A Touch of Death

by Marissa Dobson

  She didn’t understand what was happening but she sure as hell didn’t like the pain tearing through her body. How was she supposed to do anything let alone help Death if she couldn’t even see straight? The second his hand moved from her arm, the pain poured back into her.

  “Undo this. Pain, it’s too much.” Feeling like she was dying, she laid back on the bed, letting her legs dangle over the side.

  “It will be over soon.” He wrapped his hand around hers.

  “Why does that help?” Exhaustion pressed on her with such force she couldn’t keep her eyes open.

  “I have abilities to help you get the job done. This is one of mine but it will only work on you.” She squeezed his hand, the pain turning to a burning sensation, making it feel like every nerve ending was on fire. “Take a few deep breaths, it’s almost over.”

  With no other choice, she tried to breathe, to stop wiggling on the bed because every move made the agony worse. How did Death expect her to help him after this? The urge to rip his heart out, to make him suffer as she was, coursed through her until she was filled with rage.

  As quickly as the pain started, it ended. Slowly her breathing became regular, and her heart no longer felt like it would explode under the pressure. The episode left her exhausted, her stomach still turning as an afterthought to the pain. Keeping her eyes shut, she pulled her hand from his.

  “I told you I wanted nothing to do with this, and still you forced it on me?”

  “You left me no choice, I need your help.” He stood from the bed before she gathered the energy to kick him off. “Open your eyes and you’ll see your destiny before you.”

  “This is wrong and you know it.” She propped herself on her elbows, her eyes still closed. She was scared of what she might see when she opened them.

  “No, what is wrong is what’s happening in this world. The spirits need your help, you can’t ignore your legacy any longer without consequences. Now open your eyes.”

  She ran her hand through her long blonde hair, and finally did what he asked. The world before her had a grayish overtone, streaks of blue mixed into the landscape. Blinking, she tried to right her vision. Nothing changed, no matter how many times she blinked.

  Now that she was no longer in agony, he withdrew his hand and stood. The instant he was no longer touching her, she missed the contact. Ever since Death came into her life, she longed for physical contact with him despite the fact he only brought her misery.

  “What the hell did you do to me?”

  “We covered that.” The concern was gone from his face, only to be replaced with the usual smirk.

  “Well, take it back!” She scooted up on the bed, closer to the headboard, placing distance between them. “My mother might have accepted this curse, but everyone thought she was crazy. I won’t have that. I already have a job. I’m a paramedic. If I go around talking to people no one else can see, they’ll lock me up.”

  The hints of silver from his sapphire eyes sparkled in the light. “This is something you’ll have to learn to work into your life.”

  “I’m supposed to save people from death, not help them find it!”

  He turned so his hip was against the bedpost and watched her. “Would you curse these people to a life of misery and wandering the earth lost?”

  Damn him. She became a paramedic to save people, she couldn’t leave someone suffering in limbo, wandering the earth alone if she could help it. She was too softhearted for that. Not sure who she was more angry with, Death or herself, it was too much for her brain to comprehend. Especially without more coffee.

  “I didn’t think so.” His lips curled up into a smile that made his eyes sparkle. “Now I suggest you get dressed, they’ll be arriving any moment.”

  “They?”

  “Those needing your help. To a spirit you are like a giant lighthouse, they can see you no matter where you are. When they’re ready, they will come to you. Now dress, there’s more coffee downstairs. Trust me, you’ll need it.” He left her more confused than before.

  “Wait, what about my vision?” She called after him.

  Without turning around, he paused at the top of the steps, his hand resting on the wrought iron banister. “You’ll get used to it. You’re seeing Thanatos, it’s the plane where the spirits exist. There they can move between places faster, they don’t have to worry about walking through people. That tends to cause a chill to even the non-sensitive, and is extremely uncomfortable for anyone the least bit sensitive to the supernatural. With time you’ll be able to build shields to help you block it. One thing at a time. First you need to be made aware of the situation at hand.” With that he continued down the steps.

  Situation? She wanted to ask about it but if spirits were on their way, she needed to dress. Sliding off the bed she expected the blue streaks to stay where they were, but they moved with her, keeping their distance. What where those streaks? What happened if she touched one? Most importantly, how did she know Thanatos was the Greek word for death? She’d never read about it, and never seen the word anywhere before.

  Downstairs, she found Death leaning against the back of her sofa, another mug of coffee in his hand. For a brief moment she wondered how he knew she needed her daily dose of coffee to get started. Coffee was her lifeblood, without it she couldn’t get by.

  He handed it to her, taking in her choice of outfit with a smile.

  “What?” She looked down at her hip hugging stonewashed blue jeans, and gray off the shoulder sweater. It looked fine when she was upstairs, so why was he watching her with amusement?

  “I’m only amazed by the transformation in less than five minutes. I’ve known women in the past that couldn’t look that good after hours of preparation.”

  His words sent her heart fluttering. Had he just hit on her? She wasn’t sure and before she could question it his smile disappeared. Everything turned serious in an instant.

