Of Life and Death

nine

Morning comes and I decide to do a little traveling. I check my list for someone to reap. I find one, far away, in Japan. I get dressed and make my way there.

The Tokyo streets are busy. People and cars everywhere. The noise makes my ears buzz. I walk around, admiring the view. It reminds me of New York with many Japanese twists.

I look for my target, a thirty year old man. I follow the reaper instinct to an apartment. The apartment is a weird, dark place.

The windows are covered with blackout curtains. The only light is curtsey of candles. Weird symbols cover the walls. A smell of herbs and smoke fills my lungs.

I pass through a doorway and find myself face to face with a monster. After I get over the stupid surprise I realise it's just a mask, hanging from the ceiling. What kind of person is this?

Behind the mask there's an alter. I walk up to it. Candles illuminate the wood table covered in symbols and herbs." Is that... Oh gosh." I say, disgusted. The cat skull sits on top if some herbs and is painted with the symbols.

" What is going on here?" I ask out loud. I turn around to find the man. I face a creature unlike any I've ever seen.

It has white eyes and white hair. It's thin and its skin is translucent. Purple veins run under its skin like a spiderweb. It opens its mouth and shows off a black tongue and razor sharp teeth.

Before I can move it shrieks. The force of its scream throws me back into the wall. I cry out and it rushes forward. It pushes me through the wall.

I pick myself up and face the creature. It grabs me around the throat and smashes me into the floor. I struggle as it chokes me. I can't breathe. Its nails dig into my skin. I slap at its face and arms but it's no use. I teleport but it comes with me.

I push my knee against its stomach and put all my strength into the blow. The creature falls back and growls. I cough and try to get my breath back. It jumps on me again and it takes all my strength to keep it at a distance.

It snaps its mouth closed and struggles to reach my throat. I push against its shoulders. It dips its head closer to my neck and bites the air a couple inches from the vein in my neck. I push more but it's too strong.

I can break bricks with my bare hands but I'm being thrown around like a bouncy ball. I let loose a desperate scream, a last ditch attempt to get out of this.

The walls shake and dust rains down. The creature stops for just a second in surprise. I hear a man scream in a language I don't understand. The creature puts extra strength into another lunge forward. Its teeth graze my skin.

My arms are shaking from the strain. I let out a whimper. The creature growls and bites at my throat. Just before it rips the skin apart it flies into the wall. Cracks spread across the wall.

I sigh and lay on the ground. The creature comes back and tries attack me. A voice shakes the walls and throws the creature back.

" DON'T TOUCH HER!" The force of the scream makes my ears ring. I curl up in a ball to escape the creature and the anger of the newcomer.

I feel something like knives rake down my back. I cry out and crawl away. Hands grab me and throw me. I hit the wall at high speed. I whine and fall to the ground.

Pain radiates through my body. Dark spots cloud my vision. I see a flash of white in the sea of black. I try to stand but my muscles refuse to move.

The creature stalks towards me but all I can do is watch through the spots. Hands grab it and throw it away from me. My head falls and rests on my shoulder.

The man from before starts yelling again. I hear a loud snap. There's no more yelling. I close my eyes. I'm just going to rest for a little while. It'll be better when I wake up.