The Reaper's Token

The Founder of Rome Throws a Hissy Fit

Keith surfaced behind Alice and gave a self-conscious cough. I stood to my feet as my head cleared.

"Come on! Let's get checked in!" Alice said.

I looked at Violet, who shrugged and glided past me after Alice.

"Come, Dominic," Keith said, and I walked beside him.

"I thought you were going to wait in the food court?" I said.

"Yes... but Alice found me and started hassling me for not being a better mentor. She sent Violet to go find you and had us wait here at... customer service." Keith lamented.

"Oh," I answered.

"Keith, hurry!" Alice urged, "We must all be together."

I heard a deep sigh leak out of Keith as we caught up to the ladies.

"Violet, you stand in front of me. Dominic..." Alice paused, grabbing my shoulders and moving me to the left. "You stand beside Violet."

"Keith put an arm on his shoulder," Alice said as a firm clap landed on my right shoulder.

"Perfect!" Alice cheered. "In we go!"

"This is ridiculous!" Violet hissed, protesting against Alice's pushing.

"No! This is making an entrance!" Alice said. We walked into a grey flat-colored room as a few bored and hostile glances rolled toward us.

It reminded me of the DMV. Long lines of people stood close together as four empty suits shuffled mountains of paperwork behind thick, awkward desks.

"Stay together!" Alice whispered as we circled around to the back of the line.

"Look! Now there's a legend." Keith spoke with an air of controlled excitement. People had stopped talking.

I followed his gaze (and everyone else's) toward a tall, muscular man. His salt and pepper hair was wavy and curled toward his face. He wore a deep purple toga and black boots, and he strode through the room holding a polished, 7-foot long spear! He was probably in his early 50s, but he looked as athletic as men half his age.

"Romulus," Violet whispered.

"Who?" I asked.

Violet rolled her eyes at me.

"Romulus... the founder of Rome," she said, arching her eyebrows as if to show she couldn't believe how impossibly stupid I was.

"Isn't that the Roman guy who killed his brother because he criticized his wall?" I asked.

"Allegedly..." Violet nodded and said. "He's retired."

"From what?!" I asked.

"Death," she whispered. "He's the Chairman on the Committee for the Retired Reapers,"

"You're kidding?" I asked.

"No." She answered gravely.

I got a weird feeling from the guy and tried to observe Romulus without him catching on. He gave me the sense he could snap in an instant. Romulus practically crackled with energy. Being at a place like the DMV can set anyone on edge, and I found myself hoping that nothing would set him off. I was really glad that I didn't work here.

I could see a sheen of sweat on the customer service representative named Bob. Romulus stood boldly in front of him, having bypassed all the lines. Bob's second chin and his hands trembled slightly as he frantically finished the Twinkie that he had shoved in his mouth seconds earlier.