Grim.

Chapter Two: Two Weeks.

        I want to say: 'I woke up in a dark room', but you can't say that you've woken up if you'd never fallen asleep in the first place. One minute I was standing above Julia's body staring down in disbelief. The next I am being pulled through what feels like a vacuum. I have been summoned, and I know exactly who called me.

        "Why did you do that?" It's voice echoes throughout the cavern. It is nowhere and everywhere. It's question bounces off the walls attacking me with anger and confusion. I don't think I have ever seen  it confused before.

        "Do what?" I ask.

        "Do what?!" It mocks. "What do you think? Why did you let her live?"

        I shake my head immediately before it finishes speaking. "I didn't let her live. She just did. I was waiting for her soul, but it didn't come. I didn't do anything."

        If it had eyes I'm sure they would be narrowed at me. I knew it was angry. It was Death after all. My boss. The one I give the souls to. If I wanted it to have eyes, it would. Death looks how you want it to look. For other reapers, Death appears as a human. Some see it as an angel. I don't see it at all.

        For me, Death is just a presence. It has no true form, so why give it one to make myself more comfortable around it? It is just a sound. I know it is there, but it is no different from cold air to me.

        "Exactly, Reaper, you did nothing and that is why she lived." Death hissed. "I saw you save that girl. So why did you do it."

        "No, as she died I was actively awaiting her soul. I was ready to take it away. I was-."

        "Enough! I saw it happen. I know what you did even if you claim you do not." Death bellowed. "That girl was lying there dying, but you stopped the process. You allowed her to breathe again. When her friends kneeled down to help her, you pitied the living ones, and you saved the dead girl."

        He was talking about April. Apparently, I somehow saved Julia to help April.

        "I cannot control-." I began, but death stopped me.

        "Yes, you can. You've done it before." Death growled. "If you don't take the soul, it doesn't leave.  Do you have a problem taking souls that have heart attacks? Do you remember the first soul you were supposed to take?"

        I did. How could I forget? I knew exactly what it was talking about now. The very first time I became a reaper I barely knew what to do. My first client was a man named Edgar Rolland. He liked to be called Ed. I know more about him than I care to admit. He was an old man almost 70 years old; 68 to be exact. He was the first soul I was supposed to take. I'd followed him for a long time. I studied who he was. I was so excited.

        I watched Ed walking down the street. It was dark. He was trying to get home, his knuckles were red. Because it was my first client ever, I'd been there hours before I needed to; days even. The list I had then was much shorter than the list I have now, so I could afford to spend that much time with my clients. Now I barely bother being there for more than 10 minutes. I wouldn't even learn their names if I didn't have to. I'd prefer numbers.

        Ed was coming back from his daughter's house. She was about 40 years old, and her name was Catherine. She was right behind him; following sadly and slowly. She had a black eye and a bruise on her left cheek. Her lip was bleeding.

        "I didn't think he would do it again. I really didn't."Catherine said to her father.

        "What made you think that Catie? Because he said so?" Edgar yelled. He was angry. This was the first time Catherine called her father to save her, but it wasn't the first time she'd been bruised by her husband.