Touch my...

Saturday- 7.28 pm

The thing about mentally challenged people- or life forms- is, that you can’t have a decent conversation with them. It doesn’t matter how freakin’ long you try, you won’t get valued information from their with drool dripping lips. Except if you can understand uunnghaas

and awwrrfuuu noises. Then congrats to you. Maybe next time, I could sit in your seat, drinking hot tea and what not, while you crumble with a broken leg and almost blinded on the moody floor of a self made trap to catch this delusional maniac, but ending up right next to him. The grumbling and swearing time was long over, so you have a time frame, how long exactly I was down there. And for me to not swear anymore in a situation so crappy like this one means, I’ve been down there very, very long. Maybe even too long. Even the maniac stopped trying to eat my face of, as I still had an holy water bottle tied to my belt, after breaking the other two by falling down.
“Thirsty?”
He hissed at my polite question, scooting away even more. I just shrugged. More left for me.
So, by now I was pumped with holy water, dead tired and my favorite pair of jeans was covered in a mixture of mud, blood and puke. I would reward the dry cleaner with all the money I had (which wasn’t much), if he could get out the stains. And I would also pay the rescue team a whole bunch of my non-existent money if they would show up a bit quicker. The maniac made me nervous. It scratched around with its long nails, grunting here and there and hissing in my direction constantly.
“Would you, like, tune it down? Please?”
The demon spawn just snarled. Yeah, thanks. With a sigh I looked up, barely seeing the sky. I bet, if I were in a life dreading situation they would get their royal asses down here. Stupid aristocrats. Only because they had money, a fine villa and more than two cars they thought that I could wait forever. Well, they thought wrong. Okay, no they didn’t due to the fact, that I couldn’t literary go anywhere, but if- when – they got here, I would… do stuff to them. I bet I would even have enough time to think about what stuff exactly contained.
My ideas wondered from beheading them, to stabbing them to just cry like a little girl, when light filled the hole. The hell maniac screamed in agony by the blinding light, shielding his pig eyes with his claws. His pain made me smile. That’s what you get if you refuse a drink from a reaper.
“Reaper Eleven Six Eight- are you down there?!”
No. I magically disappeared- oh, wait. I could’ve been eaten by a hell spawn Level one. Suuuure.
“Can you throw down a rope, please? Before I really die? And this time because of boredom!”
I still didn’t know why we, as reapers, had walkie-talkies, but they served the purpose. It rustled at the other end then the familiar male voice spoke again.
“We’re sending down reaper zero one three. Please-“
I pressed the ‘end’ button and looked up instead. A few seconds later- the demon was still paralyzed from the light- a young man dropped down from the sky, his dark coat fluttered behind him. Smooth like a cat his feet made contact with the ground, smiling broadly at me. He looked even better in helicopter light than the time we met at the beach at a full moon. You know - Werwolf mission. The beast needed some privacy for doing his business and chose a public beach. I felt sorry for the poor guy, but honestly: It wasn’t that great watching a huge man-wolf pee into the ocean.
“So, ‘reaper eleven six eight’-“ he air qouted- “what is the problem?”
“This thing pulled me down into here.”
I was surprised that he even got assigned to his mission – he wasn’t my partner nor did he do level one jobs. He had enough credits to lie back most of the time. But I guess I shouldn’t be complaining. Better him than someone else (for example the Queen of Bitching).
My savior looked around, before kicking a mud rock against the wall. He whistled in astonishment.
“You made this hole?”
I nodded.
“Great job. Sadly, that still doesn’t reduce the idiocy of yours to fall into your own freaking hole.”
“Yeah, yeah. Easy for you to say. At least I get jobs, Mister Richard Head.”
“Hey- so not cool.”
We both grinned. His name, before dying and undying and then becoming a member of our little group, was Richard Hallows. And everybody knows that the nickname for Richard is Dick. Now, his name was Caden. I liked it so much better.
Caden coughed slightly as he clapped into his hands.
“Alright. Let’s get you out of here.”
Without asking he grabbed me around the hip, pulling me towards him. I batted my eyelashes flirtatious at him.
“Oh Caden, how long I’ve been waiting for this…”
My rescuer laughed in delight.
“Finally, your wet dreams come true.”
Grunting, I hit his chest while he jumped into the air. Normally, we wouldn’t come high, but reapers were marked from the devil. We had powers, which doubled the ones from humans. It was really cool, to be honest. At least better than bumming around in hell. Sure, we had to capture the escaped tortured souls of purgatory which manifested themselves in this world as crazy, murderous psychopaths. If they were clever enough. Some just walked around with horns on their head or some other decided that it was quite nice to show off their lizard skin.
So, instead of bouncing on the ground again, Caden jumped up to the helicopter, grabbing it with his hand and holding me tight. Yeah- I think I have to mention that reapers got different abilities. Caden could jump high, I could run fast and another reaper could fly. Seriously fly. With wings and all. Okay, your parents had to be reapers or at least fallen angels for that ability, but nevertheless it was so damn cool. My parents had been artists, as far as I knew.
Cool hands held on to our bodies as they pulled us into the helicopter. Officers with dark blue uniforms looked down but when they saw my leg, some actually turned away. Sigh. Newbies.
“Oh, didn’t notice the little bone there.”
“Don’t touch,” I grumbled. Caden raised his hands in defeat, shaking his head.
“That disgusting thing? Never.”
Handsome as he was- and graceful- he stood up and cleaned off his coat.
“We need to get you to the meds.”
I frowned. I hated hospitals or medical wings more than hell or its inhabitants. But at least I was in a helicopter, away from this maniac. Caden wandered off to the captain, giving orders in his usual calm voice. Some of the cleansing team let themselves down into the hole to get the maniac. I could hear their cursing and sighing because a maniac job was a messy one. My leg was proof. But I drifted out, before we could actually fly off, the darkness welcoming me like an old friend. The nightmares, sadly, too.


