The Untold Story of a Grim Reaper: Chapter 9: Kiss of Death

I isolated myself from everyone more so the entire day at school. I was too spooked to even attempt interacting with the living. Scared to death of what the future held for Lilli and me. Lilli was creeping under my skin, breathing ice into my broken veins and turning my stale blood into sand. She knows what I am and now I know what she is. But somehow she has the upper hand. And for some reason, that instills a fear in me that the safety of my soul is in her hands. It’s as if she walked The Maze in my mind and rearranged 

Jonah sat next to me at lunch even though I specifically sat alone. He kept me company, but he was good at knowing if people were in the mood to talk or not, so he ate in silence. Occasionally smiling at me. Luckily, he didn’t take it personally. The last thing I needed was to lose a friend that I was growing attached to. 

The last class of the day, for once I didn’t want school to end. I didn’t know where I’d go with all this loneliness. I didn’t want to just wait for people to die to have something to do. My dark existence suffocated whatever lived under my ribcage. Sometimes I doubted a heart still lied there. Whatever was there though, was hollow and thirsty.

From the desk in front of me, Jonah turned and looked at me sympathetically. I knew he meant well, but it irked me, I didn’t need anyone worrying about me. I kept reminding my self that I was death, and they were the ones that needed to worry. 

The bell rang and I was the first to stand and leave. I heard Jonah say my name but I acted like I didn’t hear him. I needed to be alone. My thoughts were getting hostile and I didn’t want to take it out on anyone.

I was being followed; the Gelof triplets were ten feet behind me. I stopped walking but didn’t turn around. I sensed that they stopped as well. I turned around on my heels and marched towards them.

“What’s your problem? All three of you!”

Samel spoke first, “We’re not sure what you mean.”

“You’re keeping an eye on me. All the time.” 

I had never been so gutsy before, I’d usually just avoid people who made me feel uncomfortable but with my role as reaper I felt voraciously confident.

The brothers exchanged glances. 

Senson stepped forward, “Do you need any guidance?

“Not from you.”

“Then excuse us, we need to walk towards the bus.”

They triplets walked passed me, our eyes locked until they had to turn there heads to look ahead. They didn’t speak to each other as they strolled towards the exit in their uniform line. 

I felt a tap on my shoulder before I took a step.

“Hey, you.” I turned around to see Jonah, “Aaron and I have band practice tonight but we were wondering if you wanted to hang out afterwards?” He smiled sweetly, “You could watch us practice if you want. It’s pretty much done, so it’d be like watching the show.”

I smiled back and let out a sigh, “I’m sorry, Jonah, I…” I stepped backward and shrugged, “I just don’t feel very well. Thanks though… rain check?”

Jonah tucked his hands under his backpack straps, “Okay, Noa… you’re doing okay… right?” He stepped forward, “I know you just moved here… but you can talk to me.”

My eyes met the ground, “Thank you, Jonah,” I stepped forward and gave him a hug. He accepted it. I felt the side of his face against my neck. 

He retracted a bit from the hug and grabbed both of my hands, “Are you okay? You feel so cold… your skin… it barely feels like anything. There’s no warmth or texture at all.”

His words broke something in me. The walls within the maze of my mind has fallen and all of which I was hiding from found its way back to me. More than ever, I felt the harsh reality of my situation at this moment. I burst out crying and dug my face into my hands. I pulled back my hands and saw no tears. I looked up and everyone was frozen where they stood, all facing at me, expressionless. 

The books in Jonah’s hands dropped to the floor, him and all the other students looked like standing corpses. This only upset me more. I didn’t understand what was happening. I kept thinking of Eli, begging for him to appear in my thoughts. Nothing. Still crying, I turned full circle and saw the entire student body was frozen in their tracks. Facing me. 

I felt ice begin to pump through my veins. It burned and rushed to my face. I screamed a scream I never thought I could ever hurdle from my throat. I was out of control. It was all becoming real to me. I was dead and could never be what I was. 

With no need for breath, I kept screaming. My vision was becoming hazy but I could see all the bodies around me collapse to the ground. 

My veins pulsed under my skin. My joints stiffened jaggedly. My spine felt sharp on my backside, causing me to hunch over. 

Someone was walking towards me though. In the blur of my sight I saw the thin figure of a girl walking passed all the fallen people, reaching both of her hands out to me. But I kept screeching. I fell to my knees and saw the figure walking towards me did the same. 

Her hands, warm against my face, guided my head to be equal with hers. She whispered something I didn’t understand. Lifted my jaw to shut my mouth. She then leaned in and kissed me.

I blacked out.