The Reaper's Token

L&D Has an Unplanned Lock-In

The damp cold air whipped from the alleys ways and brushed up my spine with a prickling sensation. The thought dawned on me. What were the chances my death was an accident?

"What?" Violet asked.

"My Gran and I. We used to live around here," I said.

I took a step toward my past, and then I hesitated. Violet grabbed my hand.

"Dominic, we can't... she won't understand," Violet said softly. "You can't interact with anything or anyone from your past. It doesn't end well. That's why we should not be here."

I nodded silently. Then I pulled away from the edge of the alley with a lump lodged in my throat.

Violet's shoulders relaxed as she let go of my hand.

"We should get going," she whispered as she took off down the street. Her cheeks had turned bright pink in contrast to the little bits of white chalk streaked along her neck and face.

I paused and took one last look behind me before I raced after her. This time it was easier to hop the trolley.

The ride back to Alice's was quiet, or at least as quiet as it could be in a place like San Francisco. Violet tinkered with the box as the sun suddenly peeked through the dark grey sky.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. It was darker than usual, and the air felt thinner - like a massive storm might roll in at any moment and overtake the sky.

I couldn't help but think about the old man from my dreams.

What did he want?

I started to compile all the important things I had heard. The first thing that came to mind wasn't very helpful. Your taste buds change after death, Gallo, Keith's voice boomed in my mind.

Try harder! Okay... there was something called the Tide... a sword of some kind with special powers... an old man... an army.

"Are you okay?" Violet asked as I un-scrunched my face. "You looked like you were in pain," she said sympathetically.

I sighed. Whatever I had been thinking about had disintegrated. My distant thoughts turned toward my old home as our trolley rode in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered kind of glumly.

Violet's face took on a more guarded expression as she stopped tinkering with her box and slipped it into her pocket.

"You know, it's okay to miss them," she said. "It gets easier."

I wondered how this would ever be normal, but maybe I could rediscover my purpose here. Sitting with Violet made me think, in time, this was something I could get used to.

"So, I wanted to ask you... what did you mean when you said it doesn't end well? Seeing people from your past life, I mean." I asked.

"Well, you know how people don't remember us after meeting us? Like we're utterly forgettable?" Violet said.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Well, it affects people from our former lives differently. We linger longer for them somehow. Like if you look at the sun then shut your eyes tight, you can still see the sun. They seem to feel our presence as well as see us. If you repeatedly engage someone from your past, it's called a haunting. It's been known to drive the living mad. It's kinder to leave them alone and let them live their lives." Violet said.

We rode in silence for the next 10 minutes while I digested what she said.

"Well, this is our stop," Violet said, interrupting my thoughts. She stood and hopped off the trolley. I jumped after her, relieved that this ride was over.