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?

Christian winced, a crease forming between his brow due to Penny's out cry for his help. Strictly speaking, bringing people back to life was not a part of Christian's duties. It was forbidden.

”I am a reaper. I'm here to help you move on, cross over to the other side.” He glanced behind himself to see the frenzy of vampires surrounding the girl. A flash of memories Christian had accumulated over the years of watching Penny filled his mind. He turned his focus back to her spirit and sighed. ”I am not meant to bring you back. Your time has come, Penny,” he said, looking at her apologetically.

He hated this part of the job. The ones who had a difficult time accepting their fate were always the hardest.

Despite the feeling of peace that lingered in the back of her mind, Penny got angry. She wasn't one to usually lose her patience, especially since she strived to be nothing like her mom, but this one time, she felt like it was appropriate to be mad. "Not meant to bring me back? Listen, mister reaper, how would you be bringing me back when my body isn't even dead in the first place?" Penny felt panic and anger mix together and she felt her hands shaking. She saw a twitch in her almost dead body. "Don't try to BS me and say that I'm dead! I'm not dead yet!" There was still that undeniable connection she felt to her body. She assumed that if she still felt it, she couldn't be completely dead. Out of body experience, sure. But dead? No.

Penny sighed, her anger dissipating. "If you don't help... I really will die. I'm not ready to die, Christian. Please." The five stages of grief popped up in her mind and she pushed them away, trying to hide her embarassment at how she reacted. Anger and pleading... those were two stages right? This was all so strange for her, but at the same time, not at all. She never really believed in an after life, therefore, despite being thrust into something weird, she took it quite well.

Penny’s backlash at Christian’s declaration was understandable. Truthfully, Christian had been berated worse than this before. However, he couldn’t help but grin when she addressed him as ‘Mister Reaper.’ How could a spirit be that positively adorable?

Shaking his head from the thought, Christian turned his head to see Penny’s body twitch, the last defiant acts of her body refusing to die. The vampires were starting to slow in their task, some of them moving off, bored now that their prey had no real fight left. As the obstructions cleared, Christian could see more of Penny’s battered body. She was riddled with fang marks, her skin nearly translucent from the blood loss. A cold calm washed over Christian, and he looked back at Penny.

”You want me to bring you back? In a den full of vampires, into a body weakened from blood loss? Do you have any idea what pain your body is in right now? Can you fight through that, Penny? The pain and the dizziness while also fending off vampires?”

Christian wasn’t sure where this sudden burst of emotion had come from. He often didn’t feel anger. This fear. What Penny was asking for was not so simple. He had to know she understood that, at least. His rules and regulations would matter nought to her, but the human understanding of pain and hopelessness might be enough to suspend her ludicrous idea of wanting to remain alive. And if it didn’t, then he would bring her back and find some way to get her out of the den without suffering further harm.

Penny wanted to laugh and cry and scream. "Pain doesn't scare me. But death?" She sighed and moved to her body, placing a hand on it. Her hands still shook and it pained her to see her body mutilated. "I've experienced a lot of pain before. It hurt so bad, I wanted to give up. To die." Penny's mom used many tactics to keep her defiance at bay. Any instrument of domestic torture, you name it. Penny had been on the receiving end. "But then I decided that I would live. I was tired of wanting to give up. I was going to outlive the person who harmed me and become better than they ever could." She stared up at Christan defiantly.

"I don't know how I'll get out of here in that state, but the pain does not scare me. I will live and I will pull through. Clearly there's a lot that I don't know about..." She gestured to him and the vampires, "but what I do know is that I can fight. I want to fight."

Penny couldn't remember the last time she had talked so much. A near death experience really put her personality and goals into a new perspective. Penny didn't want to be the timid, shy girl she was before this happened. She wanted to prove everyone that thought she wouldn't make it in life, wrong. Christian didn't seem like a bad guy. He just wanted to do his job of... reaping, whatever that entailed. Penny liked him. He seemed to genuinely care about her feelings. She just hoped she could appeal to his.

Christian shifted his position to keep his focus on Penny as she moved back to her body. The final vampire had detached themselves from Penny’s body, but they still lingered in the room. This one seemed different, they seemed to relish in the idea of death and dying. It was at that moment Christian was glad he could remain invisible to creatures and humans.

