Angel of Mercy

In the passage between Earth and the House of Immortals lay a place where time continued to flow, and where several clocks of different shapes and sizes floated in space. Only the Immortals could pass through this passage, and at nine forty-five one evening, the Angel of Death passed through it.

The clock struck ten. Gelo entered a dark room where a five year old girl with long white hair, bruises, and gray eyes lay in bed. She was as pale as him, and was covered in several blankets and pillows. She was dying, but she managed to say, “Hi.”

Gelo stepped back, surprised, but the girl kept on talking.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said. “I look like one, people tell me.”

“You’re not afraid of me?”

“Why should I be afraid of you? You’re an albino, just like me.”

“I’m not an albino. I’m the Angel of Death!”

“An-gelo-fdeath?”

“You can just call me Death.”

“No, you’re Gelo,” the girl giggled.

The clock struck ten. This time, it wasn’t from his memory. The sound came from a grandfather clock floating by him. It was real. Time was passing. This was the reality. He had one hour left.

“Look, Sophie, I know you’re not afraid of me, but… why do you treat me like a friend?”

“Don’t you see, Gelo? We are friends.”

Sophie was eight years old now. She had stayed alive for three more years. But Gelo’s scythe kept on warning him how near death she was.

“Why?”

“Because I like Gelo.”

“What is there to like about me? I kill people!”

“You always stayed with me when I was sick. Most people stay away from me because I’m so pale. They think I’m cursed or say they don’t want to see me die. But you stayed with me and I always felt better when you finally come!”

“Killing people is my job, Sophie, it is what my master taught me. He made me kill him, too, so I could take over his job. One day, I’ll have to kill you, too.”

“But you haven’t killed me yet.”

It wasn’t your time, Gelo thought. He had prepared Sophie for the inevitable before. But now, he wasn’t sure if he was prepared at all. He sat down in space and set the alarm to a quarter to elven. He’ll have a talk with Sophie later, perhaps for the last time. For now, he wanted to think.

But all he ended up doing was remembering.

“Please, don’t take me yet!” A man begged on his knees. “I’ll endure the pain, please, just let me.”

Gelo lowered his scythe. Light reflected on the blade and the face of his master appeared.

“Kill him, Gelo, he doesn’t understand,” the master said.

“Five more minutes,” Gelo said to his master.

“No, Angel of Death, you’re interfering with the natural order.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?” the man snapped.

“Do it now, he’s becoming insane!” the master said.

Gelo didn’t say or do anything.

The man began standing up. “You selfish Angel of Death! Simply because you’re immortal, you have no mercy for humans like us!”

“Now!” the master shouted.

Gelo impulsively raised his scythe. It provoked the man.

“Are you going to kill me now? You skeleton? I’ll break your bones piece by piece!” The man rushed at Gelo. Gelo, distracted, fell down. The scythe fell out of his grasp and clanged on the floor. Gelo got up but the man had gotten hold of the scythe. The man cackled.

“What do you feel now?! I’m the new Angel of Death! You’re at my mercy!” The man slashed through the air, and advanced toward Gelo.

“I’m sorry,” Gelo said as the scythe cut through his body, “but I’m immortal.”

Gelo grabbed the scythe and slashed back at the man.

“You finally killed him. He was already mad. It could have been worse,” the master told his apprentice, “but it could have been better.”

“Master, I don’t think I can do thi"“

“I already resigned. I’m a human now.”

“Can’t you come back?”

“I guess I still have a lot to teach you… but let that be a lesson to you. And it’s your last. “

“Master, what do you mean?”

“Death… can you feel it?”

Gelo felt the scythe vibrate. It was leading him to another dying person.

“Now is my time.”

The alarm clock went off. Gelo stood up and rubbed his eyes. They felt dry.

He’d have to go through the same ordeal again. He sighed, exited the passage into Earth and went to the hospital.

***

“I would like to be alone,” eighteen-year old Sophie said, “with Gelo, please.”

The nurses left the room. Gelo sat down by Sophie’s bed.

“How are you?”

Healthy locals full of melanin scramble to get strands of silver hair. Closed wounds bleed like ink on ivory skin. No one wanted it to happen. Its owner was cursed, but body parts brought good luck.

“You should have waited for me.”

Gelo had not intended to snap, but he did not expect to be asked such a question. It came from Sophie, in straps and stitches barely visible against her white skin.

“It's okay, it wasn’t my time…” Sophie murmured, a bit of red still coloring the rough scratch below her lip.

