A Grim Love: Can't Fight Time Read online

  This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons--living or dead--is entirely coincidental.

  A Grim Love: Can't Fight Time @ 2014 by Rosi S. Phillips. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” Nina recited the Mark Twain quote out loud, much to the surprise of all of her classmates and most especially of her professor.

  Well, he did ask what I was reading, Nina thought, smothering her smile under a quick cough as she continued to stand with all eyes on her, the book of famous quotes held between two fingers.

  “And how exactly does that relate to the Arab Spring, Ms. Strathmore?” her professor asked caustically, sending her a look that her fifth grade bully would have cringed at.

  “It doesn’t.” Nina said succinctly, lowering her head in what she hoped looked like shame. “I apologize for interrupting class... again,” she finished softly, her tone not nearly as repentant as her words.

  The professor rolled his eyes and resumed his lecture on the 2011 Arab Spring. Nina sat down quietly and dog-eared the page in her book before picking up her pen and trying her best to look as if she was taking notes.

  Whirling her pen between her fingers, Nina stared past her schoolmates to the rolling hills of green outside the classroom’s window. There was a song stuck in her head, but she couldn’t remember the singer or the title.

  Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom….

  ….Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops

  Nina tried to remember the words, but all she could remember was the melody, trumpets and bass. I’ll remember it when I least need it.

  “Focus!” she muttered to herself as she turned back to the teacher and began to take notes.

  “... If you have any questions on today’s lecture, email your T.A.’s. Remember, your first paper is due Friday. Have a good rest of the day,” Nina heard the professor announce a little later, along with the telltale sound of computers being shut down and chairs scraping against linoleum. The loud conversations and laughter became her background music as she rose, gathered her books and exited the lecture hall.

  Moving away from the hall, Nina weaved her way through the hundred or so students milling around. Her favorite place was calling to her with all the power of a chocolate sundae calling a child: the beautiful and secluded chapel.

  The building was tall without being imposing and, despite its name, the chapel did not subscribe to any particular religion. Yet, it wasn’t the actual building that Nina loved, but the gardens surrounding it and the fountain hidden inside the small maze of foliage.

  “Freakin’ finally! I need to work on my scheduling for next semester, so that I don’t take another three hour lecture.” Nina muttered and breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the shaded area of the fountain and sat in one of the stone-backed benches.

  “Ah! Peace and quiet.” My two favorite words.

  Propping her legs up, Nina tucked her feet under her long skirt and reached for her book. Settling in, she zoomed in on the next quote. Truth is stranger than...

  ***

  “Amica? Are you alright?” A lightly accented voice called her away from her slumber.

  “Hmm?” Nina mumbled. She struggled to open her eyes, only to find the most beautiful creature leaning over her. “Huh?”

  Nina was momentarily thrown off by the man engulfing the space around her, not exactly threatening just... all-consuming. He’d give a linebacker a run for his money! Nina thought, sucking in a deep breath of what smelled like fresh, rich soil and piercing winter cold. It was a combination Nina had never smelled before and, as inconspicuously as she possibly could, she took another deep breath into her lungs, relishing the crisp scents.

  “I was wondering if you were alright? I thought there might be a problem, with you sleeping outside in the middle of the night and all,” the man stated evenly, with no hint of censure in his tone, just concern and curiosity.

  Hmm... He sounds better than chocolate tastes! Is that even possible? Nina wondered silently, still shaking off the layers of sleep clouding her brain. Wait. Middle of the night?

  “I’m sorry, um, what did you say? I think sleeps still clouding my brain.” she said on a yawn, leaning forward and making a move to get up, the stone suddenly feeling hard and cold beneath her.

  The ridiculously good-looking man leaned away from her and took a step back to give her some space. Whether she was happy about that or not, Nina didn’t care to guess. She was grabbing her bag and untucking her legs when the man answered her: “It’s 1:30.”

  “A.M?!" Nina blurted out as she shot to her feet and stumbled, not realizing her legs had fallen asleep. The man immediately reached out and steadied her, while still being able to dwarf her. That wasn’t an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination; at 5 foot 11 and curvy to boot, Nina didn’t have to look up at many people. She found herself craning her neck to look up at this man, though, with his blue-diamond eyes and polished, pale silver skin. Nina felt positively fragile and petite!

  “Yes, it’s pretty late,” the man responded with a deep chuckle, slowly letting her go as she regained her footing. His laugh penetrated Nina and settled to a slow burn with the deep timbre of his voice and the softly accented words. Greek? Or maybe Turkish?

  “Well, shit! There goes Statistics and 20th Century Lit,” Nina mumbled sourly, as she thought about the money she had paid for the classes and how missing even a minute was a complete waste of money that she couldn’t afford.

