The Medium Kid

Chapter 39

"Your first assignment, though starting small, is still a huge task for a beginner." Connor could feel all eyes on him. "Koda, you will come with me and I will assist."

"Um..." Koda had a sudden urge to move back and far away from Connor. "What do I have to do?"

"You have to take a soul of an animal."

The silence somehow grew more intense. Alfie and Morlen both stared at Koda, watching his reaction. Morlen recognised the stress before Alfie did. Koda's neck tensed, then his jaw, then he linked his fingers together too tightly and his eyes fixed into a position in the distance and he stopped blinking.

"I don't want to do that." Koda's voice sounded distant and small.

"You have no choice." Connor leaned against the doorway, knowing it might take a while to convince the teenager.

"I don't want to be the sidekick."

"You have no choice in that either."

"I should get a choice."

"You should, but you don't," Connor sighed. "If you don't come with me and take the soul, then the Grim Reaper will guide the animal to you and I must say, they don't like messing with fate."

"Can Koda not have a little more time to come to terms with all of this?" Alfie asked when he could see how stiffly Koda sat. He looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"I'm afraid not. Death thinks that by getting Koda involved with tasks right away will speed up his acceptance process." Connor smiled with sympathy, remembering what it was like to take his first soul. "I agree. You can't sit and solely think about your duties, you have to experience them. This is who you are Koda, and it won't change now."

"What if I refuse?" Koda asked, crossing his arms to stop his fingers losing circulation. He stared at Connor, trying to inject him with his seriousness.

"You can't refuse. It's who you are. Eventually, you'll enjoy it and there's nothing you can do to stop your feelings. Rejecting it will only make your tasks less enjoyable."

"Well, I'm not going with you. The Grim Reaper can either find a new sidekick or plan around me because I'm not cooperating." Koda was very matter of factly, and he didn't care that Connor's lip twitched with irritation.

"Not a wise choice, but I understand. This life has sprung onto you too suddenly," Connor said and turned his head, knowing the medium was next to him. "Alfie?"

"Yes?" Alfie perked up, wondering if he could say anything to change Koda's mind.

"Can I speak to you privately please?"

Alfie turned and walked out of the room. Connor followed the sounds of his footsteps, knowing the layout of Alfie's home rather well. Alfie led him far away enough so they were out of anyone's earshot. He leaned against a wooden table that held a huge potted plant. Thankfully, it was fake so Koda couldn't kill it. "Do you want me to say something to Koda?"

"Yes. It's not good that he rejects this."

"There's only so much I can say, Connor. He's still dealing with the fact that ghosts are real. Collecting souls is like some locked up topic and he threw away the key. Earlier, he wanted to take the soul of a guy at college. He changed so suddenly. Is that normal?"

"Quite normal. Right now, there's Koda that you know and his dad knows and his friends know, but ever since he turned eighteen, a side to Koda has woken up and is pushing to the surface. That's Koda, the Grim Reaper's sidekick. Eventually, the two Koda's will merge once he accepts his fate. We need to shove him in that direction."