TITLE: A Day in the Life of a Grim Reaper; Behind the Cloak and Sickle (Part19of30)
AUTHOR: trista
DISCLAIMER: these characters do not belong to me, they belong to MGM, Showtime, the creator of Dead Like me, and the actors who portray them, please don't sue me, not that I have any money or anything you'd want!
RATING: PG-13 (for language, but the kids these days…)
CONTENT: Reggie/Millie friendship, Mason/George romance
SUMMARY: Anika goes with George when she gets her niece's post-it, and Anika and Rube seem to acting odd.
AUTHORS NOTES: I skipped ahead a few weeks. Sorry for the delay but my comp was getting fixed for the last little bit. I hope you all like this one!! I don't have much to say today. Sorry it's a little on the short side.
I was sitting next to Anika at Der Waffle Haus. Rube had already handed out our post-its, and Colt no longer needed a babysitter. Rube left first, followed by Colt and Colvin. I went to get up but Anika took my wrist. "What's up Anika?" I asked, concerned."Can I see your post-it?" she asked, I nodded and I showed her the post-it that said B-L Kane. "I thought so, can I go with you?" "Uh, yeah, sure, but why?" "Do remember me telling you about my niece?"
"Vaguely, she was your neighbor's daughter that you more or less raised?"
"Yeah, that's the one, and you have her post-it."
"I'm not sure if Rube is going to like this."
"I'm not going to interfere, I just know that she won't move on without knowing that I'm all right."
"Fine, fine."
"If Rube get pissed I'll take the wrath."
I nodded, all right. I knew that Anika would not do anything she shouldn't, but I was still worried about how Rube would react, but of course it would be better to have her there to help her niece, then to have a soul following me around until I could track her down."So what's her name?"
"Brooke-Lyn, two words, I really like the way her mom spelled it. Probably the only thing I liked about her."
"What happened to her?"
"She died before I did, she overdosed when Brooke-Lyn was fourteen, so I took her in, and we lived together till I died. Poor kid didn't have anyone after that."
"Did you ever snoop around to see how she did?"
"Yeah, one of her friends ended up helping the through, and they got married and had a little boy."
"Good for her."
"I feel kind of bad that her son won't have a mother."
"Does he have a good father?"
"One of the best."
"Then you really shouldn't have anything to worry about."
We got to where Brooke-Lyn was going to die. As she walked by us Anika nodded, and I took her soul. She continued walking toward a group of guys that were hanging around her front door. They looked really pissed off. As soon as she went to go to her apartment they started to hassle her.
"You think you're better then us Brooke-Lyn?" asked one of the guys. "Now that you're married and have a kid, you think you can ignore us?"
"I told you that I'm trying to change my life, and if you want to keep doing what it is you do I'll turn the other cheek," she explained.
"I don't trust you."
"If I haven't ratted you out by now, why would I do it later?"
"I don't know Brooke-Lyn, you tell me."
"You're a motherfucker, just go home, leave me alone, and anything I've given you my word on before I have kept."
"I just can't do that Brook-Lyn. I hate to have to do this to someone with a kid, but you've left me no choice."
The guy pulled out a gun and proceeded to shoot her four times, before running away. It was pretty daring of them to shoot her right on the doorstep in daylight, and they didn't even notice us watching the scene unfold, so anyone could have been watching. Pretty stupid move for a group of people trying to hide something. They hadn't really needed Brook-Lyn to say anything, they seemed to be the type of thugs who dug their own graves. I looked over at Anika and she had tears in her eyes.
I then looked up to where Brooke-Lyn was sprawled out on her doorstep. She slowly stood up, realizing that something was amiss.
"What the fuck?" she mumbled to herself.
"You're dead." I told her, which made me think of Mason, because of the amount of times he said it. I was surprised that it didn't come out with an English accent.
"Who are you?" she asked. "I'm a grim reaper."
"Auntie??" she asked looking at Anika.
"Yeah, Brookie, it's me."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm just here to tell you that I love you, I always have and I always will, and I'll join you wherever you end up when I go too."
"Why can't you go with me now?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"Because, I've got some work to do still. I would rather be with you, but I don't have any control over it."
"But I want you to go with me!" She was beginning to get agitated.
"Look Brookie, would like nothing more then to go with you, but I have stuff here that I simply cannot leave behind."
"Since when did you follow the rules Auntie?"
I almost wanted to tell Anika about piggy-backing, and what I thought I knew about it, but decided that Rube would probably be beyond pissed if I told her. I felt like I shouldn't be there listening to what they had to say to each other, but no one told me to leave, so I didn't.
