Death's Lullaby

Chapter 5

Death had arrived on Earth at midnight. He scanned the streets and looked at his surroundings. Death was only a few streets away from Arabella's home. He put his hood on and began to walk to her house. The city was loud. Every noise made Death angry. How do humans live with all of these loud noises? Death stalked past small shops that were selling multiple things. He walked past a small coffeehouse and stopped. Inside sat Arabella with a few other people her age. There were two girls and one guy with her. Death entered the shop and walked to the front. If he wanted to watch her he had to blend in.

"What can I get you today?" asked the barista.

"Black coffee," Death said bluntly. The barista nodded and came back with his coffee.

"That'll be $3.50," the barista said. Death snorted at this. The barista looked at him and was waiting for him to pay. He gave her a sweet smile and laid something down on the counter.

"Hope that covers it," he says with a grin. The barista looks on the counter and covers her mouth. Death had laid a shrunken head on the counter that looked oddly like her. She ran to the back of the coffeehouse and didn't emerge again. Death smiled to himself and took a seat in the corner. Arabella hadn't seen him yet. She was talking to her friends. Death sipped at the coffee and leaned back in his chair. The bells on the door rang again. Death almost spat out his coffee when he saw who it was. Love scanned the coffeehouse. Once she saw him she scurried over to him and sat down in the chair next to him.

"Was a shrunken head really necessary?" she asked. Death laid his coffee down on the table and faced Love.

"I told you not to follow me," Death hissed.

"I had no choice. How else was I going to warn you?"

"Warn me?"

"Devil is very angry with you. He knows you skipped a name, and he knows where you are. I know you tend to spit in the face of fear but if I was you I would tread carefully unless you want to be like them," Love said motioning to all the mortals in the room. Death gulped and looked at the humans. Mindlessly talking to one another and drinking their coffee.

"I still need a reason to kill her," Death growled.

"Death, you aren't going to kill her. We both know that," Love said. Death put his face in his hands and sighed. No, he wasn't going to kill Arabella but it wasn't because he loved or liked the girl. He was infatuated with her personality. She had only shown fear to him when they first met and when her mother couldn't see him. The rest of the time she acted like he was normal. Another person walking on the street.

"Death, you need to go back. If you stay here a moment longer Devil might just come down here himself," Love warned him. Death nodded and the two Powers got up from their seats. Death spared another look at the table Arabella was seated at before they left. She looked away from her conversation and met his gaze. She didn't say a word. Arabella smiled at Death like she was seeing an old friend. Death blinked at her in shock. Love pulled him out the door. He stumbled outside where Love was impatiently waiting for him.

"We can go whenever you're done staring," Love said. Death scoffed at Love.

"I wasn't staring. I was simply observing," Death said pointedly. Love rolled her eyes and the two disappeared and went back to their own realm. Both Powers arrived at Death's home. His crows cawed at the sudden entrance the two had made, but quieted after Death gave them a deadly look.

"Welcome home Death,"

Death and Love spun around and saw that Devil had seated himself in Death's chair.

"Hello Devil. What brings you here this evening?" Death asks.

"Don't play dumb Death! I'm not in the mood for your mindless games!" Devil bellowed. Death flinched back from Devil's harsh yell. Devil looked at Love with anger.