A car’s safety cushion had opened, but the wind shield gone. Amidst it all, a kitten scurried away, licking its fur to clean it, into the middle of the road. No one wanted it to happen.

“It really wasn’t. Sophie, do you think people’s times are set on a calendar?”

Her eyes widened, glistening pearls of light slightly shaking at the realization, mirroring Gelo. But she distracted herself from it. “You’re trembling….”

“It had not been your time, Sophie.” He gritted his teeth. “But because of that…”

Gelo banged against the side of the nurse’s button. They were keeping things from her.

Sirens rang as glass shattered. No one wanted it to happen. A body of a girl was bathed in red liquid and rainbow shards, the color of her skin hidden underneath the black cloak that protected her from the sun for so many years.

No one was with her. There were no casualties. One was badly injured. There was one casualty. No one was with her. She was surrounded by people asking for her hand, or foot, or eye. No one was with her.

That probably wasn’t the chronology of things, but they were no longer of consequence.

It was all the same in eternity. “You’re going to die today.”

Author's Note

Written in 2013, revised on 2017, with multiple unsuccessful attempts at revision in between. If there are noticeable differences in writing style, that is probably why.

This was from a summer workshop, with the prompt being the use of flashbacks.


Heavily inspired by two things: (1) dark fantasy about a girl so lonely she fell in love with her only frequent company, death; (2) OneRepublic's song, "Angel of Mercy". The story turned out to be more about Gelo than Sophie. And it didn't get a happy ending.

(Nov. 3 edit) A/N:
Hello anyone who's reading this. A plot hole has been spotted so I'm now entering a revision stage. I won't spoil the plot hole for you, but it's pretty big I might need to write another short story to address it. Prequel or independent, I'm not so sure yet. I appreciate all the reviews given thus far and will continue to appreciate any incoming new ones. Just for fun, I'll give incentives to those who can spot the plot hole. Message me when you guess.

Reviews

[Srchaud]

THe idea is superb but at time the writing felt disjointed. I could not always follow what was going on. At the end did sophie die did she not die and why, I thought it was her time. Also who was the master you never really explain if its a person or in deaths head or a reflection on the scythe.
In any case besides some smoothing and adding a natural flow to the story the idea was great. I love the idea and there where times the writing shined(but as you said this was done in several stages). Instead of being a short story I would love the idea of a longer story about a child befriending death knowing one day her/his life would end. The idea that death hates the coming date , the time he has to kill his friend, yet always knows its coming is really cool. To see death rebel against the natural order only to see that he has no choice would be rivoting. Cool job, hope you do more with this.

[DiskartetHaraya]

Thank you so much for the feedback.

I actually wasn't sure what people would think of the master since he was mentioned in just one vignette.

The thing is, I wrote a continuation of this for NaNoWriMo 2014 but I don't know where the files went.

For the disjointedness at the end (it was the only part I was brave enough to edit) I wanted it to reflect Gelo's messy state of mind and eventual forced indifference.

But you're right, I may have to smooth a couple of things a bit.

Anyway, thank you so much again! Been looking for feedback.

[DTH3602]

This is an awesome idea! I particularly like the the girl falling in love with death. It is so morbid, yet so real and unfortunate.

You still have some work to do though. I think that you can get your story across a little better overall. Some of the dialogue isn't super realistic and can be a bit choppy at times. However, I know that this is in its early stages so don't take my review to seriously.

Thank you for sharing!

[DiskartetHaraya]

Hi. Thanks for dropping by! Which parts of the dialogue don't seem realistic and are choppy to you? Would appreciate a follow-up, thanks!

[...]

I can see more stage play then short story. So if you put in begin of sentence who speak up. It will help reader to understand what's happen. On another hand reader not must be lazy and create in own head what's happening. I like this part about killing. I hope this not looks like I am freak or psycho. But that sequence is strong and looks very real. Also sequence pear in right place like a suprising point of the story. End can be seeing like cruel or dying can be understandt in spiritual meaning. If you tight more sentences together and describe more spaces where this happening . It will be great story. For sure I am not critic that's just my opinion.

[DiskartetHaraya]

Interesting comment.... This is experimental so it did end up this brief. I think it's too short/fast for a live stage play even, but maybe screenplay or animation is possible. Thanks for the suggestion! Maybe I'll make different versions.

[...]

Yes who knows maybe from this small piece you can make great epic story who knows.

[AmateurWriter01]

This is really good. It kept me entranced the whole time. You are an excellent story teller.

[DiskartetHaraya]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed reading.