39 Benny's Suicide Mission

Benny had lots of time. When he was alive he hadn't tried to imagine what it was like to be a ghost. But it was filled, he found, with time, lots and lots and lots of free time. There was no sleeping and as boring as the living could be up and about they were stupefyingly boring when they all were asleep. He was starting to think fondly about those cluster get togethers. But he couldn't go back until he had completed his mission, which now that he reflected on the whole thing, could be his last act before going into those lights.

And now that he reflected on his short life he realized he had a persistent habit of talking first and thinking things through only after. And it seems in the afterlife, which could turn out to be even shorter than his life had been, he had perfected that character flaw. Somehow he had met his new village neighbors and agreed to venture forth and slay the dragon that had thrown the community in such turmoil. And it wasn't like they had forced him either. Still there was hope. The stray facts he had picked up didn't fit into the common view his kind seemed to have about these reapers. It wasn't like he had time to bond with any of the reapers, but during the brief time he was among them at the church they seemed like ordinary people. And even after he died the kindly older man hadn't threatened him in the least. Maybe those lights really were the gateway to Heaven. It seemed that most people who died went into them.

Even so, he needed to think this through before he approached that Georgia Lass girl aka the dragon lady as he had started to think of her. Well a good start would be to watch them and maybe he would learn something that would tell him how to accomplish his mission. Which was? Which was to get her to stop forcing his kind into their lights. The Waffle Haus was as good a place as any to start.

And by the third day of watching the reapers coming and goings he was bored silly. He watched the reaper house from a tree a few doors down on its street. They didn't notice him and from the tree he could follow any one of them as he chose. They apparently liked waffles because they went to the Waffle Haus daily. He saw the boy and his mother. It was odd the way she shimmered. Now that he was dead all the reapers had that glow, but the Georgia girl stood out the most. The Father showed up once. But the one he really wanted was the older man. He felt his presence at Waffle Haus and considered trying his approach there, but he figured he had one shot at this, just the one and only. And on the fifth day he knew it was time. The older man parked an old truck in front of the reaper house. Some others he didn't know entered and then a limo drove up with two escorts and a few bodyguards. Other cars came and reapers and people went in. Must be a big pow wow. He waited and thought about timing and realized there wasn't anyway to know the best time. So he made his move.

He drifted down towards the ground and moved towards the house. He could feel the older man in there. As he approached through the front yard he was startled to see a ghost come through the front wall of the house. The ghost stopped short when he saw Benny. Benny moved up to the guy and said, "Hi, are you Ray? I'm Benny."

The guy looked him over. "Yeah. I'm Ray. You look new."

"Just a few weeks."

"You do know what this place is, don't you?"

"It's a house full of reapers."

"OK. So why are you here?"

"I want to talk to the older guy and that Georgia Lass without getting sent over."

Ray laughed hard, too hard. Benny waited until he stopped and asked, "Ahh, why is that so funny?"

"Because you go inside the chances of you leaving are pretty slim, kid."

"She hasn't sent you over."

"Not yet. OK. What do you want to talk to her about?"

Benny opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out. "I'm not sure. Except I want her to stop sending our kind over." He remembered something Ken told him to try. "Oh. And I was told to say I have diplomatic immunity." He smiled that did sound pretty good.

Ray chuckled. "Well, Mr. Ambassador, I will announce your presence." He bowed.

Benny didn't feel respected at all but bowed in return and said, "Thank you, sir."

Ray passed through the wall. A few minutes passed. Then several more. Benny didn't have a watch so he wasn't sure. Maybe Ray had been teasing him. Maybe he had forgotten him. And then finally he came back through. "Your presence, Mr. Ambassador, is requested in the main hall. Please follow me."

He moved inside. The light wasn't all that good. Oh, sh*t. So many living and so many reapers. He glanced around. There were at least six reapers right inside. Including Georgia Lass. He could tell her right off. They all, reapers and not reapers, were watching him. He saw the little living boy leaning against his reaper mother. And the Father. Thank God he was here. And there was his reaper, the older man. He stopped where it seemed right. He knew now it was too late to back out. He was so close the dragon lady could hold him. Her eyes were like black holes set inside a bright glowing face. And those black holes were focused on him. She was studying him way too closely.

He saw the older man motion to the Father who spoke first, "Benny, it's good to see you. I am sorry about the misunderstanding at the Church."

"Hi Father." He didn't know what to say. He didn't have a script and hadn't really thought he would get this far.

"Hi Benny, my name is Rube. We met at the church."

He waved. "Hi, Rube. I remember you."

Rube said, "I understand that you're concerned about your mother and sister."

"And my nephew." He looked down. "I let them down. I was supposed to help and I think my death just made things worse."

One of the living sitting to the side said, "Hi, Benny. My name is Trip."

"Hi. I don't think I've seen you before."

"No, Benny. But we may be able to help each other."