For the moment, Penny seemed to be unbothered by this particular vampire. Her hand rested comfortably on her dying body, a friend saying hello to a companion. A slight glow shimmered under Penny’s hand from the contact. Christian sighed.

He stepped forward, staring at the body. ”If you are sure, then you can fight again. I can give you five minutes, Penny, but any more time than that will have grave consequences. As it is, the balance of bringing one back will have to be repaid elsewhere.”

Christian rested one hand on Penny’s spirit and smiled gently at her. She was cool to the touch, void of anything living, but he could also feel her strength and her defiance. Still strong despite being separated from her body.

”Good luck.” Christian rested his other hand on Penny’s body and immediately watched her spirit re-enter her broken body. Christian waited for Penny to open her eyes before he closed his eyes and stopped time.

Everything in the room froze; the vampire standing in the shadows remained frozen in time, but their eyes remained locked on Penny’s form, unblinking. Upstairs, the sound of talking ceased, and even the dust motes became suspended in the air. What's more, Christian was invisible to Penny once more.

”Five minutes, Penny. Move.” His voice echoed in her head and around the room. Christian had already broken two rules, and he couldn’t break any more by getting her out or healing her. She had to fight and do it on her own. Still, Christian couldn’t pull himself from the room to answer the next call of death. He felt compelled to stay and watch, to make sure she made it to safety.

Penny heard Christian's voice in her head, or was it in the room? Penny's vision was dark, her eyes almost unseeing. Her body hurt. She felt her muscles strain with every breath and movement and she thought that maybe she was asking too much of Christian. Could she do this? Penny willed her arms and legs to move- and they did! Slowly. Everymovement felt as if her skin was melting off and she felt cold. Was this really what it felt like to be drained of almost all your blood? Slowly, she struggled to push herself into a standing position, but eventually was able to.

Once she was up on her two feet, she felt as if she were going to fall over again. She still couldn't see anything well and her head spun like a top. She groaned and put a hand on the side of her head to try and steady herself. "C-Christian?" Penny tried to focus on her surroundings and found that with her little range of vision, she was able to see an opening in the wall that most likely led to a door. There was a figure, frozen in place staring at her across the room, but Penny shook her head. No. She had to make it out. Five minutes. Four now? Maybe three? She didn't know.

Placing her hands on the walls, she followed them through the hole in the wall and up to the door. Penny placed her hands on the locks and rested her forehead on the wood. Despite everything she had been through as a kid and teenager with her mom, this was probably the worst pain she'd ever felt and that admission scared her. She took a few breaths, but she still felt as if she couldn't breathe. Just... a few seconds. A little break. She fumbled for the lock and a she did, wondered where she would go. She couldn't go to her house. They kidnapped her off the porch, so that's where they would look first. Unlocking the door, she stumbled out into the cold night breeze. She was already shivering, so the breeze didn't make it any easier to move. It stole whatever remaining breath she had right out of her lungs and she coughed.

Did she...? Penny stumbled off the porch steps and fell to her knees, disoriented. The world spun and she couldn't make it stop. She felt her pocket and sighed in relief. She did. She had her cell phone. She would be able to call the police. Penny took her phone out, ignoring the burning of her arms, and dialled 911. While ringing, she was able to push herself up once more. Maybe it was adrenaline, or maybe it was the prospect of actually getting out alive, but she felt less pain and more determination. She could do this.

"911, what's your emergeny?"

"3672," She coughed. Her mouth felt dry. "Willowbrook Street."

"Hello? Ma'am?"

"Help me. Please. They're going to get me." Penny made it around the corner fromt he house lot before she collapsed. Her vision went completely dark and she felt tears leak from her eyes. "Please." She knew, that no matter how hard she tried, her body would not listen anymore.

I'm sorry, Mister Reaper. This is as far as I could make it. Maybe I'm really weak, after all.

The next five minutes moved painfully slow. Christian was very aware of the time ticking down while he watched Penny struggle from the chair to the stairs. Several times, Christian wanted to take her by the hand and pull her along, but he couldn’t break any more rules today. He could already feel the curious presence of something brushing along the corners of his mind.

