The Grim Reaper Effect

-S E V E N-

Chapter Seven: You Said Duty

"Listen, I know it's your job to make sure I don't die sooner than I'm meant to-"

"That's actually not why I'm here," He cut in. "I was about to ask to go to your parents' party tomorrow."

My breath caught in my throat. He was serious. He actually wanted to go to my party. The question was why. He definitely didn't seem like the type to party. Especially given his personality. He seemed more like the type to settle in with a good book on a Friday night.

"Why?" I finally asked.

"It's my job to protect you. Anything could happen could happen at a party," He replied with a shrug.

I sighed, "Alright, but you have to wear a costume. It's mandatory."

"Fair enough," He agreed, buckling his seatbelt.

I raised my eyebrow, "Excuse me, where do you think you're going?"

"You need a costume and now so do I," He replied. "I'd think we were heading to the costume store."

With an eye roll, I pulled out of the driveway and made my way to the costume store. It was fairly big. Even despite its size, the options were limited. Not only because of my gender but because it was the day before Halloween. Everything was picked over and taken. I would have to throw something together.

I parked the car and followed Griffin into the shop. I was right, everything was picked over. The store was full of people rushing around trying to find a costume. The store itself was a mess. Costume accessories were everywhere and packages were lying around. There was a little girl crying over her broken fairy wing directly to my right.

"I never quite understood the concept of this holiday," Griffin spoke next to me. "You dress up and ask for candy. Or scary people and play cruel tricks on them. Why?"

I shrugged, "Why not?"

Just then, a kid with a werewolf mask on jumped in front of me and let out a roar. When he saw that I wasn't fazed, he groaned before returning to his mom and complaining. I started towards the female costumes. Many of the racks were empty and the pictures of the costumes were crossed out. Only a few were left. I suddenly felt all of my determination fade away.

After a few minutes of looking through my options, I sighed. It was just my luck that one of the only costumes left was the Sexy Chucky costume. Griffin and I parted ways at the entrance. He went on a search for his own costume. I found myself wondering what he would be. Surely, he was having better luck than I was.

"Maybe I'll be a ninja," I thought aloud. "That's fun, right?"

"This is an outrage!" My ears perked up at the sound of Griffin's voice. I turned around to see him holding up a Grim Reaper costume. "I don't look like these! No Reaper looks like this!" I stifled a laugh. "We aren't some creeps who walk around in long robes with a staff! And what's with the skeleton hands?! Who's in charge of these costumes?! I would like to give them a piece of my mind!"

I could tell he was genuinely upset, but this was amusing. His eyebrows were knitted together angrily. He glanced both ways, searching for someone in charge. He let out a sigh, looking at me. The second he looked at me, I broke into laughter. It seemed impossible that he hadn't seen what humans portray reapers as. Yet here we are.

"This isn't the slightest bit amusing, Mackenzie!" He glared, which only caused me to laugh harder. "Is this what you thought I would look like?"

I could only nod. I was actually in tears. I hadn't laughed this hard in a while. Though I wasn't even sure why I was laughing, I was happy to finally be laughing for a change. Lately, I'd been in the dumps and this was a refreshing change. Once I finally sobered up, Griffin was still standing there looking both confused and angry.