Facing The Reaper

XXIII

In all my time as a reaper, I had never been in a place with as many waiting soles as I did today. The soles of those who came to an abrupt end were different to the usual ones, you didn't see and become familiar with the form of their soles before you took then, just the colour and energy were present. Like colourful orbs that floated in the atmosphere before you, and today, there were hundreds of then, there lights filling up the crowded room and floating around our feet. Each reaper paced the room slowly, being careful as they ste3pped around each unseen light.

I could feel their panic and fear radiating off them all as I circled each one closely. Feeling the hum of energy like a hurricane flowing through a valley. The roar of emotion was so loud to my stoic ears that I could almost fell it within me as if the emotions were my own. We didn't need to change out forms here, our shells remained in our dominant forms as we gathered around the hall. Their eyes would make then see what they needed to see in their final moments, this would be up to them alone now. Our only purpose here would be to collect. That and nothing more.

I felt my own aura becoming colder and colder with each passing step. This daunting of fledgling completion was reaching its final milestone and as the energy grew heavier and heavier, I knew it would be only a matter of minutes before the lives and lifestyles of all in this room would be over forever.

I reached for my blade alongside all the other cloaked and hooded figures who circled the room with me, getting ready for our final strike as shells. As my hand came into contact with the wooded handle, I felt it morph as it picked up on my energy. Ready to make its mass execution as metal ignited the spark that would tear away and eat at my flesh until there was nothing left.

I looked up then as my skin peeled away to see the auras of those around me turning into the faces of those about to pass. The last faces I would ever see before I lost my own along with my empathy. The last eyes to look upon me before I descended into the beckoning's dark and twisted unknown.

I stopped before the first person now, waiting for their sole to finally reached the middle plane before I brought down my blade. The flesh had been removed from my arm and was now receding from across my shoulders also. It was time, the beginning of eternity and darkness. I felt the flesh of my chin start to burn as I swung down the scythe Then just before the blade made first contact, the doors to the hall burst open to a shadowed figure in the doorway, and I came face to face with the end.

..... Jude

I awoke in a familiar room, one I had been in many times before, one I realised with regret, I had never left. My school bag sat in the same corner as always, my desk and chest of draws pushed up against the walls. The alarm clock telling me that it was gone 7:00am in the mourning. And I felt the sinking feeling in my chest that I had never felt when I had awoken in this room.

I had failed her, I had let my subconscious pull me away from what I had needed to do and because of that, Kia was gone. She was succumbed to the reaper's realm forever now all because I couldn't figure out this dumb fricking puzzle in time.

I pulled myself from the bed and glared at the patronizing sunrise that broke through my curtains, annoyed at its eager brightness when all I felt was a dull disappointed ache within me. I went through the motions of getting ready for school on auto pilot, complete devoid of energy as I went through mundane routine. No one seemed to notice this empty energy of mine, I was lost within my own troubled thoughts alone.

I left the house early, not able to stomach breakfast with the heavy feeling that was floating within my chest. I walked the streets and ignored all motion of the people and objects around me. Today however, before I reached the crossing, I took a different turn and headed instead to the community park, needing the shade and tranquil calm to try and bring my mind some peace.