Hale’s cloak dragged along the ground, gathering leaves as he sauntered past the headstones at Wallow Cemetery. It had been a minute since he’d last been in the location that brought him his first job. He was older now, with more wrinkles around his eyes, but no one would notice as they couldn’t physically see him. At least, that’s what he thought until he met six-year-old Lily.
He felt a small tug on his cloak, “Mister, can you help me find my fox?” The little girl’s lip began to tremble and tears began to well up in her eyes.
“Your fox?” He replied. His brow raised. He had heard of children having dogs and cats as pets, but he had never heard of a child with a pet fox. He picked up his cloak and brushed the leaves away. She didn’t deny her request.
“She’s this big, orange and white…” Lily began recounting as many details as she could using her fingers. She even held up her hand to show him the height of the animal.
“Small child, dry your tears… usually I don’t take such requests on my day off, but I cannot say no to you.” He bent down to hold out one long finger for her to grab onto.
“Yay! Foxie will be so happy you rescued him.”She clutched his finger happily as they continued along the trail backtracking to the entrance.
“Foxie? Is he a real fox—?” Hale, the Grim Reaper replied.
“Your fingers are really bony.” She interrupted him. “Are they always this dark?” she asked.
He thought about it for a moment. He never had anyone ask him any questions as he usually just delivered souls to the afterlife.
After what seemed like a long moment he replied, “I suppose so. After all, I am the Grim Reaper.”
“What is a Grim Reaper? My name is Lily. Lily the Leapfrog.” She crouched like a frog about to bounce.
He chuckled. He tried to find a way to explain his job. “I bring people towards the clouds when they go into a deep sleep.” He smiled to himself, happy with how he worded it. As he was thinking he felt his hand drop.
“Nice to meet you, Lily. Ah, where did you go?” He turned around to see her crouching by a bush.
“Playing leapfrog again? Let’s keep looking for foxie.”
He looked up above the bush. Perched on top of the gravestone was to his surprise- not a real fox like he thought, but rather a plushie; foxie. He grabbed it to give to her.
“Lily. Lily?” He called her name to get her attention, but she didn’t respond.
She was fast asleep. He picked her up and placed foxie in her hands. The warmth of his new friend and foxie filled his cold black heart. If this what a parent’s love was like he would have easily given up being the Grim Reaper for her.
The wind blows my hair. I’m standing on the edge again of this building. This blasted building. The sunrays hit my face and I smile like I haven’t smiled in a long time. My eyes are closed because I want to feel it all. The weight of the world around me, until I hear a man’s voice out of ear shot.
“You should really come off that ledge,” he proceeds to tell me. Like I don’t know what I’m doing or how I got here.
I open my eyes to reply, “Maybe I want to stay here a little longer, is that so bad?”
“Well, not really, but if you don’t come down then I will come up there with you.”
“You wouldn’t.” I dared.
He stepped up on the ledge next to me, “I see why you like it. It’s got a nice view. You can even see my dog from here playing with the neighbors kid.”
“You also own a dog?” My heart lit up at the mention of the word ‘dog’ as I touched necklace that had a Dalmatian on it.
“I don’t actually.” He took my hand and led me off the ledge. “I own a cat, but I’m not opposed to dogs either and I figured your dog must be wondering where you are right now.”
“What’s your name anyway?” I asked unsure of what he was also doing up here.
“Jack, and before you go thinking I come up here for fun you’re wrong. I came up here because I was on my lunch break and happened to see you.” He smirked.
“Well, Jack… you’ve saved the damsel in distress. The world thanks you, good sir.” I bowed in protest and looked up to meet his eyes.
“All jokes aside,” I continued. “Thank you for supporting me both literally and figuratively.” I shook his hand and we laughed.
“My name is Caroline.” I smiled warmly at him and blushed.
“Nice to meet you, Caroline,” he replied. “I guess I’ll see you around some time.”
I’m over the moon with you And I don’t know how to breathe You bring me to my knees Just like gravity And I think that I’ve lost it But you’re the one Whose got me Struggling to breathe Crazy butterflies All tangled up inside Now that I’ve got Your attention Is there something I’m missing Am I on the moon with you Can I finally breathe Bringing me to my knees Is this gravity Setting me free
January— you held my heart from the very moment I met you.
February— what I fool I was to think you loved me back.
March— Your fingertips were cold to the touch I held out my hands for yours, almost like it was an aversion to the touch of my skin.
April— I knew winter had come and gone, so I walked to your house in the rain hoping you’d take me back.
May— You came back to give me my scarf, but by doing so, you left your umbrella at my house. Are you going to come back for it?
June— I guess I’ll keep it as a reminder that you existed. I found out from your mom that you left it on purpose.
