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The inevitable but the most feared.Death is a funny old thing to go through. To be called it was something entirely different, relationships were not to be had and yet were forged through grief and disbelief that something like this could exist. Should exist? Most definitely, wanted? Well nobody wanted death unless life became a gigantic struggle that could not be faced. The higher beings of this path, the ‘superiors’ spread the word that the job would be simple, to live alongside the humans and help transition them between living to dead, to reap their souls, but it was never simple.Reaper biological name: Lucian CloseSouls Reaped: 26,482,003Sins repented: 0Lucian was told to have the prowess of a hunter, to be fierce and strong with always something to say, an encouraging tone to help the leftovers mourn all the while not being ‘seen’. Sleep never came for Lucian and every night he would stay up later, until the early morning growing deeper in confusion to what it was he actually wanted, what he thought was right. The best way to describe a reaper is unstoppable, a force to be reckoned with who took anything they wanted with a smile. All Lucian wanted? Lucian wanted to love and be loved, the idea of love was feeble to him and his kind until he settled amongst the living. How ironic that he wished to treasure the world he lived in, save every last living being when it was the same people, who ran, cried and despised his reason for existing. The night was young when he left the hospital, breaking the dreams of families that one day their relatives would get better; he left without a second glance. His shoulders hunched against the brisk wind and with nowhere to be Lucian headed in the opposite direction to home. Feet planted firmly at the soil edge of the town’s crematorium, the building glowing with a warm light so he skirted around the edge toward the graveyard that sat behind it. The reaper didn’t want to pretend for just this night of whom he was and where he vanished to, this one night he wanted to sit in silence with the dead around him to clear his thoughts, or so he thought. The leaves crunched under the Italian leather soles, hands restrained to the deep depths of the pockets that hung off his long woollen coat as he unhurriedly seeked out his resting place without trepidation in the middle of the cemetery. Lucian’s back slid against the head stone until he found himself sitting on the grass, eyes closed shut as his fingertips applied pressure to the ground. That was until he heard the scrubbing of a hard bristled brush directly in front of him. Lucian froze, one eyelid slowly opened to the view of a young woman cleaning a headstone, he knew then that he should leave and yet her aura had him transfixed, like a moth to a flame. Her cheekbones subtle, yet strong, the lines of determination imprinted against her forehead as the dirt peeled away against the harsh brushing, to disrupt or walk away. Well Lucian reminded himself he was never good at walking away, with an ache to his joints he slowly regained his footing and expelled a light cough.The woman in front of him jumped, her hands quickly grabbing her at her chest as she spins her head round to face Lucian, her eyes wide looking like a deer caught in head lights. “I apologise for scaring you” Lucian interjected quickly. “No, no it’s quite alright, I didn’t realise anyone was here that’s all.” The brunette woman laughed and flashes a shy smile, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes but then again who wouldn’t be sad scrubbing the dirt off of a loved one’s head stone. “Well, I’m sorry anyway. It’s quite late you should take care now being out here.” Lucian scans the area, there is not a single soul around but he knew if he had any control over her she would not be out in the area late at night.
The Brunette smiles more warmly this time, dimples showing at her cheeks and she nods in agreement. “I’m nearly finished and I’ll be heading home.” She laughs once again and waves a hand as Lucian nods, a soft smile planting across his face as heads back the way he came. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The room is full of darkness, a buzzing sound emanates from the side table and Lucians hand reaches out in search of the annoying contraption that tells him its 5:35am, time for his morning run. Hitting the off button, calloused hands run over his face and into his hair as two jet black irises flicker open. He sighs to himself as he realises he only got to sleep at 4:00am but with a sigh he plants his feet on the carpet. He snaps his fingers at the full length deep red velvet curtains that have been shielding him from the sunlight which begins to caresses his form as curtains slowly trail open. Lucian stares at himself in the bathroom mirror; he doesn’t like the person that stares back at him. He knows he has done some terrible things and it doesn’t get any easier living with that whilst he spends more and more time around the living. Flicking open his contacts holder he pops in two brown coloured contacts that make him seem like he is a normal, law abiding citizen who doesn’t kill people for a living. He brushes his teeth whilst waiting for the shower to warm up and after spending a few minutes in the divine quarters of the marble tiled shower, the hot water cascaded over him for what felt like seconds. Lucian quickly gets changed into his gym gear and heads out of his high rise apartment to the streets of downtown where the hustle and bustle of people are nowhere to be found, the garbage men collecting the bins and a couple of other jogging fanatics were the only people to greet him before he put his head phones on and lost himself to his own steady heart beat whilst his feet quickened their pace.