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Victoria:
Watching the store bustle to life, the place reminded me of the days my father ran it. Death popped up next to me, her waves having been pulled into a high ponytail. Her ruby blouse contrasted her porcelain skin, the tight black pencil hugged her ass. Offering me her hands, the ruby nail polish caught my eyes. Feeling out of place next to her, my flowing Victorian dress and bun made me feel self-conscious. Why did I feel like this, damn it!
“Do you want to talk somewhere else?” She inquired with a nervous smile, hiding around the corner. “I need to do something but I need you specifically.” My brow cocked in response, a strained what left my lips. Jealousy flared in my eyes, her presence was annoying the shit out of me.
“Why would I do that!” I snapped hotly, letting my temper get the best of me. “I can’t leave her alone. What if she gets at-'' Death pointed to Toby, a steady stream of curse words flooded from my lips. Hissing out an angry fine, she was going to get her way today. Placing her hand on my shoulder, her fingers snapped. Standing in a field of wildflowers, they danced in a warm breeze. Tapping her chin, her nonchalant attitude threw me off.
“We need to find a certain flower. I can’t pluck it or it will wither away. Only spirits can pick this one. If she grinds it into her black salt necklace, the bad spirits can’t touch her.” She explained calmly, pulling a crumpled page out of her pocket. How did this woman stay on track with all of her duties? Unfolding it, a silver rose greeted me. A navy stem was riddled with inky thorns, a long sigh pouring from my lips. A sense of hopelessness drowned me, the sight of thousands of flowers taunting me to the point of utter frustration.
“What’s your deal with her anyway?” I asked bitterly, feeling like my job was being stolen. “Why are you giving her special treatment?” Sorrow dimmed her features, silent tears stained her cheeks. Guilt ate at me, her smile faded away. Something dark had transpired, the honest pain showing in her eyes.
“I promised her mother that I would watch her. I knew that they were going to die, as did she. Listen, I can’t do what you can do. You are by her side in the face of danger. My job does not allow me to help her out like that.” She answered sweetly, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. “Finding the rose is my only way of assuring her safety. Also, Boomer is a hellhound.” All my sympathy left the moment she let that truth slip out, a snarl twitching on my lips. How careless could one person be?
“You probably should say something.” I suggested bitingly, her eyes falling on me. “You told her you found a dog. Was all of that a lie?” Breathing in deeply, guilt mixed with shame. Putting away my annoyance at her, there must surely be a good reason for the lie.
“The dog broke loose from one of my reapers and ended up in an adoption center. It changed the moment it got caught. I don’t want her to think that I am a creep.” She blurted out through a wall of tears, her fingernails digging into the top of her other hand. Rustling through the flowers, a silence poisoned the air between us. Wiping her tears away, her hands dropped to her side. As chaotic as she was, her heart was in the right place.
“That makes sense. Tell her when we get back. Can you promise me that? I can assure you that she will find it to be the coolest thing in the world.” I comforted her with my genuine smile, my heart shattered for her current mental decay. “Let’s go get a rose. Our girl needs us.” Offering my silver rope, the flower wouldn’t be here. Tying it around her wrist, my eyes scanned the field for another door. Crouching down closer to the ground, a gust of cold air blew our hair back. Glowing arrows came to life, bewilderment coming over to her face. The rose called out to me, her whispers telling me to come. Dread bubbled in my gut, the thought of what was guarding it haunted any free space I had in my mind. Death placed her hand on my shoulder, a sleek scarlet scythe spun in her palms. She really did care about her.
“Rest your weary little head. I can take down whatever awaits us.” She promised with a crooked grin, her outfit changing into a ruby corset dress with slits up the side. “I need to move, right?” Thanking her with a brisk nod, the two of us had a half-baked plan. Gazing up at the blue sky one last time, this was going to get dark. Following the trail, the flowers thinned out to a barren wasteland consisting of ash and a blood red sky. Crunching through the ashes, fear rounded Death’s eyes. Any color drained from her face, the ground quaking underneath us. Untying the rope, she pushed me forward.
“Go ahead. I have this beast.” She chirped cheerfully, grinning ear to ear as a giant spider scurried towards her. Swinging the tip of her scythe into the ash, the cloud obscured me flying over the arrows. Skidding to a stop in front of a cave, the arrows glowed brighter. Stepping over the threshold, a force knocked me to the cold brown rock. Did manners not exist anymore!
