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.
The girl had disappeared. There was no sign of her bare feet, large eyes, or white linen dress anywhere around me. I turned on the spot, afraid to call out but desperate to find someone who could reassure me I was safe. I whipped around and faced a man. I yelped in panic, stumbling backwards at the sight of him. My alarm didn't surprise him. He barely even flinched at the high-pitched cry when it passed my lips. Instead, he fiddled with one of his silver cufflinks on his pressed white dress shirt, looking handsome and impressive in a burgundy suit. His skin was flawlessly pale, his hair fair blond, and his eyes were as gentle and brown as those of a puppy.
"Sorry," he said in a caramel smooth voice, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Did I scare you?"
"No," I lied. "I was just... there was a girl here. Did you see her?"
"Can't say that I did. Are you lost? Can I help you?"
There was nothing outwardly alarming about the man. Other than he could see me, and he'd appeared out of nowhere. You know, things that were both alarming. But he didn't scream predator like someone who was a threat might. In life, I'd probably have accepted his offer to help me find Leon. Not that I'd be trying to find a Reaper if I were alive. The point is, the stranger wasn't obviously dangerous, yet the vibes he gave off raised more red flags than a parade.
I shook my head. "It's fine, thanks. I should be going."
"Going where?" The stranger closed the distance between us in two steps. "Were you headed somewhere today?"
"No, I just... I'm with a friend, so..."
"So, you don't want them to worry about you, am I right?"
"I think he'll be more mad than worried," I laughed nervously. "Thanks, anyway."
Turning your back on a person you perceive to be a threat is often a mistake, and never more so than when you both have a physical presence. This is one of those times when I must remind you again that I am dead, which I'm sure you've not forgotten, but at that point I had. Everything was new to me, and that included the fact that I was invisible to the living. I was so used to being seen by people, conversing with them, or stealing glances in their direction, that it didn't strike me as odd that this well-dressed man in the trees was talking to me like we were both alive at first. For a moment, I was Mackenzie Bowen, the ordinary living young woman who had encountered another perfectly ordinary person in the park. That was the gut reaction I easily succumbed to. I mean, other than the red flags, obviously.
Back on the path, I took one last look around for the girl. Finding no one, I supposed I ought to find Leon and apologise for leaving his side. Even if we both hated it, he was still teaching me everything he knew so I could do my job properly. The least I could do was pay attention. I'd elected to become a Reaper over going to the waiting room, and if I didn't do a good enough job, I would let down people like Philip. For their sake, I needed to do my best.
