Ch. 1 The day I met Dea

Ever wondered how it would be to see things that others can’t, how it would be to see the invisible, the things outside of the field we could call normal, for Hazael, it is something he would have appreciated if he was unable to see it…

At the age of 19 years old, Hazael had already seen all kind of things he would rather have avoid seeing, he didn't quite remember when it had all started, he simply knew he could see them. The dead. They looked just like anyone except for some obvious facts. They had all kind of wounds on them, some even carried the object that hurt them, others looked just like anyone else, but they all lacked shadow.

Hazael had understood that the death lacked shadow… they could seem normal but it was obvious they were no longer part of this world. Hazael had pass some bad times dealing with people when he tried to tell them there was something there, now a days he had understood the best thing he could do was just to keep silence and let them be.

Today he expected it to be a normal day, just him, school and his friends. He was going to the school through the park, it wasn't a way to get faster, but it was something he enjoyed it truly.

The park was big and spacious, it had road of stone slabs, they made sounds when step on, for him it was a sound he enjoyed, like a proof of him being alive. There were lots of trees on the park that brought shadow for people to relax on the benches near the road, the trees were of various types, but the most prominent were the cypresses around the road.

They were standing totally erect to the sky, some with a height of 30 meters, they might not be as big as other trees in the park, but the fact they were near the whole road of stones made them look more prominent, the smell of the tree itself was always pleasant, they had a particular smell like if they were young trees.

Today though there was the smell of humidity on the air, one could feel that it was going to rain soon, and the clouds on the sky did nothing but confirm that there was going to be rain soon.

“- So early in the morning, and it looks dark…”

Hazael was just speaking to himself while walking for the road hearing the stones against his feet. He didn't enjoy the darkness so early in the morning; it kind of reminded him of the things he sees most of the time.

He took a breath of air, absorbing all the humidity in the air, feeling like it was going to rain soon, he decided to walk through the path a bit faster, but then something got his attention, he couldn't avoid putting his attention to the scene in the middle of the road of stones…

“- ... What is going around?”

Hazael saw a dead dog on the road. That wasn't the surprising thing, but rather the girl near the dog.

“-…No way”

Hazael couldn't avoid gasping at the scene in front of him. The girl reeked with the scent of a cemetery; he had never seen something like the girl in front.  Black eyes like an abyss; there was no sign of light on them, she was walking with a cane in her hand, like if she was blind, her long hair was black like her eyes too, the only thing that was of a white color was her skin and teeth, she was smiling while approaching the dog.

Hazael could hear her speaking in a voice that showed a weird happiness.

“- Don’t worry buddy… you will be fine.”

After those words the cane on her hand became a scythe, Hazael couldn't avoid gasping, he was worried and his heart beat rising, he had never seen anything like this on all his life.

The girl with the scythe slashed the dog corpse, at this moment there was a void of air around, Hazael wasn't smelling anything right now, nor the humidity of the air, the smell of the cypresses on the road, neither the strong smell of cemetery from the girl.

Hazael was scared, he was sweating seeing the girl scythe, on the edge the dog was hanging, but at the same time his corpse was at the floor still, his heart beat was rising, this was a totally different experience, never in his life a dead had done something like that.

The dog that was on the scythe started fading like if he had never been on the scythe that was shining reflecting everything, the girl was smiling broadly, happy, as if something great had happened, she looked at her scythe, and saw the face of Hazael who was sweating crazy, his heartbeat was rising when he noticed that the girl had took notice of him.

Without warning the girl was in front of him, scythe on hand, and smiling broadly like if she was crazy, she started observing him, waiting for any kind of reaction, she once again spoke, but this time her voice was even merrier.



“- Hey… can you see me? Or are you looking behind me?”

She was smiling, her eyes were open waiting for anything, Hazael heart beat was loud, he was sure anyone could hear it, plus the fact he couldn't stop sweating coldly because of the scene had made a lump on his throat, he couldn't made any sound, in the end he just nodded, fearing what would happen if he didn't answer the girl.

The eyes of the girl were totally open, Hazael actually felt with nausea for a moment when he saw her eyes directly, it was like looking into a never ending darkness. She was smiling, her whole expression was of happiness, Hazael couldn't avoid thinking how weird he was looking to anyone who was in the park.

And just as if his mind had been read like an open book the girl spoke with happiness in her voice.

“- Don’t worry, no one is looking at you.”

Hazael got alarmed, did the girl read his mind, the whole idea seemed crazy, but of course, he was speaking of the same girl who has was holding a scythe in her back.

