The Mafia and The Angel of Death

Cold Hearted (2)

I was walking down a dusky hallway full of fog and chilled breezes.  I held myself closely and the breeze ran across my skin.  As slowly as I walking, I took in my surroundings. Framed pictures hung on the wall covered in cob webs and dust.  As I continued to move forward down the never ending wall, I noticed that all the pictures on the wall were of the same man.  These mans eyes were like blue orbs piercing into you as you walked by. His dark brows furrowed in each picture.  While his dark brown hair the color of dark chocolate was slicked back, he had an elegantly styled Van Dyke beard the same color of his hair.  Something about the mam was enticing.  Made me wonder when I was going to meet the man. 

"Izrail," a deep whisper trailed off calling my name. I spun around following the sound.  No one was there. I continued to looking around but, found no one there.   Being wary of my surroundings, I continue down the dim hall.   The feeling of chills began to follow me in suit.  I couldn't shake the feeling like I was being watch and followed.  The hall seemed endless in length.  As I continued to walk, there were no doors, no windows, just framed pictures of the elegant man with the piercing eyes.  I noticed as I got further down the poorly lit hall, the mans expressions changed from a stoic expression, one with no emotion, to nothing but vexation.  I began to feel nervous to my stomach.

As I walk further down the hall,   I grew more nervous as the temperature dropped the further I was.  I grew more confused as I took in more of my surroundings.  Who was the man on the wall?  Where was I?  How did I get here? Did I die?  I couldn't put a finger on either question I had.  The list was long.  I became restless as I kept walking.  Wishing the walking would stop, my  head began to spin.  Soon after the man from the pictures started to materialize.  The energy radiating off him was petrifying.  He stood before me in all his eminence.  As I backed away as slowly as I could manage, I tripped and fell backwards.  To my astonishment, the man in front of me caught me and pulled me close.  A few seconds passed and we let each other go, me ignoring the tone I felt under his red suit.

"W-who are you," I asked with a stutter barely below a whisper.  He grinned in amusement as he stepped closer, invading what someone would call personal space.

"You have a, putting this lightly as possible," he began speaking in a perplexed tone.  He ran his fingers over his beard , "bother with a pride problem." 

"Well, um-"

I'm cut off before I could finish my sentence when the mysterious man disappears and his frantic voice appears in the background, "Don't let him take them away."

I awake with a stir. As my eyes open and I become aware of the surroundings I was in, I realized I was no longer in the hall.  I was dreaming.  Pulling the silk covers off me, I sit up and let my feet hit the stone floor. What did the man in my dream mean by "him" taking anything away? What was he going to take away? 

As I pondered the dream I began to head to my bathroom.  The nightgown I was wearing hung close to my body and my disheveled hair hung loose down my back and bangs obscured my eyes. Looking myself over in the mirror, I saw the tiredness in my eyes, the ways my face shaped for my desolate smile.  Ignoring my insecurities, I began my morning routine, finishing off in a nice pantsuit the color of midnight skies.  I began the journey to my office, enjoying the sound of my cream, suede stilettos.

The big double doors to my office office open as I approach and I'm greeted by the one and only, Adrail.  His black slacks and grey button down collard shirt hung to him very nicely as his lions mane of hair was slickly pulled back in a pony.  His smile grew bigger as I walked in. I gave him a slide glad followed with a smirk.  My nephew was always there for me even through the boring times. 

"Aren't you suppose to be with Akazen in purgatory?" I ask as I sit in the leather chair behind my desk.  

"'The Grim Reaper' should already be there," he said with air quotes.  

I roll my eyes and pull out my tablet.  Opening the message board, Akazen had already sent me a message.  

"Im sending your first soul, be ready. This one is.....in denial."

