The Grim

Survival Team Black was leaderless once. 3 weeks ago, Survival Team Black lost a comrade.

Someone that they believed was going to lead them to hope. I remember it as clear as any other memory. I saw myself being carried away by teammate. That was the day that I lost my life.

My teammate Blade had been attempting to resuscitate me for hours, while the rest of my team stood behind, helpless and quiet.

“Vena, NO!” Blade screamed.

The Dealer took Blade by the shoulder and pulled him away from my motionless being.
“Face it!” He screamed at him. “She’s gone!”

I was looking down on my corpse from a bird eye’s point of view. I was helpless, but I could see everything. The worst part about it was seeing my team, my friends grope over my lifeless body. Their grief was painful to watch. Does everyone see this after they die?

Suddenly, the crying stopped as an old woman in a white lace dress stepped into the room. She’s a witch, a woman with incredible power to help heal our wounded, and cure our sicknesses. She was like a grandmother to me, and she adored me the same. However, the power of death was something that Madam Fiona could not handle. At least that was what I had thought anyway.

“Step aside for moment,” her British accent was powerful to the others. Everyone stepped away from her as she dropped next to me on the floor.

“Madam Fiona, I’m sorry,” Blade sobbed, “I’m sorry, there was nothing that I could do. They ambushed us. They were after her.”

“They are always going to be after her,” Fiona stated and pressed her hand gently against my deceased face.

“I can only bring life back to someone every one hundred years. And if I give it to Vena, there is a catch. She will be forever hunted by the damned. The Reapers and Demons will hunt for her soul for the rest of her life. Vampires and Zombies will strive for her blood. But who better to choose to handle these series of tasks…than Vengeance Estride, warrior of Resistance. The 1st of the century, to escape death itself.”

“Please, Madam Fiona,” Blade sobbed, “Bring her back, please.”
“If I am to do this, you all must keep the Reapers away!” Her voice rose. “Her soul is still in the room, we cannot let them take her,” her voice then returned to a whisper, “I am going to bring her back.”

With that command, Survival Team Black rotated and braced for a fight, armed with guns, swords, and daggers.

Madam Fiona cupped my face in her hands and she slowly closed her eyes, falling into a deep meditation. Just as she did, many dark figures dressed in black marched slowly into the doorway of the sanctuary.

“You are not welcome here!” The Dealer commanded them. “You will not take her from us!”

A long pause drifted through the room, and all that could be heard was the echo of the Dealer’s command, and the heavy breathing by Survival Team Black.

“Death is a natural part of life, Dealer,” The Leader of figures took two more steps forward. As he got closer, everyone could see his glowing crimson eyes. He is known by the name of Sylver, leader of the Reapers. “I assure you that we, the Reapers, shall take her to a better place than here.”

The Dealer was the best at what he does. He makes deals. Back when the Grim began, Vampires were the only monsters that actually grew cautious of the decrease in human life. The dealer helps us keep peace whenever we come across a monster that was smart enough to cut a deal. I met him a while back, and we stuck together since. He is mad as a hatter, but very helpful. Sadly, the Dealer has not attempted to make a deal with monsters as treacherous as the Reapers.

“We need her!” Blade screamed next, holding a gun forward.

“Go ahead, boy, shoot me. We can’t die,” The Leader chuckled, lowering his black hood, revealing long silver hair and a frozen pale face. Even though the leader had platinum silver hair, he looked youthful. He had no wrinkles, or aging eyes. His features were frozen youthful, like a vampire. “We are not among the living…and neither are we dead. But we take the souls of those that pass into the realm of our world and place them where they deserve to be.”

“Vengeance is not your responsibility.”

“The girl is dead. Our job comes into play. Of course, it’s our responsibility. Now, I suggest that you get out of my way.”

“We’re not moving,” The Dealer snapped. “We want to bring her back. You’re not needed here. Is there anything that I can make worth your while in regards to her death? Mine to be cut in half possibly?”

“You cannot toy with death, you fool,” Sylver growls. “There’s nothing to deal here. Nothing more than to step aside, and let us do our job. She’s ours now. Stand down.”

The Dealer simply braced himself rather than stepping aside. The rest of the survival team braced right along with him.

Sylver’s evil grin turned sinister when the Survival Team continued to refuse to stand down. His glowing eyes of fire spotted the Madam Fiona grope my corpse’s pale check bones as she continued to meditate.

“Do you understand the chaos that you will put against yourselves if you try to reawaken her?” He demanded. “You cannot cheat death. You would rather bring her back to this world of darkness and despair, hunted for the rest of her taken lifetime, than to allow her to follow the light and rest peacefully?”

“We are doing what we believe Vena wants us to do,” Blade said.

“Then what she thinks is the right thing to do…is wrong. If you bring her back, she’ll be killed again. And it will be worse. Her resting place will not be as lovely as it could be if you all let her go now. Use your intelligent human brains, and choose wisely. I’m through with standing here.”

“You’ll have to move through us to get to Vena.”

“Then we’ll move through you,” Sylver arms rose toward the ceiling. The ground began to shake violently with his words. The walls began to crack and windows burst one by one. A black mass of smoke casted down toward Sylver’s hands, creating an enormous scythe to his fingers. The rest of the Reapers copied his action and ascended forward. Survival Team Black rushed forward to meet them in clash.

Suddenly, right as they converged, a heavy gasp escaped my lips. The Reapers burst into a large cloud of black smoke as I took a breath of life. They vanished…just like that. Peace takes over the room as my eyes opened. I could feel the pain of my past life wounds, and I could feel the dried blood around my mouth. I see Madam Fiona looking down on me with relief in her eyes.

“She’s back!” Fiona gasped.