“So he did exist. That’s nice to know.” He joked halfheartedly, his laugh awkward. He fell silent after her responses, fidgeting with his hands.
He glanced at her again and really looked her over for the first time. “How long have you been doing this?”
(its not gliching for me anymore. Yay.)
Ember nodded her head. But what she'd said wasn't the truth. In all honestly the Grim reaper had gone missing. No one knew what happened to him, or where he went. It was a mystery.
"Few hundred years. But I don't age, so I still look the same as when I died." The cause of death always stayed with the dead. So Embers lips had a faint blue to them, and her skin looked super pale. She looked nothing like how she did before she died. Well, her hair had always stayed the same, and so had her bright green eyes. But she'd forever look to be in her twenties.
(Yay!!!)
Jamie himself was paler than usual, as the one who had killed him had jumped him first. It was quite shocking until the loud bang, and then this reaper showed up. Jamie had died just like that. A gunshot to the head, his ears were still ringing from the sound.
“Really? Do you remember the year?” He questioned, shoving his hands into the neat jacket he had on. His eyes wandered over her features, lingering on the blue of her lips. “H-how did you… you know…? D-die?”
"Sometime in the fiveteen hundreds." Ember shrugged. She didn't remember when for sure, but she at least had a vague idea. She defiantly remembered lots of old dresses. Something she didn't miss at all. Ember quiet enjoyed wearing jeans.
"I-" the Reaper didn't remember. Most Reapers didn't. In a way she guessed it was a small mercy. When she'd died a different reaper told her of what she was to become. There was no grief, no 'why did this happen.' Ember had simply accepted it, she wasn't even sure if she was in control of herself when it happened.
She cleared her throat before speaking again, "we're not bonding over death experiences."
He nodded gently once more. He wasn’t sure of what else to do, she wasn’t much for conversation and he wasn’t even sure what to say to her.
“Ah, Sorry…” he murmured, looking down at the path. He lifted a hand to run his fingers through his hair. If he focused enough he could still kind of feel the pain in his head. “Is it usually fresh…? The memory of… it?”
"You forget once you get to the after life, and your scar will go away." Ember pointed to his forehead, but didn't look at it. Death shouldn't freak her out. It was literally her job. But for some strange reason it did. Ember had never been able to look when they died. She especially couldn't look at their scars.
(I'm totally gonna start introducing the villain soon. Muhahahhaha)
“There’s a scar…?” He asked, running his fingers over it, his hand shaking lightly. “A-at least I’ll forget.” Jamie wasn’t usually a coward. He was actually quite brave when it came to needing to be (but look where that brought him… to death herself), but the entire idea of the afterlife terrified him.
(Yeeessss do iiittt)
(Also feel free to introduce other charters yourself.)
Ember nodded her head. Sadly for her, her scar would never fade. That was the curse of being a reaper, a permanent reminder of something she couldn't remember.
He'd watched when Ember reaped the soul. Heck, he'd been trying to lure her there. That's why he'd picked that spot, why he'd picked that soul to die.
His ears where still ringing from the loud pop. Did she see him? He had been hoping to kill her too. After all, the only place a reaper could permanently die was in the human realm. It looked like he'd have to force her here again.
But this time, in her human form.
(Low-key gonna introduce a few characters and make you guess who the bad guy is. Muhahahaha)
(Okay!! I’ll probs introduce some sprits or something)
Jamie shifted nervously, biting his lip. He gave another glance around, sighing sadly. It was almost like an out of body experience. Well it was. He was dead. It still shocked him.
(Heck yiiiissss)
Ember glanced over at Jamie, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Tell me about yourself."
She knew getting to know him would be useless, but it was better than making this whole journey in complete silence. At least that's what she hoped for.
“About me?” He questioned, his eyes going wide. “Well, I’m pretty average. I played the quads in the high school marching band; grew up with a secure, normal family; had average grades; and pretty much just read or carried on in school. I am- was about to start college again. Guess the only interesting thing that ever happened to me were those short few years I had a rather aggressive bully.”