*_*_*_*

8.17 pm

“My dear, dear reaper. What exactly happened that you wound up in the same place as your victim?”
He spoke with so fake friendliness, I wanted to puke. Henry Adams was in charge of our sector and looked exactly like a bold rat. Pointy nose, awkwardly thin and tall and incredibly huge eyes with- in comparison- small glasses in front of them. His hair was geld back, his black suit spotless. Because of his pale skin, he almost looked like he was glowing- in a sick kind of way. That was the kind of aristocrats I was dealing with.
It was briefing time. Not my favorite time of the day- like the time between the alarm clock ringing and really being awake. You have to struggle, if you’ll just ditch school and lie back down and sleep, or really getting up, showering and doing your morning business. It wasn’t all that different. I was deciding wether I should slap that man or just stay put, chew on my lip and wait for the conference to be over. It was a tight call.
“I obviously fell down with it.”
I pointed at the broken leg, which the meds didn’t have time to wrap up or smear some magical lotion on. Mr. Adams just frowned. He hated wounds and blood more than he hated me- and that was saying something. Caden and a security guard were on each side next to me, holding me tight. I wasn’t sure if it was because they wanted to steady me or hold me back, if Mister rat did something… unfortunate.
I was known to be patient. But not for very long.
“And why? Did it-“
I cut him off by holding up my leg as good as possible. That Caden had to prevent me from falling over, didn’t stop me to glare at my supervisor. He just sighed. Yeah, it must be so hard for him- all that paperwork, while I got operated on. Poor him.
“Well, then, reaper. Get… fixed and come back when you’re fine again.”
Which means I should come back as soon as the painkillers set in. Now would’ve been the perfect time to rip his throat out, but Caden stroked my hair and whispered something like ‘Not now- your time will come’ in my ear. I smirked at that one.
As soon as the door fell shut behind me, the security guard nodded his good bye and hurried off to the common room, where the TV was running and the scent of macoroni and cheese filled the air. My rescuer though stayed loyal at my side, holding me against him. Not that I had any thing against being pressed against a smoking hot, mysterious reaper, but I wasn’t the cuddling type. With a smile I broke free from his arms and stumbled down the hallway. Caden followed without questioning.
“You know that it’s the other way to the medical wing?”
“I lived here twelve years, Ca. I know.”
Silence. Our steps echoed down the sterile, white corridor. No pictures, no windows. Completely sealed off. That’s how this organization rolles, homies!
“You have to get that leg of yours checked, B.”
“I will, but since the time they messed my eyes, I don’t trust them.”
Caden grumbled, before pulling me to a halt by grabbing my wrist.
“Blake- listen to me. They didn’t mess up your eyes. They gave you sight. We reapers are lost without it.”
“Yeah, well-“ With all my willpower I could manage to bring up, I ripped my arm from his hand, “I didn’t ask for it. At least they asked you, Caden. I never wanted to be… this.”
I gestured to myself. Let’s be honest, folks: I was no better than the maniac they just tagged and were going to kill. This was no second chance, as Satan put it. This was hell on earth. Literally and figuratively speaking. My eyes met his. He had eyes like a stormy sea- always changing, never standing still. Blue and green mixed into one undefined color, leaving me always guessing. I tried to ask him once but it wasn’t a question he was willing to answer. Mine, in contrast, were silver. Pure, metal silver- well, at least one of them was. The right one was a dark brown, almost black. It freaked most of the people out, when I was looking at them, so I wore sunglasses, when I went out. Caden was the one person who could look me in the eyes without flinching- though it had cost him a surprisingly long time to get used to it.
“You are not going to call her, B. She is dangerous and her prices are getting higher every time!”
“So what? It’s not like I need what she wants.”
With that, I spun around and limped towards my room. As always, Caden followed but this time he didn’t break the silence between us.

8.57 pm

“Blood?”
“Check.”
“Bones?”
“Check.”
“Limbs?”
“… Urgh.”
“Check or no check?”
“Check.”
“Teeth?”
“All there.”
“Stop!”
“What?”
“Heart?”
“Mine or the unknown one? Because mine is beating so fast it could easily just run off.”
I scowled at Caden. Pussy.
“The unknown one, which is actually not so unknown. Should I tell you whose it is?”
“Ew, by heavens no! ... But yeah, it’s here.”
I clapped happily. It took a lot to summon my personal doctor but at least I could summon her. I would have been screwed otherwise. All the broken rips, legs, arms and noses would’ve lead otherwise to a significant horrible death.
The circle around me was cornered by four candles representing the four elements fire, water, earth, and air. I was standing in the middle, a bucket brought by Caden to me with all the objects I needed. Then he offered me the torch.
“Sure you want to do it?”
“I’m pretty sure I don’t want to walk around with a broken leg the rest of my life.”
“B- we have trained medicals around here. Your sight can’t be the only thing keeping you from asking them for help.”
No, it wasn’t. They also let my dearest brother die.
“Just give me the damn torch.”
My reaper companion sighed- like the this is a bad idea and it will haunt you kind of sigh. I ignored it. I ignored all of his sighs and until now I was successful doing so. But from Caden’s look I knew he wouldn’t let this topic slide away that easily. Hm, suit yourself.
I grabbed the torch and without big boho or some kind of ridiculous spell let it fall into the bucket. The moment the flames hit the contents they flared up, spitting out ashes and sparks. They illuminated my smiling face. I wrote her name all around the circle, so the devil knew which demon to sent up to me. Caden waited cautiously outside of it, tripping from one foot to another. He seemed nervous, especially when my demon doctor showed up there, where the bucket stood only seconds ago.
“Yessss?”
She was a beauty. A ballerina-like girl, graceful and elegant. Her eyes were of a bright gras-green, her skin as pale as the moon. Full lips were curved into a wicked smile and the blond hair pulled tightly into a ponytail. She always took that form, when I called her, as she reminded me of my rival in high school- before I died.
“Lavia, I need your help.”
I gestured to my hurt leg, which earned an honest snore from the snake demon.
“You know the price.”
Nodding, I held out my palm. Lavia was a demon who fed on blood and life time. As a reaper, you live, like, forever and being able to shorten my life and giving another being pleasure, well, it was better than just getting killed. I heard Caden growl, as the petit demon girl grabbed my hand and dug her pointy teeth into my flesh. I didn’t flinch, even though the pain shot through my body. Her venom spread all over my body, filling me up with a feeling of sickness. It seemed like forever before she let go of me, licking her lips.
“Perfect. Thank you, Blake Heart. Now, let me see that leg.”
She spoke with great effort and with an unusual accent- it sounded a bit like Spanish mixed with French, if that was even possible. Kneeling down, Lavia touched my broken leg. I thought I heard her curse at me under her breath but I couldn’t be sure.
“Mon amour! What did you do, stupid, little child! This leg is almost shattered.”
“Yeah, thanks to your fellow friend the maniac,” I mumbled back. Lavia didn’t hear me- or ignored me. We were both kind of experts on that. Her hands felt cool and smooth on my skin, as she caressed it. With every stroke the pain got less intense until it was fully healed. You always feel reborn after a demon healing- though the demons are sweating and panting. The blond ballerina pushed a few strands of hair out of her face, closing her eyes regretful. It sucked to help out your enemy and believe me- I knew. The flames of the candles dimmed down, my bedroom slowly got darker. Lavia was still illuminated, her skin glowing like the moon behind clouds. Caden was so still in the corner of the room, I was afraid he fainted. He wasn’t that good with demons.
“There you go. As good as new.”
“You can go, then.”
With shimmering eyes, the snake girl looked at me and I knew she wouldn’t go anywhere.
“I want you to pay the debt.”
“What debt?” Caden asked immediately. I could imagine how he narrowed his eyes, clenching his hands at his sides.
“I helped her a few years ago and didn’t collect my… price,” Lavia explained, still looking at me with a wicket grin, “And now she has to pay.”
Sighing, I held out my wrist.
“How much?”
The demon grinned slightly less, the eyes darting between Caden and myself back and forth.
“No life. No blood. I want your help.”
I stayed silent for a split second, before laughing my ass off. Even from the corner of the eye I could see Caden smirking. A demon wanted help from a reaper? Never ever. It wasn’t even possible, because it was in our DNA to hate each other. Asking for help? Reapers would rather go to hell and demons, without a doubt, would eat their own eyeballs before coming to a reaper for help. But as it seemed Lavia still had her eyes and they were filled with anger.
“Are you laughing at me, reaper scum?!”
“No. I’m laughing with you,” I beamed back, barley keeping myself from bursting into a laugh. Again.
The snake narrowed her green, piercing eyes again, chewing on her lip. Blood dripped down her chin and I had to back off by the sight. I hated demon blood. It stank and burned through everything that wasn’t made out of gold.
“Stop making fun of me, little chica. This is serious. Someone- or something is haunting demons in hell and we need the help of a reaper.”
“Who is we?”
“Luzifer and Belzeebub.”
Yeah, not so funny anymore. If the big guys of hell needed help then it was crucial. Caden still chuckled.
“Oh, please! You want to convince me, that the two most known demons of heaven and hell need a reaper’s help? You can’t actually mean it.”
“I do,” Lavia answered directly, now giving him the look. Caden shuddered and clapped his mouth shut. Nobody wants to get the look from a demon. Though Caden should know not to question demons- at least if his name wasn’t Blake Heart.
“So, you want my help. Great. And what do you think I can do?”
“You best discuss that with Luzifer and Belzebub. I’m no messenger.”
And with that, Lavia dissolved into thin air. The candles flared up again, making the contents of my room visible again: the huge bed, the big walk-in closet, the door to the bathroom and the desk with a plain chair in front of it. Oh, and Caden sitting on the floor next to my desk like a statue. I stepped out of the circle without making a sound. You had to wait a while until it was sealed, because if you didn’t really bad stuff happened. Like a nightmare haunting you in your sleep.
With as much tenderness I could bring up I laid my hand on my friends shoulder, squeezing it lightly.
“Hey- you okay?”
He didn’t answer for a whole minute.
“Scary.”
“What did she make you see?”
“My death? If I kept talking.”
“Ouch. She once made me feel like suffocating. That was awful.”
Caden turned his head towards me, as I sat down beside him, hands squeezed between my legs. We stayed silent for a while- he staring at me and me just doing everything but staring at him. He had this one particular gaze- if you looked him too long into his dazzling, beautiful eyes he could make you say whatever he wanted to hear. I always assumed it was another reaper ability but he swore it was just the way he made people feel. Especially girls. Or gays.
“So, you’re going to pay them a visit?”
“I guess.”
“You know,” turning my head towards him, he smiled sheepishly, “I’m not going to let you go down there alone.”
“You’re not my momma,” I scowled. Caden stroked my cheek, before pinching it.
“No- I’m your only friend.”
“I could ask Lyll, Ilana or Feliks.”
“Dead people don’t count, B.”
Too bad. I would totally kick his ass if it were so.

