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-Come on baby, don't fear the reaper. *********************************************************************************************************



“Marcy, please don’t make me buy this. Please can we just go? I’m not feeling good.”

She pouted, and held the silk blue dress to my frame. “But it’s perfect for you! You need to wear more outfits to flatter your eyes, and match the status of your job!”

I sighed, walking to a stack of t-shirts. When I came home crying from work, because of David’s rude comments and behavior, Marcy had insisted I go shopping with her. Even with my protests, swollen eyes, and need to sleep, Marcy had pressed on. When she talks about shopping she talks about it like a medicine. Therefore, she insisted this shopping spree would save me.

In my defense, she practically dragged me here by the hair.

“Marcy, I’m not telling you again. I’m quitting tomorrow,” I repeated for the seventh time. That bitch just wouldn’t let me quit in peace!

“Don’t make the decision right away, Faith. You're not a quiter, nor will you ever be! Look at all of your options, because I’ve never seen you so happy to get up every day and go to this job! You obviously love it!”

I tried not to burst out laughing at that completely false statement. “I use to love it. Until my Boss showed his true colors today.”

“Maybe he was just having an off day,” Marcy defended, looking at the t-shirt I picked up. Her eyes danced across my hand. “You’re still wearing that thing?” she questioned, pointing at my skull ring.

I lifted my hand up to my face, not realizing I put it on. “Oh…yeah I guess.”

It was black with a bunch of oldies bands on it. I read them all, loving the shirt more and more. I found some ripped jeans to go with it, and bright blue converse. The jeans were perfect for my style; boot cut, and medium washed.

Marcy laughed at my common choice of outfit. “Perfect.”

My fingers searched through the jeans sizes, making my face drop in disappointment. “They don’t have my size,” I said, searching around the store. I spotted a worker in the guys section, and told Marcy I would be right back. I felt my tired feet drag across the floor; I neared the worker talking to a tall girl in a tan dress. Her eye brows where creased in some kind of distress.

I tapped the workers shoulder, feeling like I was intruding. “Excuse me?”

He turned around, seeming shocked to see me. His blue eyes contrasted with his black workers polo shirt. The nametag on his shirt read Eric: Store Manager.

“What?” he asked sounding extremely annoyed of my interrupted.

I told him I needed the jeans in my size. He frowned as I talked, looking down at the clothing in my hands. “Can’t help you with that. Sorry.”

I laughed, thinking he was kidding. His face stayed serious. “Don’t you work here?”

“Yes,” he said slowly, in an obvious tone. He waved me off with his hand. “I don’t have time for you, I’m busy,” he said, turning back to the girl. I stared at the back of his messy, blond set of hair in shock.

Had that really just happened?

“Ok?” I spoke quietly, turning back to Marcy in disbelief.

She crossed her arms over her chest, seeing my expression. “What did the guy say? Do they have your size?”

I put my hand on my forehead, suddenly feeling a wave of nausea. We both turned at the same time, to see a man sprint out of the store with a brown purse in his hands. “He was…he was… the store manager, but he didn’t…he didn’t seem to know what he was— did that man just have a purse?”

“I…I think he did!”

I frowned. “It looked famil--“

A fierce rip of pain shot through my stomach. I grabbed onto it, letting out a scream of pain. Everyone in the store stopped talking, to stare at me.

My friend grabbed my arm. “What’s wrong? Are you ok?”

I took a deep breath, as the pain subsided. “I uh, I’m going to find the bathroom in here. Stay here.”

She put her purse on top of a stack of clothes. “Do you want a Tylenol? Are you getting—‘

“No, please just…“

I lost my train of thought as I finally had tuned myself onto the song playing in the store, Don’t Fear the Reaper.

Come on baby, don’t fear the reaper.

Baby, take my hand, don’t fear the reaper.

My stomach dropped, as if those lyrics were meant for me. I turned slowly around the crowed store, clenching my stomach with my left hand. He was somewhere in this store. “Marcy, I’ll be right back,” I told my best friend, not even looking at her.

I ran through the crowd of people, towards the back of the store. My stomach loosened in pain, as I pressed further, entering the dressing room.

It was practically empty, too empty. The sound of a stall door slamming shut brought my attention to the back of the large room. I crept along the stalls, searching each one.

Empty.

Empty.

“No,” a feminine voice screamed, following by an echo of sobs.

I crept at the edge of the last stall, knowing the voice was coming from outside of the stalls. I stepped out from my hiding spot, and covered my mouth from screaming. On the ground, on their back was the store Manager Eric, with a darkened spot in his stomach area. His blue eyes twitched slightly, as he grabbed at the knife in his body. The familiar woman in the tan dress rocked back and forth, crying hysterically. “No, no, no,” she sobbed, brushing his hair off of his forehead. “Please come now!”

She looked up at me with huge brown eyes, as if she expected me to help him. “This man tried to kill me…my boyfriend tried to help… and he—got stabbed,” she got out quickly, speaking into the phone and to me between sobs. “Please hurry, bring an ambulance!

I stared at the scene, not knowing what to say. I robotically took off my sweatshirt, and held it onto the man’s back. “Is he breathing?” I asked her, taking control of the situation.

“I—I don’t know!” she stuttered frantically. I placed my fingers on his neck, feeling a faded heartbeat. She continued to cry, watching me try and stop the bleeding. The nausea sensation ripped through me again, now having to do with the blood I was kneeling in. “Is he…?”

I swallowed a lump in my through, not feeling his pulse anymore. “Go get something to soak up the blood! I’ll stay here with him,” I ordered the woman. She got up quickly at my order, running surprisingly fast in heels screaming for help.

