I felt A sharp pain, followed by a burning sensation in my neck. It resonated to my brainstem, and was gone. No more pain, or burning. Nothing. My mind was still sharp and clear. I could see William's face, he had a pained look in his eyes, it was only for a moment. He then closed my eyes for me. I could hear what the Shinigami were saying. "Her eyes should change this time." William said to his superior. This time? How many times did 'this' happen? "Hm. Third time's the charm, right?" Was the reply. Ronald was surprised, "You mean this is the third time she's died?" "Yes. I wasn't so easily changed either, it took three times, if I recall correctly?" The Legendary one said.
Ronald asked, "How is it possible to go through the awakening unchanged?" Their superior asked, "What makes you think that she wasn't changed?" Ronald confused with what he was hearing asked him, "If her eyes hadn't changed, but something did change in her, what had changed?" William, was still cradling me in his arms. He stroked my hair and answered him, "When a candidate dies and their eyes don't change after their awakening, it means that they awoke from their transformational sleep too soon. They still get some of our abilities though. For instance seeing and hearing the lost souls, or ghosts, as humans call them. Some can see auras around people, and know the ones who will soon leave the world of the living. After their second death and awakening, if that too were interrupted, some gain the ability to move between the worlds. Usually when they lay down to sleep, as their unconscious mind takes over and guides them. They often pass it off as a strangely realistic dream. Some can even see and fight demons in their astral form, although those are a very few. By the third time the eyes finally change, making them full Shinigami. All of that being said for the ones whose transformational sleep were interrupted. Most often, the transformation occurs once and is complete... "
I lost the last strand of consciousness. I felt like I was falling up. I could see my life pass before me. The fire at night, when I was four years old, and the late night visit to our kind neighbor Mrs. Barker. The jungle gym accident and meeting with the handsome reaper with the beautiful eyes... I remember... He approached me while I was playing on the jungle gym, in our backyard. He smiled and said, "Hello there, little one! I was just passing through here, looking for someone. I was hoping that you might be able to help me." He looked rather odd to me. Wearing all black on a hot summer day? He stood so close to me and he looked into my eyes. I lost my grip and fell. He kissed my forehead and whispered, "I will have to keep an eye on you little one. You and I will meet again."...
Next is that time in March, I was in the third grade. I had been sick with Influenza. I was very sick for a while, my parents kept me on the living room couch. So everyone in the family could help keep an eye on me. I couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom, I was so weak. Opening my eyes was exhausting, breathing was next to impossible. I felt myself slipping away... I awoke to my Daddy crying, begging me to wake up. "Please wake up. Please don't die sweetheart." I have never seen him cry before. I didn't like to see him cry. I wanted to say something to him, anything. All I was able to do was a very weak squeak. At that, he called out to my mom to get me some water... It was scene after scene of my life, high school, that was more like a horror movie. My adulthood and working, motherhood and my children. It was my life, living, loving and learning to let go. Finally, the end. Wait! What the Fuck! There are end credits?!
I felt a warm breath upon my lips. Is someone there? Or is it my own? I was soon answered with the soft touch of another's lips to mine. The kiss wasn't really a kiss, he had breathed a forceful breath into me causing me to cough and sit up. The one who had given me the kiss of life, grabbed a hold of me as he fell backward. Pulling me up and on top of him. "Well, this is awkward!" I said, laughing. He wrapped his arms around me, with a mischievous twinkle in his gorgeous eyes and a devilishly playful smile spread across his face.
William coughed to get our attention. Before we both got up from the floor, I plunged into him, giving him a kiss on his cheek and whispering in his ear before pulling back, "I never did get your name." He got very serious, "That is not something that will give out to just any woman who asks for it." I looked at him, and knew out right what he meant. What I wasn't sure of, was why he said it that way to me? I must have looked surprised, because he said, "Why do you look so surprised? Regardless of hints, rumors and allegations, I'm just not that kind of man." I laughed in spite of myself.
William was clearly annoyed with us. "Well, Has she completed the transformation?" I looked at my playmate, and smiled. He fell to his knees before me, bowing his head. William cursed under his breath. Ronald was in disbelief, "How could we have failed? This was the third time, the transformation should have been complete." Grell, focused his attention on me. He pulled out his death scythe, and came at me saying, "If you won't go green, I'll cover you in red." I was prepared for him, as he lunged forward, I stepped to the side of him. Letting him run passed me. I moved in quickly, tripping him from behind. I grabbed his flaming red hair tightly and twisted my hand into it, pulling his head back to look me in the eyes. I was angry, he tried to kill me. He was in utter shock, "Your eyes, they're changing!"
William was on me before I could counter him. He grabbed the sides of my face and looked into my eyes. "I can't believe this! How is it possible?" He looked at the Legendary Reaper, "How is it that she can change her eye color?" He laughed at William's facial expression, "It is as We suspected." Ronald puzzled by his statement, "What do you mean by, as We suspected?" The reaper looked at him and said, "That will have to wait for another time. The hour is late and I have a parlor to run. Don't you have souls to collect?"
With that, William sent Ronald and Grell back to begin their normal shift. After they departed, he turned to the veteran reaper. He was suspicious of his intentions. "I'm to understand that she is in fact a full Shinigami now?" The veteran answered, "Yes." Then he added, "She will go with me for a little while. I want to watch her, and make sure that she has mastered the basics of being one of us, before I present her to the rest of the council for her entrance evaluation." William adjusted his glasses, "Are you sure that you are not holding her back for personal reasons?" He smiled, "Of course it's personal. I'm retired after all." William nodded his head in understanding, then turned to leave. "We will discuss this more at a later time, right now I have a report to file." William disappeared.
"My dear, sweet, beautiful flower, the time has come for us to leave this place. The dead certainly won't bury themselves." I smiled at him, "Now, I get it!" And I laughed. He laughed too. He took my hand in his, and just like that we were gone. When we traveled, it felt like we were moving in the shadows of existence. We could see and hear everything around us. He squeezed my hand tighter, "Don't let go of me. I don't want to lose you."