The Truth of the Grim Reaper | Teen Ink

The Truth of the Grim Reaper

March 13, 2010
By Anonymous

A solitary figure stood upon the hill where the sun had begun to set like it had every day. It met it’s other half like a union of two halves. The figure didn’t turn as the sun set in its glowing red ominous rays in multiple shades. For the effect they gave off to some it was a representation of romance the passionate fire of our hearts when changed to find the love in one another or of hell the fire that rises from what we bring upon ourselves. It was unbelievable how a love like theirs could ever come to bloom for the short time they had together. Yet as the sun set in front of her the darkness grew from behind swallowing the light from everything it passed. She wasn’t afraid yet she embraced wishing it would last for a bit longer, that moment straight through the center, when both the light and the darkness connected. That simple minute felt more valuable than all those she had ever had since she was born. Yet it had happened so often now there was no pain or regret of the short time it happened. The darkness rose to meet the light exactly at the point it always did and a dark aura she had felt growing in front of her made the sun become darker like it was meant to do. It began to take form and through the growing darkness a human figure appeared. A young, yet ageless tall man with light pale skin like alabaster that resembled the lovely color of the glowing moon itself stood in front of her with expressionless eyes. His hair was lengthened into a bang that circled his face easily curling only when it touched the skin around his face. Yet from the neck down it continued to layer pieces here and there sticking out to give a wild look that has been used to not carrying of how it seemed. The wind blowing against the two forms however seemed to pass straight through them. His body took its form and his pale skin from his neck down was covered in garments of black silk like cloth. He had on a coat that clung tightly around his chest and arms showing the form of his upper body. His pants were of similar fabric with a looser feel that continued lower than his feet. On his back strapped with silver buckles that contrasted with the color of the dark garments was attached an intimidating scythe. The handle from the tip to where the curved, silver blade gleamed was pure black metal that did not even reflect due to the darkness of its purposes. The pole was longer than five feet and was nearly unbreakable yet he was around six feet and the blade as long as curved four feet. It was colder than ice at the touch and only he could hold it without feeling the pain that it gave off for the thousands of years it continued to do its job. His eyes stared down to the woman wearing pure white compared to him. Her silk gown surrounded her like a shawl but had the consistency of a cloud and floated around instinctively as if the wind actually was blowing it about. As he formed entirely a similar shawl appeared around him. However his was like a dark fog that blotted out the last remains of sunlight and became one with the night growing around him. His dark eyes had no expressions or emotions reflected in them because they couldn’t even if he tried, and that even his stare robbed someone of the ability to show how they feel. The girl who had been there since the sun had set stared intently as the man eyes gleaming with the sun’s warmth even if they were the color of fresh honey orbs. She stared back her blond hair was long, curled, and glittered from the light of whatever light passed by or through it resembling gold. A smile touched her red lips and she clearly showed her emotions because she could play with her features. She reached out and touched his cheek but he didn’t even flinch at the warm touch, but she didn’t hesitate at his coldness. They stayed staring eye and eye, unspeakable emotions of those that understood each other with their soul could only do. Yet the sun disappeared under the horizon sending a small yet lonely gleam of sadness that soon disappeared through her features, along with her. Her body shimmered one last time before she disappeared with the final ray of light pointing up and the darkness of the night consumed the area. He was no longer visible because all besides the silver and his pale skin glowed ominously in the night with the light of the pearl moon. Then he disappeared with the night and he reached a town of France so quickly that no time had passed where he was noticed. As he passed through the streets he reached a brick apartment building that had seen better days at the time. He entered without opening the doors passing through the wall. Darkness could never be kept out which is the reason darkness can be found in any corner when it can and even when unwanted. He continued moving without sound and reached a room where an old man, with a grey beard from age was breathing heavily as in pain and suffering for some time. He didn’t turn as it was too much effort and only the comfort of death could bring him peace, yet death will not stay it must come first. Without emotion the scythe untied itself buckles pulling away, knowing what it was meant to do. He grabbed the sheath from behind him and let it smoothly cross without stirring anything physically over the bed and through the body. The man’s body stirred once as if struck and then moved no more as the reaction of death took over the body and it became cold and rigid. The spirit left the body to join the many others he, the Grim Reaper to some, had taken and led to the afterlife. Then