My Demonic Ghost Book two (The Reapers 2)

by Jacinta Maree

  “Don’t look!” Teresa’s voice cried, “Don’t look!”

  But I had to.

  I pushed her away from me and climbed over the top. What was once a creature worthy of terror and nightmares now rested a brittle shell of ash. With the slightest touch of wind Raix’s entire body collapsed and scattered.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine:

  That night over eighty five Reapers were destroyed. That happened in a matter of moments. It happened without us having a fighting chance. Over the entire spiritual cosmic, over 14,565 Reapers vanished. There were nothing left but scorched marks where they had dropped. The ones left behind fell into silence. I called for Raix as an old woman calls for her dead husband from across the dinner table before remembering he was gone. I just couldn’t understand. I didn’t want to understand that he wasn’t with me anymore. Every Reaper looked at me like I was broken. A Reaper without a Goon… what was that?

  As if captured in a foggy trance I could feel my body tighten up and freeze over. A few times I could vaguely remember Teresa and Elliot coming to me but their comfort couldn’t help me out of this depression. It was just meaningless words passing through my ears, I could hear them but nothing registered.

  “We need to get him some help!”

  “Jordon… please eat something…”

  “Can you hear me?”

  “Wake up Jordon! Wake up!”

  It was much worse than losing a loved one; it wasn’t something I could explain in words. I don’t know why the Creator spared me but took Raix; I had just wished it had finished me off like the other missing Reapers. I was stuck in a coma but with my eyes still open. My body was sitting there in Elliot’s apartment but my mind wasn’t. To help ease me out of my despair, Elliot and Teresa had taken me to a wild waterfall near the southlands and away from civilization. From the snapshots that I remembered, it was a clear day, there was fresh green grass and wet grey rocks. Thunder of water was hitting the lake and foamed up underneath the stream of the falls but it was still numb noise to my ears. I didn’t want to be stuck in this mind set, but I couldn’t get up.

  “Please wake up… we need you.”

  “It’s pointless… he’s not here anymore”.

  “Please wake up!” A voice belonging to a faceless person called out to me. She spoke a lot as well, more so than the male who kept trying to put food and water into my mouth. Next thing I noticed I was sitting alone, it was night time but still the water managed to glow blue against the shadows. For a few nights I sat there, blinking slowly, slouched against a rock.

  Raix loved water. The sound of it hitting the rocks helped with the endless numbness that throttled me. Night after night, week after week after week I sat there. After many failed attempts at waking me I stopped getting visitors. My human body screamed for nourishment but I could not die so I just sat there and ignored the pains. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed or if it even matter anymore, when something glowed within the forest. It must have been something really powerful to stir my thoughts and bring my eyes upwards from the ground. At first it was indistinguishable until it walked closer and closer.

  Miraculously I had found the strength to lift my head and then lift my shoulders. Lastly I found myself standing on the edge of the rocks, looking desperately towards the glowing beacon. I don’t know what called me to it, but I was limping over with both arms out and tears swelling in the corners of my eyes. I collapsed onto my knees by its feet.

  The Blue Spirit was the sun in my darkness, bringing me out of my endless torment. But it wasn’t her that had my heart soaring. She also knelt down so we were eyelevel before reaching over to place something in my outstretched arms. As soon as I touched his coat the wolf cub kicked into life, stretching out his back and peeking open his eyes to look up at me. The familiar spark of silver lit up from inside his body, brightening every second I kept my eyes on him.

  “Raix?” I mumbled and the pup yip and tried to lick my face, only failing when he couldn’t reach. Like connecting magnets I immediately felt my body infuse with his; pumping power, happiness, joy and faith back into me.

  “Nourish him; let him grow with wisdom and grace.” The Blue Spirit lent forward to place her flat palm against my chest. By her touch she filled my body back into its prime, and for the first time in a long time, I could breathe properly and clearly see the world around me.

