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even think harm would come. As soon as he was gone,
strange, or maybe not-so-strange, notions clouded his mind.
Death was his lover. Things couldn't get much stranger than
that.
He stepped outside, heading in no particular direction. He
just needed to be out.
Lost in thought, he didn't see the Reaper creep up beside
him until he was walking at his elbow.
Robert jumped and took a step back, staring at him.
Everything about him was very much like Simon. Simple,
average, easy to miss. His eyes though... Simon's eyes were
dark and haunted. This Death's held an almost malicious
gleam that sent an icy ripple through his bones.
"And so we meet again," he said.
"Who are you?"
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by C.M. Torrens
A dark smile pulled at his lips, showing a perfect set of
white teeth. "Death, Grim, Thanatos, Angel of Death, Reaper,
whichever you prefer."
"What do you want?"
"I like you. What's not to like? Not often you people look at
us. Though I was hounded once for three days by a gypsy
woman while I waited for her time to come. Annoying woman.
She's found me twice, always begging to leave. So annoying."
Reaper leaned closer. "What drew you to the other? What did
you call him?"
"His name is Simon."
"I doubt that, but that doesn't matter. What drew you to
see him? You're much too... normal in every other way. I
wonder what he will do when you leave this realm." Reaper
reached out to touch him and Robert jerked away.
"Don't."
Reaper chuckled. "Afraid I'll mark you and steal your soul?
One day your Death's touch will bring death. He will fuck you
and watch you die. That is his job. More than that, it is our
existence."
Robert swallowed hard and found himself backed against a
parking meter.
"Do you want to know when?"
"Simon said he didn't know."
"He didn't look hard enough. I can tell you."
"I don't want a damn thing from "
"Three days," Reaper said, cutting him off.
"Liar."
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Reaper chuckled and started to walk away. "Why lie, when
the truth is so much more interesting to watch?"
Robert moved around the parking meter, giving Reaper a
wide berth. A chill oozed down his spine. The way he walked,
his very presence seemed to sap the life right out everything
around them. This Death was nothing at all like Simon.
"Until we meet again, Robert."
He said nothing and watched until the Reaper disappeared
around the corner. He let out an explosive breath he hadn't
realized he was holding and wiped the sweat from his palms
on his pants.
His stomach twisted with the impact of Reaper's words.
Three days.
Sick to his stomach, he headed back to his apartment.
What does someone do when they find out they're dying in a
few days?
His rubbed his chest, finding it hard to breathe as he
walked. He pulled his hand away from his chest and stared at
it a moment. Heart attack?
He shook his head. He was only twenty-six. Besides, he
still had time.
Yeah, in this case ignorance was bliss.
Finding his way back home, he flopped back on the couch
and waited for Simon, hoping everything the Reaper had told
him was wrong.
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81
His Soul to Take
by C.M. Torrens
Chapter Seven
He heard Simon's soft steps as they slipped into the room
several hours later. After hours of waiting and rehearsing the
carefully thought out lines he'd prepared, his mind went blank
when Simon stepped into the room.
Robert sat up and peered over the back of the couch at
him.
"Three days?"
The light smile on Simon's lips evaporated and dark eyes
turned somber. Nothing said the truth more than that.
Bile churned in the pit of his stomach and he closed his
eyes, willing back the ache in his chest. He gulped for air to
help keep nausea at bay.
"I was hoping he lied."
The words hung in the air and Simon moved to sit on the
opposite side of the couch.
"I keep trying to imagine what will happen when I die.
Who will care? What did I do? Was I important? I can't think
of much. I didn't do anything really. I only have one real
friend here. My family is dead, or wished I was... I'm not
important. I never harmed anyone. I was nice, I think. I'm a
pretty nice person, aren't I?"
"You're a very nice person."
Robert huffed. "Yeah. Write that on my epitaph."
"And you're important to me."
He winced and looked away. "Don't say that."
"It's true."
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Emotions warred inside him. The urge to lash out took hold
as he turned to Simon. "How can you say that? I'm dying in
three days and you hover around me like a vulture waiting to
pick my bones."
Simon winced visibly, but Robert didn't care. He struggled
to keep his emotions under control. The anger, the grief. He
couldn't think, couldn't breathe.
"Get out of here! Go. I don't want to see you. Get the hell
out of my house!" Robert grabbed the lamp from the end
table and threw it in Simon's direction.
Glass exploded as the ceramic base struck the table beside
Simon, showering him in debris. A fresh cut marred Simon's
cheek and beaded with blood.
"Robert, please " Simon got to his feet and wiped the
blood from his cheek. The cut was gone.
"Out!" His voice cracked and buried his head in his hands.
"Just get the fuck out."
Silence filled the room and when he looked up, Simon was
gone.
* * * *
Simon closed his eyes and leaned against the wall outside
Robert's apartment, his chest tight, his throat dry and
burning. He took a ragged breath, trying to ease some of the
pressure. He'd been greedy to ever get involved with him in
the first place. No matter that it was always going to be a
temporary thing. Robert was always going to die and Simon
was always going to live. His curse locked him in between
forever. There was no end for him.
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He pushed off the wall and started away from the
apartment. He picked a direction at random, just needing to
walk. His mind wandered, but the ache persisted. He was
alone again. He was so very tired of being alone.
He felt Reaper before he saw him and spun to face him.
Grabbing him by his jacket, Simon slammed him into a
nearby wall.
Reaper smirked back at him and tried to straighten his
jacket. "A little upset, are we?"
"I told you to leave him alone," Simon hissed.
"You think what you've done is any better? So I gave him
the answer he wanted. I wasn't the one fucking him just to
remove a curse."
"What are you talking about?" He gasped, shaking his
head. "It doesn't work like that. They don't replace you. With
all these people in the world, we'd be hard pressed to keep up
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