Shun

The others walked back into my hosptial room. Murucho was carrying one of my bags of luggage that I had brought with me on the way to his house.

The short blonde handed me the bag and said, "This one has your clothes in it. The rest of your stuff is down in the limo with Kato." I took the bag and thanked him, then the others stepped out of the room so I could change out of the hospital's clothes.

I guess that I should have been thankful that Murucho went out of his way to go and retrieve my things from the wreckage that was now my car, but the thought didn't cross my mind at the moment. All that I was focused on, was why I had snapped at Dan earlier.

He had only seen my eye. That wasn't that big of a deal, right? Then why did I turn it into one? I asked myself. I finished getting dressed, feeling much more comfortable. There was a knock on the door, followed by Dan's voice, "You done changing in there?"

I adjusted my hair to where it covered my eye and told him, "Yeah." The five of my friends walked back into my room. How strange must this have seemed to them? When one day I was almost dead, and now, I was standing up like nothing happened.

Murucho clapped his hands together and told me, "Well, all the discharge papers have been taken care of, and Kato's waiting in front of the hospital for us. Shall we go?" I nodded to let him know that I was ready to leave, and our group left out of the room and began to head downstairs.

Dan

The sliding doors at the hospital's entrance, slid open and allowed us outside. Like Murucho had said, Kato was waiting by the curb for us, the limo already running and doors open for us to get in. The girls were first to go in, then Murucho.

I went in next and left some room for Shun, but he didn't make a move. He just stood there and stared at the limo. I leaned out of the door and asked him, "You coming with us or not?" He turned to face down the sidewalk and said, "If it's alright with you guys, I'd rather walk back to Murucho's."

I stared at him, confused by his sudden decision. Behind me, Murucho asked him, "Do you think you should be exerting yourself so soon after the accident?" Shun folded his arms across his chest and said flatly, "I'll be fine."

Annoyed now, I got out of the limo and said, "I'm going to walk with you. Murucho, tell Kato he can go on." Shun cut me a cold glare and said harshly, "I don't need somebody watching out for me. I can take care of myself." I was taken aback by his cold words, but my shock quickly wore off.

"Just get in the limo, Shun," I demanded. Why was he making such a big deal about this? Did he just not want to be around the five of us? Or was he still mad at me for earlier when I saw his eye? If that was the case, then he needed to get over it and grow up.

"No. I'm not getting in that limo, and I'm not letting you walk with me," he said in a harsh tone. From in the limo, Murucho was leaning out of the door and said sheepishly, "Dan, just let Shun walk by himself." I stared at Murucho, wondering why he was taking Shun's side.

It was obvious that Shun wasn't thinking straight. Perhaps that so-called 'concussion' had scrambled his brains more than the doctors thought. "Fine," I said with reluctance. Shun nodded his head and began to walk down the sidewalk without saying so much as a word to us.

Hesitating for a moment, I got into the limo with the others and slammed the door closed. "What's his problem?" I asked more to myself than the others, but Murucho didn't catch this, and went ahead to answer my question.

He told me, "Shun's been through something traumatic. He might not want to get into any vehicle so soon after his wreck." A feeling of guilt hit me. "I didn't think about that." Kato put the limo into drive and began the trip back to Murucho's.

Alice

Naturally, we beat Shun back to Murucho's by about an hour. He arrived back while Kato was setting the table for lunch. The butler smiled and told him, "Just in time. Lunch is about to be served." Shun nodded, but didn't say anything to the butler.

When Kato called for everyone to come to the dining hall to eat, Shun took a seat that was at the end of the table, which wasn't unusual for him; he always kept distance between him and the others. But this time felt different than before. Why was he acting like this? Had the accident altered him that much?

First, he lost his temper at Dan. Again, that wasn't something new, but it was the way he lost it. His words had been icy cold, almost like a threat. Then, Shun refused to get into the car, and another fight almost broke out between the two.