  “Thankyou…” I drew him into my chest and squeezed. He wrestled in my cradled arms happily.

  “I am sorry that they took Raix away from you but the Creator will not stop, it still searches for me…” The Spirit rose to a stand. I placed Raix on the ground as I stood as well, like a true pup he was nipping at my shoes and yipping.

  “Where are you going? Please, I need your help again” I called out to her as she started to leave.

  “The city night makes an excellent place to have a show. If you have nothing to do, I suggest you watch the skies.” Her image flickered, her smile just peeking over her shoulder till she vaporised completely.

  For a moment I could only stand there dazed until an urgent yelp from Raix brought my attention down. Even though he was only a puppy, he was still the size of a small dog and his weight easily could knock me down if he were to jump on me. He was pulling at my pants hem impatiently.

  “Whoa! Raix she said to go to the city…” He yipped at me again before bounding out into the distance. As he sunk into the shadows, with my consent or not, I kept the darkness move over me and the pull his jump teleportation us both through the spirit world.

  As the darkness peeled backwards I was greeted by a thunderous bang and a crack of light exploding like fireworks. Instantly I shielded my eyes with me hands and turned my head away, feeling the ground tremble as I lost my footing. On stumbling feet I scramble backwards till my back hit the dome wall, which was trembling with such velocity that it had felt like an earth quake. In the centre of the room was the Drop Off, but instead of the strong blue colour shooting up into the ceiling the light was flickering on and off. If I hadn’t known any better I would’ve thought I was caught in the middle of some sort of nightclub with the strobe light blinking continuously. Out of my peripherals I could see other Reapers step into the dome, stumble onto their back foot in their surprise before fleeing. Through the chaotic mess of the crumbling rocks and trembling walls, the blue light was releasing hundreds of stored souls out into the open. I could hear their stretched wailing as they moved through the narrow tunnel and out into the open space.

  “What on earth-?” The noise was overwhelming that I couldn’t even hear myself think. As the rocks dislodged above our heads Raix and I quickly disappeared before stepping foot onto the wet concreted road. It was raining moderately as I felt the drop in temperature prick at my skin. I wrapped my arms around my midriff, noticing over the pattering of rain the risen voices of people cheering and celebrating. In front of me were roughly twelve Reapers, all of which were jumping and clapping and hugging in each other in some sort of festivity.

  All of them were looking up, and as I titled my head up too I understood why.

  There was a series of loud cracking and a wave of electricity rippled through the night air. An unnatural storm shifted the clouds and inhaled the sky into a twisting vortex. It happened so quickly that the flash of lightning momentarily blinded us, spreading across the sky in a sharp white snap. Within moments the distinct shape of a human outline pushed through the clouds, palm opened and pointed towards the ground. In its decent there was a long sketch of a howling wind, no doubt an anguished scream as the foreign creature rammed through the earth. I couldn’t see where it had hit but I recognised the outline, it had to be her. It had to be Miira. The way the face was formed in the cloud fitted her masked features perfectly. On impact the entire city shook, the ground grumbled and a ripple of after shook vibrated under our feet and set off car alarms. It was such an intense hit that we fell onto our back foot as the force moved through us.

  It was hard not to c
atch the attention of the wondering humans who all were getting out of the cars and pubs to watch the phenomenon. They took out their phones and held it up to record it all.

  “Jordon?” Teresa promptly halted as she stepped on the curb, her eyes wide and her mouth propped open. Behind her Elliot also slowed, blinking heavily and shaking his head to ensure he wasn’t hallucinating. Teresa race up to me and I couldn’t hold back my laughter. I scooped her up and twirled her as she leapt into my arms.

  “You’re okay? I don’t believe! You’re actually here!” She had her hand to her mouth, the vibrant colour in her eyes sparking with tears. Elliot clapped me on the shoulder before pulling me into a firm embrace.

