Catching Fireflies Part 2

Chapter 13

Horrendous, that was the words can describe my feelings. Everywhere I looked there were dead and souls being picked up by another Grim Reaper.

"Name: Samantha C. Real

Age: 32 years old

Cause Of Death: Accidental Death

Time of Death: 3:42 pm." Announcement of the Grim Reaper next to me. For some unknown reason, I look invisible in the eyes of people here in this place. No one is criticizing nor asking about my presence here. I did not try to ask the Grim Reaper next to me because I'm sure he has something to do with it or maybe because I'm one of them so things like this aren't impossible. Well, after all, I am contracted living Reaper the only difference between me and them is that I'm alive while they are not.

I was surprised when the Grim Reaper suddenly gave me two black envelopes. I looked at him in surprise as he looked bored.

"You should start working babe." I lost my amazement and replaced it with annoyance.

"You want to die?"

"I'm the death it's self, babe." I just gasped because of what he said. Okay, he won what else can I say if what he said is true. So instead of arguing, I just took what he was giving to me to stop him.

"What should I do?"

"Look for a dead human and then read that to announce their death, that's all." I just nodded. I think it was easy but also difficult. Seeing them with such a horrible death it's kinda painful.

»But Augustus ignored his father's will and he still went at night. Agusto grew up without friends and his only pleasure was a firefly. so Agusto was not afraid to make a way to get fireflies in the middle of the farm.«

I started walking around inside the overturned bus. There is when I saw too much blood and almost everyone is dead inside. Some have been hit by the crystal glass from broken windows on the face, some are still dripping blood and others is that I can't stare at anymore.

But despite it, slowly I open the envelope. It only has one picture. A female college student. From the way her uniform look, I can say she one of the students from Anecdote State University in Dame City. A neighbour town of Plamour.

As I look around. I find her sitting at the corner. She has a little bruise in the head a little bit wound in the body. All in all, I think she was not seriously injured but died immediately. It makes me wonder what she died for.

Did she die because of stoke or something?

When I approached her, there the envelope started to have a letter beside the picture. I was not surprised that I seem to be getting used to strange events.

That Grim Reaper said read it so that’s what I did.

"Name: Alice O. Rosales." The first time I read it, my head almost exploded with things I could not explain. I do not understand why there seem to be some memories that enter my mind or where they came from.

But no! It's not my memories because it looks like it's from the soul I'm currently fetching.

Damn it! So, this is why being a grim reaper isn't that easy as I thought it was. Now, the fourth rule in the contract makes sense.

"Age: 19 y-year old." All the sins he committed I see as if it were my memory. From being a bitch daughter to a party girl, a drug user and a murderer.

Damn this is too much!

"Cause of death: Karmic Death." I almost fell because of that, fortunately, someone supported me. When I looked at it. It was Saint, the badass grim reaper is here.

"Tss! Stop cursing me, continue that. Otherwise, she will escape and add to the list of Lost Souls." I did not even understand what she was saying but I continued. It has to end because my head will surely explode if not.

"Time of Death: 3:45 pm." Then I breathed a signed of relief. At the same time, the deafening cry of the soul was swallowed up by the darkness of the earth.

»When he got there the beautiful fireflies appeared to him. a sight he had only seen once in his entire life. something he was very happy about.«

"You okay babe?" Saint's question pierced my ear. I separated from him then quickly removed his hat and kicked his foot hard. He almost jumped because of that.

Fortunately, we were far away from the people so they did not notice our sudden presence. His hat is the reason why he is invisible in the eyes of people and why he just looks like the wind can't be touched but without his hat, he just looks normal I guess.

"Why did you do that." He said it calmly but his presence was dark again and he had this look to me that he couldn't believe what I did.

"Why you didn't tell me that too?" I screamed. It feels annoying, I see and I still remember all the things that woman did. It's a mystery for me how they can handle it.

"You didn't ask." His irritated excuse.

Is that even make sense. Damn excuses!

I was about to kick him again when he quickly backed away from me.

"I hate you!" My tears kept flowing. The pain of that woman's memories is killing me. The memories of how, when and where she kills his brother is like a broken cassette repeating multiple times in my mind. She choked his brother to death. That's horrifying, I can't take this anymore.

I sat down softly when I stand. I can't handle the pain. Its weight.

I saw the Grim Reaper pick up his hat and put it on and again the darkness returned, even his erect feather presence. He was about to leave me alone when I stopped him. I hold the hem of his cloak. That is when he stopped.

"H-how, how c-can you all possibly bear this?" I asked weakly. By announcing human death means bearing their memories as if it's their own.

When Saint answered he did not face me but just turned his back on me.

"Remember this Mary and shall not forget ever. I am not human like you we are Grim Reapers we can't feel such emotion. Like fear of Death because we are the death itself. But in your case, you are a living Reaper. You are human and having emotion is your weakest point." When he said that I met the big difference between the two of us.

Then I have to train myself on these things. Why is this happening to me? How many sins have I committed to just be like this?

"Get yourself together Mary, you have one person left to fetch." He was about to walk away when I stopped him again. There is something I want to ask about the woman earlier.

"Karmic death? What is that? Her cause of death should be Accidental Death but why karmic? I don't understand." I was just stunned this time because I was overwhelmed by the feeling of what I had seen a while ago. At her young age, she was able to do ugly things. She's only 19 but she did those things apart still she is a woman.

"She died because karma did design it." Saint's sleekly said. I looked up at him while his head tilted even though he was not facing me. "Look around Mary." By his command, I looked around and at the people who died today. "They died because of her Karmic Fate." My eyes widened and I quickly turned to him. What does he mean? "I'll tell you later, for now, let's just go back to work." After he said that he walked away. Leaving me with such a state.

I just straightened up and sat on my knees and then quietly cried. To remember all those memories of that woman is to feel as if I were your memories. As if all the evil she did was I did too.

How can I open another envelope if I can't handle this first?

I kept crying.

"Damn it!" I cried like a child quietly there. I feel bad it's mixed with a loon. But—

"Hey." I was stunned when I felt Saint's presence again and when I looked up and he was there.

Why did he come back?

"Don't you dare to think nor called me by my name again and yeah I came back. I change my mind. Give me back the envelope I'll be the one to announce it. That's all for now, you can rest." He could not look at me when he said those words. It was as if he didn't even know that he had rudely passed the envelope in my hand and then he suddenly removed his coat and threw it at me. "I'll just work." And with that, he left me hanging.

I do not know why my heartbeat seemed to change suddenly. From the feeling of horrendous to something, I can't even explain.

"What's wrong with me?" That was all I could say as I watched him walk away from me.

»But because of that, he did not realize that he had gone to the forest that would mislead him in reality. In a world where darkness and eternal gloom prevail.

The End!«

This children story is entitled Catching Fireflies that I read last night. For those who have read it, the book is only about the importance of following parental advice. But for me, this story is about a child who likes to hunt fireflies. There are things in our life that are impossible become possible but its either it will lead you to good or evil. Things that I thought of now. Just like how I accepted being a living reaper for a very impossible reason. However, whether the decision I make is good or bad, I will stand by it. I hope all of us too.