“What business do you have here?” A shrill female shrieked, a chill running up my spine. Fear rounded my eyes, my fingers gripping the rock underneath me in response. Every breath grew shorter as the voice demanded an answer another time, a force keeping me down.
“I need a spirit’s rose for my ward. I am Lily’s spirit guardian.” I shouted out in desperation, the force letting up. Struggling to my feet, a shadowy form requested my hand. Confusion dawned on my face, her cold hand taking mine. A pair of milky eyes stared back at me, something glittered on her left wrist.
“Why didn’t you say so? I suppose I should call my pet back. She talked to me in her dreams all the time as a teenager. Lily really is a sweetheart.” She gushed lovingly, a beat up Death walking in with a twisted grin on her face. “Hey, Death. You have certainly looked better.” Low growls rumbled in Death’s throat, the wounds healing in seconds.
“Rose, now!” She barked venomously, changing back into her blouse and pencil skirt. “If you knew it was me, you didn’t have to sick him on me. He is knocked out. You are so lucky that I like you!” Letting her hair down, the guardian led the way through twisted tunnels. A sliver rose glistened in the center of a pile of ash, both of them motioning for me to pluck it.
“I have some black salt as well, my dear friends. Shall we prepare a gift for my dear friend?” She offered sincerely, pulling out a large jar of black salt. Floating over to it cautiously, one tug had it rolling in my palm. Ripping off the head, the stem hit the cave floor. Dropping it in her medium sized mortar and pestle, the black salt waited for the silver petals. Crushing them together, silver pieces sparkled among the black. Death leaned on my shoulder, our eyes watching the mixture pour into a black iron heart locket. Dropping the necklace into Death’s palm, her good mood returned.
“I have to head back. I have dinner and all that with my favorite reaper.” She announced with pride, her hand patting the top of my head. “This one is a top notch spirit guardian, isn’t she?” A darker shade of gray painted my cheeks, the compliment had been unexpected. Hooking her elbow around mine, one snap of her fingers had us back in the store. Night had fallen, the blue moonlight bathing the barely lit store.
“Did you have a nice girls’ day?” Lily queried with a tired smile, her hands holding a pot of chicken noodle soup. “Do you still want dinner? I just finished the prep work for tomorrow. I should be able to pop everything in the ovens when I get here in the morning.” Radiating from her pregnancy, her aura proved her true bliss.
“Does Boomer happen to be a hellhound because I am pretty sure I saw his eyes go red at some point?” She choked out oddly, Boomer bouncing up to her with a wagging tail. “I wouldn’t be mad. He certainly is cute enough to keep.” Resting the pot of soup on the hot plate, her real smile never left her face.
“You found me out.” Death laughed nervously, her shoulders shrugging. “I did still get him from the shelter.” Yanking her into a loving embrace, Boomer barked while spinning around in a circle. Death smiled warmly to herself, my thumbs up boosting her confidence.
“So, can he come with me? I feel like the more protection the better.” Lily begged with hope in her eyes, Boomer laying on her feet. Giving her a tired yes, Boomer leapt into her arms. Spinning around the room, Matty came in with three bowls and spoons. Pecking her on the lips, a quiet smile lit up my features. Pulling up a chair for Toby and I with his free hand, he motioned for us to sit.
“You guys are family, aren’t you? You may not be able to eat but we can all enjoy a meal together.” He invited us with a crooked grin, both of us taking a seat at the table. Serving everyone else a bowl, Death looked seconds from crying. Seeing their relationship for what it was, it was similar to a mother and daughter. Both of their eyes glowing with respect for each other, Lily taking a bite of her soup. Boomer took his place on her feet, a rare scene of serenity taking place in her life. Breaking into a pleasant conversation, our laughter filled the air. The pot was soon empty, Matty taking care of the dishes. Death fished around her pocket, the necklace shining in light of the store.
“We had a new necklace made for you. It should have twice the power of protection.” She promised in a motherly tone, dropping it over her head. Hugging her again, her lips brushed the top of her head. Running off, Lily came back with a board game. Explaining the rules to everyone, her smile never left her face. Passing me a purple piece, it fell through my hand.
