Chapter 10

Meredith

When the twilight started to set in I picked up my bow and arrow to take to the forest with me since the day before I didn’t have time to shoot.

But out of the ordinary I also picked up Death’s coat with me, if he came I would be able to give it back to him, if not I would keep it with me until he came.

There was a slight hope that he would come. Maybe I wanted him to come. And maybe I wanted to keep the coat with me... strange. No one should ever wish to see Death.

I ran to that lake in no time, with each time going there the distance seemed smaller.

I liked to be at that lake. It was so far away… not a soul that could walk upon.

Shooting in the dark was quite hard, that’s why I brought with me extra lights, they were little bright button sized light sources, they were extremely vibrant, when I used to shoot at the old lake I kept them under one tree’s roots where they would be safe from humidity, I would need to find place for them here as well, so I wouldn’t need to carry them around.

I was planning to make this new lake my place for as long as I was here. Never before realized how much I liked solitude.

I put the lights down all around making everything light. When I was done I picked up the bow and put the bag with arrows on my back. I got in my stance by straightening my posture and relaxing my shoulders by shaking them out. I raised up my bow and put in an arrow drawing it back until I could feel my cheek with my right hand.

I focused my eyes on a tree that was the furthest from me but then someone got right in my aim. I got started. Clumsily dropping my arrow.

Death walked in front as if I wasn’t about to shoot an arrow in his direction. He was wearing a coat similar to what he gave me, I saw him smirk but I didn’t move and inch back. I quickly picked up my arrow and positioned it back to its place. I even adjusted the bow with fixated arrow even higher and aimed it right at the three next to him. He saw me aiming but he still stayed still. I adjusted the string even more back.

I exhaled slowly and gently as ever. I closed my eyes, taking in long deep breaths. I released my fingers and I saw the bow only slightly miss his shoulder and hit the tree right next to him.

I didn’t react but should have… I wasn’t planning to shoot so close…

I lowered my bow. He ripped the arrow out of the tree and made his move towards me, still his expression was cold. Not a single emotion. He didn’t even flinch when the arrow flew.

He didn’t say anything so I did. “Why so sure I won’t miss?” I asked curious, he didn’t know if I could shoot or not, what if I was just starting to learn?

“I don’t actually die. “He said. “Ever…” he said looking with contempt. He was only arms reach distance away. He walked around me and put the arrow back in my bag.

I hated that he was so close and I didn’t see him. I turned around. But realized that our faces were too close to one another and I instantly took a few steps back.

“If I shot you right now...” I started to speak tilting my head. “It won’t affect you?” I asked.

“Even if you shot at my heart I would still live,” he answered and then he took a couple steps back not as far as he previously was but he made some distance between us that was too far for conversation. “Care to try it out?” He asked, taking a stance as my aim.

“I am not going to shoot at you,” I said laughing, surprised at his stupid idea.

“Why not? I won’t die. And you will maybe get your heart at ease. Hurt the one who takes your people away from you,” he said, challenging me.

“It’s not your fault, you just have to do that,” I said and he said himself that he doesn’t kill people. It’s just his job to take their souls.

“Just shoot me.” He said calm and quietly this time. “I know you want to.” How can he be so sure he knew me? He didn’t.

“It doesn’t seem right,” I shook my head.

“If you actually would kill me…then yes,” he shrugged. “It’s not like anyone would know, no one can see me anyways.... but you will not kill me.”

I closed my eyes in frustration, “Why do you want me to?” I asked.

“You are scared of me,” he said. “Scared that I might hurt you. But you don’t know what I can do to you. That’s what scares you the most.”

“I am not scared,” I defended myself even if it was not the whole truth. I was scared of him because he was a stranger, because I had never known he existed, because I didn’t know what he was capable of.

His hand covered his heart. “My apologies,” he mocked me. “You are terrified of me, that’s why you won’t do it.”

I didn’t answer him but my offended expression remained.

He chuckled to himself as if trying to hide it from me. “Okay then, if you are not scared, shoot me. I don’t blame you… who knows what I could do.” He challenged me and if he really wanted me to. “Maybe you don’t have the guts to do it. To defend yourself from what terrifies you.” How he loved to mock me.

I didn’t care anymore. If he wanted to, he could have it.

I quickly found my aim on his shoulder and not much thinking went into it when I released. If I would have waited I would back out.

The arrow flew in his shoulder and he stumbled back, groaning in pain. “By the name of god what is wrong with you!?” He asked me, slouching in pain and grunting.

What wasn’t sure what I expected to happen? For him to dodge the arrow? For him to vanish before he got hit?

I widened my eyes at him. “You told me to!” I quickly said and dropped my bow down and ran up to him to see if he was okay, at least as okay as someone with an arrow wound would be.

“I didn’t think you actually had the guts to do it,” he said, whining in pain.”It hurts more than I remember,” he muttered the last part.

“You said it will not hurt you,” I said worried with my heart clenched in guilt.

“No... I said it wouldn’t kill me.” He grabbed the arrow in the middle and quickly pulled it out. I was about to tell him to not do it but he was already holding it and looking at the bloody end, “huh... I forgot how much it hurt to be shot by an arrow,” he said and lifted the coat away to see the damage as I noticed blood dripping from the wound I gasped.

“You’re bleeding!” I exclaimed.

“Are you sure? I didn’t notice,” he said sarcastically as his black colored sweater started to turn wet.