What are you doing, young one? It whispered. Christian tamped down the voice and followed Penny as she finally ascended the stairs.

They came across another vampire frozen near the top of the stairs. The pair of them slipped around the undead creature and made the final push to the door. However, Penny stalled out again. Christian shifted his weight nervously while Penny waited, precious seconds ticking by. Finally, she moved again, and Christian released a heavy exhale before following her outside.

Alright, she made it. I should go now before I get in any more trouble. He followed her around the corner when she collapsed. He stared at her, listening to the phone call she made before she went limp. In the distance, Christian heard the signs of time moving forward once more. Birds chirped, car horns sounded, and a concerned 911 operator continued to talk to Penny even though she wasn’t responding. And back around the corner, Christian heard a front door open and slam shut. Time was up, and Penny was about to die. Again.

”Putain,” Christian violently cursed before he winked into existence. Three rules broken.

Christian bent down and scooped Penny up. He hung up the phone, tucking it into his pocket. He held her body effortlessly, having no real concept of what was heavy and what was not.

“Hey! You! Give her back, she doesn’t belong to you!” Christian turned his head to look at the vampire that charged towards him. He tilted his head slightly, a slight smile tugging on the corners of his lips.

”Actually, you’ll find she belongs to no one,” he stated before teleporting to the nearest hospital. Four rules…

Christian walked into the ambulance bay of the hospital and found a gurney. He laid Penny down and brushed the hair off her face. Christian wasn’t sure why this human, out of the thousands he had already ferried over to the other side, was the one he chose to listen to and give a second chance. But she was, and he hoped it worked out for her.

Christian pushed the gurney forward, disappearing again as he did so. He didn’t need to be asked a series of questions followed by a request to stay and answer more once the police arrived. Penny looked like the victim of a torture room. She was going to have a hell of a time explaining to the doctors what happened in the first place. If she were smart, she would fake ignorance and pretend her mind had blocked the whole sordid affair.

"Bite marks... lacerations... bloodloss... pecuiliar case."

An unfamiliar voice spoke from a distance. Where... what..?

"Penny Lowe. Born August seventh. Called 911 thirty-two hours ago claiming she was being chased. We sent an ambulance and a cop car, but she wasn't at the residence. In fact, it was empty besides a pile of blood surrounding a chair in the basement. Next thing we know, she's somehow on a gurney in the emergency room. You didn't see anyone enter with her?" A stern, husky voice permeated the air. Penny furrowed her eyebrows. She was in a hospital? Why?

"No, Detective Miller. We even checked security cameras. There was no one. It's like... she just appeared."

"Interesting. I'm going to go get a cup of coffee. Call for me if she wakes up. I need to ask her a few questions."

"I don't think..." The lady's voice trailed off and Penny heard footsteps leave the room. Penny licked her lips. They were chapped. Thinking hard, she tried to recall what happened. She had apparently been unconscious for... thirty-two hours? That was a long time. There was... pain. A lot of it. Pain she's never felt before and bite marks. Vampires? Reaper... Penny inhaled sharply and snapped her eyes open, only to close them again tightly. That's right. She was kidnapped and attacked by vampires. Did she dream it all? Penny opened her eyes again, slowly and took in her surroundings.

A window was on her left, past the numerous hanging bags and IV's. Penny's left arm felt itchy and she brought it up after a few moments of trying to get it to work. It was wrapped up and there were IV's tucked into the bandages. Not a single piece of skin showed through. She looked at her other arm and felt her neck. Her entire body had been covered in gauze, yet she could still see some patches of blood where her wounds refused to stop bleeding. Penny stared at the white ceiling and felt like she wanted to cry. How did she get here? She thought for sure she was a goner. Vampire dinner.

A kind smile and kind eyes flashed in her mind and she sat up. That's right. Someone helped her. A Reaper... Christian? Did he get her here?

"Christi-" Penny's throat was dry. She coughed hard into the air in front of her and a nurse came rushing in a few seconds later.

"Miss Lowe! Oh my goodness, here!" She put a glass of water to Penny's lips and Penny gratefully took a few sips. She wanted to whine when it was taken away, but she refrained.

"Christian. Where-?"

"Miss Lowe, you should not be sitting up! You lost almost all of your blood! It's a miracle you even survived!"