"A Bully huh?" Ember glanced at Jamie. Getting him to talk about his life was a bad idea- she knew it could make him quite sorrowful. "I believe there's a special place in hell for them." She knew for a fact her 'Bully' was in Hell. There was no way a murder could make it to a place of peace. Besides it had been hundreds of years since she died. There was no way he could be alive still.
“Ah, he’s old news, though I can’t help but to agree with you. I do hope he burns.” A sudden twist in emotions clouded his eyes - something that tasted like bitterness and hurt. “Bastard pulled weapons out on me.” A dark chuckle tumbled from his throat but he cleared it away, grinning at the reaper who had taken him.
“Oh well, you can’t control what other people do, now can you? The past is the past. And life was life… All I have now is the afterlife.” Jamie sucked in a breath. “What’s it like? The afterlife?”
The sudden change in atmosphere made Ember stop, her eyes sliding over to Jamie. She shouldn't have been shocked- but she was. "That was dark." She muttered, and resumed her walk.
"The after life," Ember frowned. "Well if you end up in Heaven, I'd assume its nice. Hell of course wouldn't be. But you seem like a nice enough person." She shrugged, despite what he'd just said a few moment's ago.
Jamie didnt react to her mutter, in fact he acted as if it had never happened. Those emotions were better left dead.
“I haven’t really done anything bad… I mean I’ve drank before and had my fair share of time in the bed but nothing really bad… oh god. Is that enough to send me down there?!” He asked suddenly, his eyes widening. Now he looked more like some innocent child caught red handed than some adult who had just wished his bully to burn. “I’ve only slept with two people! And it was only one time each! Okay maybe two!” He flushed a bright red, laughing nervously.
Ember burst out laughing before she could stop herself. She was sure most Reapers would have taken a more kind approach- but that had never really been her style. "Hey even if it does get you sent down there I'm more than sure it'd just be bragging rights. I mean, could you imagine a virgin giving to Hell?" She couldn't stop her laughter. But it wasn't long before she did stop. "Don't worry about it to much. I've seen people who spent every other night in someone else's bed, and they didn't do to bad. I think as long as it isn't cheating or, (TW WARING) rape, you're all good."
His face went an even brighter shade of red. “Y-yeah… that would be strange.” He laughed nervously, rubbing at his neck. Her next words made his eyes widen again.
“Oh! No, never. I couldn’t force anyone into that kind of thing.” He promised with a small head nod. “I’m so out of my comfort zone out here. I don’t know what to expect or where I might end up. Hell, maybe those homophobes were right and I’ll end up in Hell for liking both men and women.” He huffed, glancing up at her. “Either way, it’s out of my hands… that scares me if I’m being honest with you. Ha… honest.” He paused for a moment, his wild mind suddenly slowly a little.
“It’s funny. I used to be so shy and researched but now that I’m dead I’m spilling everything to you, who is practically still a stranger to me. Maybe I’ll just tell you everything I’ve ever wanted to say about myself, you might find it boring but it’ll satisfy me. At least I told someone before I was sent to hell or heaven or wherever I’ll go.”
"Homophobes can suck it for all I care. You won't end up in hell for something like that." In Embers time she hadn't even herd of same sex couples. (TW) But after she'd became a reaper it seemed that so many had been killed simply for that reason. It broke her heart to see them- in fact they had been the ones she was nice to. It seemed to help them in a way. lots of them had Became Reapers too.
"Go ahead. Its not like we've got nothing much better to do. As long as you don't stop walking, talk as much as you'd like." She shrugged, but her mind still wandered back to that bit of darkness from earlier.
Sure darkness laid with in everyone, and sure it showed itself on the journey to the after life. She'd never actually felt a change in atmosphere. But why worry about it? Its not like something like that would happen again. At least that's what she hoped for.
“Oh now that’s a huge relief.” He chuckled, brushing off his clothes as best he could. He wasn’t quite sure if he was exactly tangible but it felt like it.
“Ah, more irony. My reaper is the one who encourages me.” He grinned wider, shoving his hands in his pocket. “Thank you for letting me talk, though. It helps ease my nerves. I think if I’m more relaxed I’ll accept that I’m dead a little more than I do now.”