I believed that Murucho's theory about Shun not wanting to get into a vehicle after his wreck was correct, so I didn't think that it was because of any of us. Kato brought out the plates of food for lunch. Dan, Julie, Runo, Murucho, and I began to eat once the plates were set in front of us.

But Shun didn't even make a move. He just sat there, staring down at the food. He then let out a sigh. Murucho noticed Shun's discontent and asked him, "Is something wrong?" The raven-haired boy pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Just tired. I think I'm going to go up to my room and get some rest." His voice was void of almost any emotion, which left a pang in my chest. I didn't like seeing Shun miserable like this, but what could any of us do? We could suggest the idea of him seeing a therapist, but I knew good and well that he would reject the idea by saying that there was nothing wrong with him.

After that, lunch went by without many words being exchanged. Kato went around the table and asked if everyone was finished. When we told him that we were, he took up our plates and retreated to the kitchen to wash and put them away.

The five of us left the dining hall and went up to our usual sitting area, which also was on the same floor as our rooms that we were staying in during our visit. We sat around on the couches and sofas for a while before I stood up.

Runo asked me, "Where are you going, Alice?" I gave her a slight smile. "I thought I'd check in on Shun for a second," I informed her. Nobody protested against my choice. As I walked down the hall towards the room that Murucho had reserved for Shun, I began to hope that he wouldn't get mad at me for intruding.

When I reached his room, I lightly knocked on the door and awaited an answer. Nothing was said, and I knocked again for good measure, just in case he didn't hear me. Once again, no answer. Figuring that he was asleep, I quietly opened the door and found that my assumption was correct.

He was laying in his bed sound asleep from what I could tell. His hair had fallen off to the side of his face, revealing his injured eye that he had been hiding underneath. I felt bad for Shun. So much had changed for him in such a short amount of time. But I knew that his invisible wounds would slowly start to heal with time. Sighing, I pulled the door closed and went back to the others.

Shun

A sound that was similar to that of bird-like wings woke me from my sleep. Still groggy from just waking up, I sat up and looked around my room. As my good eye scanned the area, I didn't see anything. But a glimpse of black caught my sight, and I turned to find Death standing beside my bed.

I jumped and said, "Give a guy a warning next time you pop into his room, will ya?" A sly grin appeared on Death's face. "My bad," he said. I could still only see his mouth and bottom part of his nose; the rest of his face was still shrouded in darkness and mystery like before.

I fixed my messed up hair and asked him, "What are you doing in here anyway?" I was starting to grow somewhat annoyed with Death's sudden appearances. A little privacy might be appreciated. Death crossed his arms over his chest and said in a monotone voice, "I told you that I'd contact you later today, did I not?"

His previous visit in my hospital room had slipped my mind completely. And just as he had promised, he was contacting me. Out one of my room's windows, I saw that the sun was setting below the buildings. Was it already nearing nighttime?

I found it hard to believe that I had been asleep for such a long time, but it was possible. Death pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning against and said, "Alright, get up." I stared at him, clearly confused. "Get up? We're going somewhere?" Death sighed.

"You asked an awful lot of questions." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me out from the warmth of my bed; thankfully, I had fallen asleep in my clothes, so I was at least decent. Death snapped his fingers and a black mist began to rise up from the floor and engulf us.

Before I even had the chance to ask what he was doing, much less freak out, the mist turned everything black. When it began to disperse, I found myself outside somewhere in the city. "Uh," was all I could say. It was difficult for me to put what just happened into words.

Death explained to me, "If you're to be a Reaper, then you know how to Reap. I'm just going to show you an example." He was going to show me how to take somebody's soul? "I don't know if-" He cut me off and interrupted my statement.

"Don't worry. This person is supposed to die tonight. I'm not just killing some random bystander." That wasn't what I was going to mention to him, but the thought was on my mind; I didn't want to witness an innocent person die. What I was going to say, was that I wasn't sure if I wanted to know how.

I knew it was I had signed up for, but I felt like it was still too early to be thrown into this. Death started to walk down the sidewalk, and I chased after him. People passed right by us, not even paying attention to the shady, cloaked figure. The only thing I could figure out, was that they couldn't see him.