To die or not to die, that is the answer

Midnight was snack time.
Slowly I opened the door to the hall. I heard nothing but in an institution being overlooked by reapers, soul catchers and mist creatures it was fairly often the case that you didn’t. That sadly didn’t mean that we had better eyes. We were just as blind in the dark as a mole in daylight.
Tiptoeing over the cool, marble floor I made my way into the kitchen of this sector. At least the one on this hallway. Turning the lights on, I swayed to the refrigerator. It wasn’t the biggest kitchen we had, but I was plainly too lazy to go to the ground floor just to get myself some warm chocolate pudding. A cold one would do. God, chocolate was a sin. Chocolate pudding? To die for. Probably not only literately speaking from the way the fairy on the top shelf looked back at me. Her breath was blue against the cool fog coming out from the cold inside.
“Hey- didn’t mean to disturb you or anything. I only want to get my pudding.”
“No,” chimed the soft voice of the fragile girl, crossing her tooth-pick arms in front of her chest.
“What do you mean no? I want my pudding.”
“No! It’s bad to eat so late at night and I already ate it.”
“Wait one second…”
I started to massage my temples, hoping for the little fairy she didn’t really say what I think I heard.
“You are telling me, that I can’t eat my pudding, where I even wrote my freakin’ name on, because you ate it?”
The fairy narrowed her eyes, slowly getting the hidden message in my message: I will kill you. You can mess with a lot of my things without me getting really mad- ask Caden. If not, he would be laying six feet under ground for a hell of a long time. But nobody- and I mean no man and no demon and not even an angel- messes with my pudding. So, the fairy did the only right thing: running away. Or flying away, if you can call the nervous flapping with the wings really flying. I watched her go. That would be my one good deed for the day: Not killing that little mischief. The light of her body dimmed away slowly as she made her way out the window. Fairy had blood that glowed which allowed them to see in the dark. But it also made them visible for all their natural and unnatural enemies. That had to suck, because fairies were small- most of the time. There were also big, human-like fairies but they were… not here. I was so glad about that.
Blindly I grabbed something out of the fridge before slamming the door shut and getting myself a spoon. Strawberry yogurt with chocolate pieces. At least it had some unhealthy calories and sugars in it.
It’s not that I was born grumpy- or with an addiction for chocolate pudding. In reality, I could be a perfectly well behaved girl with flowers and ribbons in my hair, skipping around, watching butterflies dance in the wind. Though, since my past is not what some might call normal or peaceful or…, well lovable, I decided to look exactly as my past was: black, moody and shitty. I guess I tried to get attention that way- at least that was the reason before I died- and then undied again. Now, I just thought it matched the image we tried to convey: stay out of our business or we will come to you and make you pay. Don’t forget: we know where your house lives.
Sluggish, I went over to the window shelf, slowly eating my midnight snack. It’s funny, how the institution tried to keep their reapers out of the normal world. Every time we look out of the window, we see nothing. Only the endless black which swallows our fairy tale friends up like a black hole and only the devil knows where it spits them out again. With reapers this little gateway doesn’t work. I once knew a female reaper who tried to escape that way- she haunts my hallway now. Speaking of which…
“Lyll? Would you kindly show up?”
I shoved another spoon full of yogurt in my mouth, pulling my gaze from the blackness. It would make you lose your mind if you stare into it too long.
Seconds passed without any sign of my dear – dead, friend. I waited. She always needed a while to appear in front of people, however this time she managed to manifest rather quickly. I shot her a proud smile.
“What’s up?”
She looked exactly the way she did before she died: brown, wavy hair pulled together in a ponytail, a short jeans skirt and a gray turtleneck. Her legs were covered in black tights and over-knee boots in the same color. All and all, she could be easy found in People magazine than in an organization for getting escaped souls back. I always envied her for her smooth skin, full lips and bright, green eyes with the slight shade of brown. Now, being a ghost and all, not so much. Still, there was her angelic voice which sounded like a sirens call. I always told myself that’s the reason why she had the urge to try out the black void: people who had too much goodness in their life had to pay for it either way. This had been her payment.
“Just need someone to talk to.”
Lyll- short for Lyllian- put her fist against her slim hip and turned her smile upside down.
“Great – you know, I do have things to do. People to haunt, nightmares to spread.”
If I think about it- I guess Lyll was the only ghost who could spread nightmares. Nasty habit. She tried it once with me… well, except it wasn’t really a nightmare for me. Not after I was in hell and I was about to go there again. Yay.
“Yeah, well, I have yogurts to eat, fat to gain.”
Thing about ghosts? They have to obey any order starting with would you kindly. I don’t use it often, because I don’t want to force Lyll to stay with me but I would use it nonetheless.
“So – would you ki-”
“Okay, okay. Don’t say it,” Lyll smiled a bit, swaying over to the window shelf and leaning against the wall, “I’ll stay. But there is a confession in your eyes your modesty doesn’t quite have the craft to cover.”
With all the spare time, Lyllian loves to read Shakespeare, so for her quoting Hamlet was an everyday thing. You just had to get used to it and – most importantly – understand it… which wasn’t the case with me.
“…What?”
Lyll giggled.
“You have to read more, Blake. It will help you seem more educated. Aaaanyway, what I wanted to tell you was that you are hiding something. What do you want to talk with me about?”
Sometimes best friends suck. This wasn’t one of those times. I loved Lyllian for being so understanding, even if she was a ghost floating around. Still, it was hard for me to tell her, I would visit the place I hated and feared the most. Biting on my lip, I set the cup of food down and started fiddling around with my hair. In the past, Lyll would always take my hands in a situation like this, now, it wasn’t possible anymore for her. So instead, she kept looking at me, not pressing me to tell anything. In words. Her gaze said everything.
“I’m going back to hell.”
“Yeah, as if. Okay, the real deal, please.”
“It’s real, alright.”
She stared at me for at least five minutes. Slowly she made felt uncomfortable with her beautiful eyes then she blinked. It was the only silent reaction I would get and so I mentally prepared myself for a big why what where when why?!- reaction. Instead, I got slapped. Well, not really because she couldn’t touch me, but the gesture was enough to make jump and stumble back. Lyll frowned and then sneered. She looked more supernaturally then ever.
“Are you brain damaged, Blake Ever Heart? Did you actually loose your mind?”
Still in shock, I was the one who could stare now. It wasn’t that I really had to say anything- Lyll talked with the intensity of two people.
“I mean because of that place you lost everything. Your family, your brother, your insanity! Like, almost your life- and you want to go back there? Did I miss something? Did hell become Disneyland? Or the world of puppies and puffy clouds? Do they have rainbows and unicorns now? My god, B!”
Seeing her mad made me slowly regret telling her. Not, that she wasn’t right but I mean, pluheeeaas! It was my life. And because of that, it shouldn’t been a surprise I started humming.
