• Her mother lay in the hospital bed with barely a flicker of life showing. Her illness had been long and drawn out and she could tell it had take its toll on her mother. The sheets barely with her breathing it was so shallow and her skin was drawn tight across the underlying bone and she was a shadow of her former self.

    “Momma, momma, please wake up”, the girl could barely be heard through the crying and sniffles. She was holding her mothers hand as gently as she could because she bruised so easily now and her head was bowed down and the tears were falling on the stiff white sheets.

    She started at the feel of the hand on her head and when she looked up her mother was awake and gently smiling at her. “Hun, shh, why all the crying?”

    She could here the quiet laughter in her mothers voice that she so missed and couldn’t help the teary smile it forced out of her. “Oh momma,” and started crying again.

    “Hun, it is going to be all right. Your brother is going to be her for you shortly and he will take good care of you. I know you barely remember him but he is a good man and will make sure you are taken care of.” She slowly stroked her daughters hair with the last bit of her energy.

    “I have one last thing I can give you” and reached to her side and picked up a small silver necklace and placed it in her hand and curled her hand around it. “Your brother will know you by this” she whispered with the last dregs of her energy.

    She closed her eyes and her last breath rattled out of her body. Her daughter could feel the life fading away as her mothers hand relaxed in death and she lowered her head and let the tears really come.

    Suddenly she feel the need to look up and right as she looked up a figure stepped through the door. He was dressed in long dark robes with a heavy cowl that covered his face. Though she didn’t quite register the feeling the necklace in her hand warmed up and a subtle feeling of recognition emanated from it.

    “Who…” She started to say in a shaky voice when he reached an arm out and pulled a long curved staff out of the air. As soon as the butt of the staff touched the floor a blade snapped out of somewhere in the shaft and she realized he was holding a scythe and the hand that was holding the scythe was made of pale bones.

    Before she could speak again the figure reached out with his scythe and placed the back of the blade under her chin and gently lifted till if she could see his face if he had not had the cowl up. “You can see me?” His voice came out in a dead yet oddly resonant tone.

    She could have sworn his tone belied a hit of surprise that she could see him. “Ye… Yes I can” she stuttered. “Who are you?” she asked before she realized who he was and the blood drained from her face.

    She grasped her mothers hand harder and cried out, “Please don’t take her, momma is all I have left.” The tears were streaming down her face. “She is all I have except for a brother I don’t remember.”

    He seemed to study her for a moment, almost taken back at what she said. “She is your mother? I am sorry child but I have to collect her soul. Her time is done and to delay will cause her more pain than you can imagine.” With a sudden movement the blade vanished back into the shaft and he lifted the staff away from her and raised his other and in a gentle voice spoke, “Come.”

    She could sense her mother’s soul starting to leave the body. She squeezed her mothers had again and this time a rough spot on the medallion attached to the necklace and though she could not see it a slight glow started emanating from it. “Can you wait till my brother arrives please?” She said he would be here soon to pick me up. I know he would want to see her first.”

    For some reason that seemed to stop him in his tracks, “What is your name child?” he demanded.

    “Marissa.” She responded.

    “And your last name child?” He demanded.

    “Stop calling me child!” She yelled. “What does it matter? You are going to do what ever you are going to do so just do it.” Her tears started flowing even heavier followed by tearing sobs.

    “Please Marissa, what is your last name.” She felt his hand gently cup her chin and lift her face. Strangely the hand did not feel like bone but had the warmth of flesh.

    “Gordon if you must know. My name is Marissa Gordon.” The hand tensed on her chin.

    “Marissa?” he whispered. “You are Marissa?


    She looked up as one hand was raised towards the cowl before it paused. He seemed to be thinking for a few moments before lowering it. He straightened up and looked at her. “I am sorry”, and pointed at her mother again and with this gesture a globe of glowing light emerged from the middle of her chest and floated to his hand.

    She could feel the gentleness of the grip as he moved the hand towards his robe and tucked it into some pocket or concealed opening. When his hand emerged the globe was no longer grasped in it.

    “Child”, He cleared his throat, “Marissa, look at me.” His voice was no longer hollow and dead sounding and she could detect some emotion she just could identify at the moment and didn’t want to try. She shook her head and didn’t lift it.

    The strangely warm had grasped her chin again. “Please Marissa. I have not seen my sister since she was a tiny baby.”

    She looked up in shock and disbelief.