The Other Side Of Paradise

Death of a Bachelor

Bang...that was it. The gunshot that sealed his fate forever.

There was no going back now, no matter how much pain it costs anyone...in mere minutes he would be gone.

Here he was: Mordecai Heller, famous triggerman and hatchet man for the Marigold Gang...shot square in the head. How had he not been careful? How had he been caught, knowing that he double, hell, triple checked for enemies? Either way, whatever awaited him was certainly grim: he knew he was far from a saint...though he didn't expect an afterlife for him.

Blood dribbled down his forehead, dripping uncomfortably on his matted fur. His pince-nez were shattered beyond repair, and the ends of his coat were torn.

He was now bleeding out in Serafine's arms: they didn't have a running car or a nearby doctor's office to take him to. She looked horrified, more than usual...was she screaming? He couldn't hear through the blood roaring in his ears. He sluggishly rolled his glossy eyes over to Nico, who also seemed rather panicked. He felt weak and cold.

Serafine and Nico Savoy. After that voodoo incident, Mordecai was sure he would hate them forever...but the bond increased. The familial feeling grew, and suddenly, Marigold didn't feel so bad.

His tail flicked. He felt Serafine holding him closer to her chest...but it didn't matter now. Not anymore, at least. He could see the vignette in his vision, as it got blurrier and blurrier with death and tears. He could've sworn he heard her screaming once more, but maybe it was the afterlife beckoning him to come into its embrace.

He let out a shudder, grimacing. "Mhnn...'m sorry-" His voice broke, trailing off at the realization.

"-non, non, don' you dare apologize for dis." Serafine choked out, shaking her head. "Don' cry either, please Peekon, please -" She held him tighter.

"We're gon' get you outta dis..." Nico lowered his voice. Mordecai could tell that he was close to crying too...but what good would it do? They knew this was inevitable. The tuxedo's olive green eyes dulled, before snapping open.

Atlas.

Fuck.

Immediately, a dry sob croaked through his throat, squeezing his eyes shut. "I didn't figure it out..."

"...figure what out?" Serafine whispered.

"Atlas, and his-" Another dry sob came from him.

"-we'll figure out de murder." Nico cut him off. Serafine blinked at him.

"Nico," she began.

" Non, dis is a promise..." Nico shook his head.

"I would do it too, brother o'mine, mais-"

"For him, Serafine." Nico seemed insistent. "Please."

Serafine pursed her lips tightly. She closed her eyes and nodded when she felt the tears burning.

"For you, Peekon..." She whispered, voice sounding a bit wobbly. Hearing Mordecai let out another dry sob hurt her heart. "...ain't no use in tryin' to stay awake...close dem eyes..."

"N-no..." Mordecai choked out, only to be gently shushed by him.

"Peekon, shh..." Serafine gently glided her hand to the side of his face, stroking it with her thumb. "Relax...relax...you're gon' be okay...de loa's gon' protect you on de way...aight?"

"...the loa...?" Mordecai croaked, a tremble in his shoulders.

"De loa." Nico repeated softly. "He's gon' make sure you get to de afterlife safely." He trailed off when a lump in his throat formed. "Close dem eyes, Mordecai...you're gon' be okay..."

"...tell them...tell my sisters and mother I'm sorry." Mordecai whispered. "Please..."

"Of course..." Serafine nodded. Mordecai's breathing hitched more, his hands feeling a nervous, tingling prick at them. His eyes watered more, becoming slightly foggy.

"See you later, Mordecai." She told him. "We love you, chér. Don' forget dat."

Mordecai let out another shudder...he had no choice now. This was happening.

With that, he closed his eyes...gone...forever.

Both Serafine and Nico's tails stopped swaying, and the silence washed over them. Aside from occasional crickets, no noises interrupted this moment. After what seemed to be forever, Serafine had lurched forward slowly, still holding Mordecai's body to her chest. She whispered prayers and choked out sobs, keeping her head low.

...that was the last of Mordecai Heller...and the beginning of something much darker.

****

His back collided with the ground, and he let out a yell that faded into a groan. Damn, did his head hurt...so did his eyes...hold on, why did his eyes of all things hurt? Why did he feel sick to his stomach? His forehead was itchy, but the pain was almost nonexistent in that area...

...why was the sky suddenly red ?

Mordecai watched maroon clouds become clearer, and suddenly, his vision was almost perfect. He felt for his pince-nez, but they were gone. He sat up instantly, eyes widening. He stared at his hands and let out a cry of shock, staggering back.

They were clawed. The ends of his trench coat were tattered still.

"What...in the..." He continued to stare at his hands. Where the hell was he? Was he drugged?

Slowly rising to his feet, he continued to stare at his surroundings. He did not question anything yet. He refused to. He refused to shrink back when he noticed almost judgemental stares from people left and right...were they people? They didn't look like it...it was uncanny.

Nonetheless, he walked along the cracked and horribly made pavement, hands in his trench coat pockets. His eyes narrowed, but his walking slowed the moment he felt his hair rise on the back of his neck.

The sound of static tuned in...and with that, he turned to face a tall...deer? Man? Something was so...so off about how this red-clad fellow looked: sure, he had characteristics of a deer...but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Just what the hell was this guy-

...oh no.

No.

No.

No no no.

Mordecai suddenly he felt his-surprisingly alive-heartbeat to stop in terror upon the realization of an actual demon standing right in front of him.