SOUL REAPERS

Captain Tomboy 1

No one loved themselves more than Captain Tomboy. She spent ten to twenty minutes every day staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, telling herself she was the most handsome person in the universe. With her heart-shaped face, wide nose, plump lips, and tall and thick body, most soul reapers considered her the most beautiful sorcerer in Dar Es Salaam.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the handsomest of them all?" Captain Tomboy brushed her short platinum-blonde hair to the left, revealing the shaved right side. The tattoos on her neck stuck out of her dashiki's collar, and the folded long sleeves revealed more on her arms. "I am." She winked at her reflection.

She walked out of the bathroom and went downstairs, having called a meeting thirty minutes earlier. Arriving outside the meeting room, she heard chatter coming from inside. The squad hated silence, always arguing and fighting over unhandsome things.

Pressing her ear against the door, Rocky and Bow's voices stood out from the rest. Rocky always took offense at the fact the other members weren't superstars like her or even tried to be, and Bow loved making fun of Rocky's height. The two teenagers were the definition of insanity and unhandsomeness.

Captain Tomboy sighed. "I've dealt with worse."

As the youngest child of the Ukweni Family, she had seen ugly fights between her siblings and parents. Expectations were high. Life was a bitch. Most of her brothers and sisters couldn't deal with the goals their parents had set for them. In the end, she was the only one who followed in their footsteps and became a soul reaper—much to their disappointment—while her siblings pursued other careers, even though they had scythe-shaped birthmarks.

Captain Tomboy slapped herself a few times, chasing away the thoughts of her overbearing parents and the need to impress them even after they made it clear she wasn't good enough and they'd never love her for who she was.

Reaching for the doorknob, she opened the door, and the coldness from the air conditioner prickled her exposed skin. The chatter ceased, and the squad members turned to her while sitting around an oval wooden table.

Ransom stood, and the others followed. "Welcome, Captain," he said.

"Thank you, Ransom." She touched his shoulder. "How was your night out?"

"Uneventful."

"Still no answers from the revenants?"

Ransom glanced at Ghost, then back at her. "None."

She groaned. "Keep trying. One of them is bound to know."

"I will."

Captain Tomboy took her seat at the end of the table.

The Smiling Jokers comprised fifteen members, wearing their DRA uniforms with approved customizations. Seven members sat on each side, while Ransom—the Vice-Captain—sat opposite her.

To her right were Pastor, Gum, Accent, Diva, Pom-Pom, Lollipop, and Bow.

To her left were Ghost, Babe, Tank, Zoo, Season, Calendar, and Rocky.

As one of three soul reaper squads in Dar Es Salaam, the Smiling Jokers protected the Ilala District.

"I have an announcement," Captain Tomboy said.

The members started chatting amongst themselves. She hated meetings because of this. Instead of listening to what she had to say, they dove into theories about what the announcement might be about and its implications.

Pastor smacked the table, getting everyone's attention. "My Captain hasn't finished talking."

"Thank you, Pastor."

"Anything for you, My Captain."

"Aww." Captain Tomboy placed her hand on her chest. "May the grim reapers bless your handsome heart."

Tears welled in Pastor's eyes. "Thank you, My Captain. May they bless yours as well."

Diva coughed. "Kiss ass."

Pastor turned to him. "I heard you."

"I know."

"May the grim reapers smite you with their strongest lightning."

Diva played with the ring on his lower lip. "They won't. I'm their favorite."

"Favorite sinner."

"We're all sinners, Pastor. You're just too blind to see it in yourself."

Pastor gasped. "I do a lot of things: I pray, I worship, and I praise the grim reapers. I don't sin."

Diva pointed at him while smiling. "You just did. You lied."

Pastor covered his mouth with his hands, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Can I speak now?" Captain Tomboy asked with a furrowed brow. When no one said anything, she continued. "Your handsome captain is leaving tomorrow."

"Where are you going, Handsome Captain?" Rocky asked.

Captain Tomboy smiled. "Superstar Rocky, that's a good question."

Rocky and Captain Tomboy smiled at each other, their compliments seeming to have satisfied their big egos.

Captain Tomboy continued. "Revenant attacks have increased all over the country. The number of attacks from six-eyed revenants is higher than ever. Regional representatives are gathering in Arusha to discuss how to move forward, and Meister Draco has asked me to represent Dar Es Salaam."

"For how long will you be gone, Handsome Captain?" Rocky asked.

"Stop being an ass kisser, shorty," Bow said.

"I'm not a shorty. I'm a superstar."

"May the grim reapers have mercy on your souls," Pastor told Rocky and Bow. He reached inside his jacket's inner pocket, took out a Grim Reaper Bible, and placed it against his chest. Whenever someone did or said something he didn't like, he opened the holy book and read a verse to them.

"I'll be gone the whole weekend. Don't call me. Don't text me. If you need anything, ask Ransom." Protests filled the room. "I know he's not the most approachable person in the world, nor is he as handsome as me. Still, he's your Vice-Captain. Don't let the glare in his eyes and the frown on his face scare you."

Everyone turned to Ransom. He glared at them. They gulped before facing Captain Tomboy.

"If he can be friends with Ghost, then you guys can befriend him too. Don't act unhandsomely around him." She went to school with Ransom, both graduating from Dar Es Salaam Soul Reaper Academy in the same year. He was a good man. Cold at times, but he meant well.

"Ghost and Ransom are friends because they're both scary. It doesn't count," Zoo said while staring at the tiny lion doll in his hands. Because of his allergy to animals, he couldn't have a pet. He spent his free time collecting animal toys.

"Do you know who'll represent Arusha?" Babe asked with a playful smile. She knew how to get under Captain Tomboy's skin. With her nose always in other people's business, she became the squad's information broker. She was to inform the captain of everything concerning sorcerers.

Everyone turned to Captain Tomboy and waited for her answer.

Captain Tomboy stood and pointed at the door. "The meeting is over."

Groans filled the room, but she didn't care. She wouldn't ruin her handsome night by answering them. She would dive into that hole some other time. For now, they had to leave. But her reaction gave them the answer, as Babe's unhandsome smirk showed.

After everyone left, Captain Tomboy sat back on her chair, her heart racing. She didn't want to think about it or her. She would deal with everything when she arrived in Arusha. For now, she had to prepare for her departure.