“Ever!” Taylor pleaded, wide eyed. He'd never heard her like this before. “Let me go!”

  “It’s not me,” Ever said. It’s Chaos. Not much point saying it now. “I’m not keeping you here.”

  “Then why can’t I leave?” Taylor forcefully pushed forward through the open door. She could see the outside just fine, but her hand seemed to just get stuck as if it were in quicksand, except that instead of swallowing her, it would resist, slowly push her back into the ice cream store.

  Ever sat down on one of the customer chairs. He could feel his pulse right underneath his jawline. “I have to tell you something.”

  “Can it wait?” Taylor begged. “Whatever you’re doing…”

  “It’s not me,” Ever repeated quietly. “But if you listen to what I have to say, you might be able to go.”

  Taylor turned her back on the door, her face equal parts bewilderment and fear. Her eyes glistened in a way that Ever had never seen before.

  “Please, Taylor.”

  Ever so slowly she took a seat not at Ever’s table, but the next one across. Ever nodded slightly, took a deep breath then exhaled.

  “Do you remember a chat that we had a few weeks back where you were trying to find out more about my second job?” Ever said. Taylor nodded mutely, arms crossed. “Do you remember what was the last thing you said?” Taylor stared at him, stone-faced. “You said that I was the grim reaper.” Ever leaned forward. “Do you remember saying that?”

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  “I mean yeah,” Taylor answered. “What of it?”

  He looked directly into her eyes across the tables. “I am training to become Death. I am his apprentice.”

  Neither of them moved for what felt like minutes. Ever’s eyes flitted to the door behind Taylor; it was like looking through a rippling body of disturbed water. Still trapped.

  “You’re insane," she growled, barely audible.

  “I know you came to the cemetery two weeks ago.”

  Taylor looked like she had just been slapped across the face. She abruptly stood up, threw open the door and flung herself outside, only for the force field to rebuff and push her back in.

  “You will stay in here until you believe me. It’s all the truth.”

  “Let me go!” Taylor yelled, stomping her foot. “Let me go!”

  “Why did you visit me that day?” Ever asked.

  “Why do you live in a cemetery? Are you dead?” She cupped a hand over her mouth and began to pace. “Are you even real?”

  It was a question that had never crossed his mind. Was Death real? Was Chaos real? Were any of the souls he had reaped real? He never questioned it; he was as real as they were.

  “I am.”

  They stared at each other from across the room. The tension was still high but it felt like somewhere, a valve had been flicked.

  “Why are you here?” Taylor asked quietly.

  “Death, my mentor told me to live on earth for a year so I could learn what it meant to be human. It would help me be a better reaper.”

  Taylor stood with her back to the door, arms crossed. “So when you finish working here for the day…” she trailed off.

  Ever nodded. “I go to reap a soul.”

  Taylor stared at the ground, fidgeting with the black bracelet Ever had given her; his heart skipped a beat. Slowly, she sat back down. “Prove it to me.”