Ember opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a low growl. She cursed. Talking had taken her focus, she hadn't been watching for crawlers.
Crawlers where morbid looking creatures, with a human shape. Expect they walked on all four and ran at horrifying speeds. A gray tone to there skin only made them blend into the land- making them that much more terrifying.
Ember practically threw her scythe into Jamie's hands, and pointed ahead of them. "Less than a mile should be the town I told you about, Run." She knew her scythe would only slow him down, but chances where that the crawlers wouldn't follow him. But if they did, at least he'd have a weapon.
For as long As Ember could remember Crawlers hunted Reapers. They had been a fluke. A mistake created by a Reaper who failed to deliver a soul. That soul had stayed in the reapers realm, and slowly became something inhuman.
And For its revenge it hunted Reapers, killing them and dooming the soul to become a Crawler as well.
The towns had been set up not long after that. A safe place Reapers and souls could rest along the way. For some reason unknown to Ember, Crawlers couldn't enter the towns. And she was counting on that fact at this moment.
Jamie squeaked at the weapon so easily pushed into his hands. He gripped the handle of it tight, looking around for the creature that caused the growl.
He didn’t look for very long, as he was suddenly being told to run. “But you…! Will you be okay?” He asked nervously, shifting things in his hands.
Ember didn't want to say if she would or wouldn't. There would be no use lying, and in all honestly she didn't know. "Just Run. I'll be right behind you."
Over the years she'd had plenty of run in's with Crawlers, and she'd always been okay after. But it was making sure the soul didn't get dragged away by them that was hard. The realm didn't need another crawler to deal with.
Especially if that meant one less reaper.
He nodded before turning tail and making a run for it. He wasn’t going to take his chances with a monster that looked like it would eat him. He did not like that thought at all.
Jamie didn’t know how to fight or defend himself. That fact was obvious as he was dead because he couldn’t defend himself. Physically couldnt do anything.
Ember cursed as a crawler lunged. Without her scythe she felt defenseless. Like a sitting duck. But she'd much rather Jamie have it with him just in case. Even if it ended up being nothing more than a decoy for him to use.
Crawlers didn't have the best eye sight, up close they could see just fine, but from far away- they might as well be blind. But they did have a good sense of smell.
Ember had managed to dodge most of their attacks, and when she was sure Jamie was out of range, that's when she attacked.
Jamie turned his head back to try and see if his two-time savior was alright. He couldn’t see. It shook him to his core.
Whatever these creatures were, they weren’t something Jamie wanted to meet.
The Carnegie wasn't anything less than impressive, but it wasn't the destruction of the crawlers he wanted to see. He wanted to see the Reapers guts, her blood, see as her last breath left her body.
But a Reapers power was truly impressive.
The dark aura faded as soon as the last crawler fell to the ground. He smiled, perhaps he should introduce himself to the soul that had run.
———-
Ember found herself running after Jamie as soon as she could. She wasn't sure where her blood started and the crawlers ended, or if she was even bleeding at all. Her heart raced as she trailed Jamie. Despite to see if he made it, if he was safe.
By the time Jamie had stopped running, he felt lost. Like he had somehow wandered a little too far. That couldn’t have happened, however, as he was still on the path.
“What a day… first I get jumped by some weirdo, shot and killed right in the head, and now I’m running from creatures that could potentially kill me again.” he muttered to himself, gasping for breath between each word.
"Keep running," Ember shouted. She wasn't sure if he could hear her, or if he was even on the path still. Gods she hoped he was still on the path.
She saw someone ahead, but she wasn't sure if it was Jamie, or a crawler, or possibly another Reaper coming to look for them. But those chances where low- Reapers didn't seek each other out unless it seemed crawlers where everywhere.
In all her years that had only happened once. Every time she saw a pack of crawlers, she hopped it wasn't happening again.
Jamie did indeed hear her. He cursed lowly and took off, trying to keep up his pace. It wasn’t quite working. “Should have done more gym.” He mused, his grip tightening around the scythe.
Ember saw the figure continue moving. Not a crawler good. Despite the fact that she was a reaper, running was not her strong point. Running was actually something she hated, and given the situation, she would have been walking if she could.