"Look, I've changed, and maybe that's why I'm a grim reaper, because there is something that I need to learn before I get to move on and be with the people, or I should say person that I love."
I was kind of surprised that she had told her niece that, because I thought I was the only person who thought that you had to learn something in order to move on, but Rube said that the number of souls was predetermined. Maybe Anika knew something that I didn't.
The two of them continued to talk for a little while, and I decided to just not listen to what they were saying. Later Anika told me that they had talked about why they couldn't move on together which made me think that she did know about piggybacking but for whatever reason didn't want to do it. If my theory about wanting to have your own afterlife was true, I would imagine that Brooke-Lyn and Anika's were pretty close, but I didn't really question her about it, and we didn't talk about that day much. After about twenty minutes of them speaking Brooke-Lyn moved on. We then went to a coffee shop, and had a coffee together.
"That's the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Anika told me.
"I wouldn't know what to do if I had to help anyone in my family to move on. I had a hard enough time dealing with reaper friends moving on, let alone actually having to do something to help them to go along smoothly," I explained.
"I always wonder if what lies after the lights is the same as what they see. Maybe someone just tricks them into a false sense of security, and there is nothing after they die."
"If we have an afterlife, and from what I can tell reapers are screw ups in life, then I'd imagine that everyone else just gets to skip to the good part of being dead. A real afterlife, away from the ails of the world."
"I hope so."
"I think that after all the time I've been doing this that I can't not believe that those people are not going to where they think they are. I mean why would everything be so different if it was just a trick. Someone I used to work with one time told me that everyone is classified into little sections, and there aren't that many of them. And in life it completely believe it, but when it comes to death there are so many variations."
"What do you mean."
"In life there are just a bunch of ways to classify people, and no matter how you do it, you end up with lots of people in big groups. When people die, and they see whatever lies ahead, it's almost always something different. Even most Christians see something different when they see paradise."
She shrugged. "I never looked at it like that, but it's true."
"We did some paper work with last thoughts one time, and last thoughts tend to fall into so few categories, but when you look at the names of the people that you remember although a hundred of them thought the same thing, none of them saw the same thing when they saw their lights show."
"You've actually done that sort of research?"
"I get bored when I'm not at work or in school, so I find ways to busy myself. I could probably write a reaper handbook if I wanted to."
Anika laughed. "It was so hard not to piggyback with Brooke-Lyn."
"Why didn't you?"
"I have my reasons."
She refused to expand on that. It bugged me that she didn't want to tell me why she wouldn't piggyback, but I didn't want to press the issue too much. We finished our coffee, and then went on our separate ways. When I got to the house Rube was sitting at my kitchen table. I was rather surprised to see him, although more baffled as to how he got into my house.
"Hey, Peanut, you really should hide your key in a less cliché place," he informed me.
"I'll have to remember that." He nodded. "So why did you break into my house, exactly?"
"I wanted to talk to you, I thought you'd be back from your appointment by now."
I shrugged. "Took a little bit longer then I thought."
"Did Anika go with you?"
"Yeah."
"Did she come back?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I know that you had the post it for someone who meant a lot to her, and I was wondering if she piggybacked."
I shook my head. "No, she won't tell me why she didn't, but she didn't."
Rube nodded. "Well then, that's all I needed to hear, I really didn't think she had it in her to not go with BL, but that works out better then."
He then stood up, and left the house, leaving my dumbfounded. Why the hell would Rube break into my house to ask me if Anika had piggybacked. If he really needed to know he could have asked us to meet him back at Der Waffle Haus when we were done. He obviously guessed that Anika would go with me for that particular appointment. I sighed, and sat down on the couch. I really didn't want to think about it. The one good thing was that he wasn't mad that she went along. At least I knew now if someone I knew from life happened to fall into our groups hands I could at least say goodbye to them.
A few minute after Rube left Colt came in carrying a kitten. I looked at him quizzically. "It belonged to the last guy I reaped," he explained.
I nodded. "Does it have a name?" I asked.
"Dog, though if we're going to keep it I'd like to name it something else."
"I think I agree but it would be nice to have a pet around."
"So have any idea for a name for this little one?"
I looked at the cat and it was orange and white. "How about Colby?"
"Like the cheese?"
"Yeah, he's almost the same colours."
"It's a she, but I agree and that's a pretty cute name. What do you think Colby?" The cat meowed.
I went upstairs to my room, and just laid on the bed. I didn't have much ambition to do anything anymore. But the cat came upstairs and sat on my chest, and purred, which made me feel a little bit better.
End
End notes: up next we'll find out what Rube and Anika are keeping secret, er kinda, hopefully it'll be longer, and there shouldn't be too much of a delay.
