Chapter 2: Name Me

Three days had passed since Tori came back to life. Today was the fourth day. Her parents urged her to stay at home and rest. She couldn't leave her house because of it. This was the least she could do for her parents. 

Worrywart was the only word she could use to describe them. It was understandable. Even she would be in shock if someone suddenly came back to life after been confirmed dead, who wouldn't? She recalled the scene she saw. The tall plump girl who fainted, her best friend, she hadn't contacted her yet.

"Oh God, when will I be able to leave my house if this continue to keep up," I sighed out of frustration, lied my head on the table as I watched TV. There was nothing interesting to watch so Tori turned the TV off, closed her eyes pondering what to do. 

The next moment she opened her eyes she saw the black hooded man stood in front of her, staring at her. That gave Tori a scare. She abruptly stood which made her lose her balance, fell on the chair and the chair fell backward causing her to hit the back of her head against the floor with a loud bang.

That hurt! Tori screamed internally as she rubbed the back of her head which was throbbing.

"Your own fault for standing abruptly."

"Say what?! How could I not be surprised when you suddenly appeared out of nowhere when I opened my eyes?!" Tori bickered.

"Your own fault for being so easy to startle"

"Y-you!" 

Tori was ready to pounce on him any moment soon but she held herself back thinking she would only injure herself if she did it because that she probably couldn't touch him so she only cursed him "fucking scumbag." The man chuckled at her respond. 

"It seems that your monkey brain still works even though you are about to explode and attack me." He laughed in amusement.

"monkey brain?! You really are a jackass scoundrel scumbag without manner!"

"Am I? you seem more like that someone without manner. A foul-mouthed so-called lady who couldn't stop herself from cursing and insulting someone she met for the second time. Lady~" He said sardonically as he sat on the chair at the end of the table Tori lied her head at a moment ago, rested his head against his hand which was on the table and crossed his legs as he looked down at Tori who was still sitting on floor. 

What he said left Tori no room for argument because she did insult him first since their first encounter. It pissed her off that what he said was true but Tori wouldn't back down even though she admitted that she was at fault.

"You're still at fault for appearing out of nowhere and anyone would be surprised, no matter who! I wouldn't have hit my head if you didn't do that!" she glared at the man hoping for him to back down. The man couldn't help but laugh hearing her growl and that ticked Tori off but the man opened his mouth before Tori could continue to curse him.

"Alright, I'm at fault. Can you forgive me, lady?" 

This time there was no hint of sarcasm in his tone. He really apologized which left Tori dropping her jaw. The man who she had been arguing with suddenly behaved like gentleman which made her not be able to say anything because she didn't expect him to back down so easily like before. His attitude changed 180 degrees, no, 360 degree and became a totally different person. The man stood up and reached his hand out to help Tori up.

"I won't fall for it. I know I can't touch you. Sorry to let you know that I'm not as foolish as you expect me to." She said as she waved her hand signaling him to back away, still suspicious of him.

"Can't you just take someone's help without barking?" he sighed as grabbed the hand Tori used to shoo him and pulled her up to her feet. Being pulled by surprise made Tori not able to balance herself and fall towards the hooded man. The hooded man stood firmly, used his own body to prevent Tori from crashing again.

"What a clumsy monkey you are."

"That because you suddenly pulled me up!"

"I was only giving you a hand and now I'm at fault again?" 

"Can't you do it gently?"

"You are hopeless, shorty. What a handful monkey I picked up," the man said with amused tone as he shook his head left and right looking at Tori.

"You were the one who picked me up. Regretting your choice now?" Tori said with smug face.

The man chuckled, "It isn't something you should be proud of, little monkey"

That grin on his face really pissed Tori off now. This guy acted mean one second then being nice another second. Tori couldn't understand his attitude and this piss her off even more which led her into kicking him but her leg passed through his body so she ended up kicking the table instead. She immediately clutched down and groaned in pain as she rubbed her throbbing foot. As expected, the man laughed in amusement seeing Tori in pain due to her own action.

"You never bore me, shorty. Trying to attack me because are annoyed. I didn't expect that. Nice surprise attack, monkey."

"Stop calling me with those rude nicknames, scumbag! I have a name! Stop calling me shorty or monkey or whatever ridiculous nickname you got in your brain," Tori stormed him with frustration.

"why should I call you by your name when you even address me as scumbag, monkey?"

"Grr! Ah, fine!" Tori ruffled her hair in frustration of facing this endless argument. She never lost in an argument before but this guy drove her into the corner for the second time. 

"Then tell me your name if you don't want to be called scumbag. I'll call you by your name and you call me by mine, Tori, T-O-R-I. you get it?" Tori suggested in defeat and spelled her name to make it clear.

Another grin was drawn to the man lips after he heard Tori's remark. He hadn't been this entertained for a long time. He then took off his hood, revealing his face. He had jet black hair, sharp deep colored eyes, straight edged nose, alluring lips. 

Tori was captivated by his look because she expected him to be middle age guy but he looked younger and he was hot in her eyes with that hard to approach aura. Her heart fluttered for a moment before she came back to her senses because the man opened his mouth to speak.

"Name me."

"Name you? okay. Wait! What?!" Tori freaked out after parroting after him. 

"Don't you have a name?"

"I forget." He replied calmly.

His answer left Tori dropping her jaw again and looking at him dumbstruck. No matter how forgetful someone was this was the first time she met someone who forgot his own name, not that he was a human though.

"How about Blackie? Because you have black hair and dressed in black" she grinned.

"Want me to cut that tongue of yours and turned it into lunch?" 

Tori put her hands in front of her mouth protectively and took a step back imagining how he would do it. "I was joking. Do you not understand joke? You're no fun," she said looking troubled by the man cannibalistic-like answer. 

She then pondered seriously for a moment, thinking hard to find a suitable name for him because she could imagine him cutting her tongue if she gave him funny name.

"Erebus."

"Erebus?"

"Yeah, Erebus. It comes from Greek mythology with the meaning of deep darkness, shadow or place of darkness between Hades and Earth."

"You have good sense for name and sharp intuition." 

"Sharp intuition? What do you mean?"

"The name you give me describe me perfectly of I am, a reaper"

"You what?" Tori asked, not believing what she just heard.

"Reaper, darkness being that bring your soul to Hades." He smiled. It was eerie. The air felt cold in an instant. Tori could feel cold sweat ran down on her spine as the man, Erebus, revealed his existence even though she had expected it.