The Grim Reaper's Girl

The Question

"What's behind the light?"

The Grim Reaper stared straight ahead as he continued walking, but his gaze faltered. He heard Mindy's question, but he didn't want to answer it. Not yet.

It was a few hours after they had sent Michael's soul into the light, and Mindy had been quiet for most of it. At least verbally. He could sense her mind and the multiple conflicting thoughts she had. She had mostly accepted that there was no way to return back to life after witnessing the last soul's attempt to re-enter his body, and was taking it surprisingly well. He could feel that she wanted to ask what were his plans for her, but was afraid to. There was even a passing thought about a blog named "Magic The Dog" that is now missing an owner. But at the forefront of her thoughts was the curiosity surrounding the mystery of the light in which souls went to. 

It was something he didn't know the answer to as well, and he wasn't ready to admit it even after a millennia. 

"Don't ignore me." I know you can hear me even without me talking. Mindy's verbal and mental voices reached him loud and clear.

The Grim Reaper sighed. Sighing was a cursory bodily function he picked up from observing millions humans. He had no need to breathe in air and thus no need to expel it, but sighing did seem to accurately portray how he felt inside sometimes. 

"I... don't know." 

He could feel Mindy's eyes widen and the feeling of incredulity emitting from her soul, even without looking at her.

"How could you not know? Haven't you been leading souls into the light for, like, ever?" Mindy's tone was slightly sharp and if the Grim Reaper could blush, he would have.

The Grim Reaper stopped walking and turned his gaze towards Mindy. "I have to deliver them, but I cannot go into the light," he replied. 

His eyes searched her face for the derision he expected to find, but instead, was met with softened eyes and a sympathetic expression. 

Warm, pitying feelings radiated from Mindy. He could sense her thoughts - she was feeling sorry for his apparent lack of ability to find out the truth, and the eternity of frustration that must have accompanied it.

The Grim Reaper was astonished. How was it that even at this point of time, she could feel sorry for someone other than herself?

A look of determination came over Mindy's face. "I'll help find out. Let's go to the next soul."

Mindy started walking forward. 

The Grim Reaper looked after Mindy's back as she walked away, and suppressed a smile. There was actually no need to walk - he simply needed to think of the next soul and they would have found themselves at the soul's location, either about to die or very recently dead. Walking to places was something he did just so that he could break the monotony of his work. Mindy clearly thought that they walked to each soul. She hadn't noticed that each soul's location and time periods were vastly distant from the other.

There was no logical flow to the soul or time period of the 'next soul' - the order of which souls he delivered didn't follow the chronological clock that humans were familiar with. The Grim Reaper had existed outside of time - to him, everyone was dying, everyone had already died, and everyone had yet to be born.

Imagine a bottomless bowl constantly filling up with peas. Now, each pea would spend some time existing in the bowl, but the pea would have no knowledge of what was happening. They simply knew that they existed, but not that they were in a bowl, or what was going to happen to them next. They could either be removed from the bowl, or could continue to exist in the bowl. 

To the Grim Reaper, he was the one holding the bowl. He could see each pea, choose when to pick each pea and in whichever order he chose. The peas could continue to exist in the bowl until it was their time. And when it was, he would be there to lift them out of the bowl and into wherever they were supposed to be. He could dig deep in to the bowl and go to the very first pea, or pick a pea from the top of the bowl. 

He found it difficult to explain to humans, especially since the concept of time was so deeply ingrained in them their whole life. It was easier to simply use the notion of 'fate' to explain that their deaths were already destined and unchangeable. 

This time, he had Mindy with him, and he was curious to know what Mindy would think of this. Mindy had so far exceeded his expectations of a human - she had been the first soul he couldn't retrieve an unbearable memory of, and her thoughts were more positive than most souls he had met. She was also inquisitive - more so than the last soul who questioned the purpose of a Grim Reaper.

The Grim Reaper brought them to the next soul. This time, he chose deliberately. 

They arrived outside a dilapidated wooden shack, in the midst of a small thicket. A couple of fish were being spit roasted outside the house, balancing precariously on branches stuck into the ground. Two toddlers, dressed in what looked like clothing made from hemp, were drawing in the ground with sticks nearby.

He had brought them to about 1000 BC, one of his favourite time periods. Living was simpler back then, and souls were easier to deal with.

Mindy was looking around the place. He could feel her confusion, trying to make sense of what appeared to be a rudimentary camping ground and two malnourished kids wearing rice sacks.

The Grim Reaper explained, "This is 1000 BC, far from your time. We are here for the girl. Aurelia, 3, severe burns." 

He could literally hear the gears in Mindy's mind going into overdrive. Above all the mental chatter she was giving off, he could hear one word clearest: 'COOL'. He allowed himself a rare smile. 

"Oh my god. You can time travel! Of course that makes so much sense, how you do this job alone!"

Just then, a clattering noise pulled their attention towards the fire. The girl had fallen into the makeshift roast pit, and her hair and clothes were now on fire. She was stumbling around crying, unsure what to do. The other child was stunned, and started crying as well.

Mindy sobered up and watched the events unfold. It was clear that the child's parents were not home, and she knew from past experience it was futile to try and stop the death. It was a heart-wrenching scene, watching a young child burn to death in front of her but unable to do anything about it.

Soon, the body fell and became still. The mist started to rise and took the shape of the girl. She was looking up at the Grim Reaper and Mindy without any fear in her eyes. 

The Grim Reaper took a step forward. "Kflepfk ojjeh you erk ox epeh waf, Aurelia." He turned towards Mindy and saw the confused look on her face. Of course, the language was different in 1000 BC. Summoning a little bit of his power, he concentrated on Mindy, and helped her mind understand the language. 

Mindy's expression became one of wonderment as she realised she could now understand the Grim Reaper's last sentence.

The Grim Reaper bent and offered a hand to the girl, who took it without any hesitation. The light appeared in the doorway of the wooden shack, glimmering and waiting.

Mindy rushed forward and took the girl's other hand. The Grim Reaper looked up in surprise at Mindy. "What are you doing?"

"I will go with her into the light. Don't worry, I'll be back." Mindy replied. 

The Grim Reaper stared at Mindy. He had never once thought to ask a soul for help to find out what was behind the light. The souls who entered the light were always willing or became willing upon being shown their worst memory. 

The Grim Reaper was oddly touched by Mindy's gesture. 

No one had ever offered to come back from the light before, much less to tell him what was behind it. This was what she meant by helping him.

Straightening up, he released the girl's hand and nodded once at Mindy. 

Mindy and the girl walked towards the light.

And for the first time ever, the Grim Reaper felt what it was like to be concerned for someone else.