“It’s my life, it’s now or never…”
“Blake! Heavens, listen to me.”
I know Lyll would’ve shaken me if she could touch me. Too bad that she was dead.
“I’m listening. Lyll, I have to do it. Something very wrong is going on down there…”
“And that is your concern? Uhm, no. He is down there and from what I’ve heard he can take pretty good care of himself.”
Not answering, I made my way to the trash, dumping my half eaten snack in there. She had pushed a button there, a button that shouldn’t have been available. For anybody. Lyll watched me with bright eyes, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.
“I’m sorry, B. I didn’t want to… you know…”
“It’s okay.”
I waved her off, while pulling my cardigan tighter around me. Suddenly I felt cold and... alone. So very, very alone. My ghost friend frowned. Not saying much, she disappeared in mid air. If it was half past two a.m. she had guard duty- but I was too uninterested to look. With my chin pressed against my chest, I walked out of the kitchen towards my bedroom. It was time, to get some more sleep being full with empty calories and dark memories. The darkness filled the white hallways but the shadows avoided the dim light of the candles on the walls. Under one of those, in front of my room, stood a dark figure. Blond, messy hair and baby blue eyes.
“Watching out for me again, Elias?”
“I am your guardian, B.”
Reapers mostly worked in pairs. One male, one female, because male had a unique power, being able to pin point the location of other supernatural creatures and female reaper could capture their soul. Not that I have learned that skill yet. I was only in my second year of school here, which wasn’t any different from normal high school, only that bullies were much more extreme. Female reapers were immediately identified because of the-mostly- huge shadow following them every where they went, making sure that no one even touched them without they wanting it.
“You didn’t do a very good job at the maniac thing today, though.”
“Well, I had… problems.”
I raised my eyebrow.
“Problems named Gab and Riel?”
Both are the most intense super annoying twins you have ever met. Being immortal only added to their annoyance, because you always had in your mind, that you would be, in the worst-case scenario, stuck with them forever. And forever was a damn long time. We don’t know where they came from, but suddenly, they were and that day is the unofficial dooms day for our organization.
“This time, actually, no. Our deposit box didn’t… depose.”
“How can it not depose? Satan put it there himself. He wants his souls, Elias. That’s-”
“Not impossible. I saw it, B. The maniac soul was there, even after… well, shutting the lit. It looked awful.”
My partner frowned, shutting his eyes, before groaning.
“Really, really… disgusting.”
He shuddered visibly while a sigh escaped his thin lips. I observed him, thinking about how odd the odds were that Caden didn’t become my partner. I mean, you would’ve thought that, being that he was my – living – brff (best reaper friend forever- and that forever was real, not just said, but really meant), they might’ve paired us up. But Caden was to the time of my choice of partner already taken, Mr. Henry Adams shoved me towards Elias, who was in fact reaper number one oh two – one of the first reapers of our generation. It was an honor to work with him, even though sometimes I thought about him in… other ways. Like you think about Chace Crawford or Ed Westwick- you want to have them, possess them. Caden was just super hot. Elias was… rarw. Plainly rarw with a little hrrr on the side.
“How did it look?” I asked him, pulling the door to my room open and leaving it like that, so my partner could follow. Darkness surrounded as soon as Elias closed the door behind him. The only thing that made me sure he was there was his soothing voice.
“Broken. And smashed.”
Souls weren’t light balls or fireflies, buzzing around. Souls looked like your average imagination of a ghost, fully dressed but see through and… with an expression of tiredness in their eyes. If a soul looked broken and smashed they literary were broken and smashed.
“Wow… that’ll keep me awake now.”
“You didn’t plan on sleeping anyway, B. I heard it all from Caden.”
I went very still for a moment. My but found the softness of my bed, my eyes trying to focus on anything, but the darkness swallowed the very last feature and shape.
“Son of a bi-”
“Don’t blame him, I forced him. You can’t really say no if you’re being surrounded by snakes.”
Birds could fly, fish could swim and Elias could draw. Everything his pencil created on paper would come to life- only for a few minutes, but that was a pretty sweet skill. My skill – running fast – was nothing against it. I mean I couldn’t scare people – or reapers – with their hidden fears.
“Yeah, well. They need me down there.”
“You make it sound like a trip to sea world or Disneyland- as if they need a substitute to feed dolphins or wear a Mini Mouse costume.”
“Did you talk to Lyll?” I sneered, but Elias just sat down beside me. At least I hope it was him, because I could totally not handle some weird guy or thing next to me.
“No, I didn’t. Why? Did you say the same thing?”
I grumbled as an answer, letting my head hit my pillow. All I wanted was to sleep and never, ever wake up. I couldn’t help hell do jack if I just kept on sleeping, right? Good plan.
“I’m not letting you go down there, B. Not alone.”
“Ha, wanna come with me?”
“I’m a better partner down there for you than Caden.”
Probably. But I trusted Caden more than Elias. Still, I couldn’t take the risk and put Caden in danger. His partner- a snob who’s name we dare not speak (in my hearing radius)- would totally freak if he came back with even just one scratch.
“So, that’s a yes?”
Elias studied me with a steady gaze, looking at- and I would bet my chocolate pudding on that- and into me, to search for something I couldn’t read in his eyes.
“Yes it is.”
Even though I was sad Caden wouldn’t accompany me to purgatory, I was kind of relieved knowing I had Elias by my side. And he was yummy to have next to me all-the-time. I mean I still wasn’t the cuddling the type but I sure was the snog-with-me-in-the-dark-part-of-the-library-type.
“Why, thank you so much,” I smiled softly into the darkness next to me, assuming he saw it. And he did. His fingers trailed down my chin and I was sure that the most girls in this situation would go for it. Sadly, I wasn’t most of the girls and he wasn’t most of the boys. I mean, he sometimes wore those skinny, black jeans (but not super, gay skinny) where you could see everything if you looked out for it- but nothing. I never saw anything in that particular area when he was with me in one room. Alone. And I wasn’t that ugly (I hope).
“I don’t want anything happening to you, Blake Heart,” he whispered, closing into me, his lips at my ear.
“What would I do without you? There is no better partner, who can run faster from its fears than you. I still want to measure myself with you.”
“And here I thought we had something romantic going on,” I smirked, punching my partner into the stomach. Elias giggled, but stood up rather soon. I wished he could sing me into sleep, as he did after I had nightmares. But my mouth stayed shut, my hands grabbing the blanket and covering up my body.
“See you tomorrow, B.”
“You, too.”
The door opened, but didn’t close. Hesitating, he turned towards me.
“B, you didn’t forget what you have to do, do go down there?”
I didn’t answer. I knew very well what I had to do- what we had to do.
“I just hope you’re up to die. Again.”
With that, the door closed behind him and darkness closed in on me. Elias left me alone. Well, not quite. The nightmares stopped to visit again. It seems, that is doesn’t matter how often you tell them, you don’t like them and you’re just not that into them, they just don’t give up! Even if you cheat on them with the occasional good dreams.
Stubborn bitches.