the night continued as that through the countries of France, Italy, and the rest of Europe. He went through the populated areas of Africa and India where people died early in their lives because of their conditions and lifestyles. He also went through the places of Asia including Japan, China, and Korea. He went through Russia then crossed the endless and uncharted oceans to Americas. Before it had been discovered and when all believed that the world was a flat disk and the water was endless. That’s where he continued the cycle of life and death with the lives of the Native Americans, Mexicans and the people of Canada that weren’t as numerous. With the natives of the Central and Southern Americas where the forests were diverse and endless and the birds of Paradise were different from each other with their various displays. However he never saw because besides the bats and the predators of the night were the only creatures awake with him during the time he worked on the living planet. He continued the job separating from the bodies of the dead the spirits trapped inside the mortal corpses so they could be set free. Even if the body died during the day the body would seal its soul inside until he had brought the weapon that could separate them. It was horrible for those whose bodies are destroyed before they could be saved because for those they would disappear forever without finding their peace, yet it was unpreventable and at times they stayed behind unable to find a way out. He finished and the night had begun to end. The moon overhead was a brilliant white and was the sign of the full moon, a full circle in the sky. It was a single eye watching over everything there like the sun during the day. He went in reverse through the countries he had gone through when he reached the same hill he had started at. He faced the moon that had replaced the position of the sun. As he watched it inched closer to its reflection on the surface of the lake. Yet he stood over the lake and he did not appear reflected in the still waters. A mirror is only reflected to show the other side of someone or something. However he was only death and that was all. There was nothing else, not another side to be shown. The sun continued to dip under the horizon and as on schedule the moon melted into the horizon’s line and the sunlight’s first beams appeared. The same process he watched through just like she had as the sun replaced the moon in that continuous cycle that made up the planet’s days. A light glimmer began forming like a concentrating cloud of glitter that took form. Her form began to take its place and her blond hair flowed over her shoulders and lay heavily against her back. As she appeared the appearance she had before was forming again, however know she had strapped onto her waist a dagger of pure gold with a large green jewel centered. A dagger that could slice away a piece of life from both a mother and father to give a soul to a child, or rip away the unknown sicknesses of the dying who deserved to enjoy life for a day longer. Unlike him she never was given a name, for those sensitive enough to notice her she was mother earth, an angel, a fallen spirit. She was noticed by those pure of heart because she enjoyed the little things in the world that she could. The flowers, the life, and the love which had their sparkles of light inside that she couldn’t avoid loving. She wondered how she had found anything to love in him, he was made of darkness yet she had said that light is needed for darkness to exist and vice-versa. He saw it differently however, she was his light and because she existed he was able to be here. She would never see it that way however because she didn’t see the power she had and only saw those around her. He touched her cheek again as she formed completely for that single minute where the sun replaced the moon and leaned low until their lips met and he closed his eyes. His coldness did not affect her and her warmth only made him love her more. Then as it was meant to be he disappeared as the beams of coming light passed through the dark fog that made him up and he faded away. His presence slowly disappeared and she opened her eyes sadly to see him gone. She turned to face the lake and the horizon and watched as the moon had disappeared under the horizon for another day and the sun shined readily as her turn in the cycle had begun. The eyes of the newborn child looked up nervously as she opened her eyes for the first time at the same time the sun took it’s place over the world, it’s ray passing down everywhere like curling, shimmering locks of hair.


The author's comments:
My inspiration for this peace came up when I began thinking about all the ideas humanity has about the end of life and the beggining of it. Perhaps it isn't that simple but perhaps it is. We may never know if we are reborn when we take that trip of forgetting, or we leave for good. A qoute that I remember that comes up with this would be 'In death we can only cry, but in living we can both smile and cry, that is why death lingers around the living because it is jealous of what we have'.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 1 comment.


on Mar. 30 2010 at 8:36 pm
AllianceOfTheSpokenWord, La Mirada, California
0 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
'Someone once said "In What mood do you like to listen to music?" and I answered "Sad, Happy, or Angry my love for music never changes"

Sorry for the accidental word confusion, Peace if you dont understand the written comment actually stands for piece but word correction changed it.