July— You called me to meet you at the beach where you work. You said you’d pick me up for a walk on the beach. Is it foolish to bring the umbrella with me even though I know it won’t rain?
August— I don’t see how you work as a lifeguard. Aren’t you so hot all the time? I brought my sunscreen and couples are already holding hands. Can I hold yours?
September— I felt your lips brush against mine. Was it a playful kiss? If so, I welcomed it. Does it also count as hugging when we’re swimming and all I can do is hold onto you?
October— I keep seeing you in the hallways, but we have different classes so I don’t get a chance to talk long. Do you think about summer like how I do?
November- I haven’t heard from you, so I called and left s voicemail. Maybe you’re busy at Thanksgiving with your family? Mine wondered where you were at this time of year.
December— You wrote me a letter apologising because you were so busy with school but I saw you with your best friends and they told me you didn’t tell me everything. We haven’t talked in a month. Should I accept your apology? This hasn’t happened often lately. But I think I still love him…
January— What a fool she was to think I loved her back. I’m moving to college soon anyways and will probably find someone else. Ugh, I hate hook up culture, but I don’t want anyone else.
I regret to inform you Began the letter stained with ink How my heart became bitter When you left me by the sink
My guilty thoughts are gone So come back please I have loved you all along So where’d your luggage go As you left you took all of your clothes Now I’m wondering if you’ll ever come back home
I am happy to inform you Began the letter stained with tears How my heart no longer fears When I left you it’s become clear
My complacent thoughts are gone So don’t go back please I had loved you all along My luggage is not here As I left I took all of my clothes Where I’m going now I’ll make my heart my home
One day my online boy friend and I made a promise that when we grew up we’d meet in person and get married if we ever found each other still single as adults. However, as we grew up our lives took different paths and we dated other people. I wonder if he still thinks about our promise from time to time; I said it as a joke honestly, because I thought he was cute, but in reality I was afraid of growing up alone and I’d rather marry my friend someone who I at least knew and grew up with. But as time changed so did he. He grew up and became a United States Marine, while I was engaged to someone else. He found me online again and asked me if I remembered my promise.
To which I did, but my feelings had changed for him and I didn’t like him like that. In fact I was astonished that he even remembered it when it was just an agreement. Something I did not take seriously. I got his hopes up and he held onto that promise for so many years willing it to come true. He kept contacting me on various social medias and by other means, so I had to block him as it became overwhelming and creepy. He took it too far or maybe I did by suggesting it, but I was a young and naive 13 year old girl seeking attention from a boy. We never met in person, but we got along well enough. Now I am engaged to my fiancé whom I wholeheartedly love and it is not my online childhood friend. We didn’t really know each other, but as I grew up I knew to not make promises that I cannot and do not intend to keep. I probably did hurt his feelings, but there should always be that boundary between online and real life as it should be.
———
This story is based on fact. Never give out your personal information online. Some people will remember what you said to them for years to come. Keep your heart guarded and don’t give it away so easily!
Death is infinite, but life? Life is much harder. Finite to be exact. We all know we will die, but no one knows the exact date or time. In fact, there are a thousand reasons why we involve people in it- for the connection. But we, you and I, are more than these connections. We are assassins. Yes, we met on the job and crossed paths but you’re the only one who can do it. Who can end my life.
So, nothing is more precious than that, than you. My be all end all. My harbinger of death. I never thought you’d be the one to give me such sweet release, but those who witness my death will think less of you. A murderer. No longer a man. A monster.
And while your hands wrap around my waist, you pull me in closer. Not looking anywhere else but staring deep into my eyes so that it seems like it really is just us in the world. Perhaps if we had met sooner, I could have loved you longer and life would’ve been infinite for us. You will yourself to not press the trigger, but you can’t do it so I place my index finger on top of yours as I whisper in your ear, “Let me go.”I inhale the last bit of oxygen that I will ever take and exhale.
From your lips I hear you painfully recite the oath we knew from the moment we were trained as assassins, “He will give you death, and you will love him for it.” Wet tears flowed from your face like they had when we were little kids and I bandaged you up when you skinned your knee. Except this time it was different. This time the damage would be permanent.
My knee wasn’t hurt, but my soul was. I was burdened by constantly taking lives. My mind quickly flashed back to the assassin academy when we all first recited the oath, feeling giddy wondering who the next wealthiest person was on our list. But now, I felt liberated knowing that it was he who would be my assassin instead. I closed my eyes and repeated after him, “He will give you death, and you will love him for it.”
So apparently there is this thing called a girl code but its never really spoken about its just an innate sense of knowing when to help out another girl whether she needs extra toilet paper in the restroom or a way out with a guy- I think I could be a girls girl but I thought those things just came naturally you know, and they should right because its not like some code defines girls who grow into women who made it up and is there a guy code because if there is it’s not spoken about outloud or something.