  “They are nearing.” He pushed off the back of the sofa and came to stand in front of her. “Spirits are the same as they were in life, some are easy to deal with while others are more difficult. What you need to make them understand is you’re in charge. Don’t let them walk all over you. Due to the situation, it’s likely they’ll be upset, but I’m here with you to help in any way you need me to. Most importantly, they can’t hurt you. Spirits can’t even touch this plane unless you bring them over, even then they are completely under your control.”

  Nervousness wracked her body, her hand shook so much she nearly spilled the coffee. “I don’t know what you want me to do. Bring them over how?”

  He reached out, taking the coffee from her and placing it on the end table before taking both of her hands in his. “Normally we’d start slow, letting you learn as you went, but with the situation we don’t have that luxury. You’re about to get thrown into it head first, but I’ll be with you. It’s going to be okay.”

  “Situation? Are you going to explain that or just leave me in the dark?”

  “There is a serial killer in Crystal Falls.”

  Chapter Two

  Jael’s eyes grew wide with shock. A serial killer. Cleg never said anything about a serial killer, and as one of two detectives Crystal Falls Police Department had on their payroll, he would have known. It was unlike her brother to keep her in the dark about something so menacing. As a paramedic, she was at risk with each call. First responders were normally notified if something dangerous was lurking in the shadows of Crystal Falls, so they could watch their backs.

  A woman no older than twenty with long blonde hair, two light pink streaks on each side of her face, appeared before her. Dressed in tight straight leg jeans, a black sweater, and knee high heeled boots. Besides the fact she’d just walked through a wall, the woman was transparent.

  “You ready?” Death whispered, giving her hands a quick squeeze before letting go of them to stand next to her.

  All concept of words were gone, and the reality of the situation at hand sank in quickly. Being
the Grim Reaper was going to take its toll on her life quickly if spirits could just show up out of the blue, walking through walls whenever they pleased.

  “This can’t be happening,” Jael whispered.

  “It’s true then. Maria said if I found the light they’d help me. You can see me, can’t you?”

  Jael wasn’t sure why but she expected the spirit’s voice to be distant and ghostly. It was nothing like that. She sounded like a flesh and blood person.

  Jael shook her head. “I can’t do this. You have the wrong person.”

  “I don’t have the wrong person. Maria has been around a long time. She told me the light would be the Grim Reaper. That’s you. You have to help me. If you don’t, then I won’t cross over.”

  “I’m not the light. I’m just a person. There is nothing I can do for you,” Jael said, holding up her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

  “You have to help me, or I can’t leave.” The spirit stepped forward, making Jael want to retreat. It was eerie that the woman’s footsteps didn’t make a sound, not even the click of heels against the hardwood floor.

  “I don’t know how to help you. This isn’t my job, I’m a paramedic. Who is Maria?”

  “Another spirit, she has been here a while and doesn’t want to cross over and leave her children. She knows a lot and helped me adjust when I first died.”

  Even with the proof staring her in the face, Jael didn’t want to believe this was actually happening. “I still say you have the wrong person.” She crossed her arms under her breasts and fought the shiver creeping up her spine.

  “Hello, lady. I’m a freaking ghost.” The spirit wiggled her fingers in sarcastic greeting. “You can see me; no one else can. How can I be kidding about this?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know? What kind of Grim Reaper are you?” The spirit raised her hands and threw her head back as though seeking an answer from the ceiling. Jael imagined the woman rolling her eyes in frustration.

  She could hear the anger in the ghost’s voice. “This is all new to me.”

  That stopped the ghost in her tracks. “Are you freaking telling me this is your first rodeo? Of all the people in the world, I get the green Grim Reaper!”

  “It’s not like I wanted to be the Grim Reaper.” Jael turned to Death who remained quiet through the whole conversation. He hadn’t even moved from her side. “If I’m going to deal with this crap, I need more coffee.” She didn’t bother keeping the petulance from her tone. People were waking her up and pestering her left and right. Jael wanted nothing more than to sleep in peace.

  “Maddie, this is her first assignment. The passing of the former Grim Reaper was unfortunate and threw Jael into this headfirst,” Death explained to the spirit.

  “Unfortunate? What is unfortunate is the fact I was murdered! He is going to do it again unless she stops him. We don’t have time for her to pussyfoot around, or doubt what she is.” Maddie placed her hands on her hips and glared at them.

  Jael turned to Death, eyeing him. “I need to speak with you, now.” She stormed off to the kitchen. Being open to the rest of the condo, it would provide no privacy from the spirit, but it was the best she could do unless she wanted to be forced out of her own home.

  “Give us a moment,” Death told Maddie before following Jael.

  Jael poured more coffee into the mug and brought it close to her face before Death caught up with her. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the spicy aroma. “I know you said this is my legacy but I just can’t. I don’t know how to help her. You need to find someone else.”

  “There is no one else. Maddie and the others need your help and you can do this.” He leaned against the kitchen bar, his elbow resting on the granite counter. “If you’ll trust me I’ll see you get through this. With a little time it will become second nature to you. Your body is still trying to adjust to the new abilities, and this is all a lot to take in but it’s your destiny. One I know you’ll excel at.”

