Five Seconds With Death

“Leah? Is there anything you can do?” Looking at the scene it seemed pretty obvious to me. Someone hit the beautiful redhead lying on the floor over the head with a alabaster bust of Queen Elizabeth I. It was lying next to her covered with blood, which she could only assume was the victims. The local PD usually only called her to try to see how someone died.

In her five years assisting the police she’d seen people bludgeoned and stabbed by a myriad of things. It was usually a normal weapon. There’d been the odd stiletto heel and shive here and there, but usually it was a normal weapon. The oddest to date was the man who had been stabbed by a solid gold toilet paper roller. Ugh. She could still see it protruding from his eye, as his wife, who found him texting his girlfriend in the bathroom, had just grabbed the closest thing to hand. Sometimes she could tell them details about the suspect, but that was rare.

Noah, Detective Anderson, was waiting on her answer. “I’ll see what I can see. Am I clear?”

He looked to the CSI team and receiving nods gestured toward the body. “She’s all yours.”

Kneeling on the floor next to the body she took a deep breath. Leaning forward she placed her hand on the woman’s chest and closed her eyes.

Immediately her vision was transferred to the redhead standing in the corner of the library tracing a hand along the shelf. Gasping, she pulled a book from the shelf. It was a journal bound in mustard yellow leather. Some sort of swirling Celtic looking symbol on it’s spine. A left hand with a silver ring on the pinky, it’s symbol matching that on the journal, came to rest on the shelf beside her and the world went black.

Opening her eyes she took two deep breaths to settle herself. It was always a jolt coming back from being someone else. Accompanied by a small amount of dizziness and nausea.

She was startled when she opened her eyes to see Noah kneeling as she was, directly across from her. He smiled at her and she felt herself tilt again. This time having nothing at all to do with her gift. He had the most wicked, crooked grin. That and his green eyes would be the death of her some day.

As if summoned by the thought, she felt the air in the room stir around her. She would not turn. She would not give him the satisfaction.

She and Noah stood. He waited patiently as she wiped her sweating palms on a towel someone had placed on her shoulder while she was out. She had no idea who had done it for her. Ever since she had smeared blood on her jeans trying to wipe her clammy hands someone had done this, and she greatly appreciated it.

She turned to ask who the thoughtful person was and came face to face with Death. He winked at her and smiled. “I’ll ask later.” She said rolling her eyes and turning back to Noah.

“What was that?” Noah asked.

Hearing a chuckle behind her she ignored it. “Oh, I was just going to thank whoever gave me the towel. But everyone is busy. So…”

“You’re welcome.”

“It was you?” The chuckle came again.

“Yeah.” Noah was turning a little pink on the top of his ears. Clearing his throat he continued. “So? Did you get anything?”

“Yes. She was at the shelf here looking at a journal.” Walking to the shelf to show him there was, of course, an empty space.

He nodded, waving over one of the CSI guys. “He had his hand here. Pointing at the shelf she was careful not to get close enough to touch it. She relayed the details of the journal, the man’s hand and ring.

“Can you draw the symbol?” He handed her his notepad and pen.

“Yeah, I think so. It was two ovals and then one at the top all connected with a ring going through all of them.”

She jumped as the voice behind her said “means father and son. Celtic.”

“I think it’s Celtic. A family symbol? Maybe father and son?”

Pulling out his phone Noah typed a moment and held it out to her. “Yeah. That’s it. It was on his left pinky. Silver. Kind of chunky. The same symbol was on the journal.” She handed him back his notepad.

Making a few quick notes he stuck it into his breast pocket and smiled. “Do you know your eyes turn black with silver around the edges when you’re…working?”

She laughed. “Having never seen through my own eyes while I’m working, as you call it. No. I had no idea.”

“Well remind me to take a picture next time. It really is extraordinary.” Shaking his head he looked around the room. “Thank you, Miss Forest. As always we appreciate your time and we’ll be in contact if we have any other questions.”

“Right back to business,” she heard from behind.

“Of course Detective Anderson.” Shaking his outstretched hand she continued, “I’ll show myself out.”

Once outside she popped in her earbuds. “Don’t you have a job to do. Upstairs.”

