The cold water felt refreshing as it hit my face. I had been up all night hunting the Reaper down, but all I had to show for it was dark shadows under my eyes from lack of sleep. I splashed more water over my face before running some water over the back of my neck. My fingers skimmed over the brand placed there by Alfredson the first time me and Donnie were abducted. I dropped my hand into the sink and looked up at my reflection in the mirror...or what was left of the mirror. I had put my fist to it in the early days after being cursed. It had been in a fit of rage. Casey and April had walked in on me trashing the lair. April started freaking out when she saw my bloody hand and was scared I had caused nerve damage. Sad to say, I laughed in her face at her concern. A couple days in and I was already losing my mind.
Luckily, there hadn't been any nerve damage done. April and Casey thought I was grieving the deaths of my brothers and I let them keep thinking that. In a way I was grieving, but not just the loss of my brothers; I was grieving the loss of my mortality. How could I tell the people I had come to call family that I couldn't die? They would think I was insane. I couldn't bear the thought of watching my closest friends grow old and eventually be spirited away to the afterlife, leaving me lost and alone. But then, that was my punishment for going back on my deal with Death.
I had tried several times to end my life, but every time was a complete failure. I guess I was just in denial; one of the five stages of grieving, right? I thought that if maybe I looked pathetic enough, Death would take pity and lift the curse. But, I quickly learned that Death was a sick psychopath who enjoyed watching people who cheated him suffer.
I picked up a towel and wiped the water off my face before tying my mask back around my eyes. I was just walking out of the bathroom when the phone started to ring. I made my way into the kitchen and picked up the receiver.
"It's your dime," I answered, knowing full well who was on the other end.
"C'mon, dude, it's Shadow's birthday," Casey said, cutting right to the point. "We haven't seen you in months."
"Casey," I started.
"No," Casey cut in. "No excuses this time, Raph. Pull your head out of your shell and come celebrate with us. It's just gonna be me 'n April."
I sighed and shook my head. I knew I shouldn't have been keeping my distance from the only people I had left in the world, but it was hard being around "mortals" when I knew what was eventually going to happen.
"No more excuses, Raph," Casey said. "We'll see you at dinner."
The line went dead, leaving no room to argue. I sighed again and hung up the phone, rubbing my tired eyes. Dinner wasn't going to be until five, so I decided to try and get some sleep. I headed upstairs and went into my room, making my way over to the bed and collapsing on to the soft mattress. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was asleep.
"This is your punishment. Your brothers are your world, so I will take that world from you."
My eyes shot open; heart racing and body shivering from a cold sweat. However, I knew it was more than just a dream. It was a waking nightmare. I looked at the clock on the bedside table. 4:30 pm. I fell back on to the pillow and sighed, inwardly groaning and wishing I didn't have to get up.
"You can't ignore them forever," Leo's voice sounded off in my head.
Only, it hadn't been in my head. I opened my eyes to see Leo standing in the doorway of my room, arms crossed and looking annoyed. Was I still dreaming?
"They're your friends," Leo went on. "The only family you have left."
I buried my head under the pillow. No way was I talking back to a hallucination. I felt something poke my side.
"Come on, Raphie," came Mikey's voice.
"Go away," I growled through clenched teeth, willing myself to wake up.
This was it; I was finally cracking up and hearing and seeing my dead brothers.
Took me long enough, I thought bitterly.
"Raph, you can't hide in here forever," Donnie said.
I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing. Donnie always did have a way with words.
"April and Casey are waiting, Raph," Leo said sternly.
I stopped laughing and sighed again. I lifted the pillow and looked up. The room was empty. I glanced at the clock again. I still had twenty minutes. Resigning myself to the inevitable, I got up and headed for the bathroom. I cleaned myself up before heading to the warehouse and climbing into the Battle Shell. Twenty minutes later found me sitting on the fire escape outside of April and Casey's apartment window. I looked inside and could see my friends in the kitchen. April was setting the table while Casey walked around with their daughter in his arms and trying to get the baby to laugh.
What a goofball, I thought before knocking on the window.
April looked up from what she was doing. Her face lit up in the biggest smile I had ever seen as she ran for the window to let me in.
"Raph!" she all but yelled merrily.
I climbed in through the open window and was immediately crushed in a bear hug from a woman that looked a lot more fragile than what she actually was.
"April," I choked out. "Can't breathe."
April released her grip around my neck and I gasped for air. Casey walked up and held out his hand. I took it and we shook hands.
"Thanks for comin', pal," Casey said with a smile.
"Thanks for havin' me," I replied.
"You're always welcome in our home," April said.
I sniffed the air. My appetite instantly awakened to the smell of barbeque wings and pizza. My stomach growled in anticipation. April and Casey smirked, signalling that they heard it.
That's embarrassing.
"Come on," April said, guiding me over to the table.
We all sat around the table. Casey put Shadow in the high seat before sitting down next to April. I sat across from them. The wings and pizza were set out on plates before us, so it was easier to eat without constantly getting up for seconds; or in my case thirds and fourths. I ate as if I hadn't eaten in months. April and Casey didn't move to stop me and make me slow down.
"We need to watch this one," Casey said to April. "He might eat us out of house and home."
I threw my bunched up, dirty napkin at Casey's head; grinning when it hit its mark. Casey gave me a disgusted look.
"That's gross, Raph," he said, picking the napkin up from his lap with his thumb and index finger as if it contained the plague.
He dropped it on the table and wiped his hands in his own napkin. I smirked and finished off the chicken wing I had been eating. I dropped the bone on my plate with the small pile of other bones and reached for a clean napkin to wipe my hands and mouth.
"You didn't enjoy that at all," April teased, smiling.
I rubbed my tongue over my teeth to get rid of any food particles. "Not one bit," I replied.
April's smile widened a little bit. She looked happy, and I realized just how much I missed being around her and Casey.
"Help me clean up?" April asked Casey. "Then you and Raph can sit down and watch the game."
"Can I do anything to help?" I asked.
"You can look after Shadow while we get the kitchen cleaned up," April said.
I looked over at the infant, who looked right back at me with her big green eyes. She gave me a cheerful, toothy grin; showing off four small teeth, two on top and two on bottom. I stood up and unhooked the high seat tray before undoing the buckle. I carefully picked Shadow up in my arms.
"Hey," I said softly, making my way into the living room.
Shadow stuck her fingers in her mouth as she regarded me. I wondered what must be going through that little brain of hers. That is until I got wet fingers shoved into my eye as Shadow grabbed at my mask. She was successful in pulling off the mask, however, it slipped down around my throat instead of off of my head. Shadow managed to turn the mask around and before I could stop her, plunged the mask tails into her mouth. I cringed at the thought of having to wear the mask after that.
And I just had it washed, too.
I sighed as I patted Shadow gently on the back. She chewed happily on the mask as I walked around the living room. I peeked into the kitchen to see April and Casey talking and doing dishes at the sink. April let out a small laugh and Casey grinned. I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. I looked from my friends down to Shadow. She looked back up at me, still chewing away at the mask.
Staring into those big green eyes an idea began forming in my head about how to lift the curse. It was going to require selling my soul to the devil, if I even had a soul to sell at this point; but if it worked Death was going to be in for a rude awakening. There was just one problem.
I needed to keep the Grim Reaper in one place for longer than five seconds.
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