After

by Bonnie Walker

A fidgety man with brown hair and vivid blue eyes paced in front of a bench, staring at the piece of paper in his hand.

“Evaline Fae…that sounds so familiar….”

Frowning, he continued, “Evaline Fae Devereaux.”

As he puzzled, another man appeared with a loud crack then walked up to the first with a slight smirk and a cocky swagger.

“What’s wrong Maurice?”

Whipping around, Maurice let out a shriek. “Grim! What are you doing here sir?”

“Maurice, my faithful Reaper…are you done with your list?” Grim asked, smiling innocently.

Maurice went pale, putting up his hands defensively and stammered, “Well, no…but I only have one more name.”

Grim held out his hand. “Let me see the list.”

Maurice looked at the hand like it was a snake waiting to strike, then hesitantly gave him the list.

As Grim looked at the list, Maurice could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His vision tunneled in on the hand that held the condemning piece of paper.

Grim looked up. “You got the cat?”

Maurice ran his hand through his hair, then looked at Grim sheepishly.

“Not exactly….”

Grim sighed, his eyes rolling. “Then what exactly, Maurice?” His fist clenched, crumpling the corner of the page. “This has to stop! You are a Grim Reaper! You can’t keep letting things go!”

Maurice nodded, “I know! I know!” he said hastily. He paused before continuing, “It was just this once . . . it’s just . . .” he bit his lip and pointed at the list, “Mauled by a dog? Can’t the cat just, I don’t know, die in its sleep?”

Staring incredulously, Grim roared, “No! It can’t! You have let the same cat go eight times, Maurice! It has to get mauled by a dog. That will never change!”

All was silent for a moment, then Maurice let out a nervous, choked laugh. “Has it been eight times?”

Grim glanced at the list again. “Did you get the fire fighter?”

Maurice flushed. “No….”

With flashing eyes, Grim growled, “And why in the nine circles of hell not?”

Glancing around anxiously, Maurice reasoned quickly, “He had just saved a bunch of kids from a burning building!” Seeing Grim’s unimpressed look, he continued frantically, “I couldn’t just let him die!”

Grim shook the list in front of Maurice’s face.

“What do you not understand? It’s not your job to let him die. It’s your job to make sure he dies!” Grim began to pace back and forth, sighing. “It’s our job to make people die when their time is up! It doesn’t matter what they have and haven’t done! I have half a mind to fire you if you don’t — ”

“No!” Maurice exclaimed, then quietly pleaded, “No, I’ll do better, I swear.”

Deflating slightly, Grim sighed. “Maurice, why in the world do you want to be a Grim Reaper? You hate violence. You can’t stand it when people die. Why do you keep doing this?”

Maurice stayed silent for a moment, then bluntly stated, “I don’t want to die.”

Grim frowned. “Why not?”

Staring at his shoes again, Maurice whispered, “Sir, it terrifies me.”

“You’re afraid of dying,” Grim said slowly. When Maurice nodded, Grim continued, “So you became a Grim Reaper so you didn’t have to die…and now you get to throw people at your fear without facing it. Is that right?”

“Not exactly,” Maurice grimaced. “It’s like… I don’t know! I can’t explain it! It’s illogical!” Wincing, he said, “I know my reason is stupid, it just makes it easier on me.”

Grim smiled slightly, “No, Maurice…it’s not stupid. It’s just human.”

Cocking his head to one side, Maurice raised an eyebrow. “Is that a good thing?”

“That is the age-old question, isn’t it?” Grim chuckled bitterly. “The answer depends on your view of humanity.” He paused for a second, then looked Maurice dead in the eyes. “That leaves one question for you Maurice…what is your view of humanity?”

Maurice frowned, “There’s no good answer to that, sir.”

Grim smirked. “And why not?”

“Sir, I don’t have a good view of humanity as a whole,” Maurice began hesitantly. As he spoke, he gained confidence. “I grew up surrounded by crappy people. All I see in humanity is the faults it is made of. I see the bad in everyone, call me a pessimist if you’d like. Anyone can betray everyone. There’s no trust or morality and people will do anything to get better things for themselves. Everyone has a price.”

They were both silent for a few moments, then Maurice whispered bitterly, “You ask me what my view of humanity is, sir? I see horrid people who don’t give a damn about anyone else.”

Grim looked at him curiously. “Then why don’t you like to hurt other people?”

Maurice’s voice was barely a whisper. “Because I give a damn.”

They stared at each other for a second. Then Grim inquired, “Why are you so afraid of dying?”

Looking cautious, Maurice replied, “I guess, that I was afraid I’d stop existing after I died.”

Grim frowned in concentration. “Maurice, you died because you jumped off a building.” Looking up, he continued, “If you are so afraid of dying, why did you kill yourself?”

A tear made its way down Maurice’s blank face as he choked out, “I was more afraid of living, sir.”

Grim sighed. “Maurice, you begged me to let you be a Reaper so your spirit wouldn’t die when your body did, but I can’t have Reapers who don’t do their job. You can stay a Grim Reaper, but only if you don’t let anyone else go. It that clear?”

Maurice nodded, quickly wiping tears off his cheeks. “Yes sir.”

“That cat will get mauled by a dog?” Grim asked

“Yes, sir.”

“The girl will get bitten by a rattlesnake?”

“Yes, sir.” Maurice frowned.

“That couple will get in a car accident?”

“Yes, sir.”

Grim nodded slowly, scrutinizing Maurice. “Alright. Go get the last person on your list. You can finish the rest tomorrow.”

Maurice’s face lit up. “Thank you so much sir!”

Grim started walking away, then turned back and said, “She might be someone you knew, you know.”