“Now is that any way to greet your oldest friend?” Death laughed as she turned on him. “Why?” She asked him. She asked him every time she saw him and every time he answered the same. “Why not?”

She never would have known about the gift he had given her if she hadn’t tried to give CPR to that man in the alley in New York. She ran to him after she saw him fall, calling 911 as she ran. He’d died while she was doing chest compressions and trying to give the dispatcher her location, in a place she knew nothing about.

I’m the middle of a compression she saw herself saying it would be ok. She had 911 on the line.

It was a blink and then was over. She’d been naive. Her shiny new EMT license still burning a hole in her pocket. She knew better now. She could see five seconds. Five seconds before the persons death.

If Ransom had died when she was 10 would she have gotten 10 seconds? But she’d been five when Death had given in to a weeping young girl desperate to tell her brother she loved him. Instead of the last thing she said to him being that he was stupid.

Her brother and mother had died in a car accident. Her and her father had not. When Death came to take her mom and brother he was surprised to see her staring at him. Then she began to yell. “Help them! Don’t just stand there. Do something!”

He’d been so shocked he explained what he was and that he couldn’t. But in a moment of weakness asked what he could do. Sobbing, she said she just wanted to say she was sorry to her brother and she loved him.

Death had sat next to her on the ground and put her hand on her brothers chest. She got to say she was sorry and she loved him. Her brother had smiled. She’ll never forgot that. Then it was over and she was sitting on the pavement next to a stranger her father couldn’t see. As the memory faded, in the same way her gift always did she turned away from Death and walked to her car.

When she got in he was there, in the passenger seat. “It’s nice to see you Ophelia.”

“Thanks.” She spit it out at him. Resigned she leaned back with a sigh. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Not especially. It’s nice to talk to someone who’s in the loop.”

She knew she was being an ass but couldn’t react any differently.

She’d had a crush on him since she was 14 and knew there’d never be any way to do anything about it. But every time she seemed to start being interested in someone he started to show up instead of any of the others. For years she hadn’t seen anyone but Gladys or Rupert and now here he was again. And unlike Gladys and Rupert he’d never even told her his name.

“Well I saw with my own eyes you have work to do. So…” she wiggled her fingers at him and started the car.

“Nope, I’m free. Rupert is taking care of poor Shannon.”

“Shannon.” She closed her eyes a moment putting the name with the face. Rest well, Shannon, she thought. “Then why are you here?”

“I need a favor.”

“A favor? From me? I’m nobody.”

“You’re nobody that can talk to me. I need that journal found and I need it destroyed.”

“Wait. What? I can’t interfere with an investigation.”

“The man you are looking for is named Seamus McClarey and he stole that book from a (crypt) in Ireland. He had it rebound in that hideous yellow and killed the man who rebound it to keep it secret. That is probably why poor Shannon has left this world as well.”

“So you’re telling me that a book has caused the murder of two people.”

“No. This book has caused the death of hundreds of people over hundreds of years. It is enchanted to withstand time and decay and holds in it a secret that should never, ever been shared. The one who shared it, those hundred of years ago is in danger of having their powers stripped or possibly becoming a slave to a human and any spawn of that human until they so choose to release them.”

Shocked she turned the car back off and sat back turning toward Death. “You’re telling me there is a magic book that can summon one of you? Like a demon in one of those shows?”

“Yes.”

“And you want me to find it?”

“I just want you to get it. I know where it is.”

“This man has killed someone. Two someone’s.” Her head was beginning to throb. She needed to eat.

“You need to eat. Get takeout so we can talk. I can’t be having you pretending to be on the phone the whole time you’re eating.”

With a sigh she called for Chinese and resigned herself to company she really didn’t want for the evening.

He made himself comfortable as usual. Throwing himself into her chair in the corner. Leaving her to sit on the couch that was rarely ever used. She pulled up the coffee table and focused on her noodles. Her mind spinning. He wanted her to steal something from a murderer. A Murderer!

“I can hear you thinking from here.”

“What do you expect? You want me to steal from a murderer.” She ignored him while she ate. Why? Why was he showing up now and with this outrageous request. She was a nobody. She wasn’t fit. She wasn’t overly smart. What in the world made him think she could accomplish something like that. Yeah, she was the only one who could hear and see him so the pickins were slim. She got that but… was she really the only one?