“Why are you bleeding?” I asked stupidly.

He looked at me like I was stupid as well. “I’m sorry, are you not supposed to when you get shot?” He asked full of sarcasm again, the blood was starting to drip down on the ground. “Excuse me for this mess,” he said and walked towards the lake.

“Let me!” I said, stopping him. I ran to the water and right at the edge I ripped a big piece off the end of my dress and soaked it in water.

“For strength and cure give me the water of healers. For strength and cure give me the water of healers. For the strength and cure give me the water of healers” I repeated with my eyes closed.

I walked back and Death was already watching me, only now sitting down and resting his back against an old oak tree. He always had this look like he was looking in my mind, like trying to figure me out.

I hurried up to him and got on my knees next to him. I reached my hands to his coat, to move it aside. But he quickly grabbed me by my wrists and held me in place. To not let me touch him.

He was about to say something, but looked like he changed his mind.

I felt his hands on my wrists. His hold was pleasantly warm… I didn’t expect him to be warm… never though Death could be warm.

By taking my wrists he pulled me a little closer to him. I guess he also didn’t know what to do… we just stayed there, looking at each other. For too long my wrists were in his hands.

He dropped my hands and ripped the cloth from my hold…

I took a little distance from him but still remained at my knees. I figured he didn’t want me near him. More so… touching him.

“It won’t heal from your hand…” I told him carefully to not intrude. “The water bends by my demand… my touch makes it medicinal....” I carefully told him but he ignored me.

He took off his coat struggling with his hurt shoulder. He slowly lifted up his sweater and threw it over his head. I hoped he didn’t hear my breath hitch.

My cheeks started to burn up making me thankful for the dark. He always wore his big coat, never imagining how well sculpted he would look.

I shook my head at my own thoughts… not that I would ever imagine it.

Felt ashamed that his wound was the second thing I noticed.

It was swelling up and still bleeding. He put the clot on his wound and threw his head back with his eyes closed.

“I’m sorry,” I said to him. He was ignoring me.

“Does it hurt a lot?” I asked.

“Imagine if you got shot with an arrow, that’s how it hurts,” he was in pain but he still managed to talk to me like I was some kind idiot.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, I felt bad, I only did that because I thought it wouldn’t hurt him. “I didn’t realize… I don’t know what and how you feel…” I told him truthfully. “I’m sorry.”

He looked at me. “Don’t be... there is only so little I feel that this makes up for everything I don’t. I’ll be fine.”

He smiled to himself. “I haven’t felt pain for…a long time. Or anything…”

One question got stuck in my brain. “Do you ever feel lonely?” I asked him but he leaned away from the tree and stood up still holding his shoulder. I wanted him to say something because I wanted him to be more human, more real. I wanted someone I could be similar to, at least for the lonely part.

“Since you shot me what do you say I will forgive if you do something for me? “He asked, watching me.

“What makes you think I want you to forgive me?” I questioned, did he make me shoot him on purpose?

“You seem like the kind of person who would want to be on good terms with everyone... and you know... since I am Death and all that...” he mocked me, rolling his eyes out of boredom.

“What do you want?” I just got right to it, not questioning much.

He raised his eyebrow at me. “You are not even going to talk back?”

I managed to smile at him, and also stood up. Only he stepped back… why was he so repulsed by me?

“Do you want me to talk back?” I asked. “You give too little trust to people. There are people who do good deeds without pay.” I told him.

“Your nymph kindness shows through, nothing more.” He said it like it was a bad thing.

He narrowed his eyes on me. “Okay then,” he said. “I need you to cooperate with Jasmin, if you do she might be able to understand what makes you so different from everyone else.” He explained very briefly.

“She took my memories without my consent.” I said a little too heatedly, I was still mad at her.

“Yes I know... but that’s what she does. That’s how she gets to know people.” He explained putting the bloodied cloth in his pants pocket and lifting up his sweater. “ what’s so sacred about your memories anyway?”

I let out a sigh. “Because that’s the only thing that is mine, the only thing that I was taught no one would ever know.” I explained, offended by his statement.

“If you have something to lose you will always find someone who can take it away.” He said indifferently.

“Don’t you have anything to lose,” I asked him.

“No! And I would like for it to stay like that.” He sounded so sure of that but what’s the point of living if you have nothing?

But thinking about it… he wasn’t really living…

“Is that why you are so eager to find out why I can see you?” his expression changed to confused looking. “Because I am threatening you? It may be possibly the thing that makes you have something to lose and you don’t know what but still you don’t want that...” maybe he himself didn’t know why he needed to know, but maybe this was exactly the reason.

“Are you suggesting I am afraid to lose you?” he asked. Did it really sound like that? I wanted to defend but couldn’t. “I would have to want you to be afraid to lose you. I don’t want you to see me. You are ruining the normal.” I noticed how I angered him.

“You want me gone?” I asked. “You can just not come,” I told him. “You chose to torment me!”

“You are threatening my solitude!” he shouted at me.

Fine. If I was such a threat...“I will help you get rid of me. So we will never have to speak. Even for Death I am too much of a burden. Please don’t hesitate when coming to take my soul.”

Why was I so furious? Because he also despised me like everyone else? Because he too wanted me to be invisible?

He went to pick up his coat. “Tomorrow, same spot,” he said. Cutting me back just the same.

“Fine!” I shouted at him but when I looked back he was already gone.