Death

‘Falling hurts.’ I thought as I struggled to overcome the numbing pain in my back and get up. It’s been about two days, and I could still feel the blood running down my back. I also knew it wasn’t going to stop any time soon.

Once you got your wings ripped, they’ll take at least two weeks in earth time to grow back. And instead of the white feathers you’re used to, the ones that grow back are always pitch black.

Once you got your wings ripped, you’ll also bleed like a mortal, or even a bit more. I’ve never seen blood before today, and the amount that was coming out of me was surprising. I had no idea I had that much liquid inside me… Well, I didn’t have any until I fell.

I didn’t know that being down with the fallen was so close and easy. I usually saw it happening with others but, I never thought it was so easy, I never thought it was so easy that I’d become one of the fallen.

I never thought it was so easy that I’d go from an archangel to this in a blink of an eye.

I sat on a big rock next to a lake and just stared into the emptiness of the forest, trying to ignore the feeling of pain, a feeling, like every other feeling, I have never felt before I came to earth.

A rustling sound startled me, and I started looking around. Out of nowhere, I found a small squirrel standing just in front of my rock. He had soft fur all over him and he was so tiny it made me feel giant. I have never closely seen a squirrel before. I smiled. Maybe being condemned to earth wasn’t that awful, after all.

I extended my hand to touch the squirrel because it looked so soft, but it ran away. Before I realized it, I found myself going after the small creature.

It went behind one of the trees, and I followed. I saw the squirrel climbing the tree, but I saw on the ground what caught my attention. There was another squirrel, but it was barely moving. Its body was twitching and seeming already lifeless as it took its last breaths.

I extended my hand and touched the creature’s soft, furry belly. I felt an emotion, and I decided that I had to get on with the whole ‘feeling things’ ordeal, because it didn’t seem like I was getting out of earth any time soon.

Everything slowed down when I touched the creature’s belly and in a moment, the small thing jumped back up and ran away, terrified.

“What are you doing here? You’re getting in the way, kid!” I heard a voice coming from the top of the tree. I looked up and there, dressed in a flowy black cloak and holding a very big scythe, stood another fallen angel.

“I just followed this squirrel and-“

“Yeah, you brought it back to life. I was trying to reap its soul, and you should have been, too.” said the fallen, giving me a smile that didn’t feel so nice to receive.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I just came here two days ago.” I motioned to my back.

“Yes, I noticed your wings. Seems like I just found the fifth reaper.”

“Reaper?” I asked in confusion.

An expression of sympathy flashed across the fallen’s face for a split second before they spoke. “Yes, a grim reaper, just like me, and three more present in this world. When you fall, you’re bound to be assigned to a task on earth. And you, my friend, were assigned the job of a grim reaper, which explains why you could bring that squirrel back to life.”

“A task?” I asked, surprised. Why did none of the elders tell me about any of that during my condemnation?

“It’s clear that you were an archangel and, if you’re one, chances are you’re going to end up as a grim reaper. That is because reapers are higher than demons and the rest of the fallen.” The other fallen continued.

“But… don’t reapers only make things die? I just unintentionally made that thing jump and run away!”

The fallen sucked their teeth, seeming a bit annoyed at me. “First off, you need a scythe to make things die. Secondly, I was in the process of making it die, yes, but you got in the way. You know, as long as they’re not fully dead, We can make things go back to life, but why would we use that when our job is to reap souls?”

“Don’t you ever need to?” I asked.

“Also, if that thing is a human, you lose a part of your soul in return. No immortal would like to give up a part of their immortality for a human that’s bound to die sooner or later, you know.” they continued, ignoring my question.

I nodded, still trying to figure out why they were keeping that conversation going as they seemed clearly uninterested in whatever I had to say back.

“So, what was your sin?” they asked all of a sudden.

“Huh?”

“Why have you been condemned to earth? Mine was Pride…”

I frowned “Why would you like to know?”

“No reason,” they shrugged. “Anyways, have fun. Once you’re healed you’ll get an invitation to receive your scythe, and you’ll get to know everything. Welcome on board, Death.”

And with that, they disappeared.

Death.

This was the first time I’ve been called on earth and by rule, that meant that “Death” was going to be my name as long as I’m here.

Not so bad.

~♥~