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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
On cue, Philip clutched his chest, staggered to a clumsy stop, and fell to his knees. It almost didn't seem real to me, to see a man keel over like that when only seconds before he'd been any other ordinary person. I supposed it was the fault of Hollywood which made us believe every death happened with great purpose and drama, clouds darkening and lightning bolts illuminating the sky. They rarely portrayed a man's life ending on a perfect day, without ceremony or explanation.
We strolled in a leisurely fashion to the scene; the sound of people gasping, whispering, crying, and screaming had replaced the tranquil laughter and birdsong. Passers-by crowded around the body to call for help or, rather more grimly, to take pictures to post to the internet. I pitied his poor girlfriend. She clung to his hand, sobbing, and begging him to stay with her. If she knew we were standing there, she might have made her pleas to us instead. Not that it would have changed anything.
"Someone help me!" a voice cried from the ground. Much like me, Philip was trapped inside of his body, hearing it all happen around him but unable to physically react.
"And this is why it's so important to remove a soul early. As you recall, it's not fun to be trapped inside your body while this happens."
"So, if I'd been on your list -"
"I'd have extracted you as soon as you died, yes. Regardless of what you might think of me, I don't enjoy making people suffer." Leon paused and flashed me a smile. "Then again, I might make an exception for you."
"Charming."
Leon stooped and lowered his hand. It passed through Philip's body to the arm of the spirit within. The Reaper pulled and, with a flash of white, Philip's soul was dragged from his corpse. He checked himself over, a look of hope and elation on his face when he thought for a moment that he might be alive. It was the same mistake I'd made and a natural wish for anyone after they died. Leon shook his head slowly, and the smile slipped from Philip's face, replaced with an expression of horror.
He lunged at Leon, grabbing his collar roughly, and demanded, "Why me? Why?!"
"Now," Leon said to me like he wasn't being assaulted, "this can sometimes happen. People react differently when they die. The important thing to do is to remain calm."
"Calm. Got it."
I felt like I should've brought a notebook with me. If I wasn't allowed a scythe, I could at least have had that. I hoped there wouldn't be a test or anything. I didn't trust that I could be quizzed on my knowledge of how to handle the dead after just one collection.
"What is this?" Philip glanced at me. "Are you teaching her to kill people or something?"
"Not exactly," Leon said. "Philip, you had a heart condition, and it is your time."
"Don't I get a second chance? Can't I – I don't know – can't I make a deal?"
"There's no dealing with a Grim Reaper," Leon told him flatly. "This is it. Let us take you on to the afterlife."