Penny gritted her teeth when the nurse interrupted her. "Where is Christian?"

The nurse stopped tampering with the machines and frowned. "I'm sorry dear, but I don't know who that is. Was he with you?"

Penny stared at her. She knew for a fact she didn't hallucinate him. Did he leave? Did he not save her?

"I'm going to get a detective for you. He's the one studying your case. Hang tight." She left the room only to come back a few moments later with a tall man. He was caucasian and had salt and pepper coloring in his hair and tidy facial hair. He looked stern, but had a kind glint to his eyes.

"Hello Miss Lowe. My name is Detective Miller. Can you tell me what happened?"

Penny stared, no sure what to say. Did she tell them about the vampires? No. They'd put her in a mental asylum. Best to play dumb for now. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, detective, but I don't seem to remember anything."

He raised his eyebrows but nodded nonetheless. "Very well. It's understandable, you went through a traumatic event. You had puncture marks all over your body. They looked like bite marks as well as a few scratches. But the most alarming was the fact that you had almost no blood left in your body. How you managed to survive is a mystery."

Penny gave a tight smile. "A miracle indeed, detective."

He was silent for a few monets before frowning. "Now, tell me about Christian. You muttered his name while you were unconscious and just now, your lovely nurse told me you were asking for him. Is he the one that hurt you? Did he save you?"

Penny remained silent. She had a bad feeling from this detective. Maybe she was still on edge from the vampires, but despite the kind twinkle in his eye, she knew it was a facade. "No, sir. Like I said, I don't remember anything. I just remember his name. I don't know what his role was."

"I see. Well, Miss Lowe, I will leave you to rest. If you remember anything, please don't hesitate to reach out." He placed his business card on the table next to her before giving a nod and leaving. The nurse tampered with a few more things before leaving after him. Penny sighed. Her body still ached, but it wasn't as painful as when she escaped. She looked around, hoping Christian would pop up out of nowhere, but there was nothing.

"Christian?" She murmured quietly, hoping for an answer, but she got nothing.

After the triage team had rushed Penny into the hospital, Christian had left. He had tasks to complete and needed to put some distance between himself and Penny. He had broken many rules to save her and although he didn't regret it, remaining near her would spell disaster for the both of them.

For the next twenty-four hours, Christian reaped souls as he normally would. Humans, vampires, djinn, and rugaru's were just a few of the creatures he had taken to the other side. Still, the entire time his mind was on Penny and how she was managing. It didn't help when he heard her calling for him. And then someone else called him.

Christian had just enough time to send a soul into the veil before he was violently ripped away to another place in-between. Death sat in a chair, pouring over pieces of paper strewn across a large, dark oak desk. Behind them rested the large scythe, black in colour and pristine in appearance. However, it was a symbol of absolute rule and power. It was no less terrifying than the person who commanded it.

”Sit.” Christian immediately took a seat in a large leather chair that sat on the other side of the desk. Christian was vaguely aware of the heat radiating from the fireplace, another strange idiosyncrasy about Death's domain. Things here reapers could feel as if they were human. Christian could even eat if he wanted to, not that he was required to in order to survive.

The fire light sent shadows about the space, turning the dark green walls more animated. The longer Christian stared, the more he thought he saw words and shapes, but then the light would shift and the markings would be gone.

”Christian.” Christian shook his head clear and looked at Death. They were already staring at him with unblinking eyes. ”You broke four rules and saved a life. You've unbalanced the Natural Order.” Death waved vaguely to a door that was open just enough for Christian to see a never ending row of books.

Christian fidgeted in his seat, pulling on the collar of his shirt. ”The human fought to survive on her own. It seemed…a waste to let a soul with that much spirit left to expire.”

”I believe you brought them to the hospital where they were saved.”

”Yes,” Christian said reluctantly.

Death remained silent for a long time. Seconds, minutes, or hours, time didn't have relevance here. When they finally spoke, Christian felt cold.

”When one life is restored another must be taken. One before their scheduled time. For your transgression, you are to go and take this life.” Death snapped their fingers and a book floated in from the other room to Christian. He accepted the book and learned the name of the woman he was to take. His eyes widened at the information he received. He looked at Death, words of refusal on his lips. Death smiled before snapping their fingers once more and Christian was back among the living.

