The Untold Story of a Grim Reaper: Chapter 20.2: To Die is an Awfully Big Adventure

“None of your concern,” answered Samel as he took it from my grasp, “Your job is done. Now let’s be on our way. Senoi, Senson, let’s go.”

“Wait…” interjected Senoi, “I’d like to stay with Phoebe and Noa, if that’s okay…” Phoebe and I both seemed surprised, Senoi explained, “Just for the rest of the night, I’m enjoying myself.”

Senson agreed, “I would like to stay too, Samel.”

Samel appeared annoyed, he rolled his eyes as he stuffed the orb into his pocket, “Fine but I expect to see you back before sunrise.”

The brothers nodded and Samel went his own way. 

Lilli turned to us, “Well, I feel like I’ll just be a fifth wheel to this apparent eventful evening you all have been having so I’ll just be on my way too.” She spun in a circle on a thought, “Can I speak with you in private though, Noa, just for a moment.”

I silently complied, giving the others a nod to give me a moment, and followed Lilli until she thought we couldn’t be heard anymore. 

“How was court?” I asked mockingly.

“It went well, don’t worry, I’ll still be around to take care of you,” She rolled up her sleeves, “Alright, we can switch back now.”

“And you’ll never tell me why you wanted my marks… will you?”

Lilli touched the side of my face, I flinched. She cocked her head to the side, “Don’t worry, you’ll find out on your own.”

I wanted Lilli to like me, I wanted her to be my friend. But her intentions with me were unclear, I wanted a companion like me in this life… but she wanted someone to manipulate… I was afraid that in my desperation to find friendship and in keeping my loyalty to her for saving me… all of that might become monumental mistakes.

Painfully, we traded back our marks, it was such a relief to feel like my full self again, to have my spirit returned. 

Lilli left me with one last thought to reflect on, “Don’t get attached to them, it’s still just business.”

Was she trying to isolate me? So I would feel she was all I had to trust? 

Phoebe tapped me on my arm, “Hey, let’s get cleaned up.”

“You saw what we did, didn’t you.”

Phoebe shrugged and somberly nodded, “Saw what?”

Phoebe was not a good liar, I knew she saw all of it. But I respected that she left it be, without judgement, without question. She saw an exchange between me and Lilli that probably should be reported, but she respected me and didn’t say a word.

We joined Senson and Senoi, place was now completely empty and the stage lights off. 

“I know there’s a creek just up the way, we can clean up there,” I pointed to the west.

“Sounds good,” smiled Senoi.

Senson snickered, “Is it true reapers are the fastest of all daemons?”

I detected a sense of play among Senoi and Senson. I squinted unsure, “I’m sure there’s a way to find out.”

Without a blink of hesitation all four of us bolted further into the woods, our footsteps light and swift. Not making a single disturbance in the woods, all I could hear was the wind that whistled in my ears. 

Clearly way ahead of all of them, I was leading this herd of misfit souls. We turned corners and jumped over tree roots, I guess the rumors are true… reapers are much faster.  The deeper we sprinted through the forest the darker our surrounding became. My senses were keen though and I had no difficulty getting by.

I looked over my shoulder to see how far behind they were, I couldn’t spot a single one of them. I stopped running when suddenly a gust of wind knocked my off balance. I caught myself against a tree, looking up to see the triplets laughing and rising above the trees. 

I sprung open my wings abruptly with a wide grin slapped across my cheeks, feeling as daring as Peter Pan. I narrowed my wings and sprinted through the woods.

A wide enough opening finally appeared, I didn’t waste anytime leaping off, catching the first current for my wings to rest on. The wind howled in my eardrum, playing a song that drowned out all the heavy thoughts.

Twisting my head side to side, I tried to spot the triplets and Phoebe. The triplets appeared about a hundred feet above me, I guessed we weren’t heading to the creek anymore. 

I looked every which way for Phoebe and as if reading my mind she leapt from the clouds and landed straight on my back. Howling and laughing she hung onto my shoulders, resting her knees on my back. Spiraling out of control, I tried to shake her off. She yelled in my ear, “Be cool! Be cool! Just chill out.”

I calmed down, trying my best to twist my neck so I could get a better look at Phoebe. She was smiling as she clapped her hands together, disappearing instantly. I swung my head around several time to try to find her.

“Look down below!”

I looked up and saw Phoebe free falling from about a twenty feet away from me. She didn’t seem at all alarmed as she plummeted toward the earth. She hit a patch of clouds but didn’t reappear on the other side. I flew down closer to the Gelof’s, trying my best to yell over the wind, “What is Phoebe doing?”

Senson replied, “Taunts don’t have wings. It’s think it’s kind of like the idea of teleporting. I think she’s trying to play keep away.”

I laughed under my teeth, how childlike we were. That though our future was cluttered with the haunting duties of a daemon, we still yearned for the simplest things.

Phoebe plunged onto my backside, just like before, laughing while clinging to my shoulders. If this was a game I decided to play along. I began to spiral, twisting and curling to avoid the clouds. Phoebe was still laughing as she let go of my shoulders, pencil diving towards which ever way gravity took her.

The Gelof’s lagged behind me, smiling but still worried they were Phoebe’s next target. Which they were. Phoebe nose-dived towards Senson, his reflexes were faster than mine so he was easily able to turn out of her grasp. But Phoebe was quick too, grabbing his left wing she dragged Senson down with her. Some how she was able to hook her hands perfectly in the bone of his wings and steer him like a carriage.

