“See ya tomorrow.” Taylor turned, waved and walked away from the ice cream shop, all in one motion.
Is that it? Does she know that I’m essentially Death? Ever posed the question to himself. If his mentor could hear his thoughts, he wasn’t responding at that moment.
The rain had just stopped. The air was heavy with humidity; steam rose from parts of the road. He walked straight - across the road, into the park where he materialized all those days ago. He kept going, stepping aside for a tree, but otherwise not changing direction.
Where are you going? Death asked.
*Nowhere in particular.*
Ever got to the next block. As close as it was, he hadn’t really come this way before. There was a tram line here. Three carriages zoomed along, people huddled inside. He walked past the tram line and came upon a park. In the middle was a square, set down a few steps. A fountain gurgled away in the middle.
Pigeons pecked around the base of the fountain. There were a lot of them, all cooing and murmuring amongst themselves. Ever paused, then walked amongst them. While a few flapped and jumped out of the way, they didn’t seem to mind his presence. He sat on the edge of the fountain, not caring that his backside would get wet.
“They’re not afraid of you.”
The voice came from behind him; he didn’t immediately turn around.
The ghost floated into Ever’s peripheral vision, hands behind her back. She had pigtails and wore what looked like a school uniform. It wasn’t one that he recognized from any of the children who came by Pagoto’s.
Clementine Smith
30 June 1945 - 04 November 1955
Another old soul. One that had died young.
“Hello Clementine,” Ever said.
She cocked her head to the left, letting her body follow until she was floating in front of Ever. She didn’t seem surprised that he knew her name. “You look sad.”
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“I…” Ever struggled. With what, he wasn’t sure. “I guess I am.”
She floated until she was next to him. “Whenever I feel sad, I just come back here and talk to the birdies. They were better listeners than any of the people I ever tried talking to.”
The pigeons had stopped pecking around and were now looking up at the two supernatural beings.
Whooo, whooo, whooo?
“They’re asking who you are,” Clementine said.
Ever smiled. “I’m Ever, Death’s apprentice.” He had slipped into reaper form without thinking. He hadn’t even checked if there were people around.
“Nice to meet you, Ever.” Clementine said.
“Is there anything keeping you here?” Ever asked.
The ghost of the girl shook her head, her pigtails swishing about her face. “Anyone who cared for me died a long time ago. The only thing keeping me here are these pigeons.”
Ever looked at the birds. He might have been imagining things, but it sounded like they were now saying, noooo, noooo, goooo, goooo…
One of them flew up as if to perch on Clementine’s shoulders, flapping as they fell through.
“Sounds to me like they want you to move on,” Ever said.
Clementine sighed. “I guess you’re right. Ever?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know if you can do this, but… I want to be able to touch them. They always jumped away when I ran at them. I want to feel their feathers and their friendship.”
Ever nodded. “I can do that.” He conjured the scythe, somehow startling a few of the pigeons. Straight away, it shone:
SENSES
—--
—--
Touch
—--
—--
He selected ‘Touch’. The scythe pulsed, and became a glowing light. Clementine’s eyes went wide as it merged into her. She was lifted into the air then laid down on the ground, just as it started raining again.
The speckled birds then started approaching her. One jumped on her chest, peering at her face curiously. Another nuzzled itself into her see-through hand. Yet more jumped onto her body trying to sit on her tummy.
“It tickles!” She giggled.
Anyone looking out the window from the passing tram would have just seen pigeons playing in the rain - but only Ever knew better.
