Grimm

My mother was the previous Grimm Reaper, the most remarkable person in my life. I looked up to her and wanted to be just like her. Now I finally have the chance to do it. But with my track record, the higher-ups are reluctant to give me that chance. Given my capricious personality, I understand them. I look down at my Soul Scroll and stretch.

“Five more to go and then I am going to have a fucking great night.” I pull my dark hood up and walk down the alley; this one is almost ready to go. I kneel beside the body and place my hand on their head.

“You poor lost Soul, let the light be your guide. You have struggled a great deal, I will take on your burdens.” A small bright light floats out from the body.

‘Thank you.’ They say before going upwards. I wipe a stray tear from my eyes. Pure souls always get me. I close my eyes, giving them a moment of silence. After a few minutes, I stand and clasp my hands together.

“Onto the next one… ooo, this one is naughty. I quickly teleport to the location. I look up at the sky and then down at the body on the ground. “So you offed yourself because you were in debt? Well, maybe if you weren’t an abusive asshat, you might have been saved.” I check the sheet. Yeah, this one is going down under.

“Please enter the elevator, and don’t forget to grab your one-way ticket to hell.” I dramatically gesture as the hells-gate doors. The Soul sorrowfully enters and gets shot down to hell. My next two were easy, but I can’t seem to find the last one. So I go to my usual bar to get fucked up.

“Hey, Dix, all finished up gathering the souls?” The barkeep says as he makes my drink.

“I don’t gather souls; I guide them to the light or hell depending on what they did during their life. But there is a powerful five-star one that I can’t seem to find.” I bring the Soul Scroll out to double-check the time of death.

I nearly choke on my drink. “How the hell did it change? He was supposed to die tomorrow afternoon.” I stare at the paper, and the time of death keeps changing. “Shit.” I chug my drink. “Sorry, hot stuff, but I have to go; there seems to be something strange going on with this soul.”

The bar keeps nodding and then winks. “Duty calls, I understand.” I slide off the bar stool and run out of the door. As I turn the corner, I run into someone.

“Oh, I am sorry.” I look up at the person. My eyes widen. “You!” I grab the person’s arm and drag them around the corner. “You need to die.” I point at them.

“Oh, haha you must be my new guide. The last one quit. Pleasure to meet you, my name is Kole.” He holds his hand out, and I take it.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Dixie.” Wait. This isn’t the time for pleasantries. I yank my hand away. “You are obviously aware of what’s going on. Why won’t you die?” I stick my finger out at him.

The man folds his arms, his muscles bulging as he does this.

Oh.

“I don’t want to die. I have things to do.”

I tilt my head. “Ah, so you need help with these things? And then after you can die right?”

He nods, “Except well I can’t exactly die. I have tried many times as trials. Come with me, I know a good place where we can talk about this.”

He walks off, and I follow him. What is up with a guy? What does he mean he can’t die? Does he not have a soul? I shake my head. There isn’t a person that doesn’t have a soul. Even zombies have souls. Kole stops at an all-black tinted sports car. “Get in, reaper.” He holds the passenger side door open for me. I slide into the car and buckle up.

“Where are you taking me?”

Kole slides in the driver’s side. “Somewhere where the Watchers can’t eavesdrop on us, my house.”

My jaw drops. How does he know about the Watchers? The Watchers are ‘stalkers’ who ensure we do our job correctly as reapers. I have been caught a few times because I don’t do many things by the book.

The head of the Council thinks I need to be revoked of my reaper status, but Mom has been able to save my ass. I am basically intangible, which brings a lot of enemies. I stroke the Scythe tattoo on my arm. “Hmm, sounds like quite the invitation,” I murmur.

Kole looks at me and shakes his head. Maybe I could just kill him, poison him, or something. I pull the Soul Scroll out, and his time of death changes again. “That won’t help you because I won’t die. It will always keep changing.”

I look up at him. “Why?” Kole shrugs and continues to drive. “I can always kill you if you die at the right time. It won’t matter how.” He will be challenging, but I need this Soul to prove to the higher-ups that I am ready to become Grimm Reaper.

“What are you?” I ask. If I know what he is, I can kill him.

“We’re here.” Kole says, ignoring my question, and parks the car. I inhale deeply.

One.

“I asked you a question.” I say as I step out of the car. I pull my hood off to get a good look at the house. My eye twitches. It’s just a cabin a small cabin. “That’s a cabin, Kole.” I point out. Kole comes over and stands next to me.

“It’s my home.” He looks down at me. “You’re cute.” He says before walking off.

Cute? I stomp behind him into the cabin. I glare at the obscene bear head on the wall. “You hunt bears?” Kole closes the door behind me. “No. That’s fake. You know for a reaper I’d expect you to know the difference between a real corpse and a fake one. Go have a seat, I’ll make you a drink and then we can have a chat.” I stare at him, and he shoos me away.

Two.

I clench and unclench my fist. “You need to die,” I say as he places a glass before me.

Kole stares at me blankly. “Dixie, was it? I already told you I can’t die. I have unfinished business to do, which keeps me from dying. Do you want to see it?”

I raise an eyebrow. “See what?”

He gestures to my glass. “Drink up, cutie.”

I frown. “Cut it out what that nickname.” I take the glass and bring it to my lips but pause. He takes the glass from me, drinks some of it, and then hands it back to me.

