Announcement– by preety-lady-serenity

Disclaimer: The character do not belong to me, they belong to a tons of character designer. I just had the idea and even if they sue me, they will probably get nothing.

This is of course is dedicated to Bleedman and the wonderful world he created in his comic 'Grim Tales from Down Below'.

I know the story has a few grim images but do consider who we are talking about.

-)-)-) shows scene change


The wooden door of the castle creaked open and the skeletal form of the Grim Reaper entered it slowly. He smirked to himself. It was a pleasure to know he was covering the ground he had created years ago. He looked at the candles that were on the wall, glared and they lit up in green blazes. He entered further inside and it happened.

Swoosh! He raised his scythe and the dagger fell with a hollow clank. Another swishing sound. He saw his robe caught on the wall behind him, nailed by a dagger. His eyeholes narrowed. So far they were even. He avoided the next dagger, sneered to himself and disappeared into the shadows.

Mandy narrowed her eyes. She gazed around and tried to hear the soft swishing sound of the black cloak. She sniffed the air like a hunting vixen, held the dagger in her right hand and threw it swiftly on the dark left dark corner. She felt satisfaction when she heard a soft 'ugh' coming from the corner. She heard shuffling. It was obvious. Grim was unable to move. Mandy walked to face Grim, who she expected to be trapped. It was only when she reached the corner that she saw the dagger pierced on the wall on its own.

"The bloody skeleton must have materialised himself," she thought gritting her teeth. Suddenly the cold metal blade of the scythe pierced the back of her neck from edge to edge, cutting her hair in the process. She turned quickly, almost spasmodically, to see and she found herself pressed against the wall by Grim's weight, the scythe's blade on her throat.

"If you were mortal you would be dead by now," he pinpointed in amusement.

"I should have been dead a long time ago but it seems the Grim Reaper had other plans for me," se reminded with a smirk, an eyebrow arching in emphasis.

The skeletal face of Grim remained smiling. Mandy remained smirking and then moved her head causing the wounds to close and her hair to grow back. It was ironic, of course, but when Grim was set free, and she had conveniently set the first plans for him, he started going through his second prime. He stopped the killing of domestic animals and started enjoying the killings of mortals once again. The enjoyment brought back his old glamour. Mandy, though she would never admit it loudly to Grim, was bewitched from her husband's powerful aura the day he had proposed. His aura had grown stronger and for a second she felt her features change by a power called fear. A creature, a male, which had caused her fear, surely gained her respect. That moody evening in the Underworld, Grim radiated more powerfully than ever and she could not help but feel curious on the reason her husband was that way. That evening, she almost shuddered herself from fear for a second, before reminding herself that she was immortal.

-)-)-)

"How was your day?" she asked during dinner.

Food was unnecessary anymore but Grim mentioned he enjoyed the different taste that spread on his tongue, down his palate and throat. She also found food a pleasure. Mandy, as a child, wondered where the food went in him. Grim never explained, not even when she finally asked after their marriage.

"I crashed a plane," he answered back in amusement.

Mandy sniffed indignantly. The skeleton was not saying how he did it, therefore this was very good. Queen of the Underworld or not, she had to suppress her female curiosity to ask for more details. She remained quiet, eating her food, sipping her wine and waiting for Grim to continue. She was to find out that her husband was nor telling. She chewed, casting glances at him every once and awhile, he smirked playfully with an expression that clearly stated 'I-Know-Something-You-Don't-Know'. Yes, her glances expressed annoyance by the end of their meal.

Having done with eating, Grim stood up and retreated in his chambers. He stood and counted to ten. He expected her to burst in and demand from him to tell her how he had crashed that plane. He pouted when she did not enter.

"Dat woman is hard headed as mule. She'd rather rot from curiosity dan ask," he murmured to himself in annoyance and moved to take off his robes. He had no chance to do so, nevertheless, as Mandy burst into the room with a savage look. One of her daggers landed near Grim's foot.

"I want to know how that plane crushed," she demanded when Grim turned to see her with a raised eyebrow.

"You want ta know?" he asked taking a step towards her, "One of de pilots had a heart-attack during de flight – he took another step forward – de other pilot of course announced an urgent landing - Grim's eyes were triumphant. Mandy took a step backwards – it seemed, however, dat de plane was not properly checked so de automatic pilot broke down - Mandy could fell herself flinching and she took another step backwards as Grim advanced – ta de pilot's surprise the landing system broke as well right before de landing - he gave a triumphant smile – did I mention dat de country's national air force was not prepared for such situations? – Grim saw his wife losing her balance and landing on their bed – and after many agonising hours de plane went boom!" he concluded leaning over the blonde woman and planted a kiss on her lips, "So what da ya think?"

"You surely know how to send shivers down a woman's spine," Mandy purred in satisfaction, in one of her rarest moments, and returned the kiss back to her husband.

Grim stood up, leaving the woman and started to take off his black robes. He glared at the wardrobe and lifted up his arms. The wardrobe's door opened and a set of black night robes dressed him.

"So, how was your day?" he asked as he tied the black, silk belt, of his night robes, his back turned.

"Fine," Mandy said in boredom as if nothing of interest has taken place, "I scared some of our subjects out of their fangs, terrorised some mortals, planted some ideas – oh," she said as if she had remembered something of low importance, "I am pregnant as well."

Grim did not turn to face his wife. He remained rigid still for some seconds, looking down at his silk belt. After those seconds that seemed to him like centuries, he turned slowly, stared at Mandy as if he had seen her for the first time in his life and then fell flat on the floor. Clearly he head fainted.

"I should get pregnant more often," Mandy thought and sat back, not making an effort to revive her husband.

-)-)-)

Grim came round with a small groan. He lied on his stomach, if he had one, and looked at Mandy, who was reading a magazine skimming most pages in the process. He went and sat near her.

"You are pregnant," he stated in puzzlement.

"Yes Grim, I am pregnant, with a baby, I nave a bun in the oven," Mandy stated a bit irritated.

"How's dat possible?" Grim asked.

Mandy snorted.

"We had sex Grim. You know that action we did on our honeymoon night, and then the day after that and for the whole week that was; and then…"

"I know what sex is," Grim stopped her abruptly, "I mean… well de impregnation of an immortal is not like de one of a mortal. It does not just happen. An immortal woman must really want ta get pregnant in order for this ta happen ta her and with de father she chooses. I thought you hated children."

Mandy remained silent. And to Grim's greater shock she lowered her eyes and turned crimson red. She remained blushing and looked at the bed's cover.

"MmmaybeImwanttohavemmyourchildren," she mumbled quite red.

"I am sorry, I didn't catch dat," Grim said in confusion.

"I said I maybe want to have your children, are you satisfied now?" she hissed still blushing uncomfortably and looked at him in the eyeholes, "Maybe children, our children will not be so bad after all."

"No, dey will probably not be," Grim said slowly with a faint smile.

"Oh and Grim," Mandy hissed in her threatening usual self, "If you start announcing it happily, I will harm you."

"This is de Underworld woman," Grim scoffed as if she had greatly insulted him, "We do not happily announce it. We proudly declare it after we scare our subjects out of their wits. Now go ta sleep. It is late. I have killings ta do tomorrow.


So what do you think? Was it good?