Of Life and Death

seven

''Or maybe he's just as monstrous as I thought.'' I think to myself when I wake up and see my list. The list is full of names I recognize from town. One is a kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Johnson.

I get out of bed and get dressed. I put on my cloak. I sigh and fade from view. I teleport to the teacher and watch her as I wait.

She does little dances with her students while they learn normal kindergarten things. It takes me back to the long time ago when I was in school. But I lived in Denmark. It was so different.

Naturally we didn't speak English and when the war started the people I knew began to disappear. Now I know what happened but then, when I was only eleven, I was never told. After I became a reaper I never got too close to home but I couldn't bring myself to leave Denmark.

The Council taught me other languages so I could go most places and talk to most people. I learned French, German, Spanish, English, and Mandarin. I left Denmark in 1956 for America. I still had a thick accent but over time it has faded to barely noticeable. When I get angry it sometimes gets easier to hear.

I watch as the kids draw pictures for the teacher. She happily accepts each drawing brought to her. A voice over the intercom interrupts the class. The principal announces an intruder and orders everyone to do what they know to do from the drills.

The teacher locks the door and turns out the lights. She pushes the children against the wall where nobody can see them and sits with them. Some kids start complaining about being scared but the teacher calmly assures them that they are safe but they need to be quiet.

The kids do their best to stay quiet but the sound of someone at the door pushes the poor kindergartners into panic. Amanda Johnson rushes to silence the screaming, crying, and cowering kids. The person at the door finishes their task of finding a way inside.

They enter the room and raise the semi automatic rifle in their hands. The man points his gun at a child but Amanda pushes them behind her. My conscience overrides my logic. I make myself visible to the about-to-be shooter. He doesn't notice me at first but when he does he points his gun at my chest.

" Who the hell are you?" He demands. I turn to look at the kids. The ones with death auras return to normal. All except one." I'm Death, and you have been a very bad boy." I say maliciously. All the blood drains from his face. Amanda quietly and quickly moves the kids out of the room.

The man threatens me." I will shoot you." Amanda tries to get the last kid out of the room. It's the one with the death aura." No I want to stay with the angel." She insists. The man instantly jumps on the chance to escape.

" Let me go or I shoot the kid." He threatens with his gun pointed at her. I think for a way out of this. The kid tries to take a step towards me but her teacher pulls her back." No! Leave!" She yells as she pushes the child to the door.

The man turns and pulls the trigger on his gun. A bullet bursts out of the gun and hits Amanda Johnson. Blood blooms on her chest. A death aura surrounds her before disappearing and reappearing. Little kids in the hallway scream and the little girl who saw me rushes back inside.

" Save her angel!" She begs me. Before I can do anything the man points his gun at the little girl." No!" I scream so loud the man flinches and his bullet misses his target. The little girl falls to the ground and blood covers her shirt.

The man panics as I step towards him, drawing on my powers. Mist surrounds me and my eyes flash black. He runs out of the classroom and down the hall. I turn my attention to the litter girl and her teacher.

Both have death auras but they keep fading and coming back. This is all a matter of choice. I hate these because I have to decide if someone lives. I have no idea of the consequences. The little girl is gasping in pain and Amanda has passed out. I can hear sirens.

" Help." The little girl whimpers. I walk over to her and crouch down." I can't help you." I reluctantly tell her. The sirens get closer." Make it better." She insists." I can't." I repeat. Police and paramedics rush into the room and instantly treat the two.

I back away and let them be taken to an ambulance. I go with them by riding on top of the ambulance. It's no problem for me. At the hospital I follow the little girl, more interested in the person who can see me when they shouldn't.

They rush to extract the bullet and repair the damage. I leave to check on the woman. She's in the same condition, doctors rushing around to save her. Both are my choices. No matter what the doctors do, their fate is in my hands.

I go out to the waiting room to see who they called for them. The little girl has her parents waiting on her. Her mom is crying and her dad is asking anyone who wears scrubs about her.

Amanda has her husband. He's sitting in a chair with his head in his hands.  He's not crying but the last thing he is is calm. Both families are upset and worried enough to make me guilty about a choice I haven't made yet.

I leave the hospital and reap other souls. I need time to think. I reap a soul a couple cities over. An old man that died from kidney failure. Sad but he wasn't upset about dying. He said it was his time and he had lived his life. Those are the easy ones. But cases of little kids that don't have to die are the ones that keep me awake and make me wonder if I should quit.

A couple hours later I stop by my house and change clothes. I leave my house now dressed in a flowy, floor length, white dress. Time to go through with my decision.