He stood outside the home of Dahlia Harding. A 35-year-old, single mother of four young children. All who scrambled for love, attention, and food. All that Dahlia tried to provide after working two days jobs with a third on the weekend. And according to the book, a person who Christian had a distant connection with.

Death rarely gave a reaper such information, but this was a punishment. A cruel one, but a punishment Christian had to fulfil for if he didn't, Death would reap Penny.

Unease rolled through Christian's body as he walked across the street. He could hear children's screaming and laughter, followed by a woman's laughter and gentle admonishing. He couldn't do this.

Christian turned to walk away when an image of Penny's face flashed before his eyes. She was laid up in a hospital bed, half her body covered in bandages while a nurse tended to the other wounds.

Choose.

The image faded and Christian shuddered, inhaling great gulps of air. Choice. Christian made his decision and he had to live with it. However, he didn't need to subject the children to seeing their mother die.

Christian waited until the next day when the mother returned to work. He followed her for a long time, punishing himself further before he finally claimed her life and stopped her heart. As the soul left the young mother's body, she stared at Christian with confusion. Christian's normally empathetic face was hard.

“My children…”

”Will survive long lives knowing they had a mother who loved and cared for them deeply. Come, it is time.”

Eventually the woman accepted Christian's hand and disappeared from this life into the next. The space around Christian seemed to sigh in relief as the Natural Order was restored but Christian felt no relief. He turned from the body on the ground and disappeared into another world.

Days had passed but Christian found himself standing across the street from the hospital, invisible to the living around him, and oblivious to their presence as he waited. Why he was here, Christian didn't fully understand. Perhaps he was a glutton for punishment. He had ignored all of Penny's calls, hoping she would just forget him and stop trying. But he had to see her walk from the hospital and return to her normal life. He had to see that what he had done was worth it, and that she would live up to her promise to fight and really live.

"Alright Penny, you are free to go. Don't forget about your checkup in three months. We just want to make sure everything is okay." The hospital receptionist down by the front doors of the hospital gave Penny a small smile and Penny nodded.

"Thank you. Um, for the insurance bill, can I just pay in full with cash? I... don't have a mailing address." Truth was, Penny did have a mailing address, but she didn't dare go back to her house. Not after the vampires that lived next door to her did what they did. Everytime she closed her eyes, she felt fangs sink into her neck and arms. She felt the pain of her blood being drained out of her... Penny wanted to forget. She wished she had amnesia like she told the detectives. Most of all... she wished Christian was here. She wanted to thank him. Not only thank him, but apologize as well. He broke rules for her and she owed him a great debt.

The receptionist frowned, but nodded. "Yes, I can take cash. It's only three-thousand dollars. Your insurance paid the rest." Penny took money out of the ATM earlier that morning, so she handed the receptionist the money and waved.

"Thank you. Have a nice day."

Penny walked through the doors of the hospital with slight trepidation. The sun was warm on her face and the breeze was slightly chilly. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. She was alive. She was alive and feeling the warmth and the cold. She was looking at everything with her own two eyes. She watched as people walked past her and drove cars down the road. She wondered what was going through their minds right now. Were they glad to be alive as she was? Maybe. Maybe not.

She took a few steps down the sidewalk and raised her hand to hail a cab. It pulled up to the curb and Penny was about to open the door when she felt a warm prickle on the back of her neck. She turned around to see if anyone was watching her. but despite a few pedestrians waiting for a bus, there was no one. Penny furrowed her eyebrows and went to open the door again, but the feeling didn't go away. Warning bells rang in her head and her hands started shaking. Was this another vampire? A different monster? A different being watching her? Or was she just paranoid?

Penny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you getting in or not, lady?!" The taxi driver yelled through the window.

"Yes, sorry." Penny opened the door and put one foot in the cab before stopping once again. Maybe... He had ignored her since she woke up in the hospital, but could that feeling of being watched... could it be Christian? She looked again across the street from the hospital doors and squinted. Maybe, if she focused... there was a figure. Blurry, but there nonetheless. It looked like Christian, but she didn't know for sure. She shook her head and sat down in the cab. "Hyatt Place Hotel please."

"Yes ma'am."