Monochrome

Sunday- 7.12 am

Sometimes a girl’s gotta do, what a girl’s gotta do. Of course, in the rarest of times that implies getting the drunken ass of a reaper out of bed and into the shower. Oh, what things you do to get to kill yourself- and him.
It’s not like I didn’t know about the drinking problems of my partner. Everybody here does. It’s just I didn’t expect him to get so wasted on the night before we go down to hell. Because the trip down there is so much more frightening with the illusions and weird fantasies of a drunk.
“Elias, get up! We have a painful day ahead of us.”
“Wow, yeah. You really know how to lighten up the mornin’, B.”
I scowled at the thing curled up under the thick blanket, trying to make me leave with not so much helping, but getting me real pissed off answers.
“If you don’t go shower now, I’ll not only lighten up your day, but make you see the bright, white light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Violence is no problem-solv-”
“GET UP!”
I kicked him. I never kicked Elias before. Scratching, punching, snarling, cursing, biting. Yes, yes, yes and yes. But I never planted my boot in his ass before. I wonder why not. It felt good.
With wide eyes my handsome partner creped out from under his blanket to stare at me. Just stare, until he sped into the bathroom when I lifted my foot again.
Soon I heard water flow and a high-pitched scream.
“WHAT THE FACK?!”
“Oh, did I forget to tell you? I used all the warm water this morning, after the second time I came in here. Sorry.”
“I WILL KILL YOU!”
“I know- see you at breakfast.”


7.58 am

“So… when do we have to throw your body into the black void?”
Caden slid his tablet next to mine, before he sat down. His partner- the beauty whose name we do not speak near me- planted her sweet, tight ass across from us. Her blond hair curled up around her, the blue eyes pierced themselves into my forehead.
“Yeah, when will you be dead for good?”
Her voice was the voice of an angel. I hated her. It. Whatever.
“Never? I’m coming back Caden.”
I wanted to touch him, reassure him that he will be able to eat pudding with me again after some time, but the false angel scared me off. He was hers. For real. She loved him more than her Seven for all man kind-jeans. And that’s a statement for a fashionista.
“Too bad.”
“Ade! Stop it with the hatin’, alright? Fer gawds sake. It’s bin twelve months already.”
Haha, cute. Always when Caden got really mad, he couldn’t shake off his Canadian roots.
Right. Twelve month since she first arrived her and the beginning of us being frenemies. Why? Because if worst came to worst we could stick together. Could. Didn’t mean, we would. Always.
“It’s okay, Caden. I try not to let my morning be ruined by such a baby.”
“Says the one, who kicked my ass because I wouldn’t come out of bed. Yeah, so not a baby.”
I turned around and looked at yummy Elias. He was dressed all in black, a milk carton in one hand and a sandwich in the other. He winked at Alison, before sitting down beside her. She just snored and looked away. Yeah, he wasn’t her favorite person, after he dumped her. He said he wasn’t into blond chick with Barbie-complex. She didn’t take it that well- naturally.
“That wasn’t like a baby. That was just a desperate solution made possible by a desperate situation.”
Elias smirked and bit into his sandwich. His motto: more calories now, because only hell knows how much we’re going to get to eat down there. And I am so not putting another raw baked human heart in my mouth ever again (though, to be honest, it tasted a bit like a lasagne- if cheese was melted over it).
Meanwhile, Adelaide punched her scrabbled eggs with her fork, as if she imagined them to be my face. Yuck.
“So, how are you planing on killing yourself?”
My partner grinned at my best friend, before answering.
“Well, I’m gonna kill B and she’s gonna kill me. Like you see in all the Holldywood-showdown thrillers: Guns, dramatic music- Blake chose the music from Requiem- farewell words which will make your eyes water.”
Caden stared at him for a few seconds then he turned to me, pleading with his eyes.
“Relax, Caden. Yes, we have guns, but no Hollywood-kind of stuff.”
Except for my iPod in the stereo, playing Céline Dion so loud, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will want to jump from their yacht into the sea.
He seemed relieved then. His partner, strangely, too.
“Did you tell Mr. Adams about it?”
Her high-pitched voice sounded mean. Like a devil trapped in an angel body. I just stared at her, because she knew very well that I didn’t tell the man in charge about my reckless plan. To be fair, I didn’t even come near him since the day before yesterday, where he basically called me stupid for fall into my own hole.
“Sure. And he gave me his okay. Afterwards, we went shopping and he bought me this gorgeous dress in pink from Karen Millen- size four, actually, and-“
“Liar,” Adelaide sneered, her eyes narrowed, “you are a size six. Or was it eight? And Karen Millen? Please. You wouldn’t even look glamorous if you were wearing a tiara.”
Stupid size zero.
“Yeah, that’s the lying part,” I just replied stubborn, even though it was the stupidest come back line ever.
She just gave me the hint of a nasty smile, before standing up, her full breakfast still on her tablet.
“Well, I hope I’ll never see you two again-“ though she only looked at me, giving me a stinky eye -“Farewell.”
And with that she emerged from the aula, dumping her food in the bin next to the big doors. We all watched her leave, because it was always fascinating how Adelaide could make perfectly normal steps look light footed and elegant.
“I guess I have to be going, too.”
It was sigh of defeat Caden shared with us, not at all looking like he really wanted to go after her.
“You could stay,” I tried, but knew it was hopeless. Caden was a puppy, following who ever had charge over him. At the maniac mission, it was me and now it was Adelaide. So, he only shook his head, giving me a small grin.
“I’ll catch you later.”
“See ya.”
We hugged each other quick- but hard- and let go, before either one of us could cry.
Elias stayed silent until Caden had left the room, focusing on his meal. I wasn’t even hungry anymore, thinking about how I really was a size six (sometimes even size eight). Or at least I told myself it was for that reason, because honestly? I was too damn, freaking nervous to eat anything. But if Elias knew how I felt he would immediately make me back out of my decision. I mean, he already drunk himself to sleep and almost past up on breakfast. That wasn’t the Yes, let’s! – attitude I was hoping for.
“So, when are going to do this thing?”
“You don’t have to. Mr. Adams will kill you, if you come with me. After all you aren’t on his good side after the Catrion-mission last month.”
My partner frowned. Exactly 57 days ago he screwed up a mission two- one level higher than mine yesterday with the maniac. He had to catch a demon cat. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the details, but it is said that Elias didn’t only get himself some nice scars but the cat would only quick japing if he… well, did stuff. I could only let my imagination go so far, but apparently it was quite something.
“Yeah, well, Mr. A has a stick in his ass and I don’t give a damn. In school, they tell us to stick with our partner. Always. And that’s exactly what I plan on doin’.”
Too bad plans always went the other direction than you want them to go.