  “So, like... Um, thanks for waking me up. I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was,” Nina mumbled as she shifted her feet, feeling a bit intimidated by his size. The fact that it was the middle of the night, and that they were well enough away from anyone hearing her scream in case her knight in shining armor turned out to be a sheep in wolf’s clothing, didn’t bother her as much as it should. Actually, it didn’t really bother her at all. Well, if he was going to kill me he had plenty of time when I was out cold.

  A noise to her left startled Nina, and she turned to see what might have caused it. That sounded like a muffled gasp; weird.

  Nina tried to see through the thick brush and into the darkness, but she didn’t see any creepy looking guy with a knife poised over a dead body. But I don’t want to stay, just in case I’m wrong.

  Turning back to the man, she was struck with a sudden chill that raised goose bumps on her skin. “Um, thanks for the--” But the man was gone, as if he’d never been there.

  "And that’s my cue to get the hell out of dodge!" Nina whispered under her breath as fear slipped into her body and she grabbed her bag and all but ran out of the thick maze. She didn’t dwell on the sinking feeling that the maze was longer, darker, and seemed to have branches reaching out to get her.

  Note to self: stop watching crime shows! From this moment on, you’re on a strict diet of happy, mindless kid’s shows. her voice was a bit hysterical, but she was still talking, still breathing, and that was all she cared about, staying alive.

  ***

  Grim hid a smile as he watched Nina look back at the spot where he’d just been and then dash out of the labyrinth as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. Well, maybe not hounds, but reapers sure were.

  A deep sigh escaped him before he could corral his emotions. Reapers didn’t have the luxury of feeling pity for humans; they weren’t saviors, just middlemen.

  With that thought in mind, Grim moved out of the cloaking darkness, passing through the thick wall of foliage as only a reaper could, until he reached the body of the dying girl.

  Bending at the knee, Grim waited for the last flicker of life to fade from her eyes. A sardonic smile twisted his lips as he looked over the girl’s features and figure, so similar to Nina’s that it was almost scary.

  Wildly curling hair reached past her shoulders, but Nina’s was coiled a bit tighter with flecks of red that were easy to see even in the moonlight. Her skin was like toffee, and only slightly darker than Nina’s raw sugar color. The girl also lacked the curves that Nina seemed to have in abundance, a thickness that made her look more desirable, like she could take a man and give as good as she got.

  No, they weren’t exactly the same, but damn were they close. He’s getting desperate, Grim noted as he took a deep breath over her body and sucked out her soul. Dark red and sea foam green swirled dangerously from her last emotions; fear and resignation.

  Grim rose from the body of the young girl so like Nina that he knew it was only a matter of time. But it’s not my place to interfere. And it wasn’t. He was a reaper of the Underworld, where death ruled the land. Pity wasn’t sufficient reason to break the law, and neither was desire. No matter how much I want her.

  Grim turned, holding the small soul in his grasp, and walked away into the night, until he became the night.

  ***

  Nina flicked her wrist and pushed open her front door, rushing inside and turning the lock back until she heard the snip of the tumbler fall into place. Another note to self: don’t do any creepy, dangerous things like sleep outside at 1:30 in the morning
!

  Nina pushed away from the door, letting out a relieved sigh before she threw her bag on the couch, kicked off her shoes, and made her way to the kitchen where the scents of oven pizza wafted out in waves.

  “Hey Dad!” Nina chirped as she entered the kitchen, not all that surprised to see her father up. The man had strange hours as a security guard, and would often come home in the middle of the night craving food. And after her mother past away, that food was mainly in boxes and usually frozen.

  “Little Boo, you’re home late. Were you studying?” her father asked as he slipped on an oven mitt and pulled out the pizza.

  Nina went to the sink to wash up, her stomach giving a growl and letting her know that she’d skipped lunch and dinner. A spot of red on her father’s collar caught her eye. Grabbing a paper towel, she ran it under the tap until it was damp and then went to him and began dabbing at the spot.

  “No, I fell asleep at the chapel. Knocked out cold, but this nice guy woke me up. Dad, you really need to stop making such a mess! I swear, every time you come home you have another stain on your clothes,” Nina chastised her father, as she got most of the stain out and threw the paper towel in the trash.

  She went over to the kitchen drawer, pulled out a knife and began to cut the pizza, her father bizarrely quiet beside her; “Something wrong?”

  “You said that a guy woke you up?” her father asked her in a strange voice.

  Nina turned to him, the mood in the small kitchen taking on an almost dangerous edge. The walls seemed to draw closer to Nina, boxing her in as she looked at her father's carefully neutral face.

  “Yes, but he left right after. He was just being nice and--” Nina began, but her father slammed his hands on the counter, making Nina jump nearly out of her skin. Crap! I’ve done it now.

