Chapter 2: The Shepard of Souls

I stared into the eyes of Death herself, and resisted.

Waiting outside was the strangest girl I had ever seen. She looked to be about my age, but her hair was a smooth, gray color. Her robes were a clever pattern of gray and black stripes. A wicked scythe, held in her hand, gave me a dreadful suspicion of who this was.
We stared at one another, my gaze locked by wonder and with her waiting patiently. The strange silence ended as she spoke.
"Aaron, do you know what happened to you?"
A few more seconds passed before I answered. "No."
She closed her eyes, collecting herself. Hesitantly, she said, "You... you died last night. You were born with weak arteries, it was only a matter of time before" She closed her eyes, doubting whether to continue, "before you suffered a stroke."
More silence. "And who are you?" I asked, though I was already certain.
"I am a Reaper, a shepard of souls, and I have come to take yours to Heaven. Your spirit is haunting the world. It does not belong here. If you remain, you will become a ghost, doomed to haunt the living, seeking satisfaction, but finding none."
"And what happens in Heaven?"
She sighed and there was a barely noticeable droop of her head. "Your soul will be split into the pieces that make it up, and those pieces will become parts of new souls. You will live on in the next generation." She looked up, and attempted a comforting smile, "It is a peaceful end."
A peaceful end? She was planning to destroy my soul! With my life gone, a soul was the only thing I still possessed. I put on my steely game face and hardened my voice. "I refuse."
Her eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly in surprise. She tried to push the disbelief from her voice. "You don't get to refuse. I will not allow a ghost to exist."
Defiance now filled my voice, "I AM refusing."
She looked at the ground, her face hidden by her ashen bangs. I stood tense, waiting for consequences. Suddenly, her head snapped up; a new strength shone in her eyes. Her scythe snapped into a ready, two-handed grip. "Then I will take you there by force!"

I was a fool for defying death, but if I hadn't, this adventure wouldn't exist.