  “I thought we had lost you…”

  “You never said a thing for months, I had thought for sure... But here you are! What on earth happened?” Teresa cleared the tears from her eyes with her sleeve.

  “Wait… is that Raix?” Elliot bent downwards as he soothed his palm across the ground, prompting Raix out of hiding. The young pup bounced and tried to nip Elliot’s fingertips playfully.

  “The Blue Spirit returned him to me. What’s going on?” I looked back towards the skies in case I was missing something. The giant cloud dispersed into clear air as an internal flutter had us all gasping. The humans were all in a panic, having just witness and caught on the tape the evidence of there being a greater spirit watching over them. It had them all in a clutter; some panicked, some dropping to their knees unable to accept the scene that had just formed in front of them. Many of them were on their phones, trying to upload the event onto the internet.

  “What on earth was that?”

  “Did you see it?”

  “I’ve never seen that before in my life.”

  “That was incredible!”

  The clouds were unsettled, pressing together with their darken bodies till the rain doubled in strength and speed. I pulled my hood back, letting the water strike me and soak through my hair and clothes. Raix was dancing, bouncing and yipping trying to bite the droplets as it fell heavier and faster. Elliot and Teresa were jumping in their excitement and hugging each other. The Drop Off had crumpled which could only mean one thing... the Blue Spirit was back. The picketed fence that separated the Royals and Hunters from the Reapers and Banished had shattered. The strong force that kept the Angles in their domain was cracking and splintering, opening up holes and gaps where we could get through.

  In the madness of the panicking city and in the world that was waking up to Miira’s presence second by second, all we could do was smile and celebrate. Even through the rain that poured on top of us, Miira’s haunting eyes pressed against the sky. In the clashes of lightning her giant silhouette fluttered among the lights before sinking back into the darkness.

  “What just happened?” I asked over the cheering.

  Elliot calmed enough to catch him breath, “The Drop Off was the Blue Spirit’s power, Miira was using it to collect the spirits’ powers. Cutting it down is almost the equivalent to cutting off a feeding tube suppling nutrients right into Miira’s body. Without it she has no intake.”

  Teresa than mocked, “Try and cover that up you damn Hunters! Whoo Hoo!”

  “The banished are free?”

  Teresa and Elliot each nodded eagerly and I felt myself crumble to the ground. My weak knees buckled like I hadn’t eaten in months. Once I hit the floor with my palms I started to sob uncontrollably.

  We did it. They are finally safe.

  The spirit world was cracking. The battle for power is about to break the line between Demons and Angels. I had never thought in my wildest dreams I could be the culprit trying to tear down Heaven. We were always told that the Angels were good but I suppose stories aren’t always what they make themselves out to be.

  Chapter Thirty:

  For the first time ever we finally got to see the spirit world beyond the Drop Off and Sinful realms. It was a place of change, a place of contentment, a place of difference. It was a land far larger than earth with the vegetation and environment mimicking the same wild life that we were accustomed to seeing on earth. The skies were continuously shifting but there was no sun or moon. It didn’t rain or shine here; it was just clear and open untouched by Mother Nature. Nature and disaster was an earth thing. What is our purpose here? Did we even need a purpose?

  It had felt like stepping through the thin walls of an artwork, everything seemed just a little too polished and perfect to be real. I hadn’t noticed it at first either but my chest didn’t contract with each breath. The primitive instinct to breath didn’t control me but I felt myself blink out of habit. Creators altered this reality with simple brushes of their hands. One Creator in particular was disguised so perfectly as a duckling that I would never had pick it out. It wasn’t till it marched out of the pond in line with other ducklings and quaked at the earth, prompting a large tree to sprout that had given it away.

  “What is this place?” My voice echoed off in front of me.

  I couldn’t remember much after the clash of Miira among the storm clouds. I wasn’t even sure why she had done it or who had been responsible for the crumpled walls of the Drop Off. I was quick to find out that I wasn’t alone in this plain. There was a cluster of teenaged spirits racing off ahead of me, their laughter as close as someone whispering in my ear. I stepped forward just as the grass beneath my feet changed colour, blossoming towards water pink.

