Some might think being a reaper would be a lonely life, but it was quite the opposite. There were hundreds of reapers all around the world working for Death. Many times, there were one or two reapers around, especially if there was a multi-causality event. But it was more than that for Christian. He loved watching people going about their lives. He would often sit in one location for hours at a time, watching people coming and going about their day. Going to work, coming home from work. He found life to be fascinating.

Christian had no memory of living. He didn’t even know how he became a reaper. It seemed like he was sleeping until Death woke him to give him his assignment. Ever since then, Christian had an appreciation for life and those who lived it before they lost it.

Currently the job had him in Oklahoma, hovering around a vampire nest. These places always had one or two deaths a day, it seemed. Christian didn’t understand why the creatures couldn’t live without killing. It seemed so strange to him. Despite his confusion, Christian stood in the bushes, hovering around the abandoned-looking building until he felt the inevitable pull in his chest that someone’s life had ended.

From the moment she woke up, Penny had a bad feeling. It made her so sick, she almost stayed in bed all day, though she had a feeling that no matter what she did, the bad thing she dreamt about and made her ill, -which she couldn't remember anymore- would've happened regardless. So when she was whisked off her front porch after she got home from the library, she was almost expecting it.

"Lookie, the bookworm awakes!"

Penny felt like her eyes were glued shut and it took all her willpower to just open them. A light above her shone brightly and she shut her eyes tight again, waiting for them to adjust. What happened? What she drugged? After taking stock of what hurt and what didn't, she realized she was hit over the head and had a splitting headache.

"Hey, don't go back to sleep, sweetheart. We're waiting for the party to start!"

"Shut up, idiot. It's because you have that light up all the way! Turn it down!"

Penny didn't recognize the two voices in front of her, but she was slightly relieved when the light on the opposite side of her eyelids dimmed. She peeked her eyes open and jerked back into her chair. A man's face was a few inches away from hers and if she studied it hard enough, she could see fangs in his mouth. She was slightly relieved she wasn't crazy and would've been more so if she wasn't so clearly kidnapped. She told her therapist that she could've sworn vampires lived next to her, but that caused her therapist to prescribe her stronger meds. For the past few months, she'd been dreaming about a hoard of them kidnapping her and sucking her dry until death.

"W-what do you w-want?" She hated how her voice stuttered, but the fear that penetrated her heart made her voice shake. Truth be told, those dreams she had scared her to death. She didn't want to die. She was too young. Vampires weren't even supposed to be real!

"Oh, we don't want anything from you... but our boss? She said theres something special about you. Something in your blood that she just couldn't ignore." The vampire that spoke to her was tall and lanky. His hair was a mess of dreadlocks and despite his dark skin, he still looked... pale.

"M-My blood? T-There's nothing wrong with i-it."

He snickered and shook his head. "You poor humans. This is why we kill you off for sport and drink. You're all so... small minded. It's a wonder any of your kind had survived as long as they have."

"W-what?" Penny was beyond confused and scared. She twisted her bound wrist and winced at the pain from the rope that scraped against them. She wasn't getting out. She wasn't strong enough, nor did she have any weapons.

"Is she ready?!" A woman called from down the hall. The voice itself seemed to invoke fear and paralysis in Penny and she felt tears run down her cheeks as sobs threatened to break free from her chest.

"She's all yours boss!" The two men left and were replaced by a short, athletic woman. She had red eyes and long brown hair. "Penny. So good to see you." She walked up and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "It's been a while, huh?"

Penny sobbed and shut her eyes. She knew this woman. She was a frequent reader at the library. She always showed up during Penny's shift and tended to strike up a conversation with her every time. Penny thought she was nice, amicable. They had a lot in common, though it seemed as if it was all a lie.

"P-please. Whatever I did, I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone, just let me go Beckah."

"Sorry hun, 'fraid I can't do that. Any last words you'd like me to pass on?"

Penny didn't think she could cry any harder than she was. She lowered her head to her chest and tried to stop the trembling in her body. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

"Such a pity. Goodbye Penny. For what it's worth, I did enjoy getting to know you."

Penny felt pain erupt from her neck and she died.

Once Christian felt the shift of a soul leaving their human tether, he teleported to their location. Like all vampire dens, the inside stunk with blood—both fresh and old. Christian looked around the dusty basement until he found a woman slumped in a chair with vampires feeding from her. The soul had left the body even though she wasn't drained yet. Christian sighed and turned to find the spectral soul of the woman.

He smiled kindly at her, noting her bright brown eyes despite now being a ghost. ”Hello, you must be Penny. My name is Christian.” He smiled softly at the woman, his own intense brown eyes watching her closely for how she may be feeling.

Christian never knew the names of the deceased until he arrived to reap them. It was as if their consciousness was transferred to him and he knew everything he ever needed to know about them. However, Christian had seen Penny before.

Death instructed all of their workers to remain diligent. To not get attached to the living or a soul. Christian tried his best to follow all the rules, but he found humans to be entirely fascinating with how they lived, and Penny happened to be one of those humans. Christian was saddened her life had been taken from her so soon.

Penny stared at her lifeless body as it slumped forward in the chair it was tied to. She felt sick as she watched Beckah suck the blood and warmth out of the husk. Penny wanted to cry, but found that she couldn't. She didn't have a body now, did she? Maybe that sick feeling that swirled in her gut was just something she was used to feelings, so her spirit brain or whatever tricked her into feeling that way. Penny didn't know which was which and it made her head hurt, so she decided to not think on the subject any longer.

A man appeared out of no where in front of her, startling her from her downward mental spiral. He had a face that she couldn't specifically pick out in a crowd, but at the same time, she thought it looked familiar. Penny felt somewhat comforted and a warm feeling wash over her at the soft smile he offered, though she tried to push that warm feeling away. She was dead... or dying, wasn't she? She didn't want to feel whatever this man was making her feel. She wanted to feel cold and in pain. At least that way, she knew she was still alive.

"Please. You have to stop her. I don't know who you are or how you can see me or whatever is happening, but you have to help me." Penny could still feel a faint connection to her body, so she knew it must not be completely dead. At least, not yet. "I'm not ready to die." She was aware how pathetic she sounded, but she couldn't care less. She just wanted to live. She'd only been away from her abusive mom for a certain length of time. It wasn't long enough, not nearly. Penny still had so much she wanted to do. She wanted to get married, fall in love, have kids.. be a better mom than the one that raised her. Surely, there was something this man could do. Why else would he be here at this exact moment?