Reaper

An easier job...

I'm going out alone again. I hope Alice'll be okay... Tom's helping her today. I think she's got an easier job this time.

I wish I did too.

I've had worse, I guess, but... I got dropped in a front yard. Everything seemed fine. There was a family; mom, dad, and a son, all watching TV in the living room together. They even had a dog. It's still barking at me. Humans are the least observant beings on earth, seriously... Oh well. It's cute, anyway. A lab puppy.

I wasn't sure if I had the right house at first. It didn't feel like death at all. The sun was shining, and there was even a bird singing outside, which was just overkill if you ask me.

It's a beautiful day.

I don't want to say it... Dammit. I don't want to be here. I don't want to have to do this...

I have the right house.

It was almost a whole bottle. It looks like a scene from a movie, seriously, the bottle tipped over and just a few pills spilled out on the bedside table. She's spread out on her bed as if she's asleep. Well, I guess that's fitting, in a weird and sick way.

She's still alive, just barely. Poor girl... She's so young. I wonder what made her do it... I always do, I guess. They're not usually in any mood to share, when I get to them.

She's still breathing, but only a little. I can't feel a pulse, but I was never good at taking pulses, even when I had one. She looks so peaceful, though... I hope she'll be happy.

Hi.

"Hi? Um... Who are you? My head feels... fuzzy."

Do you remember the last few hours?

"I guess... I--I..."

You don't have to say anything you don't want to. Just tell me your name.

"I'm... I'm Elise Tucker."

Hi. I'm Mel.

"Um... I wasn't supposed to... wa--I-I mean, what are you doing here?"

Well, that's the thing. You didn't wake up.

"Oh..."

Are you okay?

"I'm fine. I... I wanted... A-are they...?"

They're outside. I could try to--

"No! No, thank you. They're--Anyway, are you... you know... Death?"

No. Not really. There's no 'Death', not really. I mean, obviously there is death, but there's no skeleton in the cloak like in all the pictures. I'm just a grim reaper. There's lots of us.

"Oh."

I need you to come with me.

"Where are we going?"

I... heaven.

"What's it like?"

It depends, you know? I mean, it's perfect. So what's perfect for one person might not be perfect for another.

"Oh... A-are you sure? Have you been there?"

No, but it's got to be great, right?

"...Thanks."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

My job is to take you where you're going, but... Well, I think that's not enough. If I just lead you there, it's not... Well, I want to make this as good as it can be, which isn't gonna be great, but it might also not be horrible.