“Oooh, that looks kind of painful,” a deep voice commented from the corner of the room. My head snapped up, to meet a hooded face, and a giant scythe gleaming under the stores light.

“Stay away!” I shouted at him, staying close to Eric. He stirred from beneath my hands, shifting his gaze to the hooded man.

His hooded head shifted in my direction. “Oh hey Hope didn’t see you there!” he greeted, sounding way too cheerful for the situation. “Come for the show?” He twirled his scythe in his gloved hand, directing my attention to it. He stepped closer to us, revealing heavy black boots.

“Don’t come any closer,” I warned, protecting Eric.

The hooded man laughed, stepping to the feet of Eric. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

The hooded man chuckled. “Don’t get in my way,” he told me, his tone serious.

I stood up, blocking the cloaked figure from Eric. “You’re not taking him-- or whatever you plan on doing. I won’t let you.”

He put his head back, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. “You know, the last person who interrupted me during one of my jobs, bled out from every inch of their body the next day,” he told me, hinting that it was a threat.

“Listen to me, he doesn’t deserve to die. His girlfriend is in hysterics, and I’ve had a tough day. Please, please let him live,” I pleaded, almost placing my hand on his arm.

I thought better.

The man in front of me kept his head still, his gaze buring a hole in my forehead. “Fine, I’ll let him live,” he growled.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Eric would live to see another day. “Thank yo—“

The hooded man pushed his hand towards me. A gust of energy hit me like a bullet. I hit the wall with a thump, knowing the object that was holding me against the wall was more powerful than life itself.

His scythe.

My limbs stuck to the surface of the room, pressed against the wall by the blades force.

“Oops, guess I lied.” He let out a dark snicker. “Now, be a good girl and watch Death at his best.”

I struggled against the force, feeling tears push against my eyes. Eric stared up at the hooded man, almost in awe. “Please don’t!” I screamed at him. I opened my mouth to say more. It muted in my lungs.

He had silenced me.

My legs seemed to free, and I kicked out. I watched as the hooded man put a gloved hand out in front of him over Eric’s head, beginning to chant words under his breath. A soft blue glow lifted out of Eric’s mouth, towards the hooded man’s hand. I pulled my head forward from the scythes, jail—like power around me. I felt the barriers crack, and break.

I had to save him.

Right as the tip of the blue orb touched the hooded man’s palm, the changing room door slammed open, and two Paramedics rushed in. I broke free of the energy, as the blade sliced the air, landing into the hooded man’s hand.

A white orb of light suddenly burst into the room and a unfamiliar man in white stood from behind Eric’s head. I stared in awe at the figure, instantly realizing they were an angel. Their wings tucked neatly behind their back.

The ocean blue eyes of the Angel swept over the scene and then locked onto me. “Well, well, look at this.This is a strange coincidence, at that. We’ve been trying to contact you for a while now, Faith.” They smiled kindly at me, only to drop it, and stare at the dark shadow of a man in front of them. They frowned slightly, but nodded their head in a greeting. “Hello, brother.”

The dark figure seemed to seep into the shadows, wanting to escape. “We are not related, nor were we ever. I don’t know how many times I need to tell you morons that until you get it through your thick skulls,” he muttered under his breath, watching the Paramedics in interest haul Eric onto the stretcher. The poor young man stared wide eyed at the three of us, having no idea what was about to happen to him.

How could he see the Angel's and the girl couldn't? Because he's almost dying?

The white angel lifted his gaze from Eric to me. I instantly felt entranced by the beauty and clearness of the color of them “I am Gabriel, Guardian Angel and server of the Lord." He waited for my reaction which was to stay absoluetely still with even wider eyes.

He held his hand out slightly, palm upwards. "Come with me, beautiful Faith. I will save you far from this dark and disturbed creature before it is too late. I can help you.”

My heartbeat soared and my face heated at the continuation of their melodic voice as the man tried to persuade me to take his hand. Their eyes held mine, as if they were professional lures. Could I really trust this man--Angel who called himself Gabriel?

A deep laugh echoed the room switching me out of my trance. Not to mention the giant, long blade that blocked my vision from the white Angel. “Oh Gabriel, you’re make me swoon. Aren’t you the little charmer? How about you show her you’re secret set of Bratz dolls, your lipsticks, and your Karaoke machine too? It might give you some brownie points,” the hooded man spat.

“I will only tell you once, brother. Stop interfering or you will die like the others,” he interrupted his voice calm yet assertive.

I swallowed a lump in my throat, as the hooded man stepped even closer to me until I was wedged the corner against his heated back. I shut my eyes, feeling a bloodied battle coming on between the two.

“Leave already,” the man in front of me hissed leaning towards the Angel in a predatorily stance.

“Please don’t leave me with him!” I shouted at the white clothed Angel. The man in front of me stilled and let out a growl at my betrayal.

“You will hear from us, Faith,’ Gabriel’s voice whispered. A burst of light lit the room, blinding me for an instant. I took a shaky breath, realizing who I was left in the room with.

“There’s nothing like greeting card from a fluffy cloud, to brighten a person’s day.” He turned their head towards me at a thought, leaning by my ear. “Tell your Mom to stop putting that crucifix on the side of your apartment door, or I’ll make sure pay her another unfriendly visit,” he whispered harshly into my ear. His hot breath sent chills down my back.

I stopped breathing for a moment, feeling the uncomfortable cold feeling that could only be the scythe. He rubbed the back end of it against my neck slowly in a slashing motion, before pulling away.

“See you later, Joy. I will pray to all that is holy that you have a horrible week, drenched with monsters, nightmares, and daydreams of me killing you,” he said cheerfully, blowing me a mocking kiss.

He turned away from me at that, swirling his cloak, and accomplishing his famous disappearing act once again.