Don't Fear The Reaper
(Formerly: Insert Frown Here)
~Prologue~
Guess What! I've changed the name of the story from 'Insert Frown Here' to 'Don't Fear the Reaper' because the plot has changed slightly since when it was first written. Do not worry; you will not have to re-read the entire story because any changes will be minor/insignificant.
"So, Koko you wanna go to the mall with me an' Jazz tomorrow?" For no particular reason I found myself suddenly interested in my fingernails. I really need to grow them out."Hey! Kumiko, so are you coming or not?" I glared at the speaker phone that was currently sitting in it's cradle next to my bed. "I don't know Becky …" I trailed off knowing she was doing that thing Rebecca does when I deny her a shopping trip.
Right now she's probably flipping the bird at her speaker phone and in her head is screaming curses that even I, Kumiko Stiller, could ever imagine. One thing about Rebecca Kross, she LOVES to shop…but she'll never shop alone. If she asks you to go and you say no…I shivered at the though of her constant nagging. BUT I ABSOLUTLY HATE MALLS!
"Well if you decide you want to come you can meet us in the food court at 3 pm sharp! Ok?" I sighed and muttered out a low ok and listened as she hung up. I crawled across my bed and turned the phone off.
As I returned to my previous lounging position on my bed I caught a glimpse of myself in my vanity mirror. I'm in college this year, meaning I'm 20 years old. I'm short, 5.3 and I doubt I'm getting any taller. I'm okay in the chest department and have a curvy hourglass figure. My hair is a light chocolate brown with caramel blonde lowlights, it's straight and it goes to my shoulders. To be honest I'm a girly girl. I like pink, I like make-up, I'm afraid of spiders and I like to wear dresses.
I like shopping too, just not at the mall. Well, where do I shop then? Simple. Anywhere that's not the mall. Why do I hate the mall so much? Because the soul reason for its existence is to humiliate, maim and torture me. Every time I go I either fall down the escalator, get framed for shoplifting, spill something on myself, sit in something or accidently walk into a porn shop. And before you say anything, yes I am that dumb.
The door to my room cracked open slightly and my cat, Squeaker, pushed her way in. Immediately she hopped up on the bed, sensing my distress, and began to give me snuggles. I had to sneak her on to campus and thankfully my roommate likes her, so she's safe here. She rolled over on her side as I stroked her warm and fluffy stomach."What do you think I should do squeaky?" She let out that high pitched squeak of hers that is supposed to be a meow and looked at me with her huge green eyes. That always gets me."Alright, fine! I'll go."
XX—XX—XX—XX
I grumbled irritably as I sat down at the food court, a container of fries in hand. I glared at Jazz and Rebecca who were standing across the food court with their boyfriends, waiting to order a pizza. They hadn't told me they were going to bring their boyfriends so I feel like a total fifth wheel.
I shoved another fry into my mouth not bothering to look pretty while I did it. I noticed the people around me subtly shifting away from me because of the obvious killer aura I was giving off. You ever watched the anime Bleach before? Well my aura was like Ichigo's spiritual pressure right now.
I angrily shoved yet another fry in my mouth wondering how I had let my cat talk me into this…and then I realized that cats can't talk. In fact mine can't even meow…it squeaks. Alright, I've officially decided that I'm a lonely loser who needs to;
1. Get a boyfriend
2. Some REAL friends
3. Stop talking to cats
4. Stay away from the mall at all costs.
Jazz turned around and waved at me, not kindly, but almost mockingly. She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and turned around to the moron she called a boyfriend, who was currently checking out another girl's ass.
I swear at that moment steam blew out of my ears. I quickly stood up, threw my half full carton of fries in the garbage and took off. I caught Rebecca's eye on my way out of the food court but I didn't wave or make a gesture, I just continued to leave the mall. I needed some fresh air.
Once I was outside the mall I let the cold December air filter into my lungs. It felt nice, the cold making the air taste clean. I heard my cell phones ringtone which was Funhouse by P!nk (I love that song). I flipped it open and read the text message before me:
12/11/09 3:35 pm
From: Rebecca
To: Kumiko
What did u take off for? Wher'd u go?
I quickly responded:
12/11/09 3:37 pm
From: Kumiko
To: Rebecca
Felt lik a 5th wheel. Sry, for takin' off but I wasn't having much fun. + Jazz wuz being bitchy fr some reason.
I sent it and within seconds I received a reply:
12/11/09 3:39 pm
From: Rebecca
To: Kumiko
I guess Jazz wuz right when she said that u were jealous of us. If u keep being jealous I dont tink we can bee friends no more.
I was furious. What would cause Jazz and Rebecca to think I was jealous of them and their brainless boyfriends? Enraged I snapped my phone shut and stepped off the curb without thinking. I heard a honking noise and turned around just in time to see the nose of a public bus heading towards me. Knowing there was no time to run I closed my eyes and braced myself. I felt my feet being dislodged from the ground and the air being forced out of my lungs. The last thing I thought before my head hit the hard asphalt was; This is why I HATE malls.
XX—XX—XX—XX
Rebecca snapped her phone shut and glanced at Jazz who had been looking over her shoulder the whole time. "She's so jealous. I mean if she wasn't she would have replied." Jazz said matter-o-factly. Rebecca wearily nodded.
