Don't Fear Mr. Reaper

3

I felt numb. 

Everything around me could've gone up in a mushroom cloud and I don't think I would've noticed, and I certainly wouldn't have cared. Just hours earlier I was on top of the world and now, well now I was pretty sure if there was a Hell, I was in it.

A soft knock at the door startled me, "Go away," I hissed.

"Sorry to disturb you, Dear. This is Mrs. Carlisle, I'm the housekeeper. I've brought you some things."

A small middle-aged woman stuck her head into the room, smiling warmly, "Hello, Miss Miranda." She shuffled across the floor with an armful of folded clothes, placing them beside me on the bed.

"Mr. Reaper sent me to bring you some fresh clothes and help get you cleaned up."

Despite wanting to refuse the clothes strictly because they came from Elliott, a quick glance down at the rough shape of my own told me to choose otherwise. "Thank you, Mrs. Carlisle."

She adjusted the glasses perched on the edge of her nose, her gentle brown eyes opening wide, "My, my! It seems you've been through quite a lot, haven't you?"

I stifled a scoff and simply nodded, "Yes, I suppose I have..."

"No matter, nothing a good, hot bath can't fix!"

The warm, bubbly water surrounded me like a gentle embrace. It felt amazing to scrub the dried blood from my skin while Mrs. Carlisle kindly shampooed my hair for me.

"So how did you come to meet Mr. Reaper, dear?" She asked, combing through my hair, carefully untangling the knots. I wasn't sure what to say. This woman was so sweet, kind, warm, innocent almost. Surely she didn't know what Elliott was...

Mrs. Carlisle chuckled, clearly picking up on my hesitation. "I know who he is, my dear. He saved me many years ago."

"He...saved you?"

She smiled as she rinsed my hair clean. "He did. You see there was this lovely park I visited every Sunday evening, I loved to sit by the pond and watch all the birds come and go while the sun went down. But one day a group of lawless young men, outright thugs, snuck up behind me to snatch my purse-" She sighed heavily, "It shouldn't have ended as it did, I suppose those boys weren't expecting a fight. They panicked, pulled out their switchblades and stabbed me over and over again before running away. They never even took the purse." She fell quiet as she towel-dried my hair.

I thought back to Elliott scooping me off the street and holding me to his chest and I imagined him doing the same for sweet Mrs. Carlisle.

"Elliott arrived, I assume to take my soul to the Otherside. But for whatever reason, and to this day he still won't tell me, he chose to save me. I've been working as his housekeeper in repayment ever since." She finally finished with a small smile, holding a soft, white robe open for me to slip into.

"Thank you, Mrs. Carlisle."

"Of course, dear. Now get some rest, we can speak more tomorrow if you'd like."

*    *    *    *    *    *

I lied in bed for as long as I could stand, avoiding the inevitable crossing of paths with Elliott once I left the safety of these sheets. While Mrs. Carlisle's story was mildly comforting, it wasn't enough to change my mind about him. He didn't save me out of the goodness of his heart, he saved me for his own benefit, though I wasn't sure what that benefit was just yet. Regardless, he was a monster, that much I knew was true.

"Plotting your escape?"

I looked up suddenly to see him standing right there in the doorway, I hadn't even heard the door open.

He snickered, stepping into the room, "Sorry, love. I'm known for my tendency to sneak up on people, you'll just have to get used to it."

"Used to it? I won't have to get used to anything because I'm not staying here."

Elliott's smirk faded as he raised an eyebrow, "Oh, is that so?" With a vicious stare that could have frozen even the most fearsome of men dead in their tracks, he slowly reached his hand out towards me and wiggled his fingers slowly. "Do you need a reminder of last night, my dear?"

I scrambled backward to the opposite side of the bed, desperate to put anything between us. "Don't you dare touch me."

"Oh, I dare."

He crossed the room in a mere few, powerful strides, backing me into the corner, glaring down at me with his piercing gaze.

"I'm only going to make this clear one more time."He said, reaching up and softly grazing my cheek with his fingertips. I swallowed hard as he leaned in close enough to feel his breath dance across my collarbone. "You belong to me now."

My heart raced, hammering against my chest while my breath escaped me. I struggled to think of ways to compose myself as quickly as possible, though the smirk on his lips told me my nerves were already very much obvious to Elliott.

He carefully tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, cocking his head to the side with a look of twisted satisfaction almost. "Get dressed. We have much to do today, darling."

*    *    *    *    *    *

I tugged anxiously at the short skirt of the dress Mrs. Carlisle said Elliott requested I wear. The matching heels were already threatening to leave sores on my feet.

"I had a feeling that color would look breathtaking on you."

I turned to see Elliott behind me sporting a satisfied grin as an accessory to his gunmetal gray suit with a silk tie that matched the deep blue shade of my dress.

"Is this really necessary?" I snarled, fidgeting with the dress again.

"I'm afraid so, love. I have a very important business meeting to attend and you'll be attending with me."He said extending his hand for me to take though I hesitated.

"Why me? It's a business meeting."

"You are my new assistant, are you not?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, an unsettling feeling churning in the pit of my stomach.

"Come now, it won't take long," he whispered, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him, "be a good girl, won't you?"