13th REAPER

8 | The 13th Reaper

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I’m dead.

I was killed.

I was stabbed.

I know that they didn’t even like me from the start. They already showed it to me many times. But is it a crime to think that despite of everything, there’s still a tiny pity left for me in their heart?

Is it a crime to live?

Is it a crime to be me?

Their words are sharper than knife and as painful as a gun.

I remember how the knife cut my flesh and made the blood in my whole body came out like a water. A water aimlessly falling unto the ground. I remember the pain I felt as the blood drips from my wound. The pain was unbearable. But, the most painful thing to me was seeing them stab me using a kitchen knife. They killed me like I’m nothing but an animal.

They hate me. they hated me that much to kill me.

That time, I wished that I was blind so that I can make an excuse. An Excuse that it wasn’t them who stabbed me. It wasn’t them.

I wished I was blind so that I can fool—convince myself that it’s not them.

Yet, the sad reality is that, I’m not blind. I saw what happened with my own to eyes.

I still remember my fear, my pain.

I tried moving my hands then I realized that I don’t have a body anymore. I’m just a soul wondering to the wilderness. Wondering if I’ll go to heaven or hell.

Well, is it true?

Is it true?

Is it true that heaven and hell exist?

I can’t feel anything but I can hear my thoughts. My loud thoughts.

I feel like I’m stuck in a round bubble floating in the air and wondering. Saan ba ako pupunta? May patutunguhan ba ako?

Those were my thoughts as I travel in the air with my round shape body. Few minutes later, I’m getting used to it. I feel relax. Maybe, this is what it feels like to be dead.

I don’t feel pain anymore. I don’t feel any regrets. I don’t feel anything that can make me human.

AH, this is what it feels like to be dead. Slowly, I’m getting addicted to it. I want to stay here. I don’t know until when but I want to stay here— to remain here forever; Safe from all the things that can hurt me. safe from everything that can cut me and make me bleed.

Then, Suddenly I hear something. Like a chant— a prayer. I felt something flow in my round body, my round shaped body was replaced and I’m back in my body. I’m still wearing my black clothes. I can feel my hands and feet. I can feel my body breathing. I can feel my heart beat.

What is happening?

I look up. I’m feeling the air against my whole body.

I’m falling. I’m falling from the sky.

Why? How did It happen?

And, suddenly I felt the impact of a water in my back. The water swallow me and drag me down.

I’m sinking yet I can’t feel any pain in my lungs. I’m drowning yet I can breathe.

“…..Upon the command that I gave you thee. I, the 13th Son of Adenus Hades grim, With thy name, Archelaus Van Scott, summon my first familiar and establish the contract between life and death”

It’s the prayer that what’s i’ve been hearing. Whose voice is that? It somehow made me feel nostalgia all of a sudden. His voice, it’s giving my body an energy. Suddenly I can feel the fast beating of my heart. I can even see my chest going up and down.

I’m breathing again.

I’m still falling—sinking in the water. This bottomless water I’m in.

In a blink of an eye, a round ball ray of sunlight made its way to me. I don’t know if it’s my body moving its own or is it pure curiosity but my hands made its way up, touching the ball with my fingers.

Nang hawakan ko ito ay tila biglang lumiwanag agad. Nawala ang tubig na nasa paligid ko at nakaramdam ako ng kamay na humawak sa kamay ko at tila hinila ako pataas. Unti-unting bumalik sa’kin ang mga emosyon na nakalimutan ko kanina.

Dahil sa ilaw wala akong makita. Pero alam kong may humahawak sa kamay ko. Alam kong may humihila sa’kin ngunit sino?

After a few minutes of walking I opened my eyes and found myself in a room. The room was empty. There’s nothing there expect for the big mirror in my left side. It’s night outside. I can see the moon and stars in the window. I look down. I saw a big circle with letter or numbers I can’t understand and between my two feet I saw a seven drips of blood.

Whose blood is that?

“You took your time, Serene.” My body shiver when I heard his voice. My knees trembled making me lose my foot hold and made my way to the floor. My fingers and lips are also shaking.

What…. What is happening?

I felt this once before. I felt this once with a guy.

A guy….

Who is that guy?

His name starts with the letter A I’m sure of it. A…. What name? Maraming pangalan ang nagsisimula sa letter A. Ark? No… His name was long… who is he?

I’m still wondering who is that guy when a pair of shoes appeared infront of me. I look up and my eyes widen. Memories of him came flooding like a water fall. I remember when I met him. I remember the feeling he made me feel when he was looking at me. I remember his voice. I remember everything about him.