AUTHOR: trista
DISCLAIMER: these characters do not belong to me, they belong to MGM, Showtime, the creator of Dead Like me, and the actors who portray them, please don't sue me, not that I have any money or anything you'd want!
RATING: PG-13 (for language, but the kids these days…)
CONTENT: Reggie/Millie friendship, Mason/George romance
SUMMARY: Anika goes with George when she gets her niece's post-it, and Anika and Rube seem to acting odd.
AUTHORS NOTES: I skipped ahead a few weeks. Sorry for the delay but my comp was getting fixed for the last little bit. I hope you all like this one!! I don't have much to say today. Sorry it's a little on the short side.
I was sitting next to Anika at Der Waffle Haus. Rube had already handed out our post-its, and Colt no longer needed a babysitter. Rube left first, followed by Colt and Colvin. I went to get up but Anika took my wrist. "What's up Anika?" I asked, concerned."Can I see your post-it?" she asked, I nodded and I showed her the post-it that said B-L Kane. "I thought so, can I go with you?" "Uh, yeah, sure, but why?" "Do remember me telling you about my niece?"
"Vaguely, she was your neighbor's daughter that you more or less raised?"
"Yeah, that's the one, and you have her post-it."
"I'm not sure if Rube is going to like this."
"I'm not going to interfere, I just know that she won't move on without knowing that I'm all right."
"Fine, fine."
"If Rube get pissed I'll take the wrath."
I nodded, all right. I knew that Anika would not do anything she shouldn't, but I was still worried about how Rube would react, but of course it would be better to have her there to help her niece, then to have a soul following me around until I could track her down."So what's her name?"
"Brooke-Lyn, two words, I really like the way her mom spelled it. Probably the only thing I liked about her."
"What happened to her?"
"She died before I did, she overdosed when Brooke-Lyn was fourteen, so I took her in, and we lived together till I died. Poor kid didn't have anyone after that."
"Did you ever snoop around to see how she did?"
"Yeah, one of her friends ended up helping the through, and they got married and had a little boy."
"Good for her."
"I feel kind of bad that her son won't have a mother."
"Does he have a good father?"
"One of the best."
"Then you really shouldn't have anything to worry about."
We got to where Brooke-Lyn was going to die. As she walked by us Anika nodded, and I took her soul. She continued walking toward a group of guys that were hanging around her front door. They looked really pissed off. As soon as she went to go to her apartment they started to hassle her.
"You think you're better then us Brooke-Lyn?" asked one of the guys. "Now that you're married and have a kid, you think you can ignore us?"
"I told you that I'm trying to change my life, and if you want to keep doing what it is you do I'll turn the other cheek," she explained.
"I don't trust you."
"If I haven't ratted you out by now, why would I do it later?"
"I don't know Brooke-Lyn, you tell me."
"You're a motherfucker, just go home, leave me alone, and anything I've given you my word on before I have kept."
"I just can't do that Brook-Lyn. I hate to have to do this to someone with a kid, but you've left me no choice."
The guy pulled out a gun and proceeded to shoot her four times, before running away. It was pretty daring of them to shoot her right on the doorstep in daylight, and they didn't even notice us watching the scene unfold, so anyone could have been watching. Pretty stupid move for a group of people trying to hide something. They hadn't really needed Brook-Lyn to say anything, they seemed to be the type of thugs who dug their own graves. I looked over at Anika and she had tears in her eyes.
I then looked up to where Brooke-Lyn was sprawled out on her doorstep. She slowly stood up, realizing that something was amiss.
"What the fuck?" she mumbled to herself.
"You're dead." I told her, which made me think of Mason, because of the amount of times he said it. I was surprised that it didn't come out with an English accent.
"Who are you?" she asked. "I'm a grim reaper."
"Auntie??" she asked looking at Anika.
"Yeah, Brookie, it's me."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm just here to tell you that I love you, I always have and I always will, and I'll join you wherever you end up when I go too."
"Why can't you go with me now?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"Because, I've got some work to do still. I would rather be with you, but I don't have any control over it."
"But I want you to go with me!" She was beginning to get agitated.
"Look Brookie, would like nothing more then to go with you, but I have stuff here that I simply cannot leave behind."
"Since when did you follow the rules Auntie?"
I almost wanted to tell Anika about piggy-backing, and what I thought I knew about it, but decided that Rube would probably be beyond pissed if I told her. I felt like I shouldn't be there listening to what they had to say to each other, but no one told me to leave, so I didn't.
"Look, I've changed, and maybe that's why I'm a grim reaper, because there is something that I need to learn before I get to move on and be with the people, or I should say person that I love."
