I walked into the café as the little bell by the door rung, letting someone know I had entered. I hear Elvis Presley singing ‘heartbreak hotel’ in the background as I took a seat in the back booth, away from everyone else. I crossed my ankles as a waitress approached me. I gave her my order of a coke and a burger but to tell you the truth I wasn’t hungry. I waited until the lady brought me my drink and as I sipped my drink, I watched those around me. A boy around my human age sat in a booth, arguing with a pretty blonde that looked just as angry. I could tell how long they had to live. The girl would live until the age of thirty; she will die in an abandoned warehouse in downtown LA from a heroin overdose. What interested me was the boy. I couldn’t see anything about him. I watched as the blonde looked over at me and mouthed ‘what are you looking at?’ with a look of disdain on her face. I smiled in amusement before looking down and scolding myself. I shouldn’t bring attention to myself. I continued to drink my coke and as the waitress brought me my burger in a to-go bag. I paid at the front before heading towards the door. I glanced back at the couple and saw both the girl and the boy looking at me. I walked through the door. As I walked away from the café, I heard the twinkling bell of someone leaving before I heard high heeled shoes behind me. I continued to walk and as I turned a corner, I misted. I could see the same girl from the café look left and right before sighing and turning around. Her boyfriend came running up to her and they began arguing again. I walked towards them, still in mist form, and heard their argument.
“What is wrong with you?! Why would you chase after some girl that you don’t even know?” the boy shouted.
“She was looking at us! And she looked creepy;” I frowned at this “she could have been some crazy killer for all we know! I wanted to know what her problem was!”
“Maybe her problem is that some random girl started following her for no reason!”
“Oh, so you’re interested in her now?” the blonde screamed as her whole face unattractively turned red.
“What!? I don’t even know who she is! Let alone am I interested in her!” the boy seemed to grow more and more frustrated as he continued to talk to the girl. “You know what? I’m done. I’m done with both you and your possessiveness!” the boy began to walk away from an open mouthed and angry girl.
“I’m not done talking to you!” the girl screamed after him as she stomped her feet walking. I was surprised she didn’t break the heels with how much force she was using. The boy continued to ignore her as he walk away until the girl grabbed him and scratched his arm with her ridiculously long nails. He glared at the girl as blood droplets ran down the length of his arm. He grabbed a napkin from his pocket as he swiped off the blood and told the girl to leave him alone. The girl started to apologize, as fake tears welled up in her eyes. The boy obviously thought the same thing as he tugged his arm away from her and walked away. The girl glared at him before walking in the opposite direction. Well that was… dramatic.
I walked in the same direction as the boy. Despite being Death, I actually had to pretend that I was of the living. I had a job at the local book shop and I had a house that I owned that sat in the woods. It was clique in a sense but I liked the isolation. I had a cat named Cookie, she was a kitten but she smelled like chocolate chip cookie for some reason. I had left mist form some time ago and as I walked I looked down and thought. I’m not sure what I was thinking about but I was just thinking. I walked until I came to the road that went up to my house before I looked up and sighed before walking home.
I shut the door behind me as I pulled my jacket off and let go if my two pigtails and pulled it into a ponytail. I walked over to the kitchen and placed the burger in the fridge and pulling out a bottle of ice cold water. I chugged about half of the thing before I even left the kitchen. I pulled off my boots and socks. I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and started to play music. The music started coming out of my speakers thanks to the wonderful invention of Bluetooth as I listened to Three Day Grace’s I hate everything about you.
I used my feet to kick open my bedroom door as I walked in and sat on my bed. I’m guessing you’re picturing a creepy, spider webs in the corner, kind of room. Well, my room isn’t all that creepy but there is a lot of black. I can’t wear any clothes that aren’t black. If I do buy anything that isn’t black, then the next day it is. Weird, right? I think it just might be a way for the higher ups to recognize me. My sheets are black and most of my furniture was but my walls were all white. Don’t ask what type of white, I only know one kind of white and that’s white.
I threw myself back against the bed as I stared up at the ceiling that was painted to imitate the stars. I always liked to watch the sky but when you’re in the city, it can be hard. I picked up a book as I started reading; the music had changed to Panic! At The Disco: I Write Sins Not Tragedies. I had always loved this song and the music video was pretty good too. I liked it. I got up as I had more souls to deliver but this time in groups.
***
After I got up and got ready the next morning, I ate breakfast and got ready for work. I pulled on some batman converse (batman is awesome). I had on a pair of black shorts and a black shirt that said ‘If you’re happy and you know it clap your… Oh’ with a little red t-rex on it. I walked out the door with my messenger bag slung over my shoulder. I walked until I came to the book shop that was owned by Mrs. Flowers. She was a sweet old woman who had been married for 50 years before her husband was taken from her by terminal cancer. She had a son who worked in New York as a lawyer, I had seen him sometimes when he came to visit but we never directly talked. Mrs. Flowers was approaching her late 80’s and she couldn’t run the store by herself so she hired me. I often took books home with me because Mrs. Flowers insisted that I take them. It would be sad when I had to take her, but at least she would be with Byron, her husband. I had remembered him when she showed me a photo. He had been an old man whom I had picked up and just as he was about to leave, he had hugged me warmly and took my hand in his before disappearing.
I walked into the store that held the familiar scent of paper and dust as I walked to the back. I saw Jack, Mrs. Flowers’s son walk out of the room and jumped when he saw me. “You must be Mortem” he said as he gave me a sad look. “My mother has grown ill, too ill to work. She asked me to give the key to you so you could keep the store working while she is gone and if she doesn’t make it… the store is yours.” He said nothing more before walking out the door and into his care. I stared after him as I got a mental notification from the higher ups that Mrs. Flowers was to die that night and she would be led to judgment. I felt a little sad as I thought of poor Jack. He cared for his mother dearly and would miss her very much. I opened up the shop and everything as normal as I could before the time came. At exactly 8:57 PM, I felt the familiar tug of the soul calling out to me to lead them. I closed the shop quickly before going to the backroom where I materialized in the hospital room of Mrs. Flowers. I saw Jack holding his frail mother’s hand as he silently wept. All the monitors were off and I could see Wilma Flowers beside her bed, looking heartbroken as she watched her son. I took her hand from beside her and smiled at her shocked face. I led her away from the room but she refused, looking back at her son. I shook my head, letting her know there was nothing she could do. She hung her head as she walked and peeked behind her. I led her to the back of the hospital and out the back door. There were acres and acres of forest covering those parts. I led Mrs. Flowers into the trees and as we lost sight of the hospital, I stopped and turned to her. I smiled and tapped my watch, waiting. Finally, after a few seconds, Mrs. Flowers smiled and mouthed ‘Byron’. I could not see what she saw but I could always tell where they were going, depending on what their reactions were.
I smiled as she turned to me with tears running down her face as she disappeared. I turned away from the spot she had been and left mist form before looking up. There, standing with his mouth gaping open, was the boy from earlier today.
Chips. I’m fluffed.
