A Dance With Death

|| Chapter 15 - Young ||

                   

"Wh-why is she not moving?" I stammer, my voice trembling. I stare at Althea, who hasn't shown a sign of movement, horrified. I then look back at the other two reapers.

Although they are calmer than what they're supposed to be, Griffith and Ektor seem to be in disbelief of what they've witnessed. They ignore my question and continue staring at Althea's still self lying on the floor.

"Why is she not moving?!" I yell, in hopes of getting their attention.

"She'll be fine," Griffith says, his tone louder than mine, so as to shut me up. Then in a low voice, he then says to Ektor, "Right?"

"Has this happened to her before?" I ask.

Griffith nods, his eyes still on Althea. "Not really, but something similar..."

"What is it?"

They remain silent, not wanting to reveal anything. Typical. Ektor walks towards her. He kneels down next to Althea's unconscious body and touches her forehead. His eyebrows are furrowed with worry and doubt.

"I asked you something," I question sharply.

Ektor doesn't listen to me. Then, as if gaining realisation, the tension on his face disappears.

"Zayn," he finally looks up at me. "Go and check if there are other reapers around."

Whether I am surprised about his acknowledgement towards my presence or at his sudden change in behaviour, I don't know. "But why-?"

"I said go!"

Griffith seems as confused as I am. He walks up to Ektor and asks, "Why do you need other reapers?"

"I don't need them," Ektor stands up. "I want us to be safe from others."

"What could they possibly do to harm us?" Griffith asks. "Besides-"

"Zayn go," Ektor cuts Griffith off. "Now!"

I am a bit frightened by the urgency in his tone. "How am I supposed to know that a person is a reaper?" I inquire.

"You'll know," Ektor says hastily. "Now get out of here." He points to the door. Griffith stands behind him, puzzled at his actions.

Confused, yet determined to help Althea, I do as he says. I head out of the room and walk down the vestibule. My conscience tells me something is wrong with Ektor.

I look around as I jog, eyeing each and every person I come across, who just walk past me-or sometimes right through me. Why does he not want reapers around? They can help, can't they? I enter a few rooms, hoping to get a chill or something; anything that would point out that I'm in the presence of a reaper. Nothing happens.

I pass through Corridor-E, the place with the message from Caius. I see some sweepers removing the blood from the wall, but with little success. The words are still visible, though they seem to have faded a little. I'm not surprised to see a police officer interrogating a nurse. The trouble I have caused to the living world. And the dead.

This is all so wrong. Althea is my reaper and perhaps because of me, she's suffering. Maybe Caius did this to her. None of this would've happened to me. Griffith and Althea wouldn't have put themselves in this mess. Nor would've Ektor.

And then a thought strikes me, causing me to stop in my tracks.

"Stupid," I say out loud. "I'm so freaking stupid!"

Why didn't I think of this before? Reapers can obviously sense other reapers around. Althea and Griffith sensed Ektor when he was in the hospital. He would obviously know if there was another reaper within the building. Ektor tricked me! He sent me away so that he could do whatever he wanted to do. Griffith wanted to argue but Ektor stopped him. I should've seen through this before.