I was kind of surprised that she had told her niece that, because I thought I was the only person who thought that you had to learn something in order to move on, but Rube said that the number of souls was predetermined. Maybe Anika knew something that I didn't.
The two of them continued to talk for a little while, and I decided to just not listen to what they were saying. Later Anika told me that they had talked about why they couldn't move on together which made me think that she did know about piggybacking but for whatever reason didn't want to do it. If my theory about wanting to have your own afterlife was true, I would imagine that Brooke-Lyn and Anika's were pretty close, but I didn't really question her about it, and we didn't talk about that day much. After about twenty minutes of them speaking Brooke-Lyn moved on. We then went to a coffee shop, and had a coffee together.
"That's the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Anika told me.
"I wouldn't know what to do if I had to help anyone in my family to move on. I had a hard enough time dealing with reaper friends moving on, let alone actually having to do something to help them to go along smoothly," I explained.
"I always wonder if what lies after the lights is the same as what they see. Maybe someone just tricks them into a false sense of security, and there is nothing after they die."
"If we have an afterlife, and from what I can tell reapers are screw ups in life, then I'd imagine that everyone else just gets to skip to the good part of being dead. A real afterlife, away from the ails of the world."
"I hope so."
"I think that after all the time I've been doing this that I can't not believe that those people are not going to where they think they are. I mean why would everything be so different if it was just a trick. Someone I used to work with one time told me that everyone is classified into little sections, and there aren't that many of them. And in life it completely believe it, but when it comes to death there are so many variations."
"What do you mean."
"In life there are just a bunch of ways to classify people, and no matter how you do it, you end up with lots of people in big groups. When people die, and they see whatever lies ahead, it's almost always something different. Even most Christians see something different when they see paradise."
She shrugged. "I never looked at it like that, but it's true."
"We did some paper work with last thoughts one time, and last thoughts tend to fall into so few categories, but when you look at the names of the people that you remember although a hundred of them thought the same thing, none of them saw the same thing when they saw their lights show."
"You've actually done that sort of research?"
"I get bored when I'm not at work or in school, so I find ways to busy myself. I could probably write a reaper handbook if I wanted to."
Anika laughed. "It was so hard not to piggyback with Brooke-Lyn."
"Why didn't you?"
"I have my reasons."
She refused to expand on that. It bugged me that she didn't want to tell me why she wouldn't piggyback, but I didn't want to press the issue too much. We finished our coffee, and then went on our separate ways. When I got to the house Rube was sitting at my kitchen table. I was rather surprised to see him, although more baffled as to how he got into my house.
"Hey, Peanut, you really should hide your key in a less cliché place," he informed me.
"I'll have to remember that." He nodded. "So why did you break into my house, exactly?"
"I wanted to talk to you, I thought you'd be back from your appointment by now."
I shrugged. "Took a little bit longer then I thought."
"Did Anika go with you?"
"Yeah."
"Did she come back?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I know that you had the post it for someone who meant a lot to her, and I was wondering if she piggybacked."
I shook my head. "No, she won't tell me why she didn't, but she didn't."
Rube nodded. "Well then, that's all I needed to hear, I really didn't think she had it in her to not go with BL, but that works out better then."
He then stood up, and left the house, leaving my dumbfounded. Why the hell would Rube break into my house to ask me if Anika had piggybacked. If he really needed to know he could have asked us to meet him back at Der Waffle Haus when we were done. He obviously guessed that Anika would go with me for that particular appointment. I sighed, and sat down on the couch. I really didn't want to think about it. The one good thing was that he wasn't mad that she went along. At least I knew now if someone I knew from life happened to fall into our groups hands I could at least say goodbye to them.
A few minute after Rube left Colt came in carrying a kitten. I looked at him quizzically. "It belonged to the last guy I reaped," he explained.
I nodded. "Does it have a name?" I asked.
"Dog, though if we're going to keep it I'd like to name it something else."
"I think I agree but it would be nice to have a pet around."
"So have any idea for a name for this little one?"
I looked at the cat and it was orange and white. "How about Colby?"
"Like the cheese?"
"Yeah, he's almost the same colours."
"It's a she, but I agree and that's a pretty cute name. What do you think Colby?" The cat meowed.
I went upstairs to my room, and just laid on the bed. I didn't have much ambition to do anything anymore. But the cat came upstairs and sat on my chest, and purred, which made me feel a little bit better.
End
End notes: up next we'll find out what Rube and Anika are keeping secret, er kinda, hopefully it'll be longer, and there shouldn't be too much of a delay.