Guardian Reapers - NaNoWriMo2017

Chapter 29

(Warning. This is an emotional chapter that includes how Meridian died.)

"Relive our deaths?" Jeremy exclaimed. "Are you insane?"

"Of course not. Do you want to return to Purgatory or not?" Hades groaned. "Mortals. They always search for an easy way out, even in the afterlife."

"Whatever," Adrian sighed. "Just do it."

Hades smiled. "I knew I liked you, kid. You sure you don't like it here? Last chance."

"No thanks."

"Didn't hurt to try. Alright, you're all going to have to, well... You'll need to take a false heart," Hades explained, gesturing to the case of beating organs. "In order for this to work, even with the time manipulation, your hearts need to stop to signal the reaping missions."

"How does this work, again?" I asked warily.

"I will be turning back the Earthly clock, but as your souls themselves have been reaped and are no longer attached to that world, you will be able to go take your own place. All you have to do is act exactly the same and let the death happen - don't worry, it won't hurt. Your soul doesn't have pain receptors. The most important thing to remember is that nothing can be changed. Act exactly the same. Exactly. Let it happen, alright?"

My mind went blank. What had I done before I died? How far back would we be going? Were we going to cause even worse problems if we messed up?

"Question," I blurted. Hades gave me a look as if I were an idiot.

"What?" He asked.

"What if we, uh... What might happen if, well, if we don't remember exactly how we acted, or what happened, or... What if we mess up?"

"Don't."

"Well I'm not going to try to! I just thought, well, I mean... What if-"

"No what ifs. Ready?"

"No!"

"Not really," Jeremy said.

"Definitely not," Adrian sighed.

"Let's go, then!" Hades smiled. "Take a heart and stand on these floor tiles. It should only take a moment. Make sure not to squirm too much."

"Why?" Adrian asked. Hades didn't answer him, and I gulped.

Hades walked over to an array of small floating orbs, each consisting of a different color of organized sparkles than the last. He expertly tapped and swiped them, maneuvering an unknown keyboard of the universe. Eventually, he turned back to us and flashed a thumbs up.

"Time has been turned. Ready for implantation?"

When we didn't answer him, he shrugged and turned back to the orbs. He tapped a bright green one, crossing it over the purple and blue and swiping them all in a row. A crackling sound filled the air, as if a radio station were experiencing static, and the view I had of Hades and the orbs grew blurry.

"Here we go!" Hades shouted

The underworld disappeared before me like it was simply an ingredient mixed in a batter. The world grew white, then black, then spirals of color brought a new world alive.

🔑

With a sickening feeling in my stomach, I took a step forward on the nighttime hill that had materialized around me.

Glancing around, I reached into my pocket. Thankfully, the keys were there, and I pulled them out. I took a deep breath. I can't do this again. I can't.

I continued climbing the hill, hitting the unlock button and locating the blinking red lights of the car I'd just gotten for my birthday. As an eighteen year old, it was nice to have a car, but I wasn't planning on going to college at that point, so I wasn't thankful for the stupid thing until that night.

My mind wandered to the thoughts I knew I'd had. The helplessness, the frustration, and, for once, the confidence to do something. Something terrible, but I had confidence. In that moment that felt like a lifetime ago, that single feeling filled me with more determination than I'd ever had.

Grasping the keys so hard they cut into my hand, I walked up to the silver car and hopped into the driver's seat. The heart in my other hand was beating faster, and I threw it in the passenger seat, unable to handle it anymore. I slammed the door behind me, quickly turning the key in the ignition before I could change my mind. By now, as alien as the motions felt after so long in Purgatory, my story was coming back to me as second nature. I realized I remembered the moments leading up to my death much more clearly than I was ready to admit.

I slowly backed up the car, aligning myself with the cliff ahead of me. Closing my eyes, I pounded my foot on the gas.

I can't do this, my mind screamed, opposing my actions. Hit the brake, hit the brake, hit the brake, hit the-

I felt the surreal weightlessness once again, panic filling my system as I seemed to rise against the seatbelt in my chair. Why did I fasten the blasted thing in the first place? I wondered. I had to, since I'd done it the first time, but it made no sense. Nothing made sense now.

In a second the feeling was gone, and I, along with my pointless car, was plummeting toward the ground. However, as the ground rushed to meet me, I felt nothing but the same pillowy sensation as when Jeremy had thrown me off the Gatecastle staircase. The false heart on the seat next to me disintegrated, meaning I had done what I was meant to do. My panic calmed, but a small piece of it rooted itself in the pit of my stomach, waiting. What next?

Soon enough, I saw a reaper through the rear view mirror of my upside down car. The hooded figure slinked over to me, raising the reaping knife, about to strike me - then screamed.

"You're alive!" The girl shouted, shrill.

"Yeah, you need to take me to Purgatory. I'm a reaper," I explained, barely enough breath not occupied by my stomach to fuel the words.

"A reaper? Says who?"

"Death! Please, I need to get back!"

"Is that even possible?"

"Yeah, just grab onto my arm when you transport back, it should work," I said weakly. "Please."

"I, uh... Okay," the girl stuttered, tugging on the end of her red ponytail. She grabbed my arm. "Here goes."

I shut my eyes again, holding my breath inexplicably and hoping I'd be there soon. Who knew one day I'd be longing for Purgatory? I supposed my life's writers didn't believe in irony in small doses.

"It worked!" The redhead exclaimed in shock.

"Of course it worked," I sighed. Internally, though, I was smiling and screaming with happiness. I could only hope Jeremy and Adrian had also found their way back.