Penny looked out the window at the blurry figure. It disappeared after driving past a pole, but Penny closed her eyes. "Christian. If that's you, I really need to talk to you. I'll be at Hyatt Place Hotel. Please. Just, let me say thank you in person."

"Did you say something miss?"

Penny cleared her throat and itched at the healing bite marks on her arms that were covered. "No."

Christian started to grow impatient the longer he stood outside the hospital when finally, a familiar face walked into the bright light of the late morning sun. Christian relaxed when he confirmed she was healed, although she was not unmarked. A vision of Penny's lifeless body filled his head, contrasting with the healthy woman standing on the street, hailing a cab.

Christian reminded himself that what he had done was a good thing. He had been questioning his roles and responsibilities for a while, and although he was punished for his actions, he felt the deed was worth it. While he contemplated his thoughts, Penny's eyes met his own before her attention shifted. She could feel him watching her, but did she see him? No… That was impossible. However, the longer she stared at the spot on the street he occupied the more Christian wondered if she had received some sight from her near death experience.

Christian remained rooted on the street, watching the cab fade when he heard Penny ask to meet her. Christian sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He knew he shouldn't, that the deed was done, but he couldn't deny her it seemed.

Shortly after her request, Christian stood in the lobby of the Hyatt Place Hotel. He remained invisible for now, watching the patrons come and go. The simple acts of being human brought a smile to his face, the discomfort of the last few days fading from his mind. People were so strange with their habits and worries. If only they knew of the other lives that existed amongst their own.

Penny exited her cab and walked through the entrance of the Hyatt Place Hotel. She carried no luggage and no clothes with her, so she just walked in with what she was wearing. Lukcily, the police had gone back to her house to get her an outfit to change into once she was discharged, but that's all she had. She refused to go back there. At least... not without somebody who could keep an eye out for her.

She walked to the receptionist and smiled. "Hello. I have a room booked. My name is Penny Lowe."

The receptionist smiled and Penny found something off about it. She blinked and the feeling went away. Penny placed a hand to her head. She was going crazy. She was seeing vampires and monsters in everybody she ran into. Was this PTSD? She didn't know. "Hi Penny. Here's your room key. You'll be in room 306. Have a wonderful stay."

Penny nodded and took the room key. She felt the same warm prickle on the back of her neck and she turned to the lobby of the hotel. People sat and chatted and others milled about the open space, but Penny had eyes for only one person. The figure that was slightly blurry in the street outside the hospital was now completely clear. Christian stood in the middle of the room, but Penny frowned when she saw people walk past and through him, as if he were a ghost. Penny scratched at her arms again and nodded. It made sense. He was a reaper, right? He was probably invisible tot he naked eye. Penny continued to scratch at her arms. Why were they so itchy while healing? It made her irritable. A voice inside told her that if she kept it up, she would scrape through the bandages and cause her wounds to bleed, but she couldn't care.

She approached Christian before pausing. If others couldn't see him, then why could she? She looked up at him, making eye contact and her eyes widened. He had noticed her. She cleared her throat and motioned him to follow her as she walked tot he elevator and made her way to the third floor. It was a fast elevator ride and Penny exited to find her room just on the right. Using her keycard, she unlocked the door and walked in, leaving the door open for Christian, though she didn't think he needed it. Could he go through them?

The door swung shut and Penny took a few steps into the room before turning to face him.

"Um, hi." Penny internally winced. Yeah, that was bad. She felt tingles and a crawling sensation under her bandages again and itched at them. They stung and Penny dropped her hands before she did any more damage.

The hotel was fairly busy with people this morning. Christian wondered mildly if there was some sort of event happening. So, he was unsurprised when Penny walked in and started acting nervous. Christian had seen many people who had experienced some level of trauma struggle to find their footing in society again. He took a step closer, waiting for her to receive her room key.

When she turned, he wasn’t expecting her to find him so quickly. Confirmation of people brushing past Christian told him that he was still very much invisible, but the startled look on Penny’s face told him that she could see him.

Reapers could in fact appear to only one person, but Christian had wanted to remain invisible until Penny was alone. The last thing she needed was to be seen talking to herself. Christian followed when she gestured, arriving at room 306 before her—he had heard the woman at the front desk.