I let out a low chuckle.  Adrail opened the doors again once I looked up and gave a big salute.  I nod back in response and he leaves with a smile.  Taking a deep breath, I prepare for my first soul of the day.  The doors open to a man the size of a giant. He was tall with a strong build. He looked to be the age of someones father.  His nose was perfectly hooked and his eyes were deep.  He walked up to my desk while taking in the scenery.  He seemed lost and out of place. As he made it to the seat in front of my desk, I pull up the file Akazen sent. 

Name: Malinov Dmitriy Yurievich

Date of Death (DOD): 12/14/2019

Time of Death: 11:48 pm

Place of Death: Manhattan, New York 

Death by: Heart Attack 

"Name please," I say as I look up at the man.  The man looked at me with his hand over his chest. 

"Who are you, the Feds?" He asked, his russian accent was deep.  I stared at him with a stoic expression.  He sat there awaiting my answer, his expression changing to deeper frustration the longer I was quiet. 

"What was the last thing you remember, Mr. Yurievich," I asked him as I leaned forward to my desk.  He scoffed and rubbed his face.  

"I don't answer to you or anyone," he responded rather rudely.  

"Mr. Yurievich, you died last night," I began. His expression changed from frustration to uneasy, "you had a heart attack."

"Y-you're lying."

It always made me pity souls that didn't know they were dead.  He had no idea he was no longer with his family, that's assuming he had one. 

"What's the last thing you remember, Mr. Yurievich."

He seemed to be lost in deep thought by my question.  "I-I remember talking to my son and his Fiancé," he started slowly still letting his memory come together, "we were all in my meeting room of my house.  It was my son, his fiancé, and her father.  Her father and I got into an intense discussion and then everything went dark.  Now I'm here." 

I nod in understanding.  This poor man had no idea. He thought he was arrested by "feds", if only I knew what that was. I fill out the paperwork and pull up why he was sent to my office instead of my brothers. 

Bad things about him:

     • participant in Homicide 

     • women trafficking 

     • participant in embezzlement

Good things about him:

     • family oriented 

     • donated to charities every year

"Mr. Yurievich, do you know where you are?" 

He shook his head.  I take a deep breath and I stand from my desk.  I was about to break it down for him and for souls that don't know that they are dead, this is a hard process whether they did good or bad. I sat in the chair next to him and faced him. 

"Mr. Yurievich, you died last night of a heart attack and now," I pause and take a deep breath, "you're in hell for all the misdeeds you've done."

His expression went from uneasiness to a stoic expression.  I had no idea if he was processing what I said but after a minute or so he stood trowing my plush chair back.  He went from denial to straight anger. 

"You send me back to my son or so help me God," he yelled pointing his finger at me. He began pacing back in forth in my office. I stand from the chair at sat in and go to try to calm him down when he threw a swing at me, attempting to right hook me.  I let the anger fuel me as I saw fire in my eyes and let my wings out in all its glory.  Black smoke surrounded me and the man backed away in fear. 

"I don't think I heard you right, Yurievich, send you to who?" My voice was louder than normal. It was like my voice turned to 3 voices in one.  He started to shake and tremble as he fell to the floor. 

"I don't think so, Yurievich, you see, you committed sins while you were alive. Now you have to pay for all eternity.  I, The Angel of Death, will make sure of it." 

He cowered in the corner rocking back and forth in a ball.  Truly pathetic. How can a man, bot even a second ago, threaten me then cower into a self-pitting ball.  I walk closer as he continued to rock back and forth.  Looking at his file one last time, I couldn't help but notice his occupation. 

Occupation: MAFIA CRIME BOSS

"Says here, Yurievich, that you were a crime boss," I say as I let out a deep chuckle.  Throwing the file back on my desk, I reached down and pulled the cowardice man by his collared shirt. He refused to meet eye contact as I pulled him closer to my face. I let out a toothy smile and as soon as I began to speak, my doors cracked open.  

"Izrail, enough, send him to his chambers," came the order from a prideful brother.  I scoff at him as I rolled my neck away from his direction. I let go of the hopeless man.  With a press of a button, he was off to his personal torture chamber.  I took a deep breath and as I drew in each breath, the fire in my eyes disappeared and the smoke cleared. 

