The Grim Reaper is at the side >> (for those who don’t know who—or should I say what he is)>

Please vote and enjoy!

+++

“Y-Y-You would think h-he would live i-in a m-more expensive h-home.”  Everything seemed more concentrated; The locking car's beep beep, smell of the bakery across the street, and the crunch of leaves under my boots; was I once human? “J-Jessie?”

“Don’t call me that,” I hissed.  He naturally took a step back, tripping on the curb before stumbling to regain himself.  I glanced down at him, sighing.  “Although I love your new profound attitude, I’m not loving this whole stutter thing.” 

“I-I can’t help i-it,” he said, thumbs dwindling with his shirt. 

Amused, I gave him a slap on the back.  “Whatever floats your goat.”

“I-Isn’t it float your—”

“Just don’t stutter around my ex.  He can smell fear.” 

Isaac’s eyes were big enough to pop off his face and I just smiled.  “I’m surprised you haven’t tried running yet.” 

His hands disappeared into his pockets, eyes finding interest in the sidewalk crack.  “I-I have n-nowhere else to go…”

“True.”  I popped open the trunk and unzipped the mystery duffel bag.  I found a thin pink button down that dropped past my shorts. Sighing, I told him not to move and climbed into the trunk.  Stripping off the bloody tank, I threw over the button down and kept on my combat boots.  I hopped out of the trunk and dropped the bloody clothes in the public garbage bin.  “Now shall we pay my ex a visit?”  I gestured Isaac to go ahead.  “Ladies first.” 

He gulped nervously, and missed one step, bashing his knee on the cement before awkwardly getting onto his feet.  He adjusted his glasses to soak in the attached suburban condos, red bricks and flower pots perched on white window sills.  A metal staircase climbed to the next floor which I assumed was his neighbour’s entryway.  I moved past a locked blue bicycle and watched the gust of wind hit a small rainbow windmill, spinning into a kaleidoscope of blurs.  I wondered why we haven’t entered and noted Isaac hadn't even knocked.

“You gonna do something or are waiting for the door to speak?” 

“Hello!” chirped the door. 

Isaac jumped and laughter immediately exploded from the other side.  “Don’t scare the poor kid,” I smirked as the door opened.

Twinkling sapphire eyes that belonged to my ex gleamed with enjoyment.  “C’mon, Hat.  It was bloody hilarious.  The kid is so jittery.” 

I rolled my eyes and grabbed Isaac’s hand, pulling ourselves in the condo.  Instantly I rummaged through his orange juice stained fridge and scooped up the bottle of gin, using my heel to kick the door shut. 

“Even when we’re not together you still take my alcohol,” my ex said. 

I winked and chugged a mouthful of bitter sweetness before wiping my lips across my arm.  I swung it towards him.  “Isaac, this is the Grim Reaper, aka Grim.”  I pinched Grim’s cheek and cooed, “Or my little tulip.”  My ex pushed me away and I told him, “Grim, this is Isaac.  A loser I picked up at the bottom filth of McDonalds.” 

Grim placed his hand for a shake.  “Isaac.  Isn’t he a part of quantum physics and developed theories of force?” 

Isaac tuned out his introduction, occupied by Grim’s appearance.  I couldn’t help but take in my ex-boyfriend’s looks either. There was no shame in checking out an ex you haven’t seen in a year. 

“Y-Y-You’re the Grim Reaper?” Isaac finally mustered. 

His charming smile captured my attention.  “You expected the whole black cloak, scythe and skeleton face, huh?”  Darn right he did.  Isaac in no way would think this five foot eleven, muddled dirty blond haired man with a casual Panic At The Disco shirt and ripped jeans would represent a death eater.  I knew I didn’t when I first encountered the bastard. 

I rested my small hand on his shoulder.  “This isn’t Grim’s real form,” I told Isaac.  “Grim can morph into any soul he wishes.  He just prefers looking like an attractive alternative rock boy who’s chasing his fantasies in the city of broken dreams.”  

Grim wrapped a big arm around my tiny waist, sudden warmth enveloping my hips.  “And she learned that the hard way.”

I grimaced.  “Try getting into bed and finding Santa Claus wearing a birthday suit next to you.”

“Best joke.”

“I fucking killed you.”

“And I’m still here!” he said, one arm boasting in triumph.

“That’s because you’re immortal, dumbass,” I sneered, wrenching his arm off. 