*_*_*_*

10.33 am

School is always never more than two-five hours a day. In the beginning, you have to learn how to capture hell spawns, to use your abilities, stuff like that. Afterwards, you get trained with weapons, knowing the different types of demons and killing them. Of course, I myself aren’t quite ready yet. I’m in my last year of reaperhood and after that, I can get transferred to another head quarter, because I’m slowly getting sick of L.A. In other countries, people don’t have to work Sundays. Like Germany. But not for America. Not for the land of hope and dreams, where you have to work your ass off for nothing. Except being nagged at for falling into your own hole. The good thing, though, about working on Sundays, too, is that it also applies to the teachers. They had to be in the school-section of our… building (?- but was it? I mean I didn’t even know where this thing was, yet alone how freaking big it was. How could I? I don’t run marathons through this thing- jeez. I bet I would get lost sooner or later), sitting around, waiting for questions. Of course, no student sane enough would go here on a Sunday.
I had never been sane.
Not since….
“Good morning, Mrs. Ray.”
A young woman looked up from her book, flashing perfectly white teeth at me. I know, you read it often in novels. The perfect woman with perfect white teeth blah blah blah. To be honest: nobody has really white teeth. None. Not even compared to something really dirty do our teeth look as white as in a tooth paste commercial. Never going to happen. So if I say perfectly white I mean, whiter than the usual teeth.
Her brown, wavy hair was pulled back but some strains still broke free, framing her face. If they caught the light coming from the petroleum lamp on her table, they seemed to shimmer in red and violet. Mrs. Ray was my favorite teacher. Not only because she almost hated Adelaide as much as I did, but also because she was always relaxed and cool about every subject. Even intercourse or other…. Things. (Blowjobs, vibrator, S&M, calories, being fat (or slim) and not wanting to read the classic novel form Jane Austen). Thing was, she was seriously as small as a child at ten. I think, that came hand in hand with her ability to float, because small people weight less than tall beings. She became a reaper 234 years ago. Yeah, we don’t age. Not that fast and sometimes it seems- not at all. But to be frank, we never get a reaper over thirty. I guess, those just… go to heaven. Or hell. Who knew? Maybe I should ask that sometime…
“My lovely Blake. You look awfully tired. Did something bother you, my dear?”
I rubbed over one eye, then yawning. I always did that if somebody tells me I’m looking tired- like I had to proof that yes, in fact, I could fall asleep just standing in front of them.
“Well, yes. I wanted to ask you something.”
She motioned me with her manicured hand to sit, closing her book. As she put it on the table I could read the author and almost had to smile. Shakespeare- The Tempest. I bet, Lyll would love to spy on her sooner or later.
“I…”
Unsure, I stepped towards the chair the shoved towards me with her tiny foot, not sure if I wanted to sit. If I were to sit, I couldn’t get up fast enough to defend myself if you tried to kill me. That happened one time (right before my eyes) and since then, I never really trusted teachers when they asked if they could have a word with you. Of course, that reaper teacher was exterminated(and by that I mean killed. Yes, we kill our own kind around here. Either your sane or you hide your insanity well. Like me).
But because it was Mrs. Ray, and I trusted her more than Mr. Adam, I sat down, crossing my legs nervously.
“I wanted to know…” I swallowed hard, her watchful blue eyes steady on me, “well, because of… hell and stuff. Like, if you visit- as a reaper- h-how long can you stay away, before… like…”
“Blake.”
She said my name as if she was disappointed- or a mother starting a lecture on her child, because it forgot that- yes- if you live at the beach and feed the seagulls of your porch they will come back even more and even quicker.
“Is this about your brother again?”
I looked up from my lap, confused.
“What? No! I just wanted to know…”
But I was as if the petite little woman had to little ears to hear me.
“We talked about his. Cyril is gone. Down there- and he will most likely not show up ever again, Blake… sweat heart, you must understand something, okay? If a reaper goes down to hell and… stays down there for too long, he won’t come back.”
As it seems, Mrs. Ray didn’t know everything. Because as reality wants it, reapers do come back. But changed. I closed my eyes, remembering my brother. Trying to find an image in my head where he didn’t look… so different. I couldn’t. Too long had it been since the time we were together. Always. My twin brother and me. I could feel his heart beating in my hand, his eyes opened, dead. Looking at me, judging. My tears falling on his cheeks, making it look like he were crying too.
“I know,” I said through greeted teeth, opening my eyes real slow. The teacher for hell-o-logie watched me carefully with raised eyebrows.
“How long?”
“Blake-”
“Just tell me: For how long can a reaper stay down there?”
Mrs. Ray hesitated, before sighing in defeat. She covered her face, while talking, as if the muffled words would be any less informative for me.
“Humans can’t last down there- ever. If a human gets down there, demons would rip him in peaces almost immediately. Even human souls would turn into spawns after a day or two. Except if they’re spotted from a soldier and brought to one of the officials. That rarely happens.
But reapers- we’re no humans. We don’t have souls to take, to enslave or torture. We can last a month- tops.”
A month in hell meant a week here- in the real world.
Four weeks.
One month.
She let her hands fall from her face, her eyes filled with desperation. She knew what I was up to. I didn’t know how, but Mrs. Ray knew and she didn’t approve of it at all. Manly, I like to hope so, because she was scared.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Blake. I beg you.”
“Heh, don’t worry, Mrs. Ray. You’ll have your essay about level three demons on your desk by next week.”

