Spinoffs, Short Stories, and Bonus Chapters

Guardian Reaper - Short Story

(A/N: This story has no previous characters in it. It's a stand-alone. However, I'm contemplating turning it into a short novel or a full book! Let me know what you think.)

"Welcome to Purgatory, kid."

My eyes opened in confusion; I never expected to hear anything ever again. Looking around, I saw a boy who looked to be in his early twenties, with back hair, light skin, and a dark cloak. His bright blue eyes shone, even in the darkness from his hood.

"What?" I asked. I wasn't sure I'd heard him correctly.

"Oh, come on! It's the opening line, if you repeat it, it sounds stupid," he complained. I stared at him without blinking until he sighed. "Fine. 'Welcome to Purgatory, kid.'"

"Purgatory?" Looking around, I saw nothing but lush forests for miles. What was this place?

"Well, yeah. Where do you think people go after they die? People like me need jobs too, you know." He shook his head as if I were an ignorant child.

After they die... I repeated to myself silently. I'm still dead, then? "So... What now? What am I doing here?"

"That's my job. I'm your advisor for the next year, and I figure out where you go."

"What are my options?" I asked. This all seemed like a dream. I must be in a coma or something, perhaps I haven't actually died. Yes, that must be it. I laughed. "I have the oddest imagination..." I muttered.

"What was that?" The boy asked.

"Nothing," I laughed again. "I just have really weird dreams, that's all."

"I don't see how that's relevant in the slightest, but alright. Let's get going," he replied awkwardly, as he was losing dominance over the conversation. Shaking his head and muttering something to himself, he walked away, and I assumed I should follow him down a narrow dirt path.

"You didn't answer my question," I observed.

"Normal people don't have this many questions. What was it again?" He asked.

"What are my options? You said you decide where I go, or whatever." I explained once more. This guy doesn't seem very good at his job, I mused.

"Haven't you ever heard of the afterlife?"

"Yeah, but who believes that stuff?"

"Oh, I dunno. Someone who works there," he answered, a bit more sarcastic than I'd expected him to be.

"My apologies," I replied, matching his tone. He looked back at me and narrowed his eyebrows.

"He just had to assign me to you..." he complained irritably. Unsure of who he was, I continued following in silence. As we walked, the trees thinned out, eventually opening into a large field and just beyond that, a large city.

"What's your name?" I wondered.

"Oh, right!" He exclaimed, slapping an open palm against his forehead. "The list!"

"What?" I asked.

He shushed me and rummaged through his cloak pockets. "It's gotta be here somewhere..." He mumbled. "Ah! Here we go." He revealed a weathered scroll, covered in dark, scrawled writing. "Hello, my name is Jeremy, and I will be your advisor for the next year. Welcome to Purgatory! I am one of Death's chosen employees, and I will be deciding where you pass to after this stage!" He was obviously reading from a script, and rather sarcastically at that.