Watch your mouth, young soul, Death warned. I could totally fire your ass if I wanted to. Millions more souls here in the Underworld that I could choose to be my apprentice.

  *Sorry Mentor,* Ever replied. He’d never not wanted to go to a reaping before. The regret nibbled at the back of his neck.

  Anyway, I can’t really blame you I guess… Death sighed exaggeratedly, I’d wanna be with my girl too if she popped my cherry.

  Ever smiled wryly, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, a Death that casually threw around idioms was a happy Death. Secondly, he had a feeling he knew what this expression referred to.

  My man, you’re the first reaper in existence to lose your virginity! Death said. Dap me up.

  Ever zoomed over the roofs, scythe nestled behind folded arms. *How do I do that?* He frowned.

  Ummm, you hold your hand out - Ever did this - then we have to sort of clap our hands together in a cool way. Though I guess I sort of need to be there. And I sort of need to have skin. A good dap is like a thunder crack, when we do it just right. It also helps to have good acoustics in the room, it has to be big and echoey.

  *Maybe we can try this when I’m back in the Underworld, Mentor.*

  Yeah, good idea. Ever folded his arm again.

  Anyway, it sounds like you’re serious about Zoe, huh?

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  *Yes. She accepts me for who I am and makes me happy.*

  Death was silent for a while. Have you told her that only have about five months left on Earth?

  Ever shifted from one foot to the other, even though he was weightless. *I have not.* It had crossed his mind a few times, but every time he thought of mentioning it, the timing just didn’t seem right.

  You know that you don’t have to tell a lie to be lying, right?

  *Yes, Mentor.* Truth be told, it wasn’t Death’s job to guide him on the ethics of being a good human, but Ever appreciated that he did it nonetheless.

  *Are we going to reap another animal soul?*

  Nope. I Thought I’d try to line you up with a seasonal reaping.

  *Seasonal reaping?*

  Yeah, because it’s Christmas. There are always going to be souls that want to wait for specific times in the year before they decide whether it’s time to go or not.

  Ever hadn’t really paid attention to where Death was taking him for this reaping. All that he knew was that he didn’t recognise the area at all.

  Last stop, everybody off! Death crowed.

  Ever stepped off the invisible flying carpet into the middle of a suburban street. He’d visited a few in his time on Earth, but this one was different. All the houses stood tall and mighty. Most had double or even triple garages, gated behind ornate, wrought iron fences whose opulent stylings reminded him of the fleur-de-lis fence design in the cemetery.

  *Which house does this soul live in?* Ever asked.

  None of them, Death responded. But maybe start with that house on Butler Street. There used to be an orphanage there 100 years ago.

  *Orphanage?* Ever asked. *The soul’s a child?*

  Yeah. Name’s Bruce. You might have to play Santa with him for a while.