12.01 pm

Elias was already waiting for me in front of the ritual room, arms crossed before his chest, eyes closed. He wore his usual stuff, hair more messy. Caden and Adelaide were there too, but only because I begged my best friend to stay on watch and prevent every reaper to enter the room, while Elias and I killed each other. That his partner was there only meant one thing: she was here out of glee.
I put my hand on the shoulder of my partner, looking straight at Caden.
“Thanks.”
He just shrugged. When ever he thought I was doing something stupid (which was often) he gave me the silent treatment. It killed be, especially because I wanted to hear his voice a last time, before I disappeared for seven months.
“We’ll be back at the latest in one months.”
“One …- How do you expect us to keep you covered for so long?”
It was Adelaide talking, while Elias gracefully moved towards the door and opened it with a key he had drawn. So cool to have him as a partner.
“You’re a smart Barbie- think of something.”
“I’ll just say, I choked you into a coma,” the blonde sneered, Caden holding her back by her shoulders- or else I might have scratch marks in my face right now. I peered at him, but his eyes were focused on his partner. I never felt this bad in my whole life.
“Come on- before somebody catches us.”
Elias poked his head out of the darkness of the room then the shadows swallowed his features again. Without looking back, I emerged the room, hands stuffed deep into my pockets. As the door closed behind me, I could feel Caden’s eyes on me.
“Here.”
A gun came flying at me, landing- after slithering on the floor- at my feet. Elias smirked.
“So… got the music?”
I pulled my iPod from my jacket pocked and hold it up, so he could see it. Then I played the play button.
“Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on…”
“I think I’ll just die of ear cancer right now.”
“Hey- the lyrics really say something.”
My face reddened, because he didn’t know I thought about him, when Céline sings: Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you. There was a reason I got the song started not in the beginning.
“Yeah… some one understand girls.”
The Elias aimed his gun at my heart. He looked to serious in the dim light of the room, the magical signs covering the walls, ceiling and floor while the smell of typical mystical herbs swayed in the air. His blond hair fell before his left eye but I guess he only needed one to shoot a bullet in my chest.
“Seven months.”
“One week.”
“You always were the optimistic one,” my partner said, trying to sound confident. I bet his jeans pockets were filled with shot bottles.
“If it were so, we’re screwed.”
Then I grabbed the gun from the ground and weighted it in my hand. It felt familiar. Too familiar.
“On the count of three?”
I swallowed. Aimed.

“Once more, you open the door…”

His finger was on the trigger. Slowly pressing. I did the same.
“One,” he crocked, his voice shaking.
I’ll come back, Caden.

“And you’re here in my heart…”

I promise. Like I always come back.
“Two.”

“And my heart will go on…”

Like Cyril came back?

Pulling the trigger. A loud sound- bang. The bullet ripping through the air. Our eyes meeting. Steady. He smiled, slightly. Not watching the bullet. So fast. Then closed his eyes.

“And on…”

“Three,” I whispered, looking straight at Elias before the bullet hit me, slamming me to the ground. Pain rushed over my body like a huge wave, covering me. The gun fell out of my hand, sliding away. I heard my partner fall too, both of us lying on the floor in the circle of death.

And then everything went black and white.

Welcome to Hell

Day one

My heart ached, my head pounded. I didn’t want to open my eyes, didn’t want to see it.
Everything black and white.
Hell isn’t loaded with fire, isn’t a city built on mountains. It was Los Angeles featuring Wonderland gone bad- all black and white. Drained out of color- cold, gray.
Someone moaned to my right. The only noise. Slowly I peered through my eyelids, looking straight at the black sky. No clouds, no stars.
No moon.
Elias rolled from his side on his back, covering his left eye.
“You shot me,” I huffed, “in the eye? Really?”
I couldn’t answer. Time went by so slowly. Reapers, humans- we were used to time running fast. Here, it was like walking, moving, speaking with humus and glue covering you. In slow motion, I pulled myself into a sitting position. We were still in color, but it drained quickly. Too fast.
“We… should get going,” I mumbled, rubbing my left chest. He shot me in the heart. Directly. I frowned. Maybe I should’ve told him that…-
“Sure, lead the way.”
Elias hived himself up, even faster than I had expected from him. I had thought, because it was his first trip down here, he would have a hard time to get used to everything.
Maybe I underestimated him.
He held his hand out towards me and I took it. With one swing he brought me on my shaky legs, steadying me.
“And I thought you are the expert.”
I gritted my teeth. He pushed a button there. So I shoved him away and tried out, how fast I could walk, before needing to stop. It was quiet a bit. I even jumped up and down some more while Elias watched me with an amused look in his dead, dull eyes. Nothing down here seemed living.
“Ready?”
Did he really need to ask?

Our feet made no sound. Silent like cats we strode through down town purgatory, meeting no hell spawn, no demon. Nothing.
You have to know, there are difference between spawns and demons. Oh, you already knew? Well, buckle up, because I’m gonna tell y’all again.
Level one hell spawn: manicas. They’re the easy one, even a first grade reaper could handle. Nasty sometimes (my leg is proof), but no big deal to catch.
Level two hell spawn: catrions. Demon cats. Fond of anything small, living and… male. Manageable, but exhausting.
Level three hell spawn: Dreammares. They invade your dreams and kill you off while you’re sleeping. Really nasty and deadly. It’s hard to control a dream that’s trying to rip your throat out.
Level four hell spawn: - Never met one, never will. Never want to, actually. Adult reapers take care of these bad guys.
Level five hell spawn: - - - - No comment.

And then there are demons. You see, hell spawns are souls who escaped hell. Demons are fallen angels or Satan created creatures who come to earth through a ritual or- the really powerful ones- can just pop out whenever they want to. They look like humans, all fleshy and stuff, but they’re eyes are always gold.
The devil’s color.

And usually, all of the demons are loud, stomping on the ground and enjoying their life of drinking whatever- whenever they want to and never getting drunk, while the poor souls have to slave them, get tortured or do other unspeakable things to regain their status to- maybe- go to heaven or visit the paradise. Yeah, paradise mentioned in the bible was in hell- or it became hell? Something like that. Never listened to Mr. James on Monday mornings.
“So… B?”
“Hm?”
“When is your lady friend coming? Because it’s really exhausting walking around, getting paler and to not have a clue to where we’re going.”
I agreed, but didn’t want to remind him that Lavia never gave me a place to meet- or time, for that matter. I just assumed, she’ll find us. Which she did, after Elias found a full bottle of wine in the corner of a house. Yeah, demons have their booze everywhere.
He took a good swing from it, grinning like the Cheshire cat afterwards.
“My god this is good.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I reminded him, as a petite girl suddenly appeared directly in front of me. She looked rather annoyed, her eyes narrowed.
“You sure took your time, reaper girly.”
“Yeah, well. Here we are. Be grateful.”
I stretched my arms out, indicating my welcome, ignoring my drinking partner. Lavia didn’t.
“Where is the scared boy?” she asked, liking her lips. Demons fed of fear and lust. Caden had a lot fear to give when he say something more powerful than a hell spawn level two.
“Not here.”
The snake demon almost let the disappointment wash over her features, but she caught herself early enough. So, she just sighed and put her hand against the wall behind her.
“Hold your breath, close your eyes and don’t let go of my hands. Understand?”
Elias set the bottle one last time to his lips then grabbed the hand Lavia was holding out to him. The bottle fell silently to the ground.
“Yes.”
But he shot me an uncertain look. I shrugged, not wanting him to see my nervousness, as I took the snake girls hand. The ballerina smiled a wicket smile as she opened a portal. Demon magic. Of course, the bad guys always get the most efficient powers. Where her fingers had touched the cool stone of the wall was a dark hole, the edges a bit fizzy as if you drank too much. I’m sure for Elias it was a normal sight. Without hesitating she stepped into the wall, pulling us behind her.

