I stood lost in thought as Maalik lay Mary on the floor.
He knelt beside her and stayed watching.
What he told me still went right over my head.
'How can he be Maalik?' I asked myself shockingly.
I remembered vividly when I read about that name in one of Mary's numerous books.
That's the name of the angel standing guard to the gates of hell, surely such a being can't be in the real world, dressed in faded blue jeans, a frayed shirt and dyed beanie.
I looked over at him again as he studied my wife.
"Can you stop looking at me like that?" He turned towards me.
"Huh", I replied, startled and a bit embarrassed for being caught staring.
"I am the real Angel Maalik and I think we might have a problem."
He gestured to my wife and I ran closer to take a look.
"Black!!?" I shouted in dismay as I looked at my wife's skin getting darker and darker shade by shade.
"Is she meant to be black?"I asked, panicking while Maalik stood up and began walking around.
"What are you doing?" I turned to him.
"Securing the area." He said apathetically, truly if I squinted, I could see something like a layer of film in the air.
"Something is blocking her spirit." Maalik said as he sat down and held her hand.
I took hold of the other hand then dropped it back down immediately.
It was so cold that it hurt. I held my hand in pain as the feeling spread against my palm before slowly and evenly cooling down.
I fought hard to hold the tears back, because I felt it inappropriate to cry in front of hell's gatekeeper.
"We have to do something or she won't survive this." Maalik said to me.
"Ermmm what should we do?" I asked back, the fear of losing Mary, making my thoughts erratic.
I thought of calling 911, but then thought again. I couldn't exactly tell them..
Help, my wife is turning black and her skin is cold to touch and smoke is coming out from her nostrils..
Wait!!!
"Smoke is coming out from her nostrils!!!!" I screamed to Maalik who was looking at the door.
"It's to be expected." Maalik says back then turns and walks towards me.
"I have a way to help. Although you might not like it." He says to me calmly.
"Let's hear it, anything!!" I say, an eye looking at the smoke flowing out of her nose like a chimney.
Maalik took a breath and turned to face her.
"We'll have to kill her."
☠️
Mary's POV
☠️
I felt my body drop as I flew into the door.
The initial coldness and emptiness of being a spirit is a phenomenon I've already gotten used to due to my numerous trips to and fro this realm.
I could feel Miles initial confusion and fear once I left.
Caring for me even though I disobeyed, lied and typically dragged him here. God bless his heart.
I could feel the heat and I knew I was getting close, it was almost time for the passengers to start coming, I needed to be ready.
I got to Acheron and found my boat, immediately I took it out to sea.
It was time.
Wearing my robes and with my paddle I took on my identity and I remembered my lines.
The souls started tumbling out of the door, landing in obscene and supposed to be painful positions.
Although they weren't hurt since they were already dead.
They soon stood up, righted themselves and began gathering around my boat.
I stood up proudly, looking at the mass of spirits on the bank and thus I began my lines.
The spirits with coins started coming forth.
They placed the coin in the bag and magically became transformed into a coin on my boat.
It went on like that for many hours, till my boat was practically filled with coins and the bag full to the brim.
I looked on at the straggling souls without coins, cursed to wander the shores of Acheron or fall into the River Styx and become one with this world.
Ensured that everyone who had a coin had paid, I began the trip and pushed away from the shores.
It was a slow yet steady movement of me riding the current and using the stick to maneuver along bends or rapids.
As I left the island, I saw or rather felt the fog swallow the remaining souls.
Truly when I looked back, they were gone.
While whistling the tune of Binks booze, I slowly came to the shore of the courthouse.
As I stepped foot ashore to drop the coins in the counter, I heard a lot of panting, and barking.
Cerberus ran out of the courthouse and stopped by my boat.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Here boy.." I called him so he wouldn't destroy the souls.
He came and sat at my side.
I slowly poured all the coins in the bag to the scale counter. As the last of the coin dropped, the number of souls were recorded.
And all the souls-turned-coins began to float into the castle.
I rubbed Cerberus fur on his jaw and was about to begin my trip back.
The scales began ringing, a low dull vibration that echoed through my skull.
I looked at it and saw that there was a coin left in the bowl.
Yet no soul left on my boat.
I tried understanding what was happening then suddenly, all I saw was black..
Parts
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