  She took a sip of her coffee, letting it calm her from the inside out. “I don’t know how to help her. I’m not a police officer, I can’t go chasing down a serial killer.”

  “No, but you can pass on the information from her and the others to Cleg or whoever is working the case. That will be the key to catching the bastard, and the spirits can cross.”

  “How am I supposed to explain that to Cleg?” Her twin brother was too scientific. Without proof, he’d never believe her.

  “You’ll be surprised by him.” Once again he gave her a smirk that let her know he was still hiding something. “Let’s talk to Maddie, gather whatever information she can give us, and then we’ll deal with Cleg.”

  “Surprised by him, how?”

  He gave her a quick wink. “That’s his to tell. Come, Maddie is waiting.”

  She let out a string of curses as he walked away from her. It was becoming tiresome to be kept in the dark. When did her world become so full of secrets? It had been turned upside down since her mother’s passing, and became worse in the last few hours.

  Placing her mug on the counter, she took a deep breath and went to meet her destiny head first. “Maddie, you said you were murdered, did you see who?”

  “I saw him as he sliced my skin into ribbons before…cutting my throat.” Maddie’s transparent figure shivered as if she was cold. Could spirits feel cold?

  “If he cut you, how come I don’t see any damage?” A hint of doubt crept into Jael’s voice.

  Death, who was a step behind her, cleared his throat. “It depends on the spirits. If they are strong enough they can choose to appear as they were before their death, hiding their wounds. Otherwise, they will appear as they died. Clothes, attitude, and everything else will be the same no matter which they choose. The only difference is they can make themselves more presentable.”

  Jael nodded, and for the first time actually studied the spirit before her. It was surprising how closely Maddie resembled Jael, almost as if she were looking into a mirror. They both had the same creamy completion and blonde hair. Each stood five-foot-five, with the same athletic build. It was unnerving, especially when another woman appeared behind Maddie with very similar looks.

  “When you didn’t come back, we thought she blasted you to oblivion.” The new spirit eyed Maddie with admiration.

  “Everything is fine, Christy. Go back to the others and let them know I’ll come once I bring the Grim Reaper up to speed on our situation.”

  Maddie’s words sent Christy back from wherever she’d come. One minute Christy was there and the next she’d walked through the wall and was gone. Jael couldn’t get over how they could do that. Being on the fifth floor of the building, Jael wondered what happened when the spirit was on the other side of the wall. Did they fall to the ground? Could they fly?

  “Thanatos is different than this plane. Building floors don’t affect them as they do for you. In time you’ll understand.” Death explained as if she had stated her questions aloud.

  “Can we get back to what happened to me and the others?” Maddie’s impatience was clear in her voice.

  Jael nodded. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I was passing through on my way back to Billings from vacation. It was late, after one in the morning, but I wanted to get back home to my own bed. My car broke down just outside the town limits, and I was waiting for a tow when I must have dozed off.” Maddie paused, crossing her arms over her chest as if she was cold. “I woke to my window being smashed in. He pulled me through, and when I fought back he pulled out a syringe and injected me.”

  “What did the injection do? Were you conscious?” Jael knew if Maddie had been awake she might have seen her attacker, but to be awake during such an ordeal in the final minutes of her life had to be pure hell.

  “I don’t know what it was but I couldn’t move. I was awake through the whole thing.”

  “It had to be some type of neuromuscular blocking drug,” Death explained. “You’d have
seen and felt everything but would have been unable to fight back.”

  “All I know is that after I was drugged, I couldn’t even scream. He sliced tiny ribbons of my skin off, kept adding them to a plastic container like he planned to keep it. It seemed like I laid there on the hood of my car for hours as he dragged it out. Then he leaned close, pressing his lips to my ear, and whispered, that’s all that’s valuable from you. His voice was thick, and he had a southern accent. He cut my throat and left me to die.”

  A chill coursed through Jael at the thought of being skinned alive before finally being killed. The chill seemed to sink into her bones, stealing all the warmth from her soul. Jael was impressed with how normal Maddie seemed, and she couldn’t help but wonder why.

  “I’m new to this, but you seem too calm.”

  “I was the first…victim.” Maddie clenched her fists. “The others needed me to be in control, so I had no choice but to get over what happened. The others aren’t so lucky. The latest victim is the worst. It’s why I’ve come to you first, to prepare you.”

  Jael took a moment to let that sink in. It seemed reasonable enough, but it also made her fearful of what the others were going to be like when she questioned them. “Why would he collect the skin? Did he do it to the others as well?”

  Maddie gave a slow nodded. “All of us have skin missing from different areas of our body. It’s like he’s putting it together, a complete body of skin.”

  The thought a serial killer collecting skin in her hometown made Jael sick. “If you saw him again, would you recognize him? Tell me anything you can remember about him.”

  Maddie didn’t answer. She walked around the sofa and sank down. Up until that point Jael stood near the steps not wanting to sit when she thought the spirit wouldn’t be able to. Jael followed, snatching the red crochet blanket from the back of the sofa before sitting across from Maddie.