The Reaper

Chapter Six

The rain roared down as the heavens opened like a giant floodgate. Everyone was upstairs, save for Harvey and Melissa who were currently getting the real tour of my home, including the room where everyone’s Time was kept in their own LifeGlasses. 

A LifeGlass was what I called the hourglasses that I was often depicted holding – they contained particles of Time, the personal Time of the person they were for. The room itself was enormous, like the ship in Doctor Who, it was bigger on the inside. Much bigger. It contained the LifeGlass for every single person on Earth as well as animals. The room was brightly lit by one light source which came from a large LifeGlass. 

This LifeGlass was extremely special and precious – it was the LifeGlass of the Earth itself. Inside that Glass was Life itself – as well as Time. If that Glass got into the wrong hands. . .Time itself could rewind. I myself had been more than tempted to turn it back to the day Melissa died and save her but I knew it was meant to be. I was never to see her again. 

Feeling tears prick my eyes I blinked them back and continued showing Harvey and Melissa round the house. Harvey loved the study, where all my books on magic were, including several large grimoires. 

I left Melissa to watch him while I went to check on everyone else, who were either in their rooms or playing games in the games room upstairs. I walked into the games room and all the boys looked round at me before continuing their race. I counted them silently then frowned.

“Where’s Alex?” I asked, looking round for the blonde haired youth.

“Bog.” grunted James McAvoy.

I nodded and turned to leave.

He crept towards the door of the room where he knew the Glass was kept. 

“What are you doing?”

He whirled round and saw Melissa stood there. The witch had foiled him!

“Uh. . .looking for the bathroom?”

She pointed upstairs.

“You know where it is. That’s Tobias’ study, it’s off limits to us all, like he said.”

He bit back a growl and forced a smile and ran back upstairs in time to see Death coming out of the games room. He growled and hid from sight as Death passed him and went downstairs to the witches.

I walked downstairs, deep in thought. I almost bumped into Melissa who was coming to give me a cup of tea she’d made. She looked troubled.

“Is everything alright?” I asked her.

She looked at me seriously.

“I just saw a student trying to get into the room where you keep the Glasses.”

My heart screeched to a halt. It had to be an accident. . .No one here even knew who I was, never mind the existence of the Glasses!

“Which student?” I asked, trying to remain calm.

“James McAvoy.”

I frowned in confusion.

“I just saw him upstairs though.”

We looked at each other then raced upstairs to the games room to find it empty. We split up and ran through the house looking for everyone. Eventually we found them all in one bedroom, having a noisy pillow fight. I checked them all swiftly, doing a quick scan for Demons.I came up blank. They were all thankfully human. The two of us returned downstairs and sat in the study with Harvey.

“I don’t understand. What’s going on here? None of them have any talent for magic in them, and there aren’t any Demons in here.” I mused.