3. The Debt

"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad." Sydney took a sip of the colourful cocktail sitting in front of her. She spoke loudly to be heard over the commotion going on in the bar. Even though they were sitting in a corner booth away from the main floor, the resounding noise still reached them. "I mean, Sam can't be that dense. The guy's a certified genius."

"Apparently not when it comes to love. His observation skills could use some improvement." Cade let out a morose groan. "You know he's never even told me he loves me?"

Sydney thought for a moment. "I've heard you two say it before."

"No, you hear me say 'I love you' and him say 'you too'." Cade sighed and took several generous gulps of her drink. "I don't even know if he knows how to say it. I feel like I'm dating a yobbo."

Sydney offered her friend a sympathetic pat on the back. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually. But you know you could always propose to him. This is the twenty-first century, women can do that now."

Cade rolled her eyes. "I know that, but he not proposing is only part of the problem." Cade finished her drink in two sips and slid out of the booth to grab another one from the bar. "Need a refill?"

Sydney shook her head. "I'm good. I'm about to drink Kairi's that we ordered for her. Where is she anyway?"

Cade glanced at the fruity cocktail that had remained untouched the entire night. "I have no idea. She's usually here before any of us."

"I guess I should send her a text." Sydney pulled out her phone.

As if on cue, Kairi chose that moment to enter the bar. She quickly spotted Sydney and Cade and bolted over to them. She kept glancing over her shoulder, like she was expecting someone to be following her. She reached her friends and didn't even try to contain her panic.

Sydney and Cade smiled with relief as Kairi swiftly made her way over to them. "There you are. Where have you-"

"We need to leave. Now." Kairi tried to catch her breath, but her panicked state prevented her from taking long, deep breaths.

"Why? You just got here. We bought you a drink." Sydney and Cade nodded to the drink still resting on the table. "What happened to you? You look like just finished a marathon."

Kairi snatched the drink and downed it in three seconds. "Oh, this is bad. Really bad."

"Well, it wouldn't be so bad if you had showed up on time."

"No, not the drink." Kairi adamantly shook her head.

"Than what's the matter? Calm down and take a seat. Tell us what's going on."

"We don't have time for that. They're going to get me!" Kairi grabbed onto her friends' arms and attempted to pull them out of the building. Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough to achieve her task.

"Who? Kairi, what is going on?" Together, Sydney and Cade grasped onto Kairi and pulled her down into the booth.

"They've come for me." Kairi continued to stare at the door and any other point of entry she could find, as if a SWAT team was going to burst in at any moment.

"Who are they?"

"The reapers." Kairi tried to leave the table again, but she was immediately pulled back down.

"What are reapers?" Cade asked.

"Kairi, why would reapers be looking for you?" Sydney stared at Kairi. She watched her with caution, her arm slightly stretched across the table, like she wanted to comfort her, but if she did, the reapers would be after her too. She glanced around the bar to make sure no one could hear them. They were pretty far from the main crowd and everyone else was making plenty of noise, so it was a safe bet that their conversation would go unheard.

"The same reason reapers go after anyone!" Kairi couldn't sit still, every inch of her was vibrating, desperate to run away. She resembled a cornered animal.

"What are reapers?" Cade repeated, still at a loss as to what was going on.

"You don't know that," Sydney went on. "Maybe it's just one of your old friends wanting to say hello."

"Why would they have waited sixteen years to do it?" Kairi buried her face in her hands. "I'm not ready to die again. Fred would be heartbroken. And Jesse!" Kairi's head snapped up. "I can't leave Jesse behind!"

"Would someone please tell me what reapers are?" Cade interjected. She looked back and forth between the two girls. "And why do you think you're going to die?"

Kairi blinked, as if she was more confused than Cade was. "Reapers are the people who come to take away your soul when you die," she spoke as if it was an obvious fact everyone knew.

"What?" Cade fell back. "Kairi, you're not making any sense."

"But it's true!" Kairi nodded her head for emphasis. "Remember when I told you that the reason I knew your parents was because when they had died, I saw their souls in the Land of the Dead?"

Cade nervously stared at Kairi. "Yes... Wait, were you telling the truth? I thought you just made all that up! That's not possible." Cade quickly back peddled away from Kairi. "You actually died!?"

"And I'm going to again if we don't get away from the reaper that's been following me all day!"

"Kairi, you don't know that they're after you. It may not have been a reaper at all."

"No, no, no. I saw the eyes. I'd know those eyes anywhere."

"I used to be roommates with a zombie..." Cade mumbled, not able to process this new information. Her eyes were wide and unfocused.

"But why would they follow you around all day?" Sydney thought out loud. "Don't they usually wait until the moment of death to show up? After all, they're job is to ferry around souls, not kill people to get them."

