The Crescent Birthmark

Gifted

Logan Lerman as Aiden Heap

January 12, 2017
2.51p.m.

"I've been a terrible mother. Look what happened to you now." Annie wiped her tears as she whispered. John wrapped his arms around his wife. "Honey, please don't say that... It was all my fault."

"No, it was mine! And I knew that boy was a bad influence... I should have stopped them." The tears she was wiping began to turn unstoppable. "Look what happened to our baby!"

"It was my fault. Everything was." She couldn't help but cry, trying to hug her parents despite the fact she knew she couldn't. They could not see her, she was aware of that.

"We should have." John's comforting voice turned into a defeated whisper, his sad eyes narrowing to the tombstone. "Alice... We hope the best for you up there... We love
you."

"Please take care of yourself. We couldn't watch after you anymore..." Annie placed the flowers on the ground where her daughter's body was buried six feet under, her heart was heavy to let go. "Your dad and I, we may have not been the best parents, but we love you." She said, her voice hoarse from the tears that she managed to wipe with a tissue as she leaned down to kiss the top of the tombstone. Both of the man and the woman stood up, taking their steps away.

She watched with grief as her parents walked away and her heart was aching to shout for them to stay and that she was right there, but it was all definitely impossible.

Enormous despair crashed her heart when her eyes once again found the tombstone with the name, Alicia Pennyworth written on it. And she broke down into a sob.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, mom... dad." She cried to herself, choking on her own tears as regret was burying her deeper than the ground buried her body.

"Alicia Pennyworth. Date of death, 10 January 2017. Time of death, 0453 hours. Cause of death, accouchement pain." A deep voice of a man spoke, and the voice sounded too familiar for Alicia yet she could not recall as to when did she hear it. Unknown fear started to take over her body as she turned around to see a tall figure of a man dressed in a black jacket. The man certainly carries a frightening aura with him.

"Y-You can see me?" She asked, stuttering. Part of her was hoping he really could see her so maybe she could ask him to lend some help. But most of her were scared, the man does not look like a good man who would give her a help. He wore the devilish smile on his face and it was not helping her to feel any better about him.

"Of course I can." He replied.

"How? Who are you?" She asked, confused of how a man could see a ghost like her. The man's wicked smile seemed to widen itself on his face at her question.

"I'm the Grim Reaper."

His voice was mischievous and bigger fear crashed her like an avalanche. "And you are to come with me."

"No! Please!" She begged, dropping on her knees as she was fully aware of his means. "Please! I need to see my child before I go. Please..." Her voice was weak in fear. She knew what he was there for.

His eyes were intense in thoughts, yet cold and intolerable at the same time. She knew what his answer would be and fear was creeping to the deepest edge of her heart.  "No. You are coming with me." He spoke after a while and his words stopped, yet his lips were still moving as if he was scoffing or mumbling something but Alicia knew it wasn't just some irritated scoff coming from the man. He was reading something.