  “You know I don't like you with men! The way they look at you! The way they are with you!!” her father slowly, disdainfully whispered through his teeth.

  Nina stood her ground, keeping herself in a non-threatening position. When her father got like this he was more like animal than man. She’d learned that remaining absolutely still with no sudden movements with a calm, even tone was the best thing to do.

  “I need you to calm down, Dad. I can’t talk to you when you’re like this,” Nina said clearly, her voice serene, betraying none of the fear that lurked just beneath the surface. “Why don’t we take a deep breath?”

  From the back yard of the house, hidden in shadows, Grim watched the exchange between father and daughter. I suppose he’s going to kill her now.

  He’d been watching Nina for a while now, and knew it was only a matter of time before her father finally ended her life. It was sad, but it was also the plight of humanity, of all living things.

  Grim flicked a stray leaf off his collar as he watched Nina work through her father’s volatile mood, trying to calm him down and bring him back from the murderous brink that he seemed to be at constantly. She’s much stronger than I thought, Grim acknowledged, stepping out of the shadows to walk through the wall and into the house.

  Being a “Grim Reaper” did have its perks. One of them was that he could walk through walls, and another was that he could go completely unnoticed. Well... except for the chill humans feel in my presence.

  “Dad, I need you to stay with me. Look in my eyes… keep looking…” Grim heard Nina chant softly to her father, remaining as still as a statue.

  From the way Nina handled her father, it was obvious that this wasn’t an unusual occurrence. The thought disturbed Grim, that she could live her life walking around on eggshells. No one should have to live like this.

  Grim gracefully plopped down on one of the kitchen chair as he watched Nina address her father. Right before his eyes her skin began to rise; Goose flesh. Grim smiled, feeling a little bit of satisfaction that even though Nina could not see him, her body could still feel his presence in the room.

  Not that that makes a difference, Grim thought angrily as he watched the interplay between father and daughter. If the man chooses to kill her, I can’t stop him. I won’t.

  “I’m sorry, Nina,” Grim heard her father say absently, a note of apprehension in his voice.

  “It’s fine, Dad. Are you still hungry?” Nina asked quietly, immediately changing the subject.

  Smart girl, Grim acknowledged, watching as they each grabbed a piece of pizza and sat down at the table. Neither of them took the seat he was sitting in; even though they could not see him, they subconsciously knew he was there. It was that sixth sense humans refused to document as anything but a fable.

  “I’m really tired, Dad. So I’m gonna hit the hay,” Nina said with faux cheeriness, giving her father a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying up the stairs.

  Only Grim could see the twisted look Nina’s father gave her retreating back, one of lust and shame. He wants her. That was obvious by how many women he had fucked and killed that looked just like her--or rather, like his long past wife.

  Grim could still remember the look Adrienne had given him as he had whisked her soul off to the Underworld. She’d been one of the few souls that materialized into a wispy form of their former selves. The smile and relief on her face had been so clear and bright that Grim had wondered how bad her life had truly been. And even after he had brought her soul to a Messenger, he had still wondered.

  Nina. The young girl he had seen when he had visited Adrienne’s home and family after her passing. It hadn’t been because she had asked him; ghosts didn’t have that ability. It was Adrienne’s look of utter relief after being murdered by her husband that had left him to wonder how awful her life had been. No surprise was on her face, no fear, no sadness, just... pure relief.

  Grim watched Nina’s father grab another slice of pizza and eat it, but beneath the veneer of civility he wore was an animal, lusting after its next kill. Grim knew men like Nina’s father all too well, and despite whatever had happened in his life to cause him to become like this, murder was still murder. It was not easy to take a human life, but once done, there was no way in Heaven or Hell to remove that stain on one’s soul.

  Grim turned away from the man and made his way up the stairs and into Nina’s room. He entered through the wall, immediately turning to her bed. What the--?

  Nina was curled on her side, feigning sleep with a metal bat clutched tightly in one hand. Grim turned towards the door to see a number of locks lining the seam. Some looked like they had been broken off.

  This? This is how she lives? In fear that her father will come and attack her in her sleep? Grim thought angrily, his temper rising until his presence leaked out into the room, and he heard the harsh chatter of Nina’s teeth as she struggled to get warm under her multitude of blankets.

  Calm down, Grim told himself. Reaching forward, he placed his power into the locks, fortifying them against any intruders. If her father really wished her dead there was little he could do, but if the man only wanted to sneak in then the locks would hold.

  Effortlessly, Grim moved towards the bed and lay on the comforter, wrapping his arms around Nina’s curled form. “Sleep, Amica. You will be safe this night,” Grim whispered, knowing that she could not hear him because he remained invisible.