Death's Apprentice

14

I rolled Death over and grabbed his wrist, searching for a pulse. I couldn't find one.

"Kid, I'm not alive." He cracked an eye open and smiled at me. My soul steadied at the smile, no matter how weak it was. Death sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

"What happened?" I asked, looking at the cuts spilling gold down his skin.

"Life decided to take a more direct approach. Mind getting me my scythe so we can get out of here?"

I nodded, but I couldn't find it. My eyebrows drew together as I looked everywhere in the room a second time. "It's not here."

"Kid, cover your ears."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

I shrugged and covered my ears, expecting him to swear. I didn't expect him to let out a loud shout, one that knocked me back against a metal shelf.

Air swirled around Death, loose papers and napkins disintegrated the moment they neared him. The dead body of the cashier collapsed and turned to soil. Death put his head in his hands and the air grew still.

It took me a while to untangle myself from the twisted wreckage of the shelf. A high pitched ringing was the only thing I could hear. I sat in front of Death and stared at him.

He glanced up at me. Before I knew what was happening, he had his gloves off and his hands on either side of my face. The ringing trailed off. Death pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and he wiped the sides of my face.

"Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to burst your eardrums," Death said, offering an apologetic smile. He put his gloves back on.

"It's fine. Didn't even feel it. The shelf, on the other hand, definitely deserves an apology."

Death laughed and pulled my hood up over my head. "I'll apologize when it apologizes for getting in the way. Did you see a pen anywhere?"

"Uh, yeah. Hold on a second." I found one and tossed it to him.

Death got up and found an intact piece of paper. He scrawled a note on the back and dropped it and the pen ontop of the former cashier.

"What's that about?" I asked.

"Sometimes immortals get bored. God overrides free will. Lucifer plays TSGs. We find our own ways to keep ourselves entertained. Mine just happens to be leaving notes and ciphers."

"That's horrible."

"Kid, the guy died a couple of hours ago and he's a pile of dirt. I'm not sure mortals could come up with any explanation for this." He reached up to fix his scarf. His hand froze in midair, when he realized his scarf was gone.

"You okay?"

Death pressed his lips together and forced a smile. "I am going to push her down a well."

"That seems harsh."

"Kid, it's one thing to steal my scythe. It's another thing to steal my scarf. God knows that, Lucifer knows that, and I know she knows that. I am pushing her down a well and if we're lucky, she won't get out for a couple years."

"I still think it's a bit much for a scarf, Death. We can stop at a mall or something. I can probably learn how to knit."

"You can't replace the scarf."

"Why not?"

Death sighed. "It's the one present Life's given me. She made it for me when I was little."

"That scarf is longer than I am tall."

"So?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Nevermind." I shook my head. "How are we supposed to get home?"