I can't die

Lily's Point of View

I ticked it in my jotter, day 213.

This is my 213rd attempt to kill myself- let's see how it'll end. All my previous attempts proved...well, let's just focus.

I was standing at the top of the school building, about twelve stories high. Scooting to the edge, I closed my eyes and lolled backwards. The wind tore passed me as I accelerated towards the tarred driveway.

"Miss Blanchett".

That was Mr Zedd's voice, I looked up at him. He'd caught me lying face flat on the driveway, very awkward indeed. I nonchalantly stood up, not even bothering to dust myself.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Lily Blanchett, from class one right?"

"Yeah, that's me".

"Why were you sprawled across the driveway?"

Good question. Why was I sprawled across the driveway and not my insides gashed open against it instead.

"Apparently, hoping that a car would run me over, since jumping from the roof didn't work".

I muttered to myself.

"Excuse me? I didn't get that".

"Don't worry Sir, I just zoned out for a bit".

"Well, if you're feeling lightheaded, I advice you visit the sick bay instead of seeking refuge from a filthy driveway".

If only it was that simple to put me out of my misery. Mr Zedd was off to the teacher's lounge after completing his statement.

I headed slowly in my class's direction. Tomorrow I'll try jumping from the roof again maybe even jumping in front of a speeding vehicle like last Friday.

***

Nicholas Point of View

"Huh?"

Where am I? I was in a car and...and...I can't remember anything else after that. I felt my limbs take a step forward, as if it had a mind of it's own. I noticed that I was on a line, I tried reaching out to the person in front of me to ask some questions but for some reason my body wasn't under my own control.

I couldn't feel anything.

The mechanical movement dragged on for hours, till I'd pulled up at the end of the line. There was nothing up front, where did all the people that were ahead of me vanish off to.

A huge skeleton stood in my way. The buildup was see-through, all the organs were visible, my eyes taking note of it's beating heart. What a grotesque creature it was. It didn't look human though. It's face; dreary and empty. It towered over me, analyzing something completely oblivious to all of us on the neverending line.

"Your turn!"

The shrill piercing sound which was a voice coming from it's throat, tore through my eardrums. Gritting it's razor-like teeth it thrust me through the darkness. I stumbled forward, landing face-flat.

"I've been expecting you, Nicholas".

My name. I wrestled against my limbs to regain my balance but my struggling was just internal, on the surface I remained glued to the floor. Is this how paralyzed people feel? I managed to turn to my side. Immediately my ear came in contact with the cold and sticky floor, the screams resonating from below became audible to me.

"From what you just heard, you should have realized where you are".

I couldn't make out the face of the person addressing me in the thick darkness, but I had this inching feeling there was a smug grin pulling in the ends of his mouth. His? Yeah, it's a male right? The voice is so blaring and callous, I was having a hard time comprehending it. I might as well be wrong though.

"It's a burning lake, isn't it?"

"What's with the fancy name, just say it as it is, you're in hell".

Really? Do people get interrogated in this place? He picked me up from the most unlikely place, my head.

Now, we were face-to-face.

"You're meant to be screaming out your guts, with worms feasting on you, drenching you in inexplicable torment for all eternity...".

A maniacal laughter rumbled through the air, he'd mentioned those words with so much cheerfulness I could already presume who this person was.

"... but I have other plans for you".

And with that I was finally able to discern something in the midst of the darkness, a pair of soulless gory eyes stared at me, the glint in those beady eyes made it clear that he was enjoying my misery.

"You're the devil, aren't you?"

"Frankly Nico, by the way can I call you that? I don't need your permission anyway, Nico it is. I'm kinda hurt it took you so long to figure it out, you were such a genius as a human, what a shame".

"So what plans do you have in mind for me?"

"Eager to cut to the chase huh? Fine then, I want you to become a grim reaper".

"Grim reaper?"

"Well, partially yes. I can't give you your old body back to carry out my bidding, it's already been sawn to pieces by the truck that ran into you. I can only modify it, so you'll be a grim reaper. You just need to reap the soul of a sinner before the end of each day in other to stay alive but watch this".

I felt a gush of wind sweep through the room, what seemed like a screen emerged, clean-cut amidst the darkness. It showed a lot of people moving around on the streets, with double digits visible on their backs.

"What do those numbers mean?"

"It's their date rate, at birth it's zero but as they grow older, it increases, once it's finally one hundred percent, they die".

My eyes returned to the screen taking note of the numbers on different people, a teenage girl in a school uniform walked out from a hardware store.

"I can't see the numbers on that girl".

"Precisely, I want you to find out why this is so. If you fail however, you'll be returned to the lake in a instant to

continue your sentence".

"And if I don't fail?"

"You'll find out once you do but I doubt you will. None of the geniuses I picked on the line have been successful so far".

"We'll see about that. Do I have a time limit?"

"Not really, reapers don't die like you fragile humans but I could summon you at anytime, so it's better you start picking up clues as soon as possible".

He let go of my face and I felt myself fall through a bottomless pit.

***

One look at the signboard informed me of my location, Kampong-glam Singapore.

It turned out humans couldn't see me- that's good.

Now where the hell is that girl? I didn't even know her name, I should have asked.

That was when I noticed a figure jump in front of a fast approaching bus. The impact was nothing short of lethal but the body stood up and darted off into the adjacent street.

I blinked.

I noticed a lot of people marked with X's, they must be sinners. I'll save observations for later, right now I dashed in the direction of the figure in a hoodie covering most of their features.

***

PROSE MODE.

Lily stopped in an alley to catch her breath, she propped off the hoodie covering most of her face, she needed some ventilation. She sighed heavily, another failed attempt.

Raking her hand through her dark bangs, she leaned backwards. The wall so much softer than usual, she jerked around in one coordinated movement. She couldn't believe she didn't see this guy earlier, standing behind her with arms crossed.

"So you can see me, huh. Cool. Hi, I'm Nicholas".

He stretched out his hand for a handshake. Lily took a step further back from the stranger, inclining her eyebrows suspiciously at him.

"I don't have any money".

"Huh?"

Nicholas was taken aback by her words, did she think he was a mugger?

"A stranger followed me into an alley, what are you anyway? Some sort of physical pickpocket? And why won't I be able to see you? Do you think you're transparent or something?"

Nicholas laughed. At least it seemed she had an intriguing sense of humor, maybe his stay here won't be so boring after all.

"But only you can see me".

Lily's lips formed a thin line. Well, whatever stunt he's trying to pull while masquerading as an invisible guy won't work on her.

"Whatever. I'm not putting up with your boring charade".

She walked around him and as soon as she got far enough, she took to her heels.

***

She swiftly punched in the four digit passcode and pushed the open the front door.

She hung her coat on the rack, reaching for a pen in the penholder, she ticked it in her little jotter, another failed attempt.

She lowered herself into the beanbag chair, sighing.

"What a nice place you've got here".

Lily jerked up immediately, the sound of an intruder in her abode was unsettling. She instinctively reached for the pocketknife tucked away in her thighs, she needed to get it out without him noticing.

"What do you want from me? I already told you, I don't have any money".

"And I told you earlier, I'm not here to rob you Lily".

"How'd you know my name?"

He read it from the cover of her jotter.

"That's not important, I know that you can't die".

Her pupils contracted, her hands slipping down from the knife's position.

"Who are you?"

"Now, we're talking. I'm Nicholas and I'm a reaper".

"And?"

"I'm here to figure you out".

"What does that mean?"

"I'm going to find out why you can't die".