Silence.
Grim cleared his throat a bit, beads of sweat forming on his face.
"Well. . I think I might just tell you tomorrow." He explained.
"Why?" She asked, looking at him quizzically.
"Reasons." Grim muttered.
Luckily, Allison didn't question him any further. He'd look outside, only to see it was already in the middle of the afternoon. He'd look down at the music box, and pick it up.
"Do you want me to play your music box for you, Allison. . ?" Grim asked.
The child smiled at him. ". . You called me by my name." She said.
"Well, I guess--- I mean I suppose I did." He muttered.
Ally nodded, before Grim began to slowly wind up her music box. Yawning, Allison once again rested her head in his lap, as Grim began to hum a tune. He could have sworn he saw every muscle in her body relax as the child drifted off to sleep.
Grim tucked her in, pulling the blanket just over her shoulders and nestling the music box under her arm.
"Sweet dreams. . Allison."
Grim returned the next day, as usual. He was more nervous than before, as it was the final day. He knew she wouldn't take this news well at all.
"So, what were you going to tell me?"
Grim cleared his throat silently, straightening his posture.
"Allison---"
"Ally, you can call me Ally." She responded, cutting him off.
"Right. Anyway. . Ally," Grim began, "Do you know what the Grim Reaper does?"
"He. . Takes souls?" Ally said, unsure if her answer was correct.
"You are partially correct. I send them to the afterlife as well; sometimes, souls even have to spend time in my purgatory for a couple thousand years before they can move onto either Hell or Heaven." He stated.
"And you are. ." Grim stopped. He was silent; though he tried to say what he meant, he found himself unable to. He was tongue-tied.
Ally suddenly froze up. She sat straight up.
"A-Am I going to die?"
He swallowed hard, but muttered a sound of confirmation. Allison suddenly jerked up, staring at him.
"Grim, please! I don't want to die!" She cried out. Grim felt awful, until he felt terrified as the heart rate monitor went through the roof. Eventually, it was to the point the child was screaming, nurses and doctors in the room as they tried to restrain her. Grim quickly grabbed the music box; they couldn't see him.
"Nurse, get the sedative!" One of them ordered.
Grim silently touched a hand to Allison's forehead.
As the sedative went in her arm, Grim cranked the music box.
His palm slightly glowed, while Ally was beginning to go limp. Her heart rate decreased.
Until all was silent.
Grim was caught off guard as the floor cracked beneath him, glowing white light emitting from the abyss. He shouted in surprise, grabbing the music box as he descended into the depths.
Until he finally landed with a hard thud, as everything went dark.
YOU ARE READING
''||Ｒｕｎｎｉｎｇ Ｉｎ Ｌｉｍｂｏ．||''
Spiritual"Grim, where are we?" The ground was cold, coated thickly with dead grass, practically burned to a crisp. The trees around him were all dead, yet on them grew leaves just as dark as their bark. ". . Dear child, where we are is not a safe place." "Wh...