As if he had heard my thoughts, he told me, "The cloak makes myself invisible from the eyes of humans. You'll have to wear one when you begin to Reap souls." I didn't add in a comment. It was still weird how he was talking about taking souls as if it weren't a big deal.

Maybe I would feel the same way after a while. Stop over thinking this, Shun. I was alive, and given a second chance. There wasn't much I could complain about. No. There wasn't anything I should complain about. If I didn't want to do this, then I would have just let myself die.

But had I really been thinking when I accepted Death's offer? What if I had been too focused on living to really register anything that he had told me. It was too late now. The deal was done, and nothing could be changed about it. We stopped walking, and now stood in front of a nursing home.

Death pointed over to a window and said, "Stand in front of that one and watch." I did as he told me. When I reached the windows, I had to stand on my toes in order to see inside. Laying in a bed, with an oxygen mask on her face, was an old lady. He's going to kill a little old woman? I thought to myself.

Death slipped into the room by passing through the wall. He stood before the old woman. His scythe formed in his hand, and he swung it like a batter swinging at a baseball. The blade cut into her stomach, but no blood was shed. In fact, there wasn't even a scratch on her.

Instead, I watched as her soul was pulled from her body, and passed into a portal. The machines that were hooked up to her, began to flatline. Nurses and caregivers ran into the room and tried to bring the woman back, but they wouldn't be able to.

Like Death told me, this person was meant to die today. And when I thought about, this woman looked like she might have been suffering. Perhaps dying was a better alternative for her than living. Death passed through the wall and joined me outside of the window.

"Now, that didn't look so bad, did it?" he asked me. I shook my head, and Death began to walk again. I followed behind him, thinking about how humane the Reaping of souls was. Maybe I was wrong about this. It didn't look as bad as it was made out to be.

In a way, it was like helping end a person's suffering by sending them somewhere else. Night fell on the city while we were walking. Curious, I asked, "What are we doing now?" A grin formed on Death's darkened face when he said, "Just enjoying the night."

Was it strange for a being of Death to enjoy the night? The sidewalks and streets thinned of their crowds, only leaving behind the night-owls. When we passed an alley, I thought I heard singing. It sounded like somebody chanting, Reap their souls, Reap their souls. Where they go, only I will know.

I stopped and looked into the dark passageway, but saw nothing. "What's the matter?" Death asked me. "Thought I heard something," I replied. Then, I saw the sparkle of metal out of the shadows and person ran out of the alley. His hair was messy, covered with dirt and knots; it probably hadn't seen water in months.

Due to the dirt, I couldn't tell what color his hair actually was. The man's eyes were wide, almost mad looking. The smile he wore, matched the overall insane appearance of him. This man must have escaped from an hospital somewhere. But my theory was disproved when I saw what he held in his boney hands; a scythe.

This guy's a Reaper? He was either that, or a homicidle maniac on the loose. Beside me, Death grinned and said, "Why, hello, Grim. I didn't expect to see you here." This 'Grim' character snickered and said, "I can say the same for you, Death. Who's your little friend?"

Grim ran up to my face and began to examine me. Somewhat disturbed, I tried to back away, but he kept getting closer. "Grim, give the boy some space. He's new to all of this," Death told his 'friend.' Grim backed away some, but not enough for my liking. He stunk of filth and garbage, almost enough to make me gag.

His clothes were tattered and torn, covered with dirt and some kind of black stains. But when I looked closer, I noticed that they appeared to be from another time. Perhaps the late 1800s or early 1900s. Death cleared his throat and turned to me.

"This is Grim. He's been a Reaper for quite some time." Grim jumped into the conversation and said loudly, "And quite a good one at that!" If he had been in the Reaping business for a long time, then his clothing would make sense. Grim's smile vanished, and he got near my face once again. His insane eyes narrowed and began to look intently.

