Beeeeeeep.

  “No, no, no! Peter, how could you?” Maria screamed.

  Peter swept out of the room, head down, eyes downcast.

  The doctor picked up Celeste’s chart in the bracket at the foot of her bed and looked up at the analogue clock on the wall.

  “Time of death, 8:01pm.” He signed off and placed the chart back. “I will be back with the nurses.” The young doctor hesitated at the door. “I’m sorry.”

  Ever watched Celeste’s form; a faint glow was rising from it, like fog on the surface of a lake. Without knowing, Ever had moved the scythe from the crook of his elbow and was now gripping it tightly in his right fist.

  Celeste sat up, her blonde hair unkempt and covering her face. She rubbed her eyes looked around and saw her mother and nonna either side of her, distraught. She raised her hands and looked through them. Lastly, she looked at Ever, eyes widening at the scythe in his hand.

  “Oh my god, I’m actually dead?” Celeste said, stunned. Ever nodded grimly. “Wait, you’re not Death, where’s your robe? You’re not made of bones.”

  “I’m Death’s apprentice.”

  “Death’s apprentice? Since when did Death take apprentices?”

  None of your business, silly girl.

  Ever didn’t say anything. He was in reaper form, yet he felt an emptiness in the pit of his stomach like none he felt while being in human form.

  She extended a hand to either side, trying to hold the hands of her mother and grandmother. “Is my… is Peter here?”

  “He was here,” Ever said. “He left not long ago.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She laughed mirthlessly, a hollow sound. “Even in death he can’t stand to be around me.” Celeste sat there, clasping her hands but failing to connect with Maria and Nonna’s fingers.

  “Well what are you waiting for, Death junior? Use that scythe, cut me up, put me out of my misery.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Ever sat on the chair in the corner, even though it would do nothing for the sudden fatigue wracking his soul. “That’s not how it works. I’m meant to understand you and why you might want to stay here. Only once I do will the scythe help you move to the Underworld.”

  “Understand me? What is there to understand?” Celeste said, bitterness edging her voice. “I got mixed up with the wrong group, they gave me something to give me a trip and escape now…” she looked at herself.

  “Why did you get mixed up in the wrong group?”

  “What are you, a shrink? I don’t have to tell you these things.” Celeste spat.

  “I’m trying to help you.”

  “Well, I don’t want your help. All I wanted was for my family to be together. Dad tried so hard to build a better life for us, he was never home. Mom drank and pretended like I didn’t exist. Only Nonna was there for me.”

  “She brought something for you.”

  “What?”

  “Look at what you’re holding.”

  Celeste looked at her corpse in confusion. “Is that?... Nonna’s spaghetti!”

  “She made it with the tomatoes that you planted with her -”

  “-as a baby. Oh Nonna!” Celeste crouched down, enveloping her grandmother with diaphanous arms. “It was my first memory, walking barefoot in the yard, squished tomatoes in my hands. Mom laughed with Nonna, Dad picked me up and I flew. I ate so much spaghetti that I could’ve exploded. We were all together. I wish I could eat some now.”

  A few things happened at the same time: the scythe shimmered, the doctor came back in with two nurses, followed by Peter.

  “Papa?” Celeste’s ghost said, “you came back.”

  He looked at his daughter’s cold form, eyes wet. “What have I done?” He said hoarsely.

  As the doctor and nurses busied themselves, Ever gazed upon the scythe:

  SENSES

  —--

  —--

  —--

  —--

  Taste

  Hmph, easy mode indeed, Death huffed.

  The scythe slid out of Ever’s hand and floated towards Celeste. It shrunk and shrunk until it became a fork.

  “Celeste,” Ever said gently. She turned her gaze away from her father, “you can eat now if you want.”

  One of the nurses moved to take the spaghetti away.

  “Wait,” Celeste’s father said, “just give us a few more minutes, please.” He gently got into the side of the bed next to his daughter, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her cold forehead.

  The young doctor nodded, motioned to the nurses, left the room and closed the door behind them.