The Story of Zandry the Reaper

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

            Grell was sipping a cappuccino in the cafeteria when a very worn-out Alexandria approached.

            “Zandry! How’d it go?”

            “Great.” She muttered, barely noticing the nickname. “I especially enjoyed the evasive maneuvers test.”

            “Ah, yes. It seems like only yesterday they were shooting those tennis balls at me…”

            “My favorite part was when they set them on fire.”

            Grell laughed.

            She sat down and took a sip of his coffee. They waited in silence until they were summoned via loudspeaker. Grell followed her through the same door he shoved her through a few hours earlier. The line of clean-shaven men were just as stone-faced as ever.

            “Alexandria Mae Stapleton.” Zandry rolled her eyes. “We have come to the conclusion that since you are an… unusual case you will be able to skip the academy entirely and instead spend three months as a Reaper’s apprentice before becoming a full-fledged Shinigami.” He turned his attention to Grell. “Do you, Grell Sutcliff, accept the responsibility of training an apprentice?”

            “You got it, Babe.” He winked.

            “Well, if that is all, you may-“

            “Excuse me!” For the first time, another man from the line of suits spoke up. “I have information here stating that Mr. Sutcliff already has an apprentice.”

            It was like someone dropped a bucket of water over everyone’s heads. The Head of the Board’s eyes widened. He turned to Mr. Sutcliff. “Am I to understand that you brought a human into our world, showed her our ways, and applied to become her mentor, knowing the entire time you already had an apprentice?!”

            “But Ronald’s so boring!” Grell burst out. “I want her instead!”

            “That’s why I came here?!” Zandry shouted.

            “Pleeeeaaasssee, Mr. Education Man?” He begged.

            “Er, excuse me! Excuse me!” the same guy called. “Mr. Sutcliff’s partner William Spears does not currently have an apprentice.”

            “Ooh, ooh! Will told me he wants an apprentice!” Grell piped up.

            “Then it’s decided.” The Head concluded. “Ms. Stapleton will become the apprentice of William Spears.

҉

            “I did not agree to this.” William Spears said bluntly. They were now in the Front Lobby.

            “Oh, come now, Will. Have a heart!” Grell whined.

            “I do not want an apprentice. I told you specifically that I did not want an apprentice.”

            “But Willll!”

            Will sighed and turned to his new underling. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but I am far too busy to accept a trainee at this time. What is your name?”

            “Zandry Stapleton.” She answered, wondering when she started calling herself “Zandry”.

            “ Well, Ms. Stapleton, I’m afraid I cannot accept you as my apprentice.”

            “You have to!” Grell interjected. “The Board of Ed said so!”

            “… What?”

            “She passed the test! Now she can train as a reaper!”

            “Wha-… how… that is against protocol!”

            “Oh, and your surgery is tomorrow afternoon.” Grell told Zandry.

            “Surgery?”

            “Yeah, you can’t becommme a demi-god, silly! He giggled. “Hmm, and there was something else… oh! Your apartment key!”

            He threw her a strange, Flat-ish metal key. “Until we meet again, Zandry, and sweet dreams, my passionate lover!”

            “I am not your lover!” Will shouted after Grell as he bounded out the door. He sighed. “Do you have any further questions, Ms. Stapleton?”

            “Er, yeah. How do I get to this so-called apartment?” She asked, holding up the key.

            He stared at her for a moment, then sighed again. “Follow me.”

            He led her outside. She gasped.

            She couldn’t comprehend it. Before her was some sort of channel, with large, colored objects zipping by like they were gliding across the strange black surface underneath them.

            “What the bloody hell is this?!”

            “Cars. Basically, they are metal carriages powered by gasoline.” He waved his hand and a bright yellow one stopped in front of them.

            “Get in.”

            “How?”

            He clenched his teeth and opened it by pulling a sort of handle on the side of the sleek metal. She noticed that it was actually quite similar to a horse-drawn carriage. She slipped inside. Will followed. He took the key and examined it. “1092, 75th street.”

            The car lurched to life and slithered down the street. Zandry’s face was practically glued to the glass as they flew past gigantic buildings lit up by unnatural, fluorescent lighting. When they reached their destination, Will continued to show her inside and unlike Grell, actually explained the elevator and how to use it. Finally, they reached her apartment door.

            “Do you need anything else, Ms. Stapleton?”

            “I don’t think so…”

            He nodded and exited down the hallway without another word. Zandry smirked and unlocked her new life.