💀Death's Apprentice💀

Chapter Twenty-Two: I Like You! Alive, That Is...

Rose Delaney

          Magic rushed through my veins, revitalizing any energy that had been drained by the night's activities. Now was our chance! Our chance to undo everything Cedrick had done! I raised the Scythe in defense to anyone who might try to rush at me again. Many were still trying to scramble up from the floor.

"Rose! Here!" The Apprentice called.

"No! Rose, give it to me!" Death demanded.

"Rose!!! Don't give it to either of them! Listen to me!" Director Cain shouted. I looked at him in confusion. "You can be better than all of them. There has to be some way to balance this! You can make this right and fair! Undoing Hawthorne's work will be reversing any survivals. Thousands of people will die!" The Scythe wavered in my grip.

"People that would have died anyway! Don't listen to him! He only wants it for himself! He has no idea how the magic world works. There must be balance! If those people don't die, then others will take their place at random. It's not fair!"

            "None of it is fair! That's why we have to fix it! These people shouldn't suffer because you're not intelligent enough to fix your own broken system!" Cain growled.

          "It's not my system! That's just how it works! It may not be fair, but that's as close to fair as you're going to get!" Death argued. I looked to the Apprentice. He glanced back and forth between Death and I, pensively waiting for my answer.

          "The choice is yours, Rose. Your word is binding to the Scythe." He assured.

           "Is it true that you lied? That you're going to break our deal? Are you going to kill me anyway?" I asked. I looked deep into his eyes. The Apprentice hesitated. My eyes started to water. "Tell me the TRUTH. Now." His eyes flashed blue for a moment.

          "Yes." He blurted out, then looked horrified. "But that was before we became friends! That was before I realized how strong and funny and cool you are, and how well you've blended into the magic world. That was all before I realized I like you! Alive, that is! I like you alive...." Everyone stood in confused silence. Had I just hypnotized him? With my eyes? That didn't make any sense!

          "Rose! Listen to me now. We can solve your situation later, but for now you have to set everyone else's right! The longer you take the more innocent people die in their place." Death demanded. I looked at the Scythe and lifted it. Were the people originally dying not just as innocent? Death added gently, "It's at random, Rose. It's their time, you have to accept it. It's not on your hands. Please, Rose. Before this gets even more out of hand. Before other entities get involved..."

          "No!" Cedrick shouted.

          BOOM! I brought the Scythe down hard, and a tidal wave of magic soared out into the world. Other entities? What had that meant? The Apprentice had mentioned others... Like the Karmas. What were the others?

          "NOOO!" Cedrick wailed. His sister faded to dust and disappeared. The dogs outside grew silent. He fell to his hands and knees, staring at the spot where she had been. Sobs rang out through the room. "She didn't deserve it! She was good! The only good one...She just wanted to be good. She did everything right and she was still taken." He looked up to me angrily, tears streaming my down his face. His face softened for a moment, as if realizing what he had said to me. A tear rolled down my cheek. Then the bitterness was back.

          "I never should have hired you." He spat.

          "No..." I knelt down to his level. "You never should have stabbed me." With a flash of my eyes he slumped to the ground in a deep sleep. I watched his unconscious body as I cautiously stood up. "And I'm allergic to roses..." THUMP! With another jolt of the Scythe the guards fell to the ground as well.

          BAM!!!

          Another and I was gone.