Prophet
Reaper
Sadie is not afraid. She feels she should be, with Death’s hands on her, but she’s not. He was kind, held her hand, let her touch his face, made her smile. She can feel her death grow closer and closer, almost consuming, but then it stops. Death’s hand is still in hers, but he’s no longer cradling her face. She feels odd, sort of stuck, the dizzy, dying feeling gone.
“Death?”
“I could stop your passing, girl, keep you alive, if you come with me,” he says in her ear, voice tense.
“Isn’t that the point of dying? To go with you?”
“This would be different. You would stay by my side. Talk to me. You will not be dead, your body frozen in time. It means you’ll live, but the blindness will remain.”
Shock and fascination overwhelm her. Shock because this is Death and he wants her to stay with him, like she’s special. Fascination because of the things she could learn, secrets to explore. To see behind the scenes into something supernatural. The blindness remaining doesn’t bother her. She can’t really remember being able to see. She could stay with Death, who had shown her nothing but kindness.
“Will the wound in my side start hurting again?”
“No. It will remain open, but painless.” Even if it had hurt, she probably would’ve stayed.
“I’ll go with you, Death.” She squeezes his hand tight. Soon as the words are said, there’s a roaring noise and she gets the uncomfortable feeling of being turned inside out. Solid ground disappears and reappears beneath her feet, while Death’s hand stays in hers.
She is standing in the entrance of the place he calls home. A small space between Heaven and Hell that he created. It’s very dim, but that won’t bother a blind girl. Death doesn’t need sleep, so there’s no bed, only furniture and thousands of books. Death has time to read now, after other beings were formed to assist him. With the growth of human population, and their penchant for violence, even Death couldn’t handle everything.
“Would you care to sit?” he asks, wondering when she will suddenly gain sense and run from him.
“Yes, thank you.” He leads her to a chair and she sits, hand going unconsciously to the hole in her side.
“What happened to you, Sadie?” Her mouth screws up with confusion, an act he finds rather endearing.
“I don’t understand.”
She shifts to sit cross legged, and he realizes she’s barefoot. The bottoms of her feet are dusty.
“How did you die?”
Her eyes widen. “You don’t know?”
“I take lives. I am not told why.”
“Oh.” Sadie wonders if that makes it easier, to have no idea who you’re killing. Perhaps Death doesn’t feel anything, though. It doesn’t matter to her. Death is necessary. Fair. “Well, I was walking home from a pond near my house.”
Going through the familiar path in the woods, finding the landmarks her parents had left for her. Her shoes in one hand, to keep them from getting wet. They’d been dropped before she died, the only sign she left behind.
“I got shot. It was a hunter, I think. My parents always warmed me to wear bright colors in those woods, to sing so I would be recognized as human. I didn’t listen. I ran until I fell over.”
A rustle near her, only just loud enough for her sensitive ears. The gunshot that had hurt her head, and a sudden explosion of pain in her side. Then running, no idea where she’s going, skin scratched by bark and bramble.
Feeling the dust of the road under her feet, blood bubbling over her fingers, the salt and iron scent of it. Falling to her knees when she could run no longer, hands still pressed to her side. The calm that washed over her, accepting. She’s never been a fearful person. She can sense Death listening intently.
“Then you came.”
She should have realized what he was when she couldn’t hear him coming. The gentle touch to her face and his quiet voice, reassuring.
“I see.” Sadie yawns, pulls her legs closer. She sways slightly, exhausted. “Sleep, Sadie.” She smiles and gives a thumbs up in the direction his voice came from, then falls asleep.
“Death?”
“I could stop your passing, girl, keep you alive, if you come with me,” he says in her ear, voice tense.
“Isn’t that the point of dying? To go with you?”
“This would be different. You would stay by my side. Talk to me. You will not be dead, your body frozen in time. It means you’ll live, but the blindness will remain.”
Shock and fascination overwhelm her. Shock because this is Death and he wants her to stay with him, like she’s special. Fascination because of the things she could learn, secrets to explore. To see behind the scenes into something supernatural. The blindness remaining doesn’t bother her. She can’t really remember being able to see. She could stay with Death, who had shown her nothing but kindness.
“Will the wound in my side start hurting again?”
“No. It will remain open, but painless.” Even if it had hurt, she probably would’ve stayed.
“I’ll go with you, Death.” She squeezes his hand tight. Soon as the words are said, there’s a roaring noise and she gets the uncomfortable feeling of being turned inside out. Solid ground disappears and reappears beneath her feet, while Death’s hand stays in hers.
She is standing in the entrance of the place he calls home. A small space between Heaven and Hell that he created. It’s very dim, but that won’t bother a blind girl. Death doesn’t need sleep, so there’s no bed, only furniture and thousands of books. Death has time to read now, after other beings were formed to assist him. With the growth of human population, and their penchant for violence, even Death couldn’t handle everything.
“Would you care to sit?” he asks, wondering when she will suddenly gain sense and run from him.
“Yes, thank you.” He leads her to a chair and she sits, hand going unconsciously to the hole in her side.
“What happened to you, Sadie?” Her mouth screws up with confusion, an act he finds rather endearing.
“I don’t understand.”
She shifts to sit cross legged, and he realizes she’s barefoot. The bottoms of her feet are dusty.
“How did you die?”
Her eyes widen. “You don’t know?”
“I take lives. I am not told why.”
“Oh.” Sadie wonders if that makes it easier, to have no idea who you’re killing. Perhaps Death doesn’t feel anything, though. It doesn’t matter to her. Death is necessary. Fair. “Well, I was walking home from a pond near my house.”
Going through the familiar path in the woods, finding the landmarks her parents had left for her. Her shoes in one hand, to keep them from getting wet. They’d been dropped before she died, the only sign she left behind.
“I got shot. It was a hunter, I think. My parents always warmed me to wear bright colors in those woods, to sing so I would be recognized as human. I didn’t listen. I ran until I fell over.”
A rustle near her, only just loud enough for her sensitive ears. The gunshot that had hurt her head, and a sudden explosion of pain in her side. Then running, no idea where she’s going, skin scratched by bark and bramble.
Feeling the dust of the road under her feet, blood bubbling over her fingers, the salt and iron scent of it. Falling to her knees when she could run no longer, hands still pressed to her side. The calm that washed over her, accepting. She’s never been a fearful person. She can sense Death listening intently.
“Then you came.”
She should have realized what he was when she couldn’t hear him coming. The gentle touch to her face and his quiet voice, reassuring.
“I see.” Sadie yawns, pulls her legs closer. She sways slightly, exhausted. “Sleep, Sadie.” She smiles and gives a thumbs up in the direction his voice came from, then falls asleep.