“- You seem to be sweating a lot, breath, you got time”

She was happy speaking to him, yet he was afraid of the girl with the abyssal eyes, still he did as he was told, more because of fear than rather because he wanted.

After breathing he noticed the fact the air was still devoid of any smell, where the humid air went, the smell of the cypresses, and the horrible smell that was coming from the girl a while ago. After breathing a bit more something else was weird for Hazael, a bird that was flying on top of him seemed to be stop, in the air totally immobile was a flock of birds.

Hazael had just got the air back to his lungs when the girl appeared in front of his face, no warning, just entering his personal space and making him end on the floor because of the sudden apparition of the girl.

Whenever she moved, she seem to be devoid of making sound, now while watching the floor he noticed something that took all his attention, making him send any other thinking away from his mind.

The girl had a shadow…

Never in his life he had seen a dead that had a shadow, they were no longer part of the world, so he thought they didn’t had a shadow because of that, but he was now seeing this girl with a scythe that brought fear on him, and she had a shadow.

The girl was looking at him, her eyes seemed to show curiosity, yet it was hard to know what was going in her mind, he couldn't quite look her in the eyes, he felt nausea would come again. He decided to muster courage, and ask something simple, yet he didn't want to know the answer.

“-Who are you…”

His voice was barely audible, even if he felt like he was okay, his body was telling him, he was obviously still scared of the girl.

She smiled and answered merrily.

“- I’m a reaper, my name is Dea, and is not because of death, my name is Dea Ereshkigal.”

A reaper…

Death itself, Hazael couldn’t quite understand if he was dreaming all this, he had never seen anything like this in his life, it was a totally new experience, one that brought fear on him, he wasn’t sure of what to do, and then his mind was interrupted for a hand in front of him.

“-Get up, come on don’t stay on the floor all time”

The lack of sound when she moved was something he couldn't quite get used to, she just seemed to appear in front of him interrupting his thinking.

He wasn't quite sure of taking the hand of the girl, it was a pale hand, it didn't look weird, but the fact of the owner of the hand made Hazael question what would happen if he took her hand.

She moved her hand in front of his eyes, indicating she was waiting for him. He just left it to luck and took her hand. With no effort at all she got him up and cleaned his pants from the dirt of the floor.

He couldn't quite move the whole time she did that, fear is a strong part on humans; it can make them run faster, or stay still as rocks and right now he was doing the second.

He hadn’t reacted when he heard the voice of the girl asking something, he reacted only when she put her hand in front of his eyes.

“-What?” he pronounced it mostly as a sign of reaction, not really thinking what he said.

-“Your name, I have been asking for a while.  What is your name?”

-“Hazael.” He could only answer the question because it was common, like a routine to answer his name, if not he would have probably stayed silent.

Not sure if it was lack of common sense, or the fact he felt comfortable, he decided to ask the reaper why the birds were stand still.

As if reading his mind once again, she just answered.

“- You are in my space, is kind of a bubble, no one can move nor see me while I’m doing my work.”

Hazael observed around him with a bit more calm, it was true, nothing was moving, that might have been what caused the lack of smells and sounds, he was thinking, if nothing could move nor see her while she did her work, why did he saw her.

“-I’m thinking the same, I’m not sure how you can see me, but that is awesome Hazael.”

The voice of the girl was always flowing with a creepy happiness,           his heartbeat got higher when he noticed that she was actually reading his mind, but before he could ask on fear she spoke with calm on her voice.

“- I can’t really read your mind, is more like understanding what happens, you are really easy to read, but I’m not actually reading your mind, but your breathing and heartbeat are more than enough.”

He wasn't sure what to expect any more of the girl who seemed to be in total control of the mood on the situation.

“- You got a good name Hazael, it means “God sees” if I remember well… so after all this, want to be friends?”

The happiness in her voice plus her eyes totally open looking at him waiting for an answer, he didn't knew what to do at all, he wasn't scared as in the beginning of the girl, but there were things he wanted to ask the reaper.

“-Sure…”

His answer was short, but that was the result of not wishing to take any risks, who knows what might happen if he answered know to the reaper.

“-Great! Let’s meet here after I’m done with my rounds, at the twenty hour sounds good to you? Great, don’t dare to get late.”

Just like that, before something else could be said or done the girl disappeared, all the smells and sounds of the park came rushing to the nose and the ears of Hazael.

The cypresses, the sound of steps on the stones, the humid air, he could see the birds moving once again, the dog was still dead on the road, he thought all might have been but a weird hallucination. But his heartbeat was still crazy, and he was only starting to get his breath back.

It had been real, and he was sure he wouldn't be late to get to the park at the night, he doubted the reaper liked to wait.