Penny opened the door, and Christain slipped inside, he turned visible for his sake more than hers since it seemed she could see him just fine. She continued to scratch her arms until the smell of blood reached his sensitive nose. He stared at her bandaged arms with a strange curiosity. Even when she greeted him awkwardly, he continued to stare until a faint circle of blood appeared on the white bandage.

”You’re bleeding,” he said before meeting her eyes.

"Oh! Um," Penny looked down to find the blood spot and quickly crossed her arms, covering it up. "Sorry. It's... itchy." Penny didn't tell him that she also sometimes felt like she could feel the saliva from the vampires run through her blood. It made her veins itch and she felt dirty. Still, she wouldn't trade it for her death. This was one of the consequences of asking Christian to help her. She only hoped she didn't get him into too much trouble.

"Thank you, for meeting me. I realize that you are probably busy." Penny paused in her wording and finally looked away from her crossed arms to meet Christian's eyes. They pierced through her very being, almost as if he could see down to her soul. She was pretty sure he actually could. She took a deep breath. "Image my surprise when I woke up in the hospital almost two days after the attack. The last I remember is collapsing outside the house, but even then everything is fuzzy." She turned away from him and moved to sit on the bed. She left space next to her in case he wanted to sit down as well, but she knew that he probably wouldn't.

"I know it was you who took me there. I didn't want to get you in trouble. I don't know what reaper politics and job rules are, but you seemed like... you were risking a lot to help me." Penny's fingers trembled and she wanted to itch her arms and neck, but she refrained. "I owe you a debt, Christian. Whatever it is you want me to do, I'll do it."

These last couple of days, Penny obsessed over one recurring thought that just wouldn't leave her alone. Revenge. She wanted to track down those vampires and maybe others and make them pay for what they did to her. Possibly save a couple other people in the process as well. The hatred that boiled in her veins scared her. Not even her mom had been able to put this feeling inside her and Penny didn't know how to handle it. She took a deep breath and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But also... I want revenge."

Christian sensed some unease within Penny, so he took a seat in a chair rather than on the bed next to her. Sitting next to her didn’t seem appropriate when they hardly knew each other.

”Yes, I took you to the hospital. You collapsed after you called for the authorities. The five-minute window had expired. You wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t, and well, you told me you wanted to live,” he explained.

Christian rarely had a full conversation with a human beyond convincing them to cross over to the other side, so this was new territory for him. The way he spoke was a strange mix of formal and informal. Often he would switch languages or how he spoke depending on who he was talking to, wanting to make them comfortable. This was rather different. He shifted in the chair, looking away from Penny when she offered to repay him.

It wasn’t as easy to repay someone for bringing them back to life. Of course, an acceptable debt would be a life debt, but Christian wasn’t that person. Then, he was punished for his act. There was nothing Penny could do aside from keeping her promise to keep fighting to live. When she said she wanted revenge, that was the furthest thing from that reality.

Christian’s sharp focus trained itself back on Penny and he stared at her for a long time before he shook his head and stood. ”That is a poor course of action.”

Penny clencched her fists and mimicked Christian's action, standing up as well. "You're the only one I know that can help me with that. I can't sleep at night. Everytime I go anywhere, I feel like someone is always watching me, waiting to attack." Penny felt her breathing pick up and her lungs ached slightly. "Every other person I come into contact with seems to have a weird aura and I don't know if I'm imagining it, or if they're dangerous."

Penny took a few steps closer to him, but kept a respectable distance. "I want to live and I promise I will do everything I can to keep that promise, but is it really living if I'm just surviving? I'm tired of being scared all the time! Today was my first time in the real world since the attack and it terrified me!" Penny felt lightheaded and spots danced in her vision. She was discharged from the hospital, but the doctors did warn her that she may still experience bouts of lightheadedness from the blood loss. She took a few steps back and sat back down on the bed. She gulped down air and tried to slow her breathing.

"Please, Christian. I'm not asking you to break any more rules. I'm not asking you to follow me or be my partner. I'm just asking for information on how to get revenge." Penny felt her eyes water and she lowered her head to hide it. She wanted to stop being a cry-baby, but Penny knew that it was ingrained in her very being. She was an emotional person and it wasn't going to go away any time soon.