Page 14 of Thanatos' Craving

She bared her long white teeth, and I swore I saw fangs hung over her lips. “Damnit, now we have to find them all.” She let out a breath. “And it doesn’t matter if she knows your name. She’s about to die, anyway. Take her out back. I don’t need customers hearing her screams or getting more blood on my floor.” She turned her back and pulled out a cell phone and dialed. “Yes, I call in a favor…”

A wave of horror washed over me as I watched in disbelief as Koozoth slowly turned his head towards me. My heart pounded in my chest, the sound echoed in my ears like a steady drumbeat. The air around us felt heavy and suffocating as if his presence alone was consuming all the oxygen in the room.

I felt my body quivering uncontrollably as I desperately tried to crawl away from his menacing figure. The floor beneath me felt cold and unforgiving against my trembling hands. But no matter how much I strained and struggled, I felt trapped in a nightmarish web, unable to escape.

Suddenly, searing pain exploded across my cheek as his massive hand contacted my face. The impact sent a jolt through my entire being, making my vision blur and fade into a terrifying darkness.

Chapter Five

Thanatos

My scythe hit the wet cement at the exact time the car drove past. The water splashed against the sidewalk, flying through my body, and splashed down on the homeless few sitting under the small awning.

There was hardly any shelter to shield them from the pelting rain. It soaked their few belongings and ruined the little food they had. Now they weren’t just cold and hungry, but sickness would soon seep into their bones and my reapers would take them as well.

Their lives were brief, whether they knew it. But this night I wasn’t here for them.

My fist tightened around the lead chain. I transformed Fluffy into the shape of a hellhound. He hated this form, but he knew very well if he came into the earth realm, this was to be hisanimal. The evil had to fear him, and he understood he had to put on a good show.

I wrapped my bones around the chain again to get a better grip. Fluffy’s demeanor was more ravenous tonight. His claws scratched against the wet surface of the ground. My body was unmovable, my boned fingers coiled around the metal as he barked and snarled at each passerby.

He smelled their sins, their evil.

The sooner this was done, the better. I was tired of pondering Ember’s words.

My body continued its slow, meticulous pace. I didn’t want to arrive too early, I may be the Reaper, but neither I nor the rest of my army were completely sadists and wanted to watch a murder.

Maybe some reapers were, but my soulless bones had grown cold and indifferent over the years, and I do not fraternize with the other reapers I charge. I didn’t love my job nor hate it—it was the way of life. It was why I was born, created by fate. Just like this female.

An old church chime rang just past one a.m. My hood slipped further down my cold-boned forehead as I gazed at the brightly colored face of time. We were close.

A female’s scream filtered down the streets. The bustling street was too busy to care, and I took the long four-block walk to my destination.

Fluffy was restless, his strength stronger than ever before. I almost chuckled at his eagerness to help me obtain a soul tonight. If only he knew what weighed heavily on my mind with this mortal.

My silent steps went further into the single light alley, and I stood in the corner and waited.

Unfortunately, Fluffy's eagerness brought us here too early, and now I would have to wait and watch a gruesome sight. I pulled on his chain and halted him.

With a rush of wind, a feminine whimper blew past us and down the alley. The only way out was whence she came, and it wasn’t looking well for her.

Blood covered her. Blood dripped from her nose. She had a split lip, a black eye, and blood ran down her bare stomach. Her short skirt and top were ripped, almost exposing her chest. The female leaned up against the dumpster and panted heavily.

My bones do not tremble easily, but the sight before me has my head turning away from her. For the first time, I cannot watch because rule number one —

Reapers do not intervene.

A body stood over her with no shirt. His muscles were overly large, too large to be natural. In his hand, he held a knife and panted heavily. This male had shown no honor, beating a defenseless woman. A burning sensation filled my chest, one I had never felt before.

In the past, I would have waited around the corner, hidden by my death's veil. The living could not see me, couldn't touch or call out to me, and there was nothing I could do about it until the evil deed was done.

As I gazed upon her, I couldn't help but notice the piercing emerald hue of her eyes, now clouded with overwhelming despair. It tore through me, shattering what small bit of emotion I still held within myself.

The male who was hurting her bent over, and Fluffy snarled, unaware that we could not be seen. We were not yet allowed to intervene. And though it pained me to the core of my being...

Because the reaper never shows himself.

I turned away, refusing to look as Fluffy howled and pulled at his chain. He could not be released until it was all over.

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