My legs were already gray. I felt the color being drained out of me while my partner seemed perfectly… colorful. The throne room had a high ceiling, was wide and empty- except from the huge chair at the end of the chamber. On it sat demon officer Belzeebub with a huge grin and sparkling golden eyes. Behind him stood the one person I didn’t want to see. Ever again. I knew Elias saw him too, because he chocked next to me. Lavia stepped forward, kneeling down on the floor with a bowed head.
“Master… I brought the reapers you asked for.”
The demon nodded once. He looked like a young Georg Clooney- with ram horns, golden crocodiles eyes and tanned skin. He had a human upper body, but bull legs, covered in red fur. After waving his hand (Lavia took as her cue to leave), he focused his gaze on me.
“Blake Yves Heart- it has been a long time.”
My sight drifted off to the boy standing behind Belzeebub. Too long. What eye color did he have back then? Brown? Or was it green with a slight gray touch? And his hair? A picture showed his black curls, different from mine. They caressed his cheek, his arms holding me tight against his body. We were at the beach, the sun burning, the waves tickling our toes and seagulls singing their songs over our heads. Summer where we were still alive. Our last vacation together.
“Is that…?” Elias crocked, knowing what happened to me- to him.
My twin brother.
“Yes. That’s Cyril.”
Confusion filled the big, round eyes of my partner before he swallowed.
“Holy shit on a stick!”
“Are you done down there? We have business to attend to,” Belzeebub barked, folding his hands over his flat stomach.
“We apologize, Master Belzeebub,” I mumbled, bowing slightly. Elias followed my example, still baffled. I’m sure he was thinking nonstop about what a reaper did in hell- after such a long time and being declared as dead. Gone. Missing.
“What do you want form us?”
Young Georg sighed. Then he clapped his hands, Cyril standing perfectly still at his side.
“My dear slave- bring our guest some tea, will you?”
He reached out for my brother, touching his arm. His fingertips trailed down, locking in with some of his fingers. I went real stiff, pressing my lips together. How dare he…! But Cyril belonged to him and it was my fault. Because of me he had to be down here, spineless. Not even showing one emotion, my brother with his full lips, high cheek bones and slender body turned around and walked away. There had to be a door behind the huge throne because after two seconds his foot steps weren’t heard.
Still, the demon waited a few moments, before looking back at me. Seeing me all cramped, he couldn’t help himself but grin.
“Feeling guilty?”
If he only knew.
I gritted my teeth.
“Guilty? Why?”
Elias raised his head. Something flashed inside Belzeebub’s eyes, as if he planned something glorious. Slowly, he stood up and walked down the wide stairs. With every step my partner scooted more towards me. Maybe I got things confused, but didn’t boys protect the girls? Or were woman so established into society they rescued themselves now from the high towers?
“Didn’t little Blake Heart tell you? Nah, nah, nah. Then I shall fill you in.”
“Don’t you dare,” I sneered, but demons rarely listen to a reaper or pretend to. Demon officers didn’t even do that.
“Oh, but I do,” Belzeebub grinned, standing now at the foot of the stairs, before his gaze focused on my blond hot reaper friend.
“You know, before Blake chose to wear only black and Cyril becoming my personal… slave, they were both reapers. Good ones- even the best in school. But then something happened. On a level one hell spawn mission a demon crossed their paths and killed Cyril. He would’ve been lost but Blake wouldn’t excepted it. So, she came down here, begging me for his life. I told her, the only way she could restore her brother’s life was to go to the wish-dealer. And so she did. The price was high: Her heart against her brother’s life. You know- seeming her brother is alive- what she did, right?”
Elias just stared at me, wide-eyed and shocked.
“She… gave him her heart?” He whispered. I was too embarrassed to look at him, so I stared at my feet.
“Right. But wishing and dreaming are dangerous things. The dealer tricked her. Cyril lives, yes. Her heart is beating inside of his chest, but he only lives down here- never in your world.”
“But with no heart, Blake could die down here! No soul, no heart…”
My legs, gray. It creped towards my fingers, pulling the color out of them. Dull and cold. Black and White. Dead. Elias’ eyes swayed to his hands and then to mine. Then he realized the huge difference, sucking in the breath. Belzeebub laughed.
“Well, well. As it seems you’ll have a lot to talk about after I tell you my request.”
Elias seemed blank. He wasn’t listening and I couldn’t be sure that he even saw me gazing upon him. So, I had to handle this alone.
“Start talking, big man,” I spat. How dare he?! Really? Belzeebub raised one eyebrow, but proceeded still with the grin on his lips. His eyes, though, looked troubled.
“Well… we are loosing souls. More and more.”
The master of fire frowned.
“Satan doesn’t know why, neither does Luzifer- or me, for that matter. Our troops are getting weaker and we can’t defend ourselves anymore.”
“Against… who?”
Belzeebub’s eyes seemed to glow red in the dim light of the throne room.
“Heaven.”
At the sound of that word, Elias snapped out of it, blinking a few times.
“So, good versus evil?”
He seemed to challenge the master demon with his gaze, aching one eyebrow up. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised his head a bit to come across more superior.
“Yes, exactly. We’re trying to keep everything at a balance, reaper. There has to be good and evil at a certain rate but I guess somebody like you wouldn’t understand. You just follow like good little doggies.”
Elias grunted. I felt for him, really, but because I knew Belzeebub was more or less right… I mean, we did follow like sheep. Mr. Adam organized everything and we accepted it. Maybe we should try questioning what we did and for who we did it.
“So you think Heaven is trying to… well, take over?”
The bull man smirked.
“Yes. If you want to put it that bluntly. And I want from you to fix it. It is, mainly, your fault anyway Blake Heart.”
“What is he talking about, B?”
My partner eyed me suspicious.
“Another thing you two can talk about! It’s going to be a long night.”
“What do I have to do?” I asked further, ignoring Elias burning stare.
Belzeebub bent down to be on my eye level, his eyes shimmering and sparkling. Never a good sign by demons. His thin lips curled up to another smirk, his hair framing his gorgeous face perfectly. With his beauty he reminded me of Adelaide. They would be a perfect couple and furthermore she wouldn’t annoy Caden so much. Funny, but I always had the feeling I needed to protect that lonely reaper.
“You have to go through the Death Trials.”
“A-ha? And afterwards?”
“Well, well. Thinking optimistic, are we?”
I narrowed my eyes. He laughed it off, shaking his head and almost killing me with those big horns on his head.
“Then you are going against heaven?”
“Why do we have to go through the trials?” Elias snored.
The demon sighed, breaking the eye contact with me to look at my partner. I had the feeling he wanted to burn Elias alive with his gaze.
“Why don’t you find that out by yourself?”
An early feeling crept up inside of me. Maybe I was a fortune-teller, but I think it wasn’t a good sign if a demon – always waiting for a moment to be gleeful – didn’t want to share bad news with others.

Later that evening (let’s call it that, because you sure lose track of time down here) a servant of Belzeebub brought us to our room, barking that we should be ready in a short time for dinner. Barking, because he was a werewolf.
“Well?”
Elias was silent the whole walk through the hallways and stayed that way until he sat down on our king sized bed, folding his arms. His eyebrow was raised, his lips shut tightly. He sure didn’t look like playing games or sarcasm. Too bad, I always love to tell my fairy tale gone bad with a hint of a joke. It was less painful then.
“What do you want to know?”
“Like… everything? Is that possible or you just wanna lie some more?”
He was hurt. I could see it in his eyes and the atmosphere was so tense I could barley move. Swallowing hard I started to massage my fingers – a habit I grew fond of over the past ten years when I felt nervous. Or got caught in a lie (that happened to me a lot – still does).

(to be continued... -dramatic music playing in background-)

Impressum

Texte: Jonsie
Bildmaterialien: Senju-HiMe
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.04.2012

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