When she unexpectedly dies, Mackenzie Bowen lacks the paperwork she needs to pass into The Beyond. To avoid sitting in a waiting room for centuries, Mack is paired with Leon, a miserable Reaper, and hopes to either undo her death or earn her spot be...
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I didn't have a plan.
I never had a plan.
My lack of foresight was immediately apparent as I hurtled down corridors without checking for exit signs, merely hoping that my innate sense of direction would lead me out of the hospital. Said sense of direction had never existed in life, so why I thought it would kick in once I was dead, I didn't know. All that mattered to me at that moment was that I needed to put as much distance between me and the Reaper as possible.
At first, I tried to dodge around doctors, nurses, and patients. It was a force of habit. If I'd been alive, I'd have barrelled into the innocent bystanders and sent them sprawling across the floor. As a spirit – or whatever the Hell I was – I simply shifted through them like a shadow. Not a single person turned their head in my direction as I sped through the waiting room and out into the car park. It was a cool evening, but my breath didn't mist in the air. Although I huffed and fought to fill my lungs, it didn't leave a mark on the world of the living. I had mere seconds to decide on my direction. If the Reaper had followed me, then he wouldn't be far behind, and I couldn't risk him catching me. Not before I'd thought about my options.
At least, I assumed I had options.
Up, down, and staying put.
I was more inclined to take the latter. I'd barely experienced the world, and I wanted to see more of it. It didn't seem fair that I should have to leave it so soon. Surely, I could linger for a few years as a ghost. Other people did it all the time. If they didn't, there wouldn't be any ghost stories. I could totally rock a white sheet and rattle chains in a creepy castle. It wasn't the job I'd have picked for myself, but I'd take what I could get.
I took off again, my gaze set on the nearby road and the rolling park beyond. They were just vast and dark enough that I could hide there until Leon gave up the chase. Out on the pavement, I blended as well as I could into a small group of people. They were the perfect camouflage, not least because they didn't know that I was there. We arrived at a pedestrian crossing. Though the lights changed, and the cars stopped, my heart still slammed violently against my ribs with every frightening step I took. I clamped my jaw tight to trap my breath behind my teeth and didn't dare to release it until I was safely on the other side of the street.
It was stupid to be afraid of the vehicles. If they sped through the lights, they wouldn't hurt me. Nothing would hurt me ever again. Still, the rumble of engines and the stench of exhaust fumes made my stomach churn and roil uncontrollably. I balled my hands into fists and hastened away from the group. I had no intention of following them all the way to where they were headed, and I didn't think they'd be thrilled to have a ghost in their home. No, my path lay across the park. It seemed to be a popular spot with patients because a few ambled slowly along the winding paths while others rested in wheelchairs and simply breathed in the evening air. A lump appeared in my throat. I used to think the worst thing in the world would be to grow old and grey, living out the rest of my days slowly, carefully, and in quiet solitude.
