Redemption

All's Well That End's Well

Anya had one more day until her time was up, Brandon had finished his exams two days prior and tomorrow was the release of results. The anticipation was unbearable, if she was a lesser girl, she would have begun to chip at her nails, whether or not they could actually do that.

It was late in the evening, she accompanied him to the store on a snack run. Brandon was a stress eater, eating and binging as he waited for his results to be published online. He had claimed he had failed but after going through a few of the questions that appeared, he seemed to get most of them right, maybe with a few mistakes if any. They had grown close over the two weeks, Brandon had asked her if he'd see her again once she returned to her body.

She tried to keep a smile from appearing from her face, keeping her expression nonchalant. "Perhaps, we'll have to see-well if i make it back first." She had said, expressions growing grim at the thought of not making it back.

Now, they were in a good mood, joking around and laughing at each other, Brandon receiving lots of weird looks for talking to what appeared to be himself and Anya rolling her eyes at his silliness.

All of that came to a halt at the appearance of the man in front of them across the street of the convenience store they just exited. The first thing she saw was the hourglass in his cold eyes, they spun until his gaze settled on her before the sand suddenly began to empty, trickling down faster and faster. His white hair bellowed in the wind. The scythe he held seemed to gleam under the moonlight. The clock on his waist was almost pointing to eleven o'clock. Anya recalled it was five minutes to the hour when they were cashing out.

"Anya, what's wrong." Brandon asked, unable to see death standing right before him. Anya was relieved to know he couldn't see him, that meant his days weren't yet numbered. Death appearing could only mean one thing, she had failed in her task and he was here to escort her to the red barren land of purgatory.

"I'm out of time." She turned and saw Brandon looking at her first with worry then with dread. "He's here."

His head swiveled side to side, looking for the reaper. "But it's not time yet."

She shook her head, a small and sad smile appearing on her face. She had hoped to be able to return and reached for Brandon's hands, using as much as the little force she had to hold them. She wasn't really sure what she had wanted to do with her life had she gotten it back but she knew she wanted to return to Brandon once more.

"Goodbye Brandon." She felt her heart break at his pained expression and ignored the way he called her name, fearing what she might hear him say- something she was to afraid to utter herself, before crossing the street to The Reaper, the clock on his waist suddenly rang loudly, the sand in the hourglasses finally running out.

"Right on time." He grinned then snapped his fingers, transporting them back to the empty expanse of space, only she was in front of the door to her hospital room.

She saw her prone body laying there, new flowers at her bedside and a 'Get Well Soon!' tied to the handrails on her bed. No one was waiting on her in her room and she felt sad to know she'd die alone.

"I don't understand, why are we here?" She felt furious at him bringing her here, if only to mock her that she failed and to see herself die.

He sneered before he waved his hand, millions of windows appeared before one settled on Brandon. He sat behind a computer, logging onto the portal to see his grades. His eyes suspiciously puffy and red, as if he had been crying.

Her heart felt as if it was in his throat as she saw him jump up, a big smile on his face as his mother cheered beside him. She realized in astonishment, he had passed. He had passed, and she'd helped him. She'd done it.

She turned around to The Reaper, his expression almost blank but the small smirk on his face revealed he was equally happy for her. Suddenly the window turned into a small glowing white orb, setting into her hands. She cupped it carefully and returned her eyes to the white haired man in front of her.

"Congratulations, you are one of the few who are allowed to return to their earthly bodies." He flicked his wrist and the door to her hospital room opened. "You should enter and place that orb in your heart."

Anya stepped slowly and carefully towards her body, the cuts and bruises and already began to heal, leaving only faint greenish-yellow marks on her skin, she wasn't as wrapped up anymore. Carefully she placed the glowing ball where her chest and felt herself fall again.

Anya woke up in a hospital for the second time that month, only this time she felt pain and knew she had returned to her life. She felt tears well up in joy at feeling the pain in her body, knowing the pain meant she was alive.

She smiled to herself, already begging to make a list of all the things she planned to accomplish. Number one on that list after leaving the hospital was returning to the east and seeing Brandon again. She had so much she hadn't gotten to say to him and she felt as if that might be mutual.

A happy laughter bubbled out and she pressed the call button at her bedside to alert a nurse that she was awake.

'All's well that ends well.' She thought, giddy and excited to start her life again. She wasn't going to waste her second chance.