Half a century later

I breathe in deeply. I lay on my side awkwardly, eyes wide, staring at the wall.

Drip

Drip.

I groan at the sound; there isn't water in here. I'm hallucinating, I think.

I shiver, it's freezing in here, I breathe in, and the smell of rust and death enter my nose.

It's a smell you never get used too.

I am surprised; I'm on my second day, I think, of no torment. I hadn't seen him, or the many demons that come in here and torment me.

Looking at me, you wouldn't know what I've been through, that is the thing about hell, you can't die, and every thirty minutes to an hour, the wounds you have healed.

I'm thirsty, I'm starving, and exhausted, feelings that stay throughout hell.

I let out another breath as I hear the souls in other rooms around me start to beg.

Lucifer.

He must be making his rounds, that's the only time the ones here beg.

I have never seen Lucifer, I have heard his voice once or twice, but that's it.

I hear talking outside my room. I look around at the dark concrete-like material the walls and floors are made of.

I hear footsteps walk away. The door opens to my room, and I close my eyes at the way it whines in warning.

Guess my break is over.

I feel a soft, gentle touch on my arm, instinctively I flinch.

"Thana," I squeeze my eyes shut at the sound of Don's voice, I won't fall for this again.

Gently the demon shakes my shoulder. "Thana," the voice says softly. It sounds so real like it's really Don.

But I know better.

I sigh, finally giving the demon what he wants. I open my eyes and turn to see Don.

A shifter demon; They were the worse.

I hear a sigh from Don as he pulls me up. "Come on,"

I stand weakly, and we walk, my eyes widen as I get to the door. We step out, and I'm more alert as the room to the door closes behind us.

I look at Don. "It's me, Thana; it's really me." His hand cups my cheek, Tears well up in my eyes as I throw myself at him, and he welcomes me in a hug. For the first time, I cry happy tears.

Don picks me up bridal style as I continue to cry, he walks down the hall, I hear screams and people begging, I cry harder.

Finally, we get to the end, demon guards show us out, and Don's wings spread out and take us back to heaven.

I sigh at the breeze in my hair. The warmth that starts to feel my skin as we get closer, I then start feeling less thirsty and less hungry until the feeling is gone completely. We stop at the gates of heaven, and Don sets me down on the soft ground. Gold and green grass tickle my bare feet. I only have the white torn gown I had on when I first fell from heaven. The pearly gates open, and we both walkthrough, Don supporting me as we walk.

Looking around I see Angel's starting to gather around. Don leads me back to the marble flooring I was at last time. In front of the temple. I get to my knees and look up, trying not to glare.

The Archangels walk out and see me. A smile takes over Raphael as he greets me. "Thana, its be a long time."

I don't say anything, having nothing nice to say, I just stare at the archangels. Nothing about them had changed.

"Today, you will be turned into the reaper you've been in training for."

Another angel walks to me, carrying a scythe, she hands it to me, and as soon as my right-hand touches it power surges through me making me gasp.

I squeeze my eyes close as I feel pressure on my back as something pushes through. My hair grows longer, pooling around me, and I breathe harshly as my body feels more durable.

I open my eyes looking down at my reflection; I wrap my wings around to look at them, my right-wing is black, my left-wing is white. Looking down, I touch below my right eye, deep red.

My left hand comes up, touching under my left eye. Bright ocean blue.

My hair parts down the middle, the right side black, the left side platinum blonde, my skin luckily was all one color. Pale, deathly pale.

My clothes change, I'm now in a black robe, with a hood, the gown hugs my body, there is a slit on the right side that goes up to my thigh. 

I look up at Gabriel.

"You are a reaper, Thana. You bring souls to both heaven and hell. The ones you take to hell will see you as a demon; the ones you bring to heaven will see you as an angel."

I stand the scythe in my right hand.

"I had to go through hell, just to become a taxi for the dead?" I glare at Gabriel.

"Everything you went through was Gods will." My grip tightens on the scythe in anger.

I don't comment as Michael then starts to talk, "You live in the in-between. Outside of heaven and hell."

I open my mouth, but Gabriel interrupts me. "You must go now, Thana."

I harshly sigh as I turn and walk back from where I came from, Don follows me. "Hey, let me show you where you stay." I sigh, looking at the angel.

Don smiles at me, spreading his wings, I spread mine as well, and we both take off. I follow his lead, minutes past, and we land on what appears to be a big floating rock with grass around it. I look around and see about ten houses.

"There are only ten reapers. You are the tenth one." I look around and see a few reapers walking around, the only thing the same are the wings: one black and one white. The hair ranges; Some people have dark chestnut brown hair on one side and the other golden. I see one with dark red hair on the demon side and rose gold on the angel side.

Little differences.

But none of our faces or skin colors were the same.

I look back at Don, "Your house should have your name on it." I nod Don hugs me; I sigh as I return it, "Well, go make yourself at home, maybe we will run into each other," looking at Don's face we both know that's very unlikely.

Angel's aren't typically around when Someone dies. The urge to help them is too strong. Don hugs me one last time and then turns and flys off. I turn and walk through the grass. The houses look more like cottages, small with maybe one room. I walk to the back and finally find my cabin with my name on it.

The cottage looks like the others, dark wood, with a pearl door. The porch is small fitting one rocking chair on it. I step up on the porch and push open the door. I close it and walk around the room. It's a big living room. Bookshelves line the wall on the right side; a brown sofa sits in the middle facing the shelves—a cream coffee table in front of it. Hardwood floors have a dark coffee-colored rug under the couch, and tan walls make it seem like I'm in a cabin on earth.

I head to the door on the left wall. I open it and see a small bedroom. A coffee-brown bed sits in front of me pushed against the far wall. I turn and see another door to my left. I open it, a closet full of different style robes to my right, a full-length mirror.

I walk to it, pulling back my hood from my head. My hair is so long it touches the floor. I pull it to my left side. Take the scythe in my right hand, hair in the left, and cut right at my shoulder. The extra hair falls, I pull my hair back around. My right side is longer than the left.

I look at myself. My nails are long and pointy like claws; my hair is uneven and straight. My fingers touch my lips. They are a dark rosy red color. Small fangs poke out. I smile, looking at the teeth. Vampirish.

My body is lean, like I hadn't just spent half a century in hell.

My skin is also flawless.

A reaper. I am a reaper.

A knock sounds at my door, I turn and walk with my scythe to the front door.

I open it to see a girl with olive skin, freckles dance across her cheeks and nose: orange and green eyes, dark chestnut hair on one side, golden brown on the other.

She smiles at me, showing her small fangs. "Hi, Thana! I'm Morana," she puts her hand out, and I take it shaking it firmly.

Is this home?

****

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