I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard Chaos say in one go.

  *Hm?*

  Ever was in soul form, as he always was when Death was transporting him to the reaping for this week. Just like last week, he was travelling relatively slow. Cars would drive past and occasionally through him. Ever left an arm out, watching metal, skin, cloth pass through it, his form not catching any of it.

  That whole spiel he gave you yesterday morning. It was good advice.

  *You mean about not thinking like a human?*

  I… Death was momentarily lost for words. A rare occurrence. This is exactly why I sent you to Earth, Ever. To live as a human and to think as a human. I called it a vacation, but it probably hasn’t been as fun as you would have liked.

  It was another hot day and Ever spotted some people playing in an area where fountains were built into the floor in a grid formation. They would shoot in patterns across the grid and the people - topless, grown men - whooped and chased each other trying to get a face full of water. Was this what a vacation was meant to be like?

  It didn’t take long to arrive at the destination. Eight, proud pillars stood side by side in front of a grey brick building. Ever floated up concrete steps past a statue speckled with bird poop. People sat on the grass slopes either side, having lunch, chatting or drinking bubble tea.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  This is the State Library of Victoria. It’s a popular place for university students to sleep. Inside, you’ll find the soul you are to reap. His name is Marcus.

  *Don’t people go to libraries to read?*

  Death snorted somehow, despite the hollow recess where his nose would have been. You would think so, but no matter how far you go back, people have been using libraries for everything but reading.

  Ever continued in, holding the scythe with the blade facing down. If it was solid, it would have made a grinding, scraping sound, maybe even throwing up sparks as the metal came in contact with the ground.

  A girl holding a large tome walked past, stepping into the space the scythe inhabited. She seemed to slip and buckle slightly, almost dropping the book before regaining her balance. Did she trip or was it the scythe that affected her? Ever couldn’t remember in the readings Death gave him what would happen if he raised the mystical tool in contact with live humans, only that it was forbidden. Better be more careful.

  The inside of the library was huge. It was the tallest ceiling that he had seen, at least in this short lifetime. Like any library, people were quiet. There was the odd thump of a book falling onto a table, someone coughing and shooshing every now and again. The sheer size of it meant that there was no echo as the sounds were swallowed by space.

  There were rows and rows of shelves that came around in a circle along the perimeter of the library. It would take someone at least an hour to walk into each one to look for a ghost - luckily, in a way, he was a ghost too.