  “This is the third Realm…” The Blue Spirit stepped up from behind me and gently touched my shoulder. I glanced at her before back across the fields; the hills in the distance were bobbing like waves. “Pure freedom. Here no spirit other than the Creators can alter this world”.

  “It’s beautiful”.

  “It’s also not perfect. Unlike the tales of a heaven and sanctuary where Miira is in control, this place is in the hands of Instinct spirits who pass no judgement and do not favour you.” She indicated with her head for me to follow and I did. “It can change suddenly though, one day it’s peaceful the next there’s a chaos.”

  We walked past the pond that was shimmering with silver water and through the large Sakura trees that rained pink blossoms on top of our heads. The land was changing constantly but not in a manner that felt confusing. It was subtle changes like the colours would switch.

  “Did you cause the fall of the Drop Off?” I asked her.

  Remaining concealed beneath her hood the Blue Spirit shrugged her shoulders gently, “I think we both had a hand in that…”

  “Is my brother okay?” I felt my voice waver in my anxiety, “Did you find him?”

  “I did find him but when given the choice the little spirit did not ask for salvation.” I turned to her sharply.

  “What? Why not?” She raised her hand and soothed me on the shoulder, instantly calming my nerves.

  “There was a girl in his heart that he valued more than himself. He gave her the gift of life. Spirits allowed into the Third Realm are given choices, choices to come and stay here for eternity; choices to return back and start from fresh as a human; choices to stay as the dead haunting the living. The boy chose to remain behind.”

  “He’s back there on earth? I have to go get him.” Exhaustion tasted like iron being rubbed against my tongue and throat, but despite my apprehension the Blue Spirit laughed coolly.

  “You are passionate about him.” I smiled weakly as she whispered, “So why do you hesitate?”

  “Hesitate?”

  “Is it your fear that stops you from approaching him?”

  I cringed and felt my teeth clench. “I don’t know to be honest. Every time I got close to him, something deep inside my mind would order me to stop, that he wouldn’t want to see me.”

  “Why would you think that?” She had asked with gentle curiosity.

  I could only sigh again, unable to dig up the words that put my emotions into speech, well understandable speech at least.

  “Without warning I just vanished from his life. Even knowing wh
at I know I still choose to run from him, from them all. Part of it was because I couldn’t understand Raix or the Reapers; the other part was confusion, shame and guilt. I killed Mrs Flitch. I took away Mark’s life. I watched Evan fall to his death. I’m a different person now than I was when I was just Jordon Hastings.”

  “You cannot stay here. I will have to take you back soon but,” the Blue Spirit spoke with a soothing voice, “if Evan had said he wanted to stay in the Third Realm, and this was your last chance to ever seen him again would you take it?”

  I looked out around me hearing the shrill laughter of the spirits mixing in with the hypnotic whisper of the overhead breeze. I cannot stay here because I am marked as a Reaper and as a Reaper I must remain on earth to reap. “Will he know who I am?”

  “I can do many things but I cannot remove that mask from your face. There is a chance he has forgotten you during his time as a spirit, there is a chance the mask will not drop and you will remain faceless but there is also a chance he has been seeking you as well for a very long time.”

  She side stepped so she stood shoulder to shoulder with me, opening up the view of a lone boy waiting by the Sakura trees. He had been watching the entire time and wringing his fingers together out of nervousness. I inhaled harshly. Even his eyes felt softer underneath the brush of his toasted hair, skin as golden as the day he took his last gulp of fresh air. He looked over at us once when a cluster of spirits rounded the corner and crowded him. His face broke out into a smile as they urged him to join them in their games. He was so much taller; his body was leaner and his face wasn’t as round or soft but formed sharp lines along his jaw and cheekbones.