I gulp. I can’t grasp any words right now. Literally, my mind went blank and I can’t even process what’s happening. How did I get here? I’m supposed to be dead yet, why? Why am I here inside a room with him?

I want to ask him dozens of questions but I can’t feel my tongue right now. Especially when I met his eyes.

His deep blue eyes sparkle in the darkness. I can’t keep my eyes still in his eyes because I’m afraid that he’ll take over my body again with those gaze that’s why I focus my gaze on his neck.

When my eyes landed on his neck I saw a red like number glowing in his skin. A glowing number tattooed in his neck a few centimeter below his jawline. It was like a tattoo and it’s glowing. Literally, glowing.

Thirteen.

That’s the meaning of his number.

Tila huminto ang oras at unti-unting nawala ang paligid. I’m slumped on the floor and he’s looking down at me.

With my quivering lips, I mumble his name.

“Arc….Archelaus.”

Archelaus smirked. The wind passed the window it blows Archelaus hair making him more mysterious and vicious. The wind also touched my skin with its coldness but that doesn’t matter to me anymore.

My mind is full of questions.

“How—“ Sinubukan kong magsalita pero tila may pumipigil sa’kin. I feel like I’m bound by something. There’s no rope in my hands and feet. There’s no tape in my lips but I can’t move, I can’t utter anything except his name.

Archelaus snapped his fingers making a “tap” sound and with just a blink of an eye, the room disappeared. I can’t see anything. I can’t see anything except Archelaus and the white place surrounding the both of us.

I can hear the clock ticking.

Tic.Toc.Tic.Toc.Tic.Toc.

I can’t understand what’s happening at all. I’m supposed to be dead, I know that. I was stabbed! I was killed! Yet, why is Archelaus here? Why is all of this happening?

I step back when a black note book appeared infront of Him. He scans the notebook and stop on a certain page and pause for a few seconds then made his eyes towards me.

I gulped. I hugged my body. My breathing became uneven and my lips are quivering. I’m slowly losing my strength but my mind is yelling at me. it’s telling me to run.

I’m afraid.

Afraid of what he’s going to say. Afraid of what’s going to happened next.

I’m supposed to be dead.

“Serene Snow Pascua.” He stated my name with his voice and my knees feel so weak. “You’re dead. You died yesterday.” He stated.

Yes! I am! But why am I here? I want to say something but I can’t. My lips are literally sealed.

He snapped his fingers again and suddenly, I can move my lips again. I can move my hands and feet again. What did he do?

“How! What’s happening?” takot na takot ko na sabi sa kanya. Nagpa-panic na ako ngunit tila hindi Makita iyon ni Archelaus dahil tinignan niya lang ako na para bang normal na sa kanya ang nakakakita ng ganito.

“You died, Serene. Yesterday.”

“Alam ko ‘yon.” My voice’s pitch rise. “Ngunit dapat nasa langit na ako pero bakit meron ka pa?”

He smiled. He loses his tie and brushes his hair before answering my question. “Once a person dies, dear Serene, they’ll wonder into nothingness for day. They’ll fall into a deep sea and their heart will be filled with what if’s until they can’t feel anything human emotions anymore.” He stated. He’s right. I felt all of those. Those stages that I have encounter.

“then, in the end of that water, you’ll encounter a two doors. You will choose and decided what kind of place you wanted to go.”

Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya habang nagsasalita. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako tatakbo. Hindi ko alam kung takot lang ba ang nararamdaman ko.

This is too much. Too much for me to handle. To muck for me to take.

“But in your case, Serene.” he paused and look into my eyes and smirked. “I interfered into your death.”

“What!?” Gulat na gulat na saad ko.

“You heard my prayers right?” He asked. I nod. “That prayer—chant can bring the dead back to the earth only for a few hours. Enough time for you to decide if you’re going to agree with my terms or not—“

“Wait! What? How?” Napalunok ako. Tila na ba-blako ang utak ko at hindi ko na alam ang susunod pang mga sasabihin ngunit kailangan kong malaman ang totoo. I need to keep myself together. I need to ask!

“How can you do that? Bring me to life? What are you!?” sigaw ako at napahakbang ulit ako. I’m not sure if I’m afraid or I’m just protecting myself from what might happened.

“Me?” he said in a low voice. The ticking clock stops. the white background was gone and we’re back again in the room where I first arrived and where I first met him, again after being dead.

“I’m the 13th reaper, Serene. I’m the 13th son of Adenus Hades grim and I’m a reaper.”

What?!

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