Grim

Chapter 1: The Job

"Two days after my nineteenth birthday I committed murder, but it wasn't my fault." I paused and looked up at the intricate detailing of the black ceiling above me.

Don't make eye contact.

I inhaled shakily and closed my eyes before continuing. "It was more of an accident than anything. Honestly, I was hardly involved. But if you don't look at the particulars, then yeah, I guess I kind of committed murder."

I could feel Satan's warm breath all the way from the other side of the desk. The man was fuming like an angry bull and I knew that if I so much as looked at him the wrong way he would snap.

Lord have mercy on my poor soul.

"Before I make this situation any worse, I would like you to know that I am incredibly sorry, I-"

He cut me off with a low snarl, "You will be sorry blondie if you keep wasting my time. I'm getting impatient, so please, enlighten me and get to the part about how you murdered my reaper before I reach over the only thing keeping you safe and snap your pretty little neck."

I nodded and dropped my head, realizing I was clinging to the desk like my life depended on it. I loosened my grip and nodded once more, "Right, the murder. I'm just as shocked by it as you are. I thought reapers were a little more indestructible than they apparently are. You really should do something about that-"

"I suggest you don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do with my employees Miss Blackburn." He interrupted me again and I pursed my lips in disapproval.

Someone clearly wasn't taught that it's impolite to interrupt someone who's talking.

"He fell from a tree and broke his neck." I blurted out and looked up at the devil's red eyes. "He was trying to save a cat that got stuck and I had no idea he was a reaper or I wouldn't have said a word I swear. I guess he didn't realize I was there because when I asked if he needed help it surprised him and he slipped and next thing I knew he was on the ground.." I bit my lip, images of the reaper dead on the pavement flashing through my mind. His neck was bent at such an unnatural angle. I gagged just thinking about it.

"Right after that another reaper showed up and dragged me away and I was completely clueless until I got here. Please Satan, I know how things work here in Hemgrove and Reapers are serious no go territory but you have to believe me when I say it was an accident." I was shaking at this point. I knew I would most likely be killed for my crime. Reaper death was not to be tolerated.

Hemgrove was nearly nonexistent, a little blip on the map that most of the time goes unnoticed, and Satan kept his little corner of the world tightly knit. His word was law to those of us that were unfortunate enough to live here.

My parents found this place by mistake on their honeymoon, well actually it was in transit to their honeymoon. The car broke down and when they went to find help they somehow wound up here. And once you enter Hemgrove, there's no way out. I'm sure getting eternally trapped in McCreepsville wasn't my parents' idea of a romantic getaway. But that's how things work here in Hemgrove.  Once it gets its evil claws on something it never lets go. 

"Are you going to kill me?" I whispered, clasping my trembling hands together. I could feel the room start to spin around me and I was on the verge of bursting into tears. I wasn't ready to die. Not like this. I could only imagine what kind of torture Satan would put me through.

I watched him as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned away from me. There was no way he wasn't contemplating the most painful way to slaughter me. After a few tense minutes he began to slowly turn back towards me and I felt my heart drop when I saw the grin on his face.