Love in Waiting

- Chapter 3 -

Chapter 3 - The Great Divide

Him.

Tears. Never in many years did I expect tears to fall from my eyes, especially those caused of sorrow. She asked me to let her go, so I did. If I, letting her go, will make her happy, I would do it in a heartbeat.

-

"You're Death, aren't you? I have heard so much about you." I looked up and saw a man with wings and beauty that can deceive. "You're Lucifer." I stated, my face blank and my voice completely void. "Many call me the Devil, Serpent, or Satan yet you called me by my namesake." He sounded and looked quite amused by that. "Do you want to live, Death?" He asked "I am alive." I responded.

Lucifer looked at me with a soft smile. You would think that him being a fallen angel and the man who wanted to overthrow God would be devious, cunning, and evil but he just looks like a normal angel to me. "You're not alive, Death. You are dead." His words rung into my ear. "And when you approach the living or be near them, you kill them." He said "That's not what you're supposed to do. What you should do is go at night collecting lost souls and sending them either to heaven or hell." He explained. "You're the judge whether they live in paradise or Gehenna." After that, he was gone.

-

When Devin finally decided to head to bed, I immediately compelled him to take a deep, dreamless slumber in order for me to take over his body. Devin, he would definitely lash out if he wakes up and he's not in control, just a voice inside his own head. I can't have him to feel anger, it would only make things worse for us. After a few minutes of fighting to take over him, I succeeded - like I always do.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. It's been awhile since I lasted this long being alive. Don't get me wrong, I am immortal which means that I don't die but somehow, I do. It's all accidents, of course. I am not murdered or anything. Every time I die, I wake up in another place with the same face; I have the same name with the same soul that I share this body with, only difference is, he remembers nothing while I remember everything. And that we're back to being 17. It's frustrating.

I dressed myself in, what humans would call, jogger pants - light washed, black v-neck shirt with a hooded leather jacket over, and a pair of dark blue top siders. I took the apartment keys before heading out the door and out of the building only to be welcomed by the chill of winter air.

I looked from left to right, trying to scent the souls of the departed, trying to hear the pleas of sick people wanting to die, wanting their pain to be over. I can see grief, pain, and heightened emotions surrounding the living walking past me.

I started walking towards the pub in the 52nd street. I haven't finished collecting the souls in that place because Devin didn't get to sleep last night. Not even a wink. Once I arrived, I stopped in front of it, looking at the burnt bar with scattered souls around. One saw me so he approached me and stared. His mouth didn't open but I heard what he said, loud and clear. 'Are you here to collect our souls?' I smiled before cracking my fists and stretching my neck from side-to-side.

'This is gonna hurt but you have to deal with it because either way, you're already and is staying dead.' I told the soul before entering his mind.

-

"What are you doing?!" I saw him shout as he entered his and his wife's room only to see her lying in bed with someone else. "John..." His wife trailed off "Please, brother, let us explain." The other guy said. Brother? By blood or by bond? "Brother? We're not brothers, Mike. The moment you decided to fuck my wife, we stopped being one." He replied "Dude, we've been best friends since middle school..." Michael trailed off. By bond, then. That's worst. "Get out of my house, the both of you. Please." John whispered before stepping out of the room.

I went to the next memory, he was with his son playing basketball with him when he said something. "Dad, I hate Mom." His son whispered. John crouched down in front of his son. "Franco, don't hold a grudge towards your Mom - or any other people, for that matter. It's not nice." He said with a soft smile "But he hurt you, Dad!" The kid retorted. "You know, God doesn't hold a grudge." He said to his son making him look up. "He doesn't?" His son asked. "No. He's forgiving, kind, and compassionate. He accepts anyone for who they are. He forgives those who have betrayed him." He explained "It doesn't matter if your Mom hurt me or not, you should still forgive and love her because she's your Mom." He said before ruffling his son's head.

I went to the next batch of memories and willed myself to find something, anything extremely wrong that he did.

-

I stopped. John screamed in agony before kneeling down in front me as he clutched his head. In order for me to get through to him, I have to burn through his memories. That's why it hurt.

I stared at him with a blank face. "Where's your son?" I asked. He looked up at me. "He's home with a babysitter." He whispered. "Who's gonna take care of him?" I asked again. John shook his head. "His Mother doesn't want anything to do with him." He whispered as he cried. "Oh God, what would happen to my son?!" He cried out. "He doesn't have any godparents?" I asked "Or guardians? What about your parents?" I asked again "They died 3 years ago." He stated "Would it bother you if I take him in?" John's eyes widen.

"You're alive?"

From the sound of disbelief in his voice, I'd say that he just came to realize that. I chuckled. "Yes." John looked me up and down. "My son doesn't just go with anyone." I smiled at him. "I have my ways, John." I said "Don't worry, I'll take care of him." I added before lending my hand out for him to take. "It's time to go." I said to him. "Go where?" John had a look of confusion in his eyes. "To heaven, John, to heaven." I said before transporting him to St. Peter.

I then continued doing my job, sending each soul to heaven or hell but sometimes, I can't decide where to send a person and if that happens, I give them the chance to change. How? By giving them a length of time to correct their mistakes.

"You done for the night?" I smirked "Yes, Lu. I'm done for the night." I said as I looked at him before walking back to my apartment. "Why don't you just take control of his body." I rolled my eyes. This is not the first time that he asked me this. "I told you, Lucifer. I don't want to. We both have different lives." I told him. "Besides, he gets to have the morning and I get nights." I quickly added.

"Isn't it tiring? Originally, that's your body and he's just rooming with you." He stated. I looked at him before chuckling. "Lu, originally, this was his body. He's my doppelgänger back in the day." I said "Yeah, until you pulled some shit." He said making me laugh. Well, it's true. I did pull some shit to be inside this body and to live. "Like you don't! Hell, you change your face as often as you change your briefs." I snorted.

"Hi."

I froze. That voice, I've heard that before and I know who it belongs to. I felt Lu's hand on my back and I knew he was trying to comfort me in some weird way. Also, telling me to get it together because if I don't want her to know who I am, I have to act natural. I slowly turned. After centuries of not seeing her, avoiding her, she still managed to take my breath away.

Life.