It’s All in Your Head

“So Mr. er, The Reaper was it?” “D-Reaper.” Reaper corrects. “Right, right. Why are you following me again?” “Because you are going to die soon.” Reaper reminds Holly. “Sure uh-huh. Are you going to follow me to work again today?” Reaper nods in response. “Ok.” Holly sighed she climbed out of bed and began undressing. Reaper looked away modestly. “You seem to have calmed down quite a bit.” Reaper said matter of factly. “I’ve decided that you’re not real.” Holly informed Reaper grabbing a towel. “It’s been two days already. If no one else can see you then you must be a figment of my imagination I’m just gonna role with it.” She went into the bathroom and closed the door. What terrible logic Reaper thinks to himself.

Once Holly was dressed and spread cream cheese on a bagel Reaper followed Holly to her car. “You can ride shot gun if you want.” Holly said. “The back is fine.” Reaper replied climbing into the back passenger seat. Holly shrugged put her bagel in her mouth and started up the car. We were both silent as she drove us out of the apartment complex and entered the freeway. As she munched on her bagel with one hand on the wheel she kept glancing at Reaper in the rearview mirror as if expecting him to vanish. “So Mr. Reaper?” “Just Reaper is fine.” Reaper reminded her patiently. “Right, right. So can you tell me how exactly you think I’m going to die?” “Hmmm… Reaper is not sure.” Reaper confessed. In truth Reaper was sure that Holly would perish yesterday at latest. The fact that she was still alive would surely cause complications which made it all the more important to keep a careful eye on her. If she continued to live for another week Reaper might have to glean her himself. “And why do you talk like that?” Holly asked. “Why does Reaper talk like what?” Reaper inquired curiously. “Never mind guess it doesn’t really matter.” Holly said quickly. A minute later she continued “Well.. if you don’t know how I’m supposed to die… is it possible you have the wrong person?”

“No.” Reaper responded frankly. There was a pause. “Even now do you believe that you’re talking to yourself?” Reaper asked for clarifications sake. “Yes.” Holly confirmed defiantly. The rest of the trip progressed in silence.

Reaper followed Holly into her office and found a quiet corner to stand in. She began shuffling through the clutter of papers on her desk. Finding the one she was looking for she jotted down a few notes on a pad. She happened to glance up at Reaper as she was about to pick up her office phone and stopped. “Could you please not do that today?” she asked sounding annoyed. “Do what?” Reaper asked confused. “Don’t just stand there all day. It’s weird.” She said impatiently “Just sit over there.” she commanded pointing to a chair sitting slightly too close to a large potted plant. Reaper complied seeing as it made little difference whether he was standing or sitting so long as Reaper remained nearby. Reaper sat patiently watching Holly make phone calls, send emails, file papers and the like. At one point after a phone called she slammed the phone down exclaiming, “can you believe that guy!?” Having no idea what he said Reaper could only stare back at her blankly. Though the call lasted only 5 min she spent the next 40 giving Reaper a play by play of the patron’s rudeness and his history of being a lousy customer. The office intern walked in in the middle of this but backed out slowly after a few seconds. Holly was not aware of this.

Watching Holly work was a painful reminder of how much paperwork Reaper would have ahead of him in order to sort this whole mess out. Reaper pulled out his list a couple of times during the day accessing the damage and contemplating the most appropriate counter measures. Holly only left her office a few times during the day but primarily remained at her desk and even worked through her lunch hour. It was almost 10 hours later when she finally pushed her chair back and jumped up. “Finally!” she exclaimed stretching. “that took forever!” The office was nearly empty as Reaper followed Holly out of the office into the parking lot. “I’m famished!” She declared once we were both back in the car. “I feel like steak. You’re a big guy, you like steak?” “You needn’t concern yourself with Reapers vitality.” Reaper said. “Whose concerned?” Holly asked. “I’m just asking a question.” “Then yes.” Reaper answered smiling. “Reaper is fond of steak.” “Steak it is!” Holly confirmed.

We stopped by a market and she made the purchase without incident. Once we returned to her apartment she started cooking. I watched her from the dining room table. She made a call to her mother and spoke with her briefly. “You know what else I really want?” she asked once the phone call had ended. “Shrimp. You like Shrimp Mr Reaper?” “Just Reaper please.” Reaper reminded her. “And yes Reaper likes Shrimp just fine.” “Right?” Holly agreed enthusiastically. “I’m an adult I can eat whatever I want!” When she started cooking the shrimp she got a phone call that turned out to be one of her good friends. Reaper waited patiently as the laughter and gossip progressed. At last the meal preparation was complete. “Alright girl I’m gonna have to let you go before my dinner gets cold. I’ll talk to you later!” She said before ending the call. “That plate is yours she said pointing. I usually eat in the living room so I can watch my shows. I’ve just been off my routine because you were freaking me out but I’m over it now.” She said walking past Reaper with her plate. “Do you like Townton Abbey?” “Reaper has never heard of a down to nabby.” Reaper Responded grabbing his plate.

Several episodes of Downton Abbey later Reaper lay back on the couch with Holly. “I’m still stuffed.” she said patting her stomach with satisfaction. “I should probably get to bed soon.” she said. The approximate time was 1:52am. Reaper followed her to her room where she changed and got ready for bed. “I don’t want to go to work tomorrow” she yawned as she climbed into bed. Reaper was going to watch her sleeping from a corner but remembered her comment about making her uncomfortable and instead pulled up a chair and sat by the bed side. Nearly 15 minutes passed before Reaper heard Holly speak again. “I’m scared Mr. Reaper.” She said sleepily. Reaper returned his full attention to the young woman. “Part of me is afraid that you’re really real. And I’m going to die. I don’t want to die Mr. Reaper.” Reaper put a reassuring hand on top off hers. She gripped it tightly in spite of her drowsiness. It is true very few people in their right minds welcome death. But life and death are two halves of a single coin to live means you must someday die to die means you at some point lived.

“The human mind is a funny thing.” Holly said groggily. “You’re not real but I can feel the warmth of your hand.” A minute passed before she spoke again more asleep than awake now it was barely a whisper. “I saw you smile in the car.” She said. “You have such a nice smile. The grim reaper wouldn’t smile like that. The grim reaper wouldn’t have such warm hands…” “No perhaps not.” Reaper agreed. “Thought so.” Holly said with satisfaction and drifted off to sleep. Holly passed away at 4:33 A.M. She simply stopped breathing. Reaper held her hand until it was the only warm part of her body. Reaper gently laid her hand beside her before rising from his seat. Reaper reached into his robes and withdrew a memory re-coder and passed it over Holly’s head. Reaper then moved Holly’s soul into a universal dom box where it would be stored safely until Reaper concluded his report. "You were a kind soul Holly" Reaper said to the room at large "neither that nor you shall soon be forgotten." Reaper retrieved his list and crossed out the name Holly Rainwater.