“I will move the pieces for our little ghostly family members. Let’s play.” She announced with an even bigger smile, the chair groaning as Matty sat back down. Dropping the dice in front of Toby, he used his stronger powers to roll them by themselves. Lily moved his green piece ten spaces, her finger sliding him a card. Struggling to read the new words, Matty read them for him. Groaning at the evil card, a cautious smile came to my face. Cupping the dice in her hands, she had me shake her hands. Letting them go, I rolled a perfect twelve. Moving my piece for me, her laughter twinkled in the air.
“You get to advance two more spaces.” She uttered with twinkling eyes, moving my piece again. “Death, it is your turn.” Pulling on her leather gloves, Death was ready to play. The turns went on with us all smiling at her jokes, her natural ease at us made her stunning. Toby won, his tiny form spinning around the store, Matty checking his watch.
“We should probably get some sleep at my dad’s place. We have a busy day tomorrow. Come along.” He yawned groggily, packing up the game. Placing Lily on her back, Toby and Boomer left with him. Death lingered for a minute, her hands crossing.
“Thank you for a fun day.” She whispered with embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “Do you want to do this again? I can show you so many realms. You really seem to love adventure.” An awkward silence hung in the air, the two of us stewing in it. Perhaps Death could be my friend in the afterlife.
“I don’t see why not. No more dangerous ones, ‘kay!” I returned with my real smile, her arms yanking me into a desperate bear hug. Dancing into a puff of smoke, she was gone. Floating into the attic, my finger curled around my family’s album. Picking it up, tears welled up in my eyes. The bell rang downstairs, rapid footfalls ran up the stairs. Lily poked her head into the attic, her fingers curling around the chain. Light flooded the space, her kind smile meeting mine.
“I kept getting the sense that you weren’t okay today.” She spoke tenderly, taking a seat next to me. “I don’t mind spending the night with you. Show me my ancestors. Boomer, come on up.” The happy little dog flew into her arms, her pigtails showed how young she really was. Dusting his fur off of her comfy onyx giant sweater, she scooted over to me. Smiling softly to myself, her love felt like a warm hug. Explaining everyone to her, the wonder never left her eyes. A couple of hours passed, her hands petting Boomer.
“You really are an oddball. What is Death to you?” I questioned cautiously, hoping she wouldn’t get mad at me. “I don’t understand how that all came to be.” Laughing softly to herself, her hand grazed my cheek.
“If you are worried that I would ditch you for her, then you shouldn’t really worry. She is like a guardian to me and you are like my loyal sister and friend. She can’t do what you can. You protect me in the underworld when she can’t. You are always there to comfort me.” Taking my hand, my head rested on her shoulder. Thinking back on it, she was the sister I never got in real life. Her other hand held her even bigger bump, her wet eyes meeting mine.
“I don’t think that I will be a good mother. I always screw up when it matters the most.” She wept tiredly, my hands cupping her face. “Everyone always dies around me, no matter how hard I try.” Wiping her tears away, this moment was tearing her apart. Pressing our foreheads together, I had often wondered how it would have been to be a mother myself. Stashing those thoughts away, my girl needed me. Catching my shimmering tears in her palm, her fingers curled around mine.
“Here I am being selfish when you never had the chance.” She sniffled with a sympathetic smile, her grip on my hands getting stronger with every increasing tremble. “My parents were amazing and his mom is the same. I find it so hard to not cry in the morning when I wake up. What is happiness? I knew it for so many years and then it was all gone. How do I know that it won’t leave again?” Collapsing into her arms, both of our dams burst at the same time. Slowly the tears slid to a stop, she rose to her feet. Walking over to the dusty piano, her hand waited for mine.
“I can play piano and I saw a picture of you playing. Let’s play together and bring this damn thing downstairs in the morning.” She demanded through a wall of tears, her hands resting on her hips. “My father taught me how to play. In fact, it was a song that was passed down through the generations. You know that I will always be by your side. What could I do without my sister?” Clutching my hand to my chest, she waited with a patient smile. Accepting it with my real smile, my side of the bench waited for me. Taking my seat, her hands waited on the lower end of the notes. Beginning the first note, the music flowed freely. Her smile never left her face, happy tears staining her cheeks. Finishing up the last note, both of us had a river of tears dripping onto our laps.
“Could you teach me how to play better?” She asked innocently, a sense of pride coming over me. “It would be an honor to learn from you.” Answering her with a bright smile, my life had some light back in it. The darkness was gone, the light surrounding me with her warmth.
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