CHAPTER-2
Thanatos walked briskly down the pier of Los Angeles, his sooty charcoal coat billowing behind him with soft midsummers breeze. He was dressed formally, in his work clothes, and expensive onyx suit, black leather shoes and a long black coat. His starry hair was combed back, his face all angles as he walked toward Saint Mary Hospital. Mortals could not see him, actually nor could the supernatural, nobody could see him except for the dead or those who were going to die. He looked at the heavy silver watch on his wrist, it was eleven-forty in the night. He took out his list of souls, written on the paper kept carefully in the folds of his coat.
“Name : Angelina Thompson
Species : Human
Age : 28
Time of Death : 12:00 a.m., 17th July, 2019
Cause of Death : Leukemia
Allotment in After life : Elysium”
She would be dying in twenty minutes. He hurried his pace, he could not be late, Death was never late. And he prided himself for his flawless work. His work was to take the souls of the Dead to Underworld, and help Hades allot them into their rightful places in the Underworld. All the information, including their place in the Underworld was directly written by the three sisters of Fate into his List. Angelina Thompson. She was the last soul he had to collect for the day. He never felt pity or sadness when he collected and escorted the souls, he was Death, and Death was inevitable. He entered the Hospital silently, like a long gloomy shadow of doom. She was in room 303. He walked up the long isles of the hospital, and entered her room. It was exactly twelve ‘o’ clock. He was right on time, like always. The dead limp body of the woman laid on the crisp hospital sheets peacefully, and her soul stood beside her, looking at her body in shock. This always happened. Mortals could never believe they were dead.
“Miss Thompson”, Thanatos called out, standing calmly beside the door.
The soul looked jerkily at Thanatos, her mouth gaping.
“How.. what.. what is that?!”, she cried out pointing to her dead body. Thanatos looked at her in the eye, not blinking once before telling,
“Its your dead body. You have died, at 12:00 a.m. 17th of July,2019. I am here to escort you to the afterlife.”
“No! No.. I have not died! Not yet..”, she frantically clawed at the body beside, shaking her head in disbelief. Thanatos sighed, why must mortals be so annoying, even at their death? Here went again. He said in a gentler tone,
“You have died, this your soul, which has no solid form, which is why your hand is going through your body. I know your time was short, but you were in too much of pain. The fates chose this for you, you can not change it, only accept it. But if you come with me, you can fulfil all your dreams and wishes, you will be in a better place.”
“No..I can’t die, I still have so much I want to do…”
Mortals were never satisfied, but he could not blame them, life was too sweet, and Death too bitter.
“You can do it all if you come with me. Where else can you go?”
The soul began reluctantly walking towards him, heaved down by regrets. Thanatos checked his watch, 12:05, he had to take her to the Underworld by one ‘o’ clock. But since this soul did not argue much, he would be early. He smiled.
“Lets go.”
He guided her to the back of the Hospital where a garden illuminated by starlight lay. The sky was gentle map of stars, the mortal world was like mortal live, beautiful and short. When you were an entity that existed before time, you could not help but yearn to live a short sweet life, which would end. But he could not, for he was Death. Behind a twisted willow tree lay a staircase, invisible to all but the dead, leading to the Underworld. He guided the soul down the staircase, as she looked longingly at mortal one last time, before descending to the Afterlife.
******
“Name- Angelina Thompson, Allotment- Elysium. She never committed an action of hate or violence in her whole life. Her rightful place is the Elysian Gardens.”, Thanatos said his voice like stone, not betraying a single emotion.
“Hmm.”, Hades looked at Thanatos’s List for details on the young woman, before folding it and returning it back to Thanatos. He cleared his throat, ready to say the Last Judgement of the day.
“Angelina Thompson, you have lived the life of true Elysian soul, so from now on, you will live in Elysium, and have all your desires and wishes fulfilled. You can see and bless your family from there.”, Hades said his voice cold, and regal.
The soul gasped in surprise, happiness radiating from her countenance at the mention of her family, before bowing.
“Thank you, your Grace.”
“The Guards will show you to the Elysian fields.”
The soul was taken to Elysium by the Guards of Hades Realm. Thanatos bowed,
“I shall be leaving then your Highness.”
Hades nodded, but Persephone yanked his arm and whispered something furiously in his arm. The King’s eyes widened with realisation, and Thanatos’s eyebrows scrunched.
“Aah Yes! Thanatos, Persephone and I have a present for you!”, the King said solemnly, while the Queen just nodded excitedly. Thanatos perfect silver eyebrows scrunched,
“Thank you, Your Highness, but for what?”
“Your loyal service Thanatos, go to the Blood Moon club, in Pennsylvania in the mortal land of Romania, your present awaits you.”, Persephone said.
“I simply perform my duty my Queen, you flatter me, thank you for your kindness, I shall go there immediately.”, Thanatos said, still unsure of what was going on. A mortal club? Why would he go there? He was not one to indulge in mortal or divine drinks, and hated anything which was related to music or dancing. Ughh! Just the thought made him shudder, of disgusting sweaty stinky bodies, dancing with the rancid smell of alcohol. But the King and Queen of the Underworld had a present for him there, whatever it was. He would have to go there, it was practically a Royal Decree.
*****
The Blood Moon club was exactly how he imagined it to be, nasty. Disgustingly sweaty mortals wiggled like worms everywhere. Thanatos gagged. He walked towards the centre of the club, but he felt a pull, like the earths gravity, pulling him towards the right most corner of the club. At the right most corner sat a woman, a witch, Thanatos realised by her aura, wearing a puffy white ball gown, her raven hair, flowing like a dark starless sky around her. She held in her right hand a cocktail glass with a blue liquid inside. She looked exquisite, and Thanatos felt…. Attracted towards her? He gasped, how was that possible? That dratted rat Eros better have not done anything to him, or those conniving sisters of Fate! Why would disturb his peaceful life?! He was Death, how could he possibly have feelings towards anything? Why, was he feeling this hum, this energy when he looked at her? Why did he feel like a star orbiting around the sun, which was her? The woman suddenly tensed, as if realising his presence. How could she feel his presence? She was not meant to die, there were no more names in his List, so how could she sense him? She suddenly lifted her head sharply and looked at him with her beautiful viridian eyes, speckled with a lustrous gold. Could she see him? It seemed like she could, as she screamed a deafening scream and threw her cocktail glass right at his head.
*******
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