Senoi swung up beside me, offering his hand. I accepted the gesture, but his humor got the best of him. Thinning his wings he had no way of staying afloat. His grip locked around my wrist as he dragged me down with him. I was screaming but he was laughing. Phoebe was catching up with us, Senson was acting like a wild bull trying to shake off Phoebe. Senson and I were obviously losing this game.

The earth was becoming clearer from the fog of clouds and we were seconds away from rocketing straight into it. Spinning, spiraling, and twisting directly to the fields below.

Senoi decided to finally open his sails but it wasn’t enough. We tumbled and scattered across the ground. Senoi laughed while holding his stomach. I couldn’t help but to as well.

Senson and Phoebe eventually had done the same, joining us as we rolled on the grass laughing. Senson tried to act annoyed and serious but he even couldn’t conceal his grin.

I took in the moment, realizing I belonged with them. Not with Jonah, Aaron, Jessie, or Camilla. 

Phoebe, Senson, and Senoi were the only ones I could truly be myself around. Besides some minor differences we were all woven from the same cloth. But did that mean I’d totally abandon my relationship with the living? Would that turn me into something I’m not?

When I’m with Phoebe, Senoi, and Senson I felt accepted as myself. But when I’m with Jonah and Aaron I feel human again. Which is worth the most to me though?

“Why do you look all serious?” teased Phoebe to me. I didn’t realize I had stopped laughing. I shot up to my feet and stuck out my tongue.

“I’m not!” I laughed, “You both cheated! Ganged up on Senson and me!”

Senoi chuckled, “Poor, defenseless birds!” He turned to Phoebe and gave her a high-five, “Senson, Phoebe completely owned you.”

Senson crossed his arms, with a smile, “Shut it! Just luck! So much for being normal kids.”

I interjected, “Are you kidding me? This is the most normal thing for kids to do.” They all looked at me confused, “Just being happy. Not worrying so much. Laughing over stupid stuff. Teasing.” 

I could see they began to understand. Phoebe more than the triplets did. I wondered if the triplets were ever-even human. I smiled, “Come on, let’s get cleaned and head back to my house. It might just be nice to sit.”

In no time we were back to my house. I mean Ethel and Julius’s house, I cringed every time I called it mine. Taking ownership of what was never mine.

We ended our night by laying upon the grass of Julius and Ethel’s backyard. Senson and Phoebe created small conversation amongst themselves that Senoi and me didn’t feel the need to be a part of. 

For the most part Senoi and I remained quite, Senoi reminded me a lot of Vincent.

Staring at the stars in the most cliché way possible, I kept wondering what God was seeing. As this God spins these webs of stories and intertwines lives does the Creator at all get discouraged? 

“What’re you thinking about?” murmured Senoi.

I sighed, eyebrows tense as I asked, “Do you know where God came from?”

Senoi shook is head, “No, I don’t. But I have an idea.”

“And what’s that?”

He turned over to better face me, “That at one point there was absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. But a force existed. And it brewed. It had to develop into a shape or form. It was such a powerful force that it had only one choice but to become God.”

“And what is that force?”

“Love.”

I turned over to look at him better, “You really think so?”

Senoi laid back down flat with a small smile, “It’s what I like to imagine. But I don’t have all the answers, which I think is the whole point I think as well.” I gave a confused hum, he continued, “It’s not easy to explain… it’s just something you experience. When you experience the relief of just letting some questions be.”

I asked, “Were you ever a human, Senoi?”

He replied, “No, I never was. Senson, Samel, and I aren’t even brothers. When we took this job were made to look the same as every other cardinal made. Our appearance change frequently though, but we always travel in threes.”

“Do all suicide reapers look like me?”

“No, it’s just a cardinal thing. Reapers have to be human first. Cardinals have to start as angels.”

My mind just kept jumping from thought to thought, “What kind of reapers are there?”

He held up a hand and counted on it, “Based off of The Seven Ending: Suicide, murder, accident, war, illness, catastrophe, and age.”

My ears perked, “Age? How nice it must be.”

“How so?”

“To take people to peace when their time has actually come. To take people who are ready and have accepted death.”

Senoi reached for my hand, “You miss being human, don’t you?”

I closed my eyes, inhaling oxygen into my stale, useless lungs, “More than anything.”

“I’m going to turn in,” Phoebe got to her feet, “See you all at school.”

“Wait you go to Mortimer Private?” I asked.

She smiled, “Yeah, I’m on the lacrosse team. See you guys.”

Phoebe evaporated and the Gelof’s agreed that it was time to call it a night. They took off just moments later, Senoi gave me another awkward hug before sinking into the shadows.

I didn’t realize how late we all had stayed together until I saw the sun began to rise as I walked back inside. I changed clothes, cleaned up, and headed towards school.

When I arrived I had a small skip in my step. Things were looking up, everything was working out for me, I had friends both human and dead. I was content and more than ready for my days as a reaper.

In the halls… something was wrong… there was a heaviness. Everyone around campus walked with dark stares, long faces, and glossy eyes. Walking through the main rotunda, the smell of it became only stronger. Such a sadness in the air. I hadn’t a clue why.

Turning a corner, down the science/east hall, I spotted dozens of people surrounding Aaron’s locker. Leaving pictures and candles near it. Camilla separated from the crowd and almost passed me, I stopped her, “What’s wrong?”

She wiped her eyes and whispered, “Didn’t you hear? Last night, Aaron killed himself.”