“W-W-What’s your real form?” Isaac asked, disturbingly intrigued by Grim. 

I laughed and downed another gulp of gin.  “You don’t wanna know.”  Concluding I’d have to move Isaac myself, I yanked on his hand, and guided him across Grim’s antique vampire red carpet, pushing him on the eighteenth century year old couch.  Plopping beside the mute boy, I knocked my feet on Grim’s wooden coffee table and admired the open concept room.  “I see you still can’t be bothered to throw that thing out,” I said. 

Grim walked over, taking a moment of awe at his favourite polar bear fur that he skinned himself on our trip up north last year.  “Hanging on the wall with pride.  Besides”—he impishly smiled—“it reminds me of the good old days when you weren’t such a sadistic bitch.”

“Oh, Grim.”  I raised the bottle and cheered, “I was always a sadistic bitch.”

“How I once fell for you will forever be a mystery,” he grinned.

“Such a shame.”  I clucked my tongue.  “You were good in bed.”

A mischievous grin stretched across his face, one that unlocked an ancient warmth I thought had deceased.  The sound of glass breaking snapped me out of daze. 

Isaac’s face blew up in pinkness, shoving his hands under his thighs.  “S-S-So-sorr-sorry,” he barely whispered. 

I winced at the broken glass vase that once rested on the table.  “That’s gonna cost your college tuition.”

“Really?  That can’t be much,” he said with hope.    

I sucked in an uneasy breath.  “And your children’s tuition, and your grandchildren’s tuition, and their children’s children’s tuition.”  I paused.  “Unless…” His shoulders lifted. 

“Unless?” Isaac perked. 

“Unless Grim murders you first.”  I looked over to see my ex-boyfriend’s angrily heated expression, thick purple veins pulsing like crazy.  “Oh, don’t be the Grinch.  Isaac did that by accident.  He didn’t mean it.”  I followed his dialling eyes as they jumped from the knife strapped to my thigh, then to his scythe on the table.  No way in hell was Grim going to kill Isaac.  That was my job.

Quickly, I rose to my feet and went up to him, going on my toes to place my fingers on his torso.  My hands were incomparable to his chiselled chest and I felt his body twitch.  “Grim, baby.  There’s no need to get wound up,” I hushed.  His eyes darted to me and I stared them down until they softened.  Cool relief surging under my skin, I said, “There’s a bigger problem we should be worrying about.” 

I removed my hands and took his hand that was twice the size of mine.  Pulling him on the couch with the three of us now here, I began, “Do you know anything about the constant demon leakings?”   

“No, I haven’t had any here,” he casually stated.  Grim took the bottle of gin I drank from and said, “Why?  How many?” 

“Three in an hour,” I said seriously.  “None have been coming after you?” 

“Nada,” he answered with a head shake.  He took a long sip, thinking hard before questioning, “Are they coming after you?”

“I’m afraid so,” I implied, taking the bottle out of his hand.  Taking a swing, I hummed in approval at the harsh burn and offered it to Isaac.  He however was too busy gawking at the large hourglass in the corner of the room. 

“Break that and I’ll rip out your intestines with a fork,” Grim growled. 

I placed a calm hand on Isaac’s thigh, sensing his body tense.  “See the sand that falls into the bottom of the glass?  When all the sand gets to the bottom, that means times up and the Grim Reaper must do what he likes best.” 

Grim darkened his gaze on Isaac who looked ready to piss himself.  “I have to take one soul everyday.” 

“T-T-That’s too bad for the person you feed on,” Isaac whispered, huddling himself at the end of the couch.   

I clasped my hands together, hopefully breaking the ice.  “Now that we both have formally met, Isaac has also been claiming that I was a human named Jessie.  Does that have any importance or…”

A strange look cast over his face.  “Lord Death never told you?”

+++

Short, sweet. But about to get a whole lot better, sicker (it is a word) and wilder.

I’m hoping to update tomorrow?

Please vote!  What do you think of Grim?  

HEY: You don't need to read the 'previous story' to understand this one since they both stories have drastic differences in plot, character and setting.  Plus, there really isn't much relevance to the 'previous one' to this one.  So please, don't ask about how the other book is relevant to this one or if you must read the previous book to comprehend this one.  Because no, you don't have to read the other book to get this and yes, things will be incorporated but just have patience. 

Evan Peters as Grim Reaper!!  American Horror Story guy!! <3