The Death's Game

52. Game of Love

From one kiss to the next. From the present to the past, Percy allowed herself to immerse herself in the wave of memories with Ryder that flooded her.

***

To their first meeting.

To that unearthly handsome boy she saw in front of her, and until she was speechless. That boy who approached her and introduced himself.

Of course, she knew immediately who he was.

"Ryder? That's the name you took?" It sounded like he was about to report to the horse races.

"You don't like my name?"

"No, it's not that." She didn't want to offend him, but the name was quite... interesting.

"I think Ryder is a pretty cool name," she said.

"If you think so."

"What's a name Percy anyway?" he began to tease her.

"You know that's not my full name." Percy showed him her tongue.

"Don't get me even started on your full name."

***

To their constant conversations and meetings.

"What's new today?"

"About one hundred deaths."

"I asked about new, not common."

They could talk about everything and nothing for hours.

"Are you never bored with your work?"

"No." He had a habit of always answering directly, and quite laconically. Percy had to ask about everything, but she had no problems with it. Everything interested her. She wanted to know everything.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Every day the same thing. Every day death, every day crying, every day depression. It's not even the boredom, but the sadness that always accompanies it. You don't mind it? Don't get tired of it?"

Ryder thought for a long time about how best to answer this. For Percy, it was beyond comprehension. For him, there was never anything different.

"It's hard when people don't want to accept their death." He looked at her with emphasis. "Some people realize that their time has come. I always try to help everyone as much as I can. Dying is never easy, but it is a natural part of life. That's what Death is for, that's what Death's Reapers are for, to help people come to terms with it."

"Are you ever sad?"

"I should say no, because after all we don't have feelings. But if you really want to know then yes, I am sometimes sad. Communing for millions of years with life, and for thousands of years with people, this teaches you and makes you begin to be able to understand and even identify."

***

Their first argument.

It was pretty silly and Percy knew full well she would not win anything on the subject. Nevertheless, she argued.

"My friends always wonder where I disappear to, why I'm perpetually out of time. Millie suspects that I have someone! Can't you pretend that you are my friend? That you are a human being?"

"The less your friends have contact with our world, the better for them. Don't make that mistake, Percy. They don't belong here. They can't know me, and they can't be in my company every day. It's dangerous. It's against the rules."