“What?”

“That last name on your list. As a Grim Reaper, you have no memory of specific names or faces, just beliefs and impressions. It is quite possible that you knew her.” Turning back again, Grim called, “Don’t let me down Maurice.”

There was a loud crack, then Grim was gone. Maurice stared at the empty space and whispered, “I won’t, sir.”

He looked down at his list to read the last name again.

“Evaline Fae Devereaux: New York City: Hit by a bus.”

With a quiet pop, Maurice appeared on the streets of New York City. It was almost sunset, and the skyscrapers sent glowering shadows over the large, bustling masses. Car horns and music from cafes filled the air as Maurice walked towards the corner. A young woman walked towards him staring at a map in her hand. Looking up as he approached, she bit her lip. After he passed, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Excuse me?” the woman asked. “Can you help me with something?”

Maurice turned, smiling slightly. “Yes? What can I do for you?”

She glanced nervously at the towering buildings. “I’m a little lost. Could you tell me how to get to the bus station?”

“Yes I can,” He took the map from her hand and pointed. “We’re right here. The station is just down the street, make a left at the second light.”

The woman sighed with relief. “Thank you so much!”

As the woman turned away, Maurice called, “Wait, ma’am?” She turned around. “Do I know you?”

She looked at him and frowned, “I think so…but I can’t remember from where. I’m Evaline, what’s your name?

Maurice’s fist clenched around the list, but he replied, “I’m Maurice.”

Evaline’s face went blank. With a distant voice, she whispered, “Maurice?”

“…Are you okay?” he asked.

Her expression morphed to one of terror. “Maurice?”

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

“Maurice! Wake up!” Evaline pleaded.

“What?”

“Please!” she screamed. “Wake up, Maurice! Don’t die, please!”

Maurice recoiled. “What are you talking about?”

Evaline lunged forward, grabbing Maurice’s arm in a vice-like grip. “Maurice! Wake up! Please wake up!”

Maurice tried to wrench from her grip. “What are you talking about? I’m already dead! Leave me alone!”

With a final tug, he pulled away from her and disappeared with another quiet pop.

Staring at the blank space in shock, Evaline panicked. She fell to her knees, staring in horror at the empty ground.

“Maurice, please wake up! No! No, don’t die! Someone help! Someone help me please!”

A loud horn sounded suddenly, and the entire world around her became a black fog. Slowly, Evaline woke from her panic and looked around. “Where am I?”

Grim appeared with a crack behind her. “Hello.”

Evaline spun around quickly. “Who are you?” she asked shakily. “Where am I?”

With a sad glance, Grim said, “I am Death. Call me Grim. You are in the realm between Life and the Afterlife.”

Evaline frowned. “I’m dead?” At Grim’s nod, she glanced around. Then, remembering what had happened, she turned to him.

“What about Maurice? He jumped off a building! Where is he?”

She looked around frantically, then froze, “Wait. I was in the street, where Maurice fell…and he stopped breathing…and there was a bus….” She frowned, deep in thought. “Why was there a bus?”

Smiling gently, Grim said, “You got hit by a bus, Evaline. Don’t worry, Maurice is fine…better than he has been in a long time, actually.”

Biting her lip, Evaline asked, “Where is he?”

Grim looked at her with a grimace. “That is harder to explain.”

She glared. “Where is he?”

Grim sighed.

“This place, think of it as After…you know, like after life and before the afterlife, if that makes any sense. In After, there is no time. There is eternity ahead, and you have all the time in the world. Maurice has been here for three years, and you have been her for barely two minutes, but you both died on the same day. Does that make sense?” She nodded and he quickly rushed on. “Maurice wasn’t ready to move on. So, it was my job to make it so that he wanted to move on. He was so set on being a Grim Reaper and not dying that I had to give him a push.”

“Wait,” Evaline interrupted, “I died to help Maurice be ready to move on to the afterlife?”

“That’s not why you died,” Grim said. “You would have died anyway. I’m just using it to my advantage so that both of you can move on together. You are his sister after all, maybe now he won’t be opposed to moving forward.”

Evaline frowned. “But where is he? What happens now?”

Grim laughed a little. “Now? Now you both move on. Run along and he’ll follow you in a short time.”

“Where do I go?” Evaline whispered, sounding like a lost child.

Pointing off into the mist, Grim said, “Walk that way, and follow the light. It will take you to a bridge. Cross it.”

Nodding shakily, Evaline walked off into the darkness.

Death touched a ring on his left hand and called out, “Maurice, come back to headquarters.” After a few seconds, there was a quiet pop and Maurice stood in the mist. “Hello Maurice,” Grim said softly.

Maurice stared unseeing into the mist, then whispered, “I knew her. She was my sister. I cared for her a great deal. She was the only reason I was still alive.” He looked at Grim with pain brimming in his eyes. “I can’t do this anymore, sir.”

Grim nodded, his face grave. “Alright.” He pointed into the darkness. “Walk that way, and follow the light. You’ll reach a bridge. Cross it.”

“Why is there a bridge, sir?” Maurice asked, his voice distant.

“Think of it as a cross roads,” Grim said. “You can either cross the bridge, and let go of the things on this side, or you can stay on this side, and keep all of the pain with you.”

Maurice nodded, dejectedly. “Alright, sir.”

As he walked away, his shoulders sagging, Grim called, “Maurice?”

“Yes, sir?”

Grim hesitated before smiling at him. “You did very well, Maurice. And I don’t think you should be afraid. Of living, or dying.”

Maurice smiled sadly back. “Thank you, sir.”

With that final word, Maurice walked into the mist, leaving Grim alone in the darkness.