Short Stories

The Day The Boy Died

No one really knew what happened the day Reaper died. The world seemed to fall apart and rebuild itself in a flash. Everyone felt something wrong, but only the gods knew where to find the answer.

To their shock, they found his body on the ground, his daughter standing above him with his scythe, grinning. Space took action and restrained her. His order still rings through their heads; Don't let Cupid see this.

Flame was called and took over Reaper's position. He was furious. He took the work and helped stabilize the powers as best he could. Cupid never got to see the body since no one knows what she would have done if she did.

Space knew it was a matter of time until something like this would happen, and he was terrified though he would never say it. He was tasked with interrogating Sally.

"What happened? Why did you do it?" Space asks as more of a demand.

"He got what he deserved. If he were around, he would say the same thing."

"Begin from the start. What happened." Space glares at the still grinning Sally.

She begins with a laugh as she regales the tale of murdering her father.

Reaper and Sally never had the best relationship, and her mother's death was the final straw. Reaper could never help it, but he neglected his kids quite often. Never on purpose since he loved them with everything he had. He was just consumed by his work, though that is no real excuse. He didn't have time to be with them, and that infuriated Sally. Her mother did her best to make up for it, but she couldn't undo the damage. Their fights never did help. It was as if they needed to argue about everything. Reaper hated seeing the hatred in her eyes and the spite in her voice. He did his best to patch things up, but it was too late. She was consumed by bitterness and misery. Slowly with the help of a few books, she learned to turn that fury into a power far beyond imagination. She drew that power for two hundred years, honing and preparing it. Even she knew it would be difficult to kill a god. It would destroy her if she lost focus at any point. Luckily, hatred was an easy emotion to manipulate. She started wars and gave humanity an easier way to destroy itself. She enjoyed her work and quickly became known as the Goddess of Hatred, at least among the humans. Reaper was told of her work and invited her into his home. He wanted her to become an official god, but she would have to dial the destroying humanity thing down a bit. She snapped. She adored the humans' hatred. It was her escape.

She cruelly laughed at Reaper's request. No god could kill her. She had become overwhelmingly powerful.

So she said, but one thing no mortal book contains is the easiest way to kill a god. Only the child, adoptive or genetic, with the powers of that god, could kill the one currently wielding that power. His response made her laugh, her brother was too shy to take the power. Reaper smiled, she had no idea about Flame. His smile only made her anger worse. She blasted him into a wall and picked up his scythe, her heart depleted from her harbored hatred. Misery surrounds her as kept souls slowly dissipate, she raises the scythe, ready to strike. His final words scream in her soul.

"My powers release to the child you will never get to know."

He grins as she plunges the scythe right through his head, no blood, no guts, just a spark of darkness and a collapsed body. She laughs coldly, a pang of regret fills her heart as she sobs through laughter, that same grin gracing her face.

"....You are to be executed." Space says, his facial expression unreadable, but his posture speaks of pity for the child.

"How? My brother would never-"

Flame walks in wearing his late father's cloak.

"This is the one time I will enjoy an execution." His voice holds no tone, his face hidden by the cloak.

Space lowers his head and leaves, not wanting to see this.

Chop.