"Wh-what's he doing?" I asked Death, hoping for an explaination to this man's strange behavior. All Death did, was shrug his shoulders. Then, in one quick and fluent motion, Grim flicked his wrist and tossed my hair to side, uncovering my face.

I stared at him, knowing my eyes were wide with shock. His hand hovered near my face, and his wicked smile returned. He seemed to be totally engrossed with my scar and injured eye. "That's quite a scar you've got there. You know, I just love looking at scars. They tell me stories."

Grim then held out his index finger, and ran his long fingernail down the ragged path of my scar. I was frozen in place, my brain unable to understand what was happening. "You died in a car wreck. Interesting," he said while making his observation.

I snapped back to my senses and slapped the Reaper's hand away from my face. "Get your filthy hands off of me, freak!" I shouted. Grim took a step back, and a grin slowly formed on his lips. He then threw his head back and laughed. "You've got one with spunk this time, Death. I like spunk in a Reaper. Maybe you should let me borrow him sometime," Grim said while wiping a tear of laughter from his mad eyes.

I turned to look at Death; he only shrugged. "Maybe. Don't you have work to do, Grim?" The crazy Reaper let out a huff of air and said, "No. Work has been slow. Why must people live so long nowadays?" Grim then turned to face me and asked, "So, little Reaper, how do you see people who are about to die?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, still apprehensive about him laying his fingers on me. Death stepped in and said, "He doesn't know yet." Grim acted like he was shocked, then began to laugh once again. "Perhaps he'll be like me and hear the voices of those who are about to die! Oh, how exciting! You must tell me if he can when you find out, Death!"

Grim acted like a small child who was excited after getting a new toy. I found it all quite disturbing. He heard their voices? "I'll let you know, Grim. Now, we must be on our way," Death told him as if he were speaking to a good friend. Perhaps he was. But Death having a friend?

It sounded strange. Grim pouted and said, "Fine. See you around, little Reaper!" He began to skip back down the alley he jumped out from, but then stopped and turned around. He pointed his boney finger at me and said smoothly, "Don't hide that pretty scar of your's. It separates your from everyone else, and tells your story. One should never hide who they are."

His calm and cool composure was short lived, and he began to skip back down the alley. Then, I heard him singing, "Reap their souls! Reap their souls! Where they go, only I will know!" I stood there, completely unable to think about what just went on before me.

Death placed his cold hand on my shoulder and told me, "Let's keep moving." As we continued to walk down the sidewalk, I said, "Please tell me that I won't ever have to look forward to turning into whatever he was."

Death did not smile; he only wore a serious expression from what I could see. "It all depends," he said. Confused, I asked, "On what?" His face was unreadable when he told me, "How long you'll stay sane."

Shun

Death teleported me back to my room at Murucho's, then left without so much as a goodbye. Doesn't let you know when he's going to show up, or leave. Sounds about right. I was utterly drained from energy. The day had worn me out, leaving me exhausted.

I sighed, and stepped into my bathroom, where I proceeded to splash some cool water on my face. The thought that somebody might have noticed my absence, didn't cross my mine; all I wanted to do was sleep. I brought my face up, and looked into the mirror.

My eye was visible through my wet hair. I thought about what Grim had told me; that my scar was what separated me from everyone else. "What's that even supposed to mean," I asked myself with aggravation. I then chuckled. "Probably nothing….Crazy old Reaper."

A wave of vertigo then hit me, and I had to hold onto the sink to keep my balance. Then, an intense pain shot through my right eye, causing me to gasp and drop to my knees. I clutched the right side of my face, tears already pouring from the pain.

A scream escaped my mouth, and images danced before my vision. They showed a man and woman in an alley; the man was carrying a gun and had the woman cornered. He raised the gun up to her head, and the vision ended right there, leaving me in a daze. I leaned back against the wall of the bathroom and blacked out.

Southern Hymn will probably be updated Satuday. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow, homecoming parade thursday, and football game friday. o.o busy busy busy. check out my poll too! read, review, and other things! ~Copperpelt~