The Reapers

3. The Spirit

It was morning. Sydney left the abandoned house. She was a spirit on the run from the Grim Reaper. She had time to sort out her last moments of having a heartbeat and oxygen. She was talking to Tori before Tori's husband came in with a gun. They were arguing, and he was making threats to her life. Those last seventeen minutes were a blur to Sydney. Sydney walked down the street when she saw a young woman standing there. It was Miriam. Sydney turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Miriam sighed. She was not in the mood to chase a runaway soul this morning. She disappeared. Miriam had to work collect the slate of people today.

***

Luther was at headquarters. He looked at the clock's wall. It was nearly eight in the Pacific Time Zone. A few reapers walked past him in the corridor. They seem to be calm for now. Percy opened the door. She was wearing a black dress with a veil over her face. Percy's hair was done up in 1940's fashion.

"Luther." She called out.

Luther nodded. He walked into her office. "I blew it." Luther whispered.

Percy kissed his cheek with her red lips. "Don't say that, Luther. Ronnie is not upset. I don't think she is mad at you." She whispered back.

"I still need to tell her." Luther replied softly.

Before Percy and Luther could kiss, they saw Ronnie standing in the doorway. She had disapproving eyes on them. Luther smiled as he went to the office. Ronnie shut the door. She knew all things. Luther sat down on the chair. Ronnie moved toward her own desk. She was wearing her black robes. Luther noticed her hair was done up like Judge Judy's hair. He looked up at his boss. She was the Grim Reaper. She was dead. Ronnie stared at him with her green eyes. Ronnie had her hands on her hips.

"I am not angry at you, Luther. I do take this mess up seriously." She told him.

"I guess I'm not going to Lucifer." Luther replied.

"No." She said. "You have a week to collect Sydney. You still have to collect souls in Seattle during the week." Ronnie informed him.

"Thank you, Ronnie." Luther said.

"You're welcome, Luther." Ronnie answered. She went back to work on her desk.

After he left Ronnie's office, Luther saw Percy at her desk. She was packing her desk up for the next six months in hell. She would be back in time for spring. He walked over to her. Percy gave a light smile. He kissed her soft, yet angelic cheek. For over a couple millenia, Percy was on a half-life in Purgatory and in Hell. It was a deal she made with Hades. Luther was always uneasy about it.

"Just one night." Luther whispered into Percy's ear.

"One day." She whispered back.

"I have found Sydney." He said. Luther wrapped his arm around Percy's waist.

Percy smiled. "Well, Miriam messaged me. She found and lost Sydney." She informed Luther.

"I have a week. Ronnie is taking over." Luther replied.

"Find her," Percy said.

Luther left the office. He headed down to his office. As he grabbed a few things, Luther looked at a book. It was about the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Luther figured his research could wait. Finally, he left his office.

***

Sydney stood outside of her apartment building. She knew Gabrielle was probably home. Sydney walked through the door. It was quiet around the lobby. She used the stairs to get to her floor. She went through the door. Sydney walked to her apartment. Once she got to the door, Sydney could hear Gabrielle's voice on the other side of the door. She reached for the door knob. Her hand passed through the knob. The realization of being dead hit Sydney in the face. She moved through the door. It sounded like Gabrielle was on the phone with Sydney's parents. Sydney heard Monica's voice on the phone, followed by Daniel's voice. They were getting a flight to Seattle. Sydney walks towards her room. The door was shut. She knew Gabrielle did not want Sydney's stuff. She closed her eyes as she went through the door. Sydney still felt weird about phasing through the door. She heard Gabrielle hang up the phone. Then Sydney heard Malcolm's voice outside the door. Before she could move towards Malcolm's voice, Sydney felt a cool, dead hand on her left shoulder. She turned towards the owner of the hand. It was Luther.