1 chapter one - part one

A THICK CLOUD of air escaped my lungs and into the cold winter air, I stood high in the snowy plain, looking for the cabin. My eyes searched for an exit in the clearing, everything was covered in white, making my eyes twitch and squint. A part of me wants to quit the damn search and do something more productive.

I began to walk again, my dark winter boots crunching in the snow. My nose was frozen by now, I sniffed, and snot seemed to be dribbling out more than before.

I stuck my gloved hands in my pockets and continued on, stopping at a wall of trees. Weird symbols marked on their trunks.

You're in the right place.

Yeah, I can tell. I rolled my eyes and entered a gap between the trees. Upon entering the gap, there was no longer snow, but a flowery meadow.

How convenient, you're looking for a witch and she's in the most clique place known to supernatural stereotypes.

Can you just shut up? I huff out and began to walk. I take my gloved hands from my pockets and carefully pushed any flowers in my way to the side.

As I got closer, a wood cabin covered in flowers and vines had smoke brewing from it's chimney. An old woman in a long red dress watered a flower bed by the door. She pauses to turn and look at me, I stopped in my tracks. A few moments pass as she still looked at me carefully, I wasn't a witch hunter, but I knew of many. "Are you going to stand there or are you going to come inside for some tea?" She said, her watering can disappears and her hands on her hips. Hesitantly I take a step forward. I was afraid of what the woman might do. She was a witch after all, who knows what kind of magic she could do.

I'm blaming this on you if we die.

I'm not complaining, I mentally replied.

Rude.

I smirked in triumph and stalked closer until I reached the old witch who smiled at me kindly.

Inviting me inside her home, I warily stared around my surroundings, one by one multiple coloured candles lit up, black candle that smells like sandalwood began to burn faster.

"Black candles tend to burn faster when demons are around. So, Reaper, are you here to reap my soul?" She said sternly. My eyes widen, and she began to cackle like a witch.

"I'm just kidding dear. Sit down I'll give you some tea" she said taking a breath. The witch placed four different herbs into four bowls and placed them on a tray with a steaming teapot and two cups. "So, what brings you to Emerald Meadow?" She said and poured tea into the cups.

"That's the thing I don't know" I said.

The only time I'll let you admit that.

The woman squints her eyes as she stared into mine. "That's a dangerous voice you've got there" she said, I detected a Scottish accent in her voice.

I scoff. "Dangerous? Please, it just insults me" I said.

"I would be careful with it. It seems it wants to escape"

Anytime. Please for the love of god get me out. I roll my eyes and took the cup. "Ah! Herbs and then drink" scowled the woman and sprinkled three of the four herbs into the cup.

"I'll get my tarot cards" she said and stood to her feet. A moment later she returns with a very thick and large book and a small box with tarot cards inside. "I believe you don't want to be a Reaper anymore, correct?"

"Mainly" I replied.

"Drink the tea then place hands flat on table until I say otherwise" she said and layed 10 cards down. I began to fear what shall happen.

"Do you remember anything from your childhood?"

I gulped. "No. I don't remember anything now that I think about it"

The witch pauses moving the cards. "To be a Reaper you must either be dying, dead or in the afterlife. You might have been any of those"

"Is that why I can't remember"

I can't remember entering your body, yuck.

"The voice doesn't know either"

"Reaper's abilities can often lead to memory erasing, if a childhood might have been emotionally unstable or simply because that life is over, and you can not dwell over what happened centuries ago"

"It's also hard to remove your abilities of a Reaper because you can die or be reborn into something else or Hades can recommend you to the Grim Reaper himself, even worse. Lucifer"

I nod. I work for them and god it was awful. Hades must have to be worse than Lucifer because of his punishments and the forever bound to the underworld. "Pick three cards from the ten I have laid out" I glanced at the cards nervously, and as I placed a finger on the card the witch lifted her hand and the card began to levitate.

I continued to pick three cards and then the witch laid them out in front of me. "The death card, the devil and the knight of cups"

"What do they mean?" I asked.

"My dear you are in for a treat"

"Am I going to die?"

The woman laughs. "You could it depends on your choices my darling"

I glance away, the witch pinches the last herb and sprinkled it into my drink.

"Drink up" I sigh and lifted the cup to my lips and the liquid began to slide down my throat, a sickly-sweet taste left on my tongue. As I tried to get up my vision began to blur. "What the-"

"Once a Reaper always a Reaper"

Then the world goes black.