"What are you doing her, Izrafiel?"

"Voice, dear sister," he said pointing at me.  I rolled my eyes and retracted the abnormalities to my voice.  What ever reason my brother is here pleasing me with a unannounced visit, I wasn't I any mood to deal with his s**t.  

"What is it, brother?"

"I've been getting complaints."

I sat at the chair behind my desk and kick my feet up.  I could feel the agitation roll off of Izrafiel in waves.  Each wave hitting harder than the last. With each wave, my dead stare grew.  

"Stop running, you're going to hurt yourself, Izrail," yelled Izrafiel as we ran through an endless pond full of lotus flowers and lily-pads. As I ran through the cool water, my hair whipped behind me through the breeze.  The air smelled of fresh water and pollen.  

"Come, Izrafiel, you're too slow!" 

He let out a hearty laugh any teenager could muster up and began to chase after me, splashing water at me as he went. It was a feeling of euphoria as as the adrenaline ran through every vein in my body.  After running around — in circles, practically — Izrafiel finally caught me and pinned me down, getting my whole backside wet.  We let out hysterical laughter as he rolled off me, laying on his back.  I looked at him and admired every detail my brother an I shared. From out full lips to our brown eyes. 

"Do you think we have parents?"

"Maybe we do, maybe we don't. Who knows?"

I turn away and stare at the sky of our blissful home.  From the beginning of our existence, it's always been me and my brother, no one else.  

"Do you think there are others out there?"

"Other what?"

"Are you even listening, Izrail," the calling of my brother brought me back to reality and to the waves of his annoyance. 

"No," I said bluntly.  Rolling my eyes, I swing my feet of the desk and grab my files of the souls waiting to be processed. 

"I said," he began to repeat himself, hinting his irascible behavior at best with the heightened pitch in his tone, "I've been getting complaints. You're supposed to be helping The Prince of Darkness with the night creatures. You're the Devil for goodness sake! Act like it!" 

With that said he turned out and left my office with not even a glance back.  His energy remained as he was gone, messing with my feng shui of my office.  A place where all the energy I created came together in harmony. Pressing the button for my next soul, I push the thoughts of our early childhood to the back of my mind. 

•••••

By the time the day was over, I felt a drain of energy.  It was as if my body felt heavier than normal and my eyes were strained. I had to get to my room.  Locking my office doors, I leave to meet Akazen in purgatory. 

The walk was eventless.  The halls leading to her location were plain.  White paint washed over the walls and the doors splashes with red. Each door led to a different room. A different room with different things. Reaching the door for Purgatory, I noticed how different this door was.  The creation that had my brothers name all over it.  It was the one room that he created in his image.  A room any demon would hate.  I walked in and noticed Akazen flirting with the one and only awkward Adrail.  Letting out a deep rooted chuckle, her attention turned to me. 

"Oh, dont let me stop the fun," I say in amusement. She started to look flustered as she pulled herself away from my embarrassed nephew.  He cleared his throat pretending to be unaffected by what had happened. I smirked at him as he left the room.  Only me and Akazen behind, her expression became more serious. 

"Your dearly beloved brother paid us a visit today," she began, each word was laced with venom, "he said 'if you can't keep Izrail in line, I won't hesitate to banish you to your own torture cell and name a different demon as the Grim Reaper.' What the hell did you do?"

I was fuming.  I couldn't believe that bastard threatened my Akazen.  On what authority does he have of Hell?! The anger I felt began to boil over me once more, this time stronger than before.  Akazen, sensing my wrath, backed away to the nearest door and left me alone in purgatory.  As anger fueled me, my vision became infrared.  Everything in my line of sight was blue or orange.  I was seething.  I could feel the black fog surround me as my feathered wings expanded.  It was time to pay Izrafiel a visit.

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