Shoving the last of her noodles in her mouth she asked. “Am I the only one who can see and hear you?”

“Yes.”

“Ever?”

“No.”

“Ok.” Standing to clear up her take out she kept at him. “So Rupert, Gladys, you are there any more?”

“Yes.”

Her jaw dropped. She almost lost the mouthful of noodles she had been talking around. Coughing a little she swallowed and chugged her Coke. “There are more.”

“Yes. You can only see the three of us. I don’t know why. It just is. And in over 200 years you are the only one who can see me. It’s rare but it happens.”

“Can’t you ask Rupert or Gladys to ask someone that can see them to do it? Someone a little more … I don’t know-more.”

“No.”

What was he thinking? No. Absolutely not. No. “No.”

“What?”

“No. I can’t do this. I can’t.” She threw her arms in the air as she walked back toward the couch. She sat down hard and hugging herself started to wheeze. “He’ll kill me too. I know you probably think I owe you, for what you did for me. For Ransom. But hundreds of people. You said hundreds.”

He was up and on the couch next to her in an instant. “No.” He took her hand and turned her face to him with the other. “No. I don’t think you owe me. I came to you because you’re mine and it’s my mistake.”

She didn’t know if it was his hand on her face or what he said but she was extremely warm. The back of her neck and ears were on fire. When she looked at him with glassy eyes. “What do you mean your fault?”

“For now rest. Call your detective tell him you think it may be Seamus. You googled him, he owns the house and you saw the ring. Here look, this is him.” He handed her her phone showing a broad shouldered man in a tailored suit on the cover of a magazine. “Most Successful Forty under Forty. He’s a celebrity. Oh, that’s gonna make it easier.” Dropping the phone on the couch she groaned and leaned back putting a pillow over her face.

Taking the pillow he handed her the phone again. “He’s a thief. He steals other people’s ideas twists them a little then puts his stamp on them. See the ring. Call your Detective, get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Before she looked up from the phone she felt the change in the air. He was gone. Very, very tired she called Noah. He picked up on the first ring.

She slept hard and woke up to the sun shining brightly through the window. It was late. Thankful she didn’t have a 9 to 5 she rolled over. She let out a screech when her roll was interrupted by a solid form. Backing away she rolled onto the floor. Sitting up and batting her hair out of her eyes she realized she had rolled into Death. He lay there eyes on her. His silent laugh shaking the bed.

“Go away.” She meant to say it with heat but it was more of a groan. He stopped laughing then eyes intent.

“No.”

She just blinked at him. Waiting.

“Ugh. Fine. I’ll go away.”

He got up and followed her. “I made coffee.”

At least there is that, she thought. “I’ll do it. I’ll do what you want.” She turned it time to see the smug triumphant look on his face. “But,” she held up a finger then jabbed it into his chest. “I want the full story.” Jab. “All of it.” Jab. “And I want to know your name.” She went to jab again but he grabbed her hand. Releasing her he rubbed his chest.

“You get three questions. That’s it. So use them wisely. They will be answered truthfully.” He added as she raised her eyebrow at him.

Bringing her coffee to the table she went to the fridge and pulled out a bagel. Walking to the toaster she frowned. Three questions.

How was she going to just pick 3?

“Your name doesn’t count in the three.”

As he said nothing she focused on her bagel. Bring it to the table she ate it in silence swinging folded her leg and smiling. Sipping her coffee slowly.

If he really wanted this he’ll agree. And if not she was out and would ask Rupert what his name was.

“It’s Ya'aqov”

“It’s what?”

“Jacob.”

Jacob she thought. Ok. If he was willing so was she.

“How did the book end up here?

“I shared some things I shouldn’t with someone I shouldn’t have and they wrote them down. They then had a witch bind the book so it can’t be destroyed by mortal hands.”

That was more than she was expecting for an answer. Pleased she continued.

“Who?”

He stood and began to pace rubbing his hands through his hair. “Lessie”

“Lessie?”

“Queen Elizabeth the First.”

Her jaw dropped. She sat in silence processing this.

He stopped pacing.

“The third?”

She looked him directly in the eye.

“Why me?”

He answered as he always did.

“Why not?”