The Dance

I step into the shadows of this dark, putrid alleyway anticipating her arrival. The night creatures that scavenge about in this filthy, garbage strewn thoroughfare skitter in all directions when their survival instincts detect the danger of my presence.

After a few moments, utter silence surrounds me. Alone in the darkness and barely breathing, I wait.

She always accompanies me for collections of this sort and I long to see her, feel her luminous energy. I learned eons ago to thrive in her light. Now, I yearn for the warmth of her presence.

It seems as though ages are passing and I feel myself becoming agitated as I wait for my heart's desire. Even though we are bound, I wonder if this will be the time she refused to respond to the summons.

Shortly, I draw in a breath of relief as all my senses begin to tingle from the unseen, pulsating charge of energy moving toward me. I feel her for several long moments before I see evidence of her mesmerizing approach.

At first, she appears as a tiny flicker, slowly progressing into a vibrant beacon glimmering like diamond dust caught in a whirlwind atop new snow. When she alights, she is surrounded by a halo of brilliant, flashing colors that set my heart to racing.

At last, she is here.

She carries within her person 'The Light of Life' and 'The Kiss of Death'. It is her choice alone to bestow or deny either of these gifts.

As I step from the shadows we nod in greeting and exchange a longing glance. Then, we look upon the battered and bleeding body at our feet. I desire to take her hand in mine, offering solace, but instead I step back to give her first access. My body thrums from the heat of her presence. My peace rests safely within her glistening aura.

When she approaches the individual splayed out on the ground between us, she bends down but doesn't speak yet. Instead, she takes his bloody hand holds it against her cheek, closes her eyes for a moment to connect with his life force. Finding his heart still beating faintly, she asks him to look at her. There is no response. She speaks again, a bit more demanding this time. "Open your eyes, Lucas." He fails to comply. Rising slowly, she moves back a few steps and bids me forward with a solemn sigh and a wave of her hand.

Stooping near him, in my most jarring voice I command, "Lucas Lively, open your eyes now!" He remains unresponsive, yet his spirit clings to a body that now has no discernable sighs of life.

She reaches for my hand, looks deeply into my eyes and whispers, "It seems we must dance. You know how I hate this game."

I notice the tear as it shimmers down the side of her face and it stabs me with heartache and guilt.

She has never called the game by its name, for she hates the reality of our purpose here...even though she understands that the rules were laid down at the beginning of time.

When a spirit lingers in a gravely injured body, but death appears eminent, we are summoned to direct and assist the reluctant soul.

She always approaches our subject first to determine if their life is worthy of continuing, or if perhaps restoring the life would be a formidable mistake.

She makes her decision by looking into the victim's eyes and scans their future to view what will be. If it looks promising, she touches their chest infusing 'The Light of Life'. If what she sees is dismal and forlorn, she delivers 'The Kiss of Death'. Then, only after the kiss frees the bound spirit, I collect their soul.

When the subject's spirit is locked within its body, but the body is unable to respond by opening their eyes, she refuses to choose their final outcome. In this moment the soul's fate falls to the results of 'The Dance'.

It begins with an embrace. We sway and twirl to the tune of our entangled hearts until one of us missteps and breaks the embrace. The one who falters first must claim the soul. If I falter, I take the soul. If she falters, she revives the victim's body and restores their life force. Whether it be the right or wrong choice, the subject's fate is sealed.

Although she has hated the game from the beginning, I have hungered for it. The Dance allows me to hold her, my bliss. It gives me an opportunity to bask in the glory of her light and warmth...to steal a moment, a fragment of divine pleasure. Her presence gives me joy beyond my shadowed existence. In exchange, I grant her a sense of peace, a reprieve from the sorrow and burden of having to be the sole judge choosing to grant life or death to gravely injured humans.

She is Starla: Heavens Emissary.

I am Grimm: The Shadow of Death.

She is a life giver.

I am a soul taker.

Together we balance the fates of near-death mortals. We have been bound through time eternal to play the game and dance for the sake of humankind.

If we fail in our missions, the scales of time will tilt. The balance of life will shift and the future of mankind will crumble.

We both know well that there can be no light without shadow, no joy without sorrow and no life without death. We are a necessary force.

So, once again we embrace to begin 'The Dance'. I pull her close and slant my head as I lower my lips to hers. Slowly, I cover her mouth and await her response. She whimpers as we deepen our kiss. Our spirits merge as we rise above the pavement where we swirl and sway to the music of our joined hearts. The Kiss carries us through an eternity of desire while once again we steal another moment in time as we play 'THE REAPER'S GAME'.