ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖 ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕝//ℙ𝕄

chapter eleven

Author's POV:

I

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Genesis's POV:

I woke up to the sound of beeping echoing through the room. I found myself in an unfamiliar room that I realized was Payton's.

"Payton?" I called out.

"Huh?" I heard his voice as a bump in the blanket fort appeared, causing it to crash over Payton who seemed to be inside.

"Damn it," He mumbled, "Can I get a little help?" He asked as I tried to cover up my laughter.

I crawled to the edge of the bed and pulled the covers off of his head. His hair was messily thrown across his face and he only had on a pair of black sweatpants.

"You said you weren't gonna let me have the bed," I complained.

"You fell asleep," He shrugged.

"You could've woken me up," I furrowed my eyebrows.

"But I didn't want to," He stood up.

"Do you have to go to school now?" I asked.

"Technically I should, but I don't feel like it," He yawned, "I'm gonna tell my mom I'm sick."

"You're gonna lie?" I laughed.

"Uh, yeah pretty much," He chuckled before just absent-mindedly leaving the room. It was a habit at this point for him to just walk out unannounced.

I sighed and flopped onto my back when I noticed that the portal in the ceiling, that was previously sealing, began to open up again. My eyes widened at the sight and began to internally panic.

Was someone coming through?

I stared intently at the hole as 2 pairs of feet started to sink through. The harshness of my breathing was almost audible as I tried to bite the inside of my cheek to calm myself down.

I watched in terror as the two figures drifted through the ceiling. I recognized them as two girls but when they turned around...

"Halia? Ayanti?" My jaw dropped as I was greeted with the two Reaper twins.

"Holy shit, Genesis?" Ayanti squealed before running up and hugging me.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled away. Her hands still lingered on my shoulders.

"I found out how to open the portal," I smiled.

"It's weird that this boy hasn't seen you guys before even though the portal is in his house though," I mumbled, "Did you guys put on a spell?" I asked.

"Genesis, please say you're not friends with Payton Moormeier," Halia's face dropped.

"I am...why?" I asked, concerned. Ayanti's arms slumped off of me and she backed away from me.

"Genesis, honey the portal appears in the area of the next person we have to....bring to the afterlife," Halia said softly. She always seemed to have the gentlest tone, even when giving awful news. Her voice almost sounded like a heavenly chorus.

"Are you saying...?" I desperately looked back and forth between the two of them when Ayanti slowly nodded.

The door creaked and we all sharply looked towards the door.

"Gen, I did it. I'm staying home today," Payton celebrated before he opened his eyes, "Oh my god don't tell me more demons came out of my ceiling."

"You can't!" I turned back to the girls."

"Genesis we have to. You need to understand that it's our job," Ayanti sighed.

"Can't you just pardon him or something?" My eyes started to sting as I clenched my fists.

"It's not that simple," Halia bit the inside of her lip.

"I feel like I've walked into something..." Payton mumbled.

"Well he's gonna go to heaven so-" Halia started.

"I don't care! You can't kill him, he's only 17!" I shouted.

"What?" Payton's expression fell into the same terror as I had seen the night we met, "Gen, who the fuck are these people and what are they talking about?"

"Payton, not now," I said gently before turning back to the twins.

"You can't," I repeated as tears wrapped around my face, forming a pool on the underside of my chin.

"We have t-" Ayanti began to speak but Halia widened her eyes and forced her index finger over her mouth.

"Look at the book," She snapped at her sister, "Since it wasn't predicted that Genesis was here, he doesn't have to die."

Ayanti widened her eyes at the sight.

"What? What happened?" I asked helplessly.

"This here is the book of deaths and it no longer says your friend needs to die," Ayanti said bluntly.

A smile crashed across my face as I ran up and practically jumped onto Payton, my hands falling onto the back of his neck as he tried not to fall over from the embrace.

The act was out of character for me. I was used to being grossed out by the touch of another, but I found myself falling into his arms quite easily. It was nice.

"I'm so confused," He breathed.

"Shush, don't worry about it," I said as I hugged him tighter. I couldn't believe he could've died.

After we shared our extremely different lives with each other, I couldn't watch that life that I learned so much about whisk away.

"So what changed in the book?" I asked, breaking the hug.

"Well, he was supposed to get in a car crash on his way to school, but he stayed home to spend time with you, so that didn't happen," Halia explained.

"Um, can we maybe not talk about me dying in front of me..." Payton said hesitantly, "Also I still have no idea who you people are."

"This is Halia and Ayanti," I pointed to them in order of their names, "They're the grim reapers."

"So the grim reaper isn't some old skeleton man?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Nope," They answered in unison.

🖤🖤🖤

"It's been nice talking to you again Genesis," Halia said pleasantly, "And it was great meeting you Payton, but we have places to be and a deadline."

"Alright," I sighed, "I'm gonna miss you guys."

"Miss you as always, Genesis," Ayanti said as I pulled the both of them in for a hug. I wasn't normally an affectionate person unless it came to them. They were my best friends.

I loved them, and I always missed them when they left me. Now it was happening again, but in an easier way. Now I wasn't dependent on them. They weren't my only friends now.

Word Count: 1066

Author's Note:

Blackbear is bae

That wasn't random btw

Okay question for today:

What's your favorite number? (you're not allowed to say 420 or 69)

I know that sounds odd, but if you think about, you probably have one.

Mine's 15.

Later Losers 🦑