Karma's Grim Reaper

Natural Causes wasn't Sakina's preferred Cause of Death, but she was just happy to have her foot in the door.

Natural Causes, or N.C. as he liked to be called, had the best reputation of all the Causes of Death. He was laid back and always grateful for his Grim Reaper's work, and even lightened the work load around the holidays. Sakina tried to keep this in mind during her interview with him.

"What skills do you have that are relevant to this position?" he asked.

Sakina had a hard time focusing on him rather than their surroundings. They sat at a round glass table in his office. Everything appeared to be made of glass, including the computer. Only the smell of incense, and N.C. himself with his dark skin and dreads, stood out in the room.

"Well, I have excellent time management skills," she said. "I'm always punctual, I always complete my assignments on time."

"Good, good," he said, jotting down a note. "I need my people dead when they're supposed to be."

"I'm a quick thinker, and I can analyze a situation and act accordingly in a heartbeat. I'm a self-starter—"

His eyes shot up from his notepad. "But not too much of a self-starter, are you?"

Sakina's heart jolted as she realized what that could have implied. "Oh! No, I didn't mean it like that. I'm not...I wouldn't—"

"You're not going to go around collecting souls that don't need to be collected, are you?"

"No, sir. No, I just meant if there's one particular day when my workload is light, I could look for other tasks. Maybe help you in the office or help the other Reapers if their workload is heavier."

"Ah, so you're a team player as well." He jotted this down on his notepad. "Excellent. And why do you want this position?"

"Well, I appreciate that it's such a necessary position, and it'll always be necessary—"

"Job security!" He scribbled something else. "Everybody gotta die."

"Yes, I really want to be part of one of the most meaningful stages in life."

He nodded. "Absolutely. Do you have any questions for me?"

"Yes—how did this opening come about?"

He leaned back in his chair. "Ah. Well, my previous Reaper got a promotion."

"A promotion?"

N.C. frowned. "Well, I think of it as a lateral transfer, but their offices are nicer. Bigger budget, you know. He's a stork now. Bestowing souls instead of collecting them."

Sakina scoffed and gave a dismissive wave. "Overrated."

He laughed. "I agree. Let's go meet the rest of the team."

They stood up and walked out of his office, into a hallway that was also unnervingly sterile. N.C. chatted with her, small talk about the weather and the World Cup, while they made their way to what N.C. had called "the Assignment Room." He pushed the door open to reveal an entirely white room with nothing but a table that extended the length of the opposing wall. There were four people standing in front of it—the other Reapers, Sakina guessed. They all turned at the sound of the opening door.

They didn't wear robes, and not all of them had scythes, but darkness penetrated each of them, shone in their eyes, a product of a career in death.

Sakina felt a pang of envy.

"Sakina, this is Rosie," N.C. introduced her to the Reaper on the far right. "She works with Suicide."

Rosie shifted her scythe to her left hand and held out her right. "What's up, chica?" Sakina shook her hand, only a little unnerved by Rosie's cheery smile.

N.C. pointed to the next one in the line. "Noah, he works with Malevolence."

Noah offered her a smirk and a short nod. Both hands gripped a scythe.

"Kallie. Works with Accident." Kallie shoved her hands in her pockets and ignored the aspiring Reaper.

"And this is Ryan. He works with Karma."

Another, much stronger pang of envy rocked through Sakina.

Karma was Sakina's preferred Cause of Death. She was fabulous in every way—stoic, fashionable, organized and in control. Nothing could break her, and she had no reason to bend. She would be fabulous to work with, but her methodology was what Sakina craved.

The other Causes of Death only had their Grim Reapers collect souls. Karma had her Grim Reaper design deaths and execute them before the mundane task of collecting souls. Ryan didn't even look smart enough to deserve that much responsibility. But Sakina swallowed her envy, smiled, and shook his hand.

N.C. took a seat behind the table, and the other Causes of Death filed in. Each Reaper lined up to stand in front of their Cause, and Sakina hesitantly joined them to stand in front of N.C. Four out of five of the Causes took their seats, looked around for the fifth, and instantly frowned.

"Where the hell is Karma?" Accident asked.

"I told her if she kept doing this, then we'd have to start without her," Suicide said.

Malevolence shook her head. "So disrespectful."

Karma strode in, unapologetic and unconcerned, and took the second seat to the left. Sakina stared. From her cropped white hair, to her red asymmetrical dress, to the look of permanent disappointment, Karma was as fabulous as Sakina had imagined.

"Well?" Karma said. "Why haven't you started?"

Malevolence scoffed. "Unbelievable."

Karma waved her off and held out a packet for Ryan. "Whatever. We don't have all day."

Ryan nearly tripped over his own feet as he went to retrieve his packet. Envy-based rage bubbled inside Sakina as he walked out of the room with it. Each of the other Reapers retrieved their assignments, and N.C. beckoned Sakina forward. He handed her a packet.

"I'm giving you some test assignments. Show me how well you do, and we'll go from there."

She smiled gratefully and left the room.