Page 20 of Guarded By the Reaper

“Yep! I’m going to beat you this time, Millie, I know it!”

“We’ll see about that,” I said, ruffling her short hair that was starting to stick in all directions.

The next hour was a blur of dice rolls, resource cards, and competitive banter. But the joy I usually felt spending time with my little sister was gone, replaced by a gnawing anxiety that I couldn’t shake. Grim stood by the fireplace, a silent, watchful presence, his cloaked form casting long, unsettling shadows on the wall as the day wore on. At one point, Elysia tried to coax him into joining our game, but he politely declined. Grim was not one for board games. Or any kind of games, for that matter. He took his job as my bodyguard very seriously.

I tried to focus on the game, to lose myself in the strategic placement of roads and settlements, but it was no use. My mind kept drifting back to Ma-Vasha and the deal I’d made. I could feel Grim’s gaze on me, as if he could sense my unease. I tried to smile, to pretend that everything was okay, but I knew it was no use. I wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all myself.

Elysia seemed to sense my distraction. After a while, she pushed the game away.

“This is boring. I’m going to my room.”

“Okay, honey,” I said. “Get some rest.”

She nodded and trudged out of the room. I watched her go, my heart aching with a love that threatened to consume me. Themoment the door to her room clicked shut, I turned to Grim, my façade crumbling.

“This isn’t right,” I whispered. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend that everything is okay when it’s not. Pretend that I’m not terrified. Pretend that I’m not going to…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say the word. Die. It was too awful, too final.

Grim took a step towards me, his skeletal hand outstretched as if to touch me, but he stopped short, his fingers curling into fists.

“Millie…”

I shook my head, willing myself to pull it together. This wasn’t me – this constant state of near hysteria. It was pathetic. Elysia needed me to be strong. Hell, I needed me to be strong.

“Forget it,” I muttered, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “How about a movie?”

Grim tilted his head, a strangely human gesture for someone who looked like he’d just stepped out of a mausoleum. “Okay.”

“Great.” I tried to sound upbeat, but it came out flat. “It’s not like we have much else to do, stuck inside.” I made a face. “This is no life, being trapped here like this. Fourteen days. An eternity.”

“It’s for the best,” Grim said. “Keeps you safe.”

“I know, I know,” I sighed. “But for what it’s worth, I’m actually glad to have these moments.” I pointed the remote at the TV, scrolling through my streaming queue. “As weird as it sounds, it almost feels normal. Like we’re a real family. Except, you know, with you being a Grim Reaper and all.”

I cringed inwardly. I really needed to work on my filter.

Grim didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t let it bother him. He just shrugged.

“Ever seen Groundhog Day?” I asked.

“No.”

“Seriously? It’s a classic!”

He just looked at me, his eyes, or rather, the dark hollows where his eyes should have been, unreadable. I shook my head.

“Okay, I don’t believe it! It’s my favorite movie, I’m putting it on. You’ll love it, I promise.”

And with that, I hit play.

We settled in on the couch, me curled up on one end, Grim at the other, a respectful distance separating us. The opening scene filled the room, and for a little while, I almost forgot about the Poppets, about Ma-Vasha, about the ticking clock counting what remained of my life. Almost.

“I love how repetitive this movie is,” I said during a particularly amusing scene where the characters were throwing snowballs.

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