Kairi paused, taking in Sydney's words. Her body visibly relaxed. The corner of her mouth twitched, like that small amount of logic was enough to give her hope. "I guess you're right. But why would they be following me all day then?"

"Why don't we go outside and ask them? It's the easiest way to find out." Sydney stood up, ready to go.

Kairi resumed her earlier panicking. "No! We can't do that!"

"And why not?" Sydney crossed her arms. "If you really think they've been stalking you all day, then we need to find out why."

"But what if we're wrong and they really are here to take my soul?"

"I won't let them." Sydney held out her hand for Kairi to take. "I'm going out there, whether or not you join me is up to you."

Kairi took Sydney's hand and reluctantly stood up. Before leaving, she looked back at Cade. "Cade? Are you going to stay here?"

"I think Cade's had enough of a shock for now," Sydney said when Cade didn't answer. "Let her digest all this knowledge before we drag her out to see it firsthand." Sydney gently pulled Kairi through the crowd and out of the bar.

The night air was warm and pleasant, but Sydney noticed how Kairi immediately began to shiver the moment they exited the building. "Are you sure this is a reaper we're looking for? Not some other undead thing?"

Kairi nodded and followed Sydney around a corner into a side alley. "What else would it be?"

Sydney shrugged. "This is your area of expertise, not mine. I just didn't think reapers made others cold."

"Well, they usually don't but-"

"But I do." A figure revealed themselves, stepping forward from the shadows. The newcomer was a short boy, barely higher than four feet, and had a youthful but pale looking face covered with freckles. His hair was pitch black with streaks of white thrown in here and there. He stared at Kairi and Sydney with glowing red eyes that held a gleam of contempt that was matched by the smirk he wore on his mouth.

"Death." Kairi's already pale skin, became even paler. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to visit my two favourite people, the traitor and the Shadow's favourite puppet. How are you doing by the way?" Death's smile was cold and seemed to be mocking them.

"Great!" Kairi spoke quickly before Sydney did or said something they would both regret. The anger that had begun to radiate off of her the moment Death stepped into view was intense, giving Kairi the urge to back away from her.

Sydney's not Shadowed anymore, Kairi mentally reminded herself. She won't do anything that menacing. But the ominous, malicious feeling coming from Sydney caused Kairi to doubt her own thoughts.

"Good, good." Death nodded as if this was exactly what he expected to hear. "Then I assume you're ready to pay your debt?"

"Debt?" Kairi stilled. Her mind stretched back sixteen years, to the moment Death brought her back to life. The memory replayed itself right before her very eyes.

Death pushed Sydney off of him and glared at Kairi. "You…"

Kairi shook with fear and backed away.

"You're supposed to be my loyal servant! Owe me for life! And yet, when I get attacked, you do nothing! Absolutely nothing!" He tried to stand, but fell on his face. Whatever Sydney had hit him with was powerful.

"I'm sorry! I'll do better next time! I promise!" Kairi fumbled backwards, desperate to get away. "Just don't hurt me! Please!"

"Hurt you?" Death lifted his head. "You're lucky I don't torture you for eternity!" He shakily sat up. "I'm done. I have no more use for you." He looked at her and cocked his head to the right.

A sharp pain shot threw Kairi's skull. She fell to her knees and screamed. Her eyes burned. Her heart pounded. Her head exploded.

"Now you have a debt to pay." Death fell back and drifted off into nothing.

"Your time is up, Kairi. And there's a debt still to be paid," the present-day Death spoke.

"No," Kairi breathed.

Death laughed, amused by Kairi's response. "You didn't think I'd forget, did you? I always remember the deals I make. Concerning the payment," he turned to Sydney with a vindictive sneer, his cool composer vanishing, "I can take the ex-goddess here right now and this can all be over with."

"Take one step and watch what happens." Sydney stepped forward, matching Death's sneer with one of her own.

"What will you do exactly? You have no powers and it's been years since you've been in any sort of fight. You can do nothing to me."

"I can still find ways to make you scream."

"Sydney is not going to be my payment." Kairi forced herself in between them.

Death's eyes flicked to Kairi. "Oh? You have someone else in mind? I hear you're married now. Perhaps your husband? Or maybe that daughter of yours."

"No!" Kairi's hands balled up into fists. "Not them. Why does it have to be someone I know? You normally take a random person. I assumed you took care of this years ago."

"Unfortunately Kairi, you're situation is not normal. You betrayed me and therefore your payment is also your punishment," Death growled. "Seeing as I'm feeling generous tonight, I'll offer you this: one week from today I will be waiting for you in the Land of the Dead, specifically purgatory. I expect you to be there along with whomever you have chosen to be your sacrifice. If you do not show up, your life will be ended. Do I make myself clear?"

