Episode Four

Through the Eyes of Death.

Death stared at Daisy as she walked away from the cemetery thinking that her spell had failed. He chuckled in amusement at the little thing’s fearlessness, but he was not surprised. She has always been a clever troublemaker devastated. A smart curling on his pale face as he remembered the first time he had met Daisy, 10 years ago.

Death walked in an alley, the streets empty in the middle of the afternoon, the distant downs of traffic and the chirping of insects in the nearby field were the only noise in the air is the Grim Reaper approached his victim. A man like crumpled on the ground leaning on a dirty wall. Death grimaced as he took in the smell of the place.

Just outside the alley was a sewer, and its stink corroded the whole air. He came to a stop when he reached the man who lay helpless in front of the Grim Reaper.

Wakey wakey old man, it's time to die,” Death called to the man and his deep voice poking the diamond size with his black leather boots.

At his words, the man opened his eyes flinching at the sight of death looming over him, his face startling white in the darkness of the alley. The man gasped as he whispered in a quivering voice,

“Who are you?”

Death laughed crouching down towards the dying man. His eyes took in the giant Reaper in front. He glanced away from his pale face, his eyes trailing to death dark attire and to finally fall on the scythe clasped in his hand. The dying man gulped in fear his fate finally dawned on him.

“Please spare me,” he pleaded. He cried desperately to Death, his spit flying out of his mouth. He had lost most of his teeth, it seemed and the ones that had remained looked completely rotten. Death snorted in disgust as if he was expecting to hear this from the man. Usually, his appearance was enough for people to get an idea of who he was and why they were seeing him, which meant their last words were always begging him to spare them.

“There's no point to beg old man. It's your time to die,” he stated.

“No, please,” said he man crying, trying to crawl away from the Grim Reaper.

“Tsk, tsk,” Death sighed, getting back on his feet as he witnessed the man's poor attempt at fleeing.

“If you want it to live, maybe you should have stayed away from those drugs. But anyway, I'm not here to give you a PSA on drug use, am I? I am here to collect your pathetic little soul. So cooperate, Okay?” Death said in a low, confident tone.

The dying man continued to crawl on all fours to get away from Death, who let him try to get away. He was fully aware that no one could escape death once fated to die. All the man could do was postpone it by a few minutes. However, the minutes were passing quickly and having had enough of the disgusting smell, Death decided it was time to end the game. He reached the man and two long strides stopping him from going any further by stepping on his leg. The man cried out as the heavy boot dug deep into his bones.

“Stop fighting this dude. It's fucking Tuesday and I have a lot of work to do,” Death exclaimed dramatically.

The man groaned as Death put more pressure on his leg. Leaning closer, Death reached for the man's hand, then long claws came closer to the man’s eyes, calling out his soul from within him.

Suddenly, a shrill voice called out from behind to making the Grim Reaper turn back.

“Hey, stop it.”

“Huh?” Death breathed out in confusion. He strained his eyes to see who it was.

“Is that a demon disguised as a girl?” he thought to himself

“Stop bullying that man,” the girl cried out in a high-pitched voice making death snap out of his thoughts.

“Who are you?” he had said leaning his head to one side as he stared at the child curiously.

“Why are you bullying? My teacher told me it is very bad to bully. We should not do it.”

Death laughed at the girl’s tone, such boldness and confidence could not be coming from a demon. No one who knew him would be as big as a fool to interrupt him during his work. The only justification for this foolishness could be that this was actually a human girl.

“Bullying? I am not bullying anybody,” Death said stepping towards the child.

A mortal couldn't see him when it was not their time to die. Getting closer, he peered at the girl trying to figure out how she was able to see him.

“And why are you hurting him?” Daisy asked folding her tiny arms around her chest and peering at death with angry dark eyes.

Looking at the little girl with a pink backpack and ponytails glaring up at him made Death burst out laughing

“I am not hurting him. I'm doing my job,” he stated in between laughter. Daisy frowned,

“What kind of job is that?” Daisy said.

“Hmm,” Death sighed, “ I am Death, I take the people who are old or sick to another world,” he finished confidently,

He'd been existing since the creation of time, seen everything that the world had gone through. In a place where he had to explain his job before to anyone let alone a child. Having thought that he felt satisfied with his description. He looked down at the girl hoping for a positive response, but frowned what he saw, her glare become more prominent.

“So you're the one who took away Koko?”

“Who's Koko?”

“My cartoon star, my mommy and daddy lied and said he went to a farm but I know he died,” the little girl said in a serious voice.

Death chuckled looking down at the strange child.

“How do you know that?” he asked.

“ Because I'm a big girl now, Daisy started, “And am also very smart.”

Death looked at her eyes trying to read her mind but her next question disrupted him.

“Why do you have such a long axe?” she asked pointing to his side.

“This is not an axe, it is a scythe,” he corrected her looking proud.

Daisy nodded as she mouthed, ‘scythe’ again.

“My dad says it is dangerous to carry sharp objects around. What if you hurt yourself?”

“That is not possible stupid girl, am very careful.”

“But still, what if you hurt your friends by accident?”

“I don’t have any friend,” Death answered firmly.

He looked at the girl thinking he won the argument but the expression on her face confused him more.

“Why are you looking at me like that,” he asked. She bit her lip.

“Aren't you lonely?” Daisy asked worried they her bottom lip jutting out. Death scoffed.

“This little thing is feeling sorry for me,” he thought, feeling confused by the girl’s behavior yet again.

“Do you really don't have any friends?” she asked in a low voice.

“Not really,” he replied nonchalantly.

“If you want, I can be your friend,” Daisy offered shyly.

Death chuckled shocked by her boldness, “You are a special girl, aren't you?”

He glanced toward the man he had come to kill. He had regained enough strength to pull himself on his feet and was quietly shuffling away. Daisy nodded a smile forming on her lips.

“Yes, I am. My daddy says on the most special girl in the world.”

He turned back towards the girl and started to walk away, “Sure that's a girl. How do we become friends?” Death asked.

Daisy perked up and bounced on her feet.

“Oh, Daddy says that first you tell them your name, and then shake their hand.”

Death nodded and leaned closer, “My name is Death. What's yours?”

The child grabbed his leather clad hand with their tiny fists, and firmly skinny mustard.

“My name is Daisy. She replied with a big grin.”

The front two teeth are missing making her look like a fool to Death.

“Okay, this will Daisy. Now I have to go finish my job, Okay? I'll see you later,” Death said pulling his hands away. But as they started to straighten Daisy murmured something making him look at her again.

“Did you say something?” he asked frowning when he saw Daisy’s solid face.

“My mommy and daddy always say they will play with me when doing their job but I never do,” she replied in a small voice. Her head turning towards the ground.

Death sighed, “I'm not like your mommy and daddy little girl. I always stand by my word.”

“So you will come to me again once you are done?”

“ Yes, I will,” Death said thinking, “I have to find what is special about her.”

“You promise?” she asked, her voice loud with excitement.

“I promised little Daisy. Now run to your house,” Death said before turning away from the small girl and facing the man.

“So you have not forgotten me, have you?” Death asked the empty area as he stood in the cemetery. His eyes landed on the burned circle where Daisy had performed the ritual. She had spoken the old tongue clearly as if she was fluent in it.

All the puzzles started to piece themselves together. The fact that she'd been able to see him when no other mortal could was not be a mere coincidence. Also being able to perform a true summoning ritual was not something any mortal could do either.

After ripping that man's soul Death had tried to track a little girl but had failed. It seemed as if she had not even existed until now.

“Who are you, Daisy Matthews?” He asked there under his hood. His eyes narrowed with intent.