The Grim's Daughter

Chapter Four:

"There you are!" said Death as Nevaeh hurried into the living room. He had already started unpacking. His clothes hid the sofa. "Do you still want something to eat?"

"Where will we go?"

"There's a cafe in this hotel, we can go there. I've never tried human food like, so that'll be a new thing," he smiled. "Have you started to unpack? (Nevaeh shook her head) You better do some before we go."

"I'll do it later," said Nevaeh, lying down on the sofa. 

"Fine." Death turned to Thrindle, who was standing on the flower pots outside the window, watching them. "We need stop at Pamela's pet shop as well as taking a walk; you need to get use to where exactly we're living now. The human's world is gigantic, and you don't know hardly anything about it."

Thrindle swooped in through the open window and landed on his master's hand, making himself comfortable, once again.

"Are we going now, I'm hungry," cried Nevaeh, feeling her stomach rumble terribly with great hunger. 

"Let me get the keys," said Death, as he walked over to the small table beside the door. Nevaeh stepped trough the door frame first, then Death. 

Inside the cafe was a few men, sat at a table with their cups of steaming coffee. Blue Ocean, the name of the cafe, was printed on the wall behind the counter. 

"What do you want?" Death asked Nevaeh, as he walked slowly over to the woman behind the counter. 

"I don't know what they cook," shrugged Nevaeh. "I'll have anything."

"Good. Do you want to take a seat somewhere?"

Nevaeh ran over to a table already set out. Death came a few minutes later. "The food will be done, soon. Is everything OK?"

"What will happen if I don't fit in? Someome will realize I'm not like a normal human. Don't people here go to school?"

"You'll be getting home schooled, by me," said Death, counting his chain. "Don't worry about fitting in. You were only young when I got Thrindle, but as you can tell, he is not from our world. I found him twelve years ago, when I was being trained by my father. I remember how Thrindle was cowering in a tree branch. Your Grandad wanted to eat him at the time, but I convinced him to go, and find, something else to fill his stomach. The bird took a liking to me when he became well and followed me wherever I went. (Death stroked the bird hiding inside of his coat) Nobody else saw him like I did- I saw him as a marvollous creature, while others stuck their noses up at him."

Nevaeh listened to him carefully. Thrindle's head was peaking out from her father's coat, his long beak almost brushing the table when he ruffled his feathers. But he returned again, when he saw the woman from behind the counter coming closer with two plates in her hands. She, then, walked back to the counter, dancing to the music in her headphones. 

"What's this?" said Nevaeh, examining the food on her plate.

"Scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, hash browns, beans and fried bread," grinned Death, with some bacon at the edge of his fork. "Try it."

Nevaeh picked up her knife and dug it into a thin slice of bacon, but Death took the knife off her, and gave her a fork. "The knife is used to cut your food, Nevaeh," he laughed. 

Nevaeh smiled and started eating.

"Do you like it?"

"It's alright."

"Don't worry, I'll go shopping later, so we can restock the fridge. Then, we can eat in our room. But not yet." Death snuck half of his second slice of bacon into his coat for Thrindle to peck at. 

"Where are the reaper's living?" said Nevaeh, putting her fork down.

"They found a house miles away from here. It'd be better we agreed for them to stay a good distance from the humans. It was called Flowercoat manor in it's day, then, the owner's wife died. The house brought too many memories of her back, so he left. We stumbled upon it's ruins a few years ago, so when we decided we should move to the humans' world, the reapers moved there, after fixing it up, of course."

Soon later, they exited the cafe visited Pamela's pets. As they entered, loud screatches and endless cries rang through their ears. Death crept over to the woman feeding the fish, whilst Nevaeh gazed at the rabbits and guini-pigs in their cages. The mice hid in their huts, sleeping in groups to keep warm. "Are you after a nice pet, dear?"

"I'm just looking," said Nevaeh, turning to the woman stood next to her. "They're very small."

"They're very soft as well." The woman reminded her of Keife, the town witch back home. Keife loved Nevaeh, and treated her like a grandmother would do to her only grandaughter.

"Nevaeh!" exclaimed her father. She looked over, seeing Death rub his finger across his neck.

"So, I can't talk to anybody now? Even just a word?" she whispered, when she rejoined him.

"Exactly. Not even a word. We cannot get involved!"

The woman who had been feeding the fish, came back, with a large cage in her arms. It was almost half the size of her. 

"Thankyou," said Death, taking the cage from her. He gave her the money she needed. "You can keep the change. Come, Nevaeh."

Nevaeh dawdled after him, almost tripping over the crack in the floor. "bye," she whispered to the woman as she shut the door.