Kairi silently nodded. Hoping Sydney wouldn't do anything rash, Kairi slowly backed away to stand next to Sydney again.

"Excellent. I will see you in one week." Death snapped his fingers, causing a pillar of darkness to shoot out of the ground behind him. He stepped inside and disappeared along with the dark portal. His final words echoed through the night, "Don't forget."

"What the bloody hell was that?"

Kairi jumped and spun around. "Cade! What are you doing out here?"

"You two were gone a while. I thought I should check on you." Cade tentatively took a step forward into the alley. "What did I just see?"

"Death. In all his cruel and heartless glory." Sydney folded her arms with a huff. "And now he's decided to give Kairi the job of selecting someone to kill."

"That was Death?" Cade stared at the spot where Death had just vanished in front of them. "Isn't he supposed to be, you know, scary? He just looked like some cute little kid."

Kairi winced, remembering where talking about Death like that got them last time. "I wouldn't call him that if I were you."

Sydney sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "So what are we going to do about this? Obviously, you're not going to lead anyone to their death. So we have a week to figure out an alternative."

"And to get to purgatory. Who knows how long that could take?" Kairi worriedly wrung her hands. "We're going to have to leave immediately."

"Purgatory?" Cade started. She looked to her friends for help. "I'm sorry. I still have no idea what's going on."

"It's a little complicated. It would take a while to explain," Kairi bit her lip.

"How are we even supposed to get into the Land of the Dead?" Sydney shook her head. "Neither of us have the abilities to warp us there anymore."

"There are a few entrances mortals can access. Not easily, but still possible nonetheless," Kairi explained.

"Where's the closest one?"

"The Bermuda Triangle."

"Of course it is. Couldn't be nice, sunny Tahiti or sweet, relaxing Napa Valley? No, it had to be the dangerous, deadly Bermuda Triangle," Sydney grumbled.

"Why do you think it's so dangerous and deadly?"

"Hold on. Why do we have to go to the Bermuda Triangle?" Cade asked, still confused about the current situation.

"To go to the Land of the Dead so that we can get to purgatory and pay my debt." Kairi offered Cade a sympathetic smile. "I told you it would take a while to explain it all."

"Except that we're not actually going to be paying your debt. There's no way we can just drag someone along to sacrifice them." Sydney pulled out her phone. "You and I will just have to book a flight to Bermuda and figure something out along the way."

"But you and I can't just walk around the Land of the Dead by ourselves," Kairi countered. "Death will no doubt be watching us. He knows I won't make you pay the debt and he said to bring my sacrifice with me."

"He doesn't know who I am," Cade surprisingly spoke up. "If I went with you, he'd assume I was the payment. Right?"

"I suppose..." Kairi said thoughtfully. "But I don't think you want to go to the Land of the Dead, Cade. It's not exactly a pleasant place."

"How bad can it be?" Cade put her hands on her hips. "I can handle it. Besides, who else would you take?"

"She's got a point, Kairi," Sydney conceded. "Cade's tough. If there was ever a mortal who could handle the Land of the Dead, it'd be Cade. And we do need a decoy to go with us. We can keep her safe."

"So it's settled then." Cade attempted a smile. "We're taking a girls' trip to Bermuda."

"It's not all settled. We have to tell the guys." Kairi looked to Sydney. "But we shouldn't tell them the truth, should we?"

"Why? Do you really think they'd try to stop us?" Cade tilted her head.

"No," Sydney shook her head. "They'd try to go with us. We can't put them in that situation." Her voice took on a darker tone, "Death has a habit of taking loved ones away and we can't risk that happening."

"So we have to lie to them." Kairi looked uncomfortable at the thought. "I'd hate to do that to Fred. I never liked lying, even if it is for the better."

"Would you rather have Death take him as your payment?"

"Of course not," Kairi immediately responded.

"Lying it is then," Sydney concluded. "We just tell them that we're taking a sudden vacation together to Bermuda. I'll book the flight. Be ready to leave tomorrow."

Kairi and Cade nodded and the girls made their way home, mentally preparing themselves for the adventure ahead.


A/N - So it's off to Bermuda for the girls. I threw in that flashback to give you guys a recap of why this is all happening. Crossing Worlds was posted almost five years ago (which makes me feel old) and I figured you may need a refresher just in case. Anyway, I am very excited to get back into the Land of the Dead and that area of knowledge in general. You'll see some familiar places and some new worlds. I plan on expanding on the world I previously created and I am looking forward to what I have coming up. Hopefully you are too!

This story actually got a lot of visitors on it's first chapter and that makes me pretty happy. I'd love it if more of you gave some helpful reviews though. As always, don't forget to review, favourite, and follow! Even tell your friends about it. ;)