Born In Hell (Book II)

6

Noah
Belle had all of us gathered around in the back for some storytime campfire thing. Her stories are interesting, they're so detailed that it's almost like I was there.

"Tell us a real one this time, none of that kid stuff," I told her.

She smirked at me wickedly and nodded. "That is if you can handle it."

"Try me."

Her smile grew wider and the flames seemed to too. It freaked me out some, because I didn't expect adding one log would do that.

Aniel gave her a warning look and she patted his shoulder. "This one is about the birth of Death."

"Like the Grim Reaper?" She nodded and I rolled my eyes. "I said a real story."

"Death is very much real. I would assume you would know some about it." My dad gave her one of the warning looks too, but she shook her head. "Death was spawned up by Life. With Light there is darkness. With the sun, the moon shines in the darkness. With good, there is always an act of evil to show what you're missing when you mistreat it. Life needed Death. Now everyone sees Death as the evil, but no. It's the ugly truth, while Life masks as the beautiful lie. There's always an end to what was started but never a beginning to no end. Life is continuous after death, but that's a different person.

Now Death was just a boy your age, when he was handed over the family trade. It's been passed on from generation to generation seeking it's new host. This Reaper tests the young. The trials are hard and sickening, that psychopaths envy the idea of them.

It's always simple. First you kill a man," she looked at me almost knowingly and then over to my dad raising a subtle brow. "I'm not sure if you're ready to know the rest... I'll tell a different-"

"Why?"

She looked at me and shook her head. Belle has never not ended a story. But when I looked around everyone seemed either weirded by the topic choice or uninterested.

"Fine. You can start the next one without me, I'm going to grab a snack."

She nodded apologetically, staring into the fire, starting up the new story. "Four realms. Heaven and hell, earth and limbo....."

I left to go inside to grab some popcorn. I opened the pantry and hesitated for a second after listening to Raelyn and Makenna talking. Raelyn was crying and Makenna was holding back.

"I'm not sure how it happened, but we'll get through this. I know you didn't like him and that's okay. I just don't get how this could have happened," Raelyn told her.

"I'm sorry, Ma."

They were heading my way so I rushed to put the popcorn in the microwave, by jumping over the island. When I turned around Raelyn was already there heading outside. Makenna came in the kitchen a little after and sat down on the couch.

"I'm sorry," I told her again.

She looked up at me and shook her head. "I don't know what to do. I've never seen my mom cry before."

"If it gets bad I can tell her what happened."

"But you'll get in trouble."

I shrugged, taking the popcorn out. "It wouldn't be the first time."

She nodded and headed out to join the others. I was almost out but heard something upstairs. Everyone was in the back, so no one that I know of should be in here. Now I could go up or ask my mother if we were expecting someone. It wouldn't be me if I asked, so I might as well just go.

Whatever it was was in my room. Out of all the places to be. I got...stuff in there. Stuff that should be left unbothered unless I'm getting my money back. But once I got in there nothing. I searched around and still-