"Dude you'll never guess what just happened!" Jazz's boyfriend had returned from outside. He had gone for a smoke just a minute after Kumiko, or Koko as they liked to call her, had left. "What?" Jazz asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes. Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Some chick just got hit by a bus!" Immediately her boyfriend wanted to go take a look and before they knew it she and Jazz were on their way to see too.
Once they got outside she immediately spotted the body of a young woman sprawled out across the pavement, her brown hair covering her face like a mask. A pool of blood was surrounding her and Rebecca forced herself to look away. She noticed jazz bend down and pick up something at her feet. Rebecca peered at it also. "Must be the chick's cell phone." Her boyfriend said snatching it away. "Let's check out who's on her contacts list." Jazz's boyfriend said flipping it open. Rebecca felt disgusted with how this woman's death didn't seem to matter to them.
"Hey look Jazz, you and Rebecca are on here." Jazz's boyfriend said handing the phone back to the two girls. Jazz, who was holding the phone, just stared at it. But Rebecca grabbed her own phone and dialed Kumiko's number. The dead woman's phone started ringing and the foursome turned their attention back to the cold, lifeless body that was once Kumiko Stiller.
XX—XX—XX—XX
White…
That's all Kumiko could see. It was a pure white. Whiter then freshly fallen snow, whiter then the whitest wedding dress.
Bright…
The blank world around her glowed brightly. Piercing, clear light that made her eyes ache.
Those were the first things that registered in her mind as she lay there, eyes open. Suddenly, she realized she was not breathing and she quickly struggled to take a breath. Finally she succeeded. It was more like a gasp then a breath but after that her breathing became more normal. She stood up slowly, her forest green eyes scanning her surroundings.
Nothing.
She saw nothing. Just white. Just, blinding white.
"Kumiko Stiller…" Came the whisper. The voice sounded like the wind, quietly swooshing past her ears.
"Wh-who s-said that." She choked out.
"That doesn't matter Kumiko Stiller…" This time the voice sounded like it came from behind her so she whipped around to face whoever it was who was speaking to her. She was met with nothing.
"Alright then," She said cautiously "where am I?" It was a few moments before the voice answered, but when it did she found she was unsatisfied with what it said. "That doesn't matter either. What matters is why you are here."
Kumiko stayed silent and waited for the spirit-like voice to continue."You have been chosen from millions of souls to be my follower."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa follower? I didn't sign up to be a minion!" Kumiko protested loudly, swinging her arms in the air.
"Too bad, you have no choice." The voice sounded irritated now. Kumiko calmed down realizing the voice was right. The last thing she remembered was being very angry and then being hit by a bus.
"What do I do then?" She asked, excepting her fate.
"I need you to become a Reaper."
"Like the Grim reaper? What's a reaper?"
The voice chuckled. "A reaper is the only being in the universe that can live a thousand lives. A reaper is able to travel to different dimensions."
"Oh…What does a reaper do?"
"A reaper's soul purpose is to collect souls of the dead, help them pass on."
"How do I collect souls?"
"You'll learn young reaper, you'll learn." Suddenly the world around her began to turn to color. "Wait! Whoever you are! Please tell me your name!" She called frantically.
"I am Matsuro."
XX—XX—XX—XX
Kumiko stalked down the black corridor, ignoring the fact that her eyes were leaking blood. Finally, she reached a door and she furiously yanked it open. She ground her teeth as her green catlike eyes landed on a white silhouette of a woman.
The woman was tall, with long platinum blonde hair and steel blue eyes. She wore a long, white, shapeless robe that trailed on the ground and her hair was tied in a loose Dutch braid.
"MATSURO!" She shouted and before the woman even had a chance to turn around Kumiko was at her throat. "Yes Kumiko?" The woman asked calmly, despite the fact she was extremely close to death. "What the hell is this?" She pointed to her bleeding green orbs.
Matsuro took her time, narrowing her eyes at the crimson liquid and then closing them in thought. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity she replied. "It is your time of renewal." Kumiko released her master and took a step back, confusion apparent on her face. "Renewal?" She had never heard of a 'renewal' before.
Suddenly, the room they were in turned into the white world that Kumiko had grown accustom to."Remember when I first contracted you to my services?" Kumiko nodded.
"Well, that was exactly 150 years ago."
"So?" Matsuro chuckled.
"Every 150 years, a reaper must 'go on holiday' in order to keep up their strength." Matsuro sighed at Kumiko's confused expression. "In other words, every 150 years you will be reborn into a dimension of your choice. You must survive there for 50 or more years."
"And if I don't 'go on holiday'?" Kumiko asked snidely.
"Then you will become powerless. You will no longer be a reaper, just a useless wandering soul that is unable to pass on, even with the help of a reaper." Kumiko looked a little put off at this. Then she asked more quietly.
"And what if I don't survive for 50 years or more?"
"The same thing. A wandering soul, never to pass on." Before Kumiko could ask any more questions a water-like substance appeared at their feet. "Is their any dimension you've been to that you wish to live in?"
Kumiko wanted to say # 54, which was her home dimension but she remembered how miserable she was there. She didn't remember the numbers of any other dimension so she closed her eyes and called out a random number.
"# 7?" It sounded more like a question but Matsuro took it as an answer anyway, and when Kumiko opened her eyes again, she was standing in an alleyway. She looked down at her new body, it was that of a 5 year old girl.
Kumiko smiled, her best memories happened when she was 5 and that was a verrry long time ago. She took a deep breath and walked out of the alleyway, ready for whatever challenges faced her.
