoy killing?” Tommy asked.
“No one should enjoy killing, Tommy. It’s wrong. It goes against human nature. It is a violation of the human soul.”
Tommy was confused. “But, you do it all the time.”
“Yes, I do Tommy, but I am not human so my soul is not in jeopardy and I also definitely and unequivocally do not enjoy it.” Grim’s voice was edged with something cold.
“If you don’t enjoy it then why do you do it?” Tommy asked.
“Because, Tommy, like hundreds before me I was chosen for this role and I must do my time.”
Once he saw him at a Donut King, right before the ambulance came and took away a man who had choked to death on a cream-filled donut. Grim came up to Tommy and said, with a mouthful of donut, “Junk food, bad for ya.” before disappearing into the crowd.
Another time, a little while after the Donut Incident, when Tommy was ten years old, Grim came to hang out with him at the beach. They built sand castles and talked about girls. Tommy liked Grim, he was funny. They hung out for a long time at the beach, right up until it was closed after two people mysteriously drowned in the calm ocean.
Grim came to Tommy’s eleventh birthday party. Grim was really the only person invited. They had fun there and it was the first time that Tommy had ever hung out with Grim and no one had died a strange death. Tommy knew that Grim killed people but he didn’t hate him for it, it was his job. And besides, death had never really bothered him.
“Grim,” Tommy had said that day,” Do you enjoy it?”
“Your party? Yes, I do.”
“No, not my party.”
“Sex? Yes, I enjoy that too.”
“Ew, no. Not that. That’s gross.”
“Wait ‘till you hit thirteen,” Grim mumbled under his breath, “Bet you won’t think it’s gross then.”
“I meant killing, do you enjoy killing?” Tommy asked.
“No one should enjoy killing, Tommy. It’s wrong. It goes against human nature. It is a violation of the human soul.”
Tommy was confused. “But, you do it all the time.”
“Yes, I do Tommy, but I am not human so my soul is not in jeopardy and I also definitely and unequivocally do not enjoy it.” Grim’s voice was edged with something cold.
“If you don’t enjoy it then why do you do it?” Tommy asked.
“Because, Tommy, like hundreds before me I was chosen for this role and I must do my time.”