“I wouldn’t benefit from killing you.” I harrumph and down the drink. It burns my throat pleasantly. Kole takes the glass from me and walks off.

I wait for him to return, but he doesn’t. “Kole?” I stand and look around. I head to what I assume to be the kitchen in search of him. “Kole?” He’s bent over the sink with his eyes closed. Did he pass out? Fuck was it the drink? Wait, is he dead? I pull out the Soul Scroll, which shows he’s still alive.

I frown and poke his face. I turn the faucet on and spray him with cold water. He sputters and then gasps. “Oh. I’m alive.” Kole stands up and looks at me, his hair dripping wet. The water soaks through his shirt, and the imprints on his chest are visible. He waves his hand in front of me. “Like what you see?” Kole asks before grabbing a kitchen towel and drying his hair off.

“Pfft as if. Why were you passed out?”

Kole shakes his head. “You don’t find me attractive?” He yet again ignores my question and takes a step toward me. Kole takes his index finger and lifts my chin.

I look to the side. “I only think of you as a stubborn person that refuses to die. By you not dying, you’re getting in the way of me becoming Grimm Reaper.”

I smack his hand away, turn and pull my hood over my head. My face heats up, and my heart beats harder. “We have to talk about that so I’ll go back out there, put some dry clothes on. Actually don’t, so you can die if pneumonia.” I stomp out of the kitchen and wait for him in the living room. Ugh, he’s really, really annoying. Kole comes out a few moments later, shirtless and smiling.

“Since you don’t find me attractive.”

I roll my eyes. “What do you need to do in order for you to be dead?”

Kole laughs. “In order to be dead I would have to die. Are you sure you’re a reaper? That seems like basic knowledge.” I tap my foot on the ground repeatedly.

“You are very annoying. You know what I meant.” I say through gritted teeth. Kole stares at me intensely.

“I have a thing I want to do, but I seem to be having trouble starting.” He says and runs his fingers through his hair. Kole leans forward, and his whole demeanor changes. “I want to be the most vicious serial killer known to the realm.”

He’s joking, right?

“Well if that’s the case, how many people have you killed so far?”

His serious expression drops, and he laughs awkwardly. “Would that be including or excluding myself?”

I blink. “Including.” I shake my leg to try and calm myself.

“Oh well in case one. Or maybe zero seeing as though I am still alive.” He says.

Three.

Is he fucking Kidding? “Well, you do know that in order to become a serial killer, you have to kill people. That seems like basic knowledge.” I spit his smart-ass comment right back at him.

Kole side-eyes me. “You’re sassy, Dixie. Tell you what, about we put all of this serious talk on hold and get to know each other.” He winks at me, and I lose it.

I stand up. “That’s it…” I channel my magic into my left hand and run my fingers over the scythe tattoo on my right arm. “I’m going to kill you myself.” I hold my right hand out, and a long astral scythe appears in my hand. I spin it a few times before swinging it at him. Kole ducks and then rolls.

“Dixie, stop, you aren’t supposed to kill me.” He says, holding out his hand.

“If you don’t want me to kill you, you’d better fucking run.” I swing again, and Kole yelps before standing and running upstairs.

“No wonder you can’t get promoted. Ahh! Watch how you’re swinging that!” Kole says, tripping up the stairs.

My scythe gets stuck in a step, but I pull it out and chase him up the stairs. He runs into a bedroom and closes the door. “Heheh! As if that could keep me away.” I press my hand on the door and blast it to pieces. “Here’s Dixie!” I yell, kicking down the rest of the door. Kole is at the window, ready to jump.

“Okay! I’ll tell you everything just please do not let that touch me.” I zip in front of him and kick him out the window. Then I follow suit and jump out the window with my scythe, ready to slash him. Kole just barely moves out of the way before I can stab him.

“Fuck, you’re crazy! Okay, that’s enough.” Koles says and stands up.

I swing at him again, but he grabs my scythe by the blade. I slash down, trying to cut him, but he squeezes it, and the blade shatters. “Ow!” I say and punch him in the face.

“Ow!” He yells.

“I’ll just beat you to death; you’re dying tonight, Kole!” Enraged, I start to pummel him with my fists and kick him.

“Oh. My. Fucking. Dixie.” Kole grabs my arm and brings it behind my back. Then he pulls me to him and uses his other hand to choke me. I struggle and wiggle.

“Let go of me so I can kill you.” I gasp out.

“I will let go of you only because your ass is rubbing against me very deliciously.” I still feel something hard press against my rear. As soon as he lets go, I turn and kick him in the nuts. Kole drops to his knees and curses.

“Die pervert!”

Kick. Kick. Punch. Kick.

Eventually, he stops moving. “Get up, i know you’re not dead.” I say and sit on the ground next to him. Kole rolls over onto his back.

“You won’t be able to kill me.” He says after a long silence.

“I’ll find a way. Or just go on a killing spree.” I tell him and get up. “Take me to my place, I’m done with you for today.” Kole sits up.

“No. You have to help me so I can die.” He says.

I grab a rock and chuck it at him. “Fuck you Kole, I’ll walk back.” I take a few steps, and then my legs go weak.

“Ah, about time it started to work.” Kole stands and picks me up.

“Put me down. What did you do to me?”

He pats my back gently. “Nothing. Just know you failed.”

What?