Nine Lives

Chapter Eight

“Why did his mother chose to call him that? Instead of something like, ‘Cerberas‘“ I continued to talk whilst starting to make my way to a different room, I noticed Death followed behind levitating, floating in the air.

OH YES, BECAUSE ‘CERBERAS’ SOUNDS MUCH MORE LIKE THE NAME THE SON OF DEATH WOULD HAVE Death rasped, it appeared he was laughing at my suggestion. BUT EVEN WITH A HUMAN NAME, KAHN IS FAR FROM HUMAN. ARE YOU NOT SCARED?

I snorted and stopped in my tracks “I’m not afraid of anyone” as I shrugged my fear of my shoulders. Death jr couldn’t possibly be scarier than this soppy excuse for ‘Death’

DON’T TRY TO BE A HERO, LEXA, Death told me IT COULD ONLY TURN BAD FOR YOU

I paused for a second to think “Death?” I asked quizzically

YES?

“Don’t you decide who lives and who dies?”

Death let out a sound that resembled a sigh before he spoke again, I DO NOT DECIDE WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES. MANY A PERSON BELIEVES I SIT AROUND IN FRONT OF A CHESS BOARD ALL DAY AND PLOT MY NEXT MOVE, BUT TRUTH IS, I DO NOT POSSESS THAT POWER BELIEVE IT OR NOT. IT IS UP TO FATE WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES, WHEN AND HOW. BUT ITS MY JOB TO CLEAN UP THE MESS HE LEAVES BEHIND.

“The souls?” I questioned

CORRECT, FIFTY BROWNIE POINTS FOR OBSERVATION

“Are you mocking me?” I raised my eyebrow sharply

NO MA’AM, I couldn’t tell if he was grinning or not because the skull’s mouth was shaped into a smile anyway.

I shook my head to return to the subject prior “So, Fate?”

YES, I RUN THE FABRIC OF SPACE WITH MY TWO BROTHERS, TIME AND FATE, TOGETHER WE ARE THE FORCES THAT HELP THE WORLD TO RUN SMOOTHLY. WITHOUT US, THE WORLD WOULD ROT. AND YES BEFORE YOU ASK, THEY TOO HAVE SUCCESSORS.. BUT UNLIKE KAHN, THE GIRLS ARE NEUTRAL LIKE THEIR FATHERS.

I was suddenly thrown aback, girls? Death must’ve seen my expression because he laughed, YES THEY HAVE A DAUGHTER EACH, he paused for a few seconds THAT SEEMS TO COME AS A SURPRISE TO YOU

“Well, its a lot to take in… I’m being hunted by paranormal bounty hunters… and all I’ve done is be alive” I breathed slowly

YES, YOU ARE A HUMAN WHO SHOULD’VE BEEN DEAD A LONG TIME AGO. UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE LEFT, I MAY HAVE A BIG MOUTH BUT EVEN I WOULDN’T STOOP THAT LOW. He chuckled lightly YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, IF SOMETHING OR SOMEONE WHO IS MEANT TO DIE ON A CERTAIN DAY AND THEY DON’T… THE ENTIRE FABRIC OF SPACE AND TIME COULD BE DESTROYED.

“So now its my fault that I’ve been given this ’gift’ which has resorted in me not being able to die which in turn is throwing the space fabric out of wack?” I raised my eyebrow, I found it hard to believe that just my existence was putting humanity at risk

FABRIC OF SPACE, AND YES, EVENTUALLY THE UNIVERSE WILL BE DESTROYED. He corrected me IT IS RARE FOR A HUMAN TO OUTLIVE IT’S NATURAL COURSE, BESIDES ALL LIVING THINGS DIE, IT’S NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT YOU ’CANNOT’ DIE. EVEN YOU WILL DIE EVENTUALLY, KATARA’S BLESSING WILL NOT LAST FOREVER.

“Well, I don’t believe you..” it may have been immature but I said it anyway

DON’T BE NAIIVE GIRL, IT DOESN’T SUIT YOU. DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT I CANNOT KILL YOU? ARE YOU HONESTLY PREPARED TO TAKE THAT RISK, GIRL? NO, JUST KNOWING THE FACT I AM SEEKING TO UNDO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, FIX WHAT HAS BEEN BROKEN TERRIFIES YOU. ARE YOU PREPARED TO LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND DENY THE OBVIOUS?

I looked up into the hollow carves that used to be eye sockets I would’ve thought and whispered “You don’t have eyes”

Death just laughed before he answered, IF THAT WAS SO, THEN HOW AM I ABLE TO SEE EVERYTHING? COME ON GENIUS, LET’S SEE JUST HOW SMART YOU REALLY ARE.

I thought for a few seconds before falling back into my big soft armchair, fondling my silver skull. The pattern was red with purple swirls trailing through the fabric. After ten minutes of thinking I had come up with an answer, “Magic”. that was it, ten minutes of thinking and the only answer I could come up with to his question was ’magic’? God, I suck.

Death chuckled heartily before he let loose his secret, NO, NOT MAGIC. MY VISION IS MUCH MORE ADVANCED TO YOUR OWN HUMAN SIGHT. I CAN SEE MUCH MORE THAN WHAT YOUR OWN EYES CAN SEE.

I figured he wasn’t going to say anymore of the subject, but that didn’t mean I was going to give up. I was starting to become intrigued by Death, even though I knew it was the entrance to the path of true sin but I didn’t care.

“Is there a God?” I asked the one question that had bothered me for as long as I could remember as I sat forward, my hands clasped together.

Death seemed confused, A GOD OF WHAT?

“You know, God, the saviour. He made the world in seven days and all that? Does he exist?”

OH, HIM.. WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK? Death grinned, mainly because his mouth couldn’t form any other gesture.

I knew exactly what I thought of ‘God’. he was a jealous god for one, if he existed, then he existed only to make his precious creations suffer so He could be happy.

“No… I don’t believe…” I hissed in anger

Death just nodded, ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

“Yes, I don’t believe that ‘He’ exists… I suppose in a way you could call me an atheist in that sense” I answered

YOU ARE NAÏVE GIRL…

“Maybe… but you’re patronising”

NOW WE’RE JUST STATING THE OBVIOUS AREN’T WE? Death’s grin widened, I just sat back in my chair. If ‘Kahn’ is looking for a conflict then I’m ready for him, even if Death refuses to admit it, he’s still backing me up. After all, its not Kahn he’s hanging around, I suppose you could call it moral support.