The Morten Heir

The Mortem Heir

The sky was crimson as the last ray of the sun folded under the horizon. The wind gently blowing my long hair back as the entire sky darkened before me on the roof of the hotel. I tore my eyes away, spots blinding my watery vision.

I blinked a few times to push away the tears and I look down at the bag of ashes. ‘He’s not suffering anymore’ I thought to myself as I released the ashes to the wind.

I turned around to head towards the exit scanning the roof to make sure no one followed me up here.

Clear.

I climbed into the door that led to the staircase, it’s odd that it was so high off the ground.

As I made my way back to the lobby to leave the concierge waved me down. I hesitated, knowing I wasn’t supposed to be on the roof, especially since I didn’t have a room. “I think you dropped this” the man handed me an envelope. I stared at it confused. I was the only person in the lobby. “I’m not sure I did” I said. “I saw it fall out of your back pocket when you came in” he replied. Still confused, I brushed it off and walked out before he figured out where I had been.

As I got outside I peaked in the envelope. I stumbled as my knees almost buckled from what I saw. There was so much money. Cash. I flipped through it with a finger, “Ow!” I yelped as I withdrew my hand and noticed a cut on my finger. I looked back in the envelope where a green blade lay in between the folds of cash. Where did it come from?! Why did he insist I dropped it?! I looked back at my finger to find no injury, had I imagined it?

Questions that had no answers but, I had to get out of here. Before my father passed he left me 2 things. A little black book, which I’ve kept on me since, and the ominous words that I will take over the family business.

I shook my head, ‘we don’t have a family business’ I thought to myself as I rounded the corner of the hotel. ‘What was he talking about?’

I stashed the envelope in my purse, while reaching in I scrambled for a pen. As I pulled one out I dove back in to grab the little black book. “This is something I’ll want to write down” I thought as I opened the little book.

I paused, “Strange” I said out loud as I opened to the first page. I remember the book was blank when my father gave it to me, now there was a name.

One name etched into the book. Who was this? I thought as I racked my brain for some memory of the name. Nothing. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and opened the search engine. “Timothy Grandly” I typed in the name from the book. Not much came up but, there was an article of a guy who was in a bad car accident. I opened the article, he was airlifted to a local hospital. I dug some more until I decided I needed to see this person.

I mapped out the directions to the hospital, threw my hand up and whistled loud, I flagged down a cab.

Closing the door as I got in, I gave the driver the direct address and that was the only words spoke between the him and I. It wasn’t a long drive but it was enough time to take a better look at how much was in the envelope. I slowly reached into my bag keeping the envelope covered while opening it. Ten stacks tied together with paper bands that stated two-thousand each. My heart was beating fast and it felt like I had butterflies in my stomach. I had nothing after my father passed and he had nothing to leave. The car screeched to a halt. We were here.

Breaking a paper band, I quickly counted out some of the cash from the envelope and handed it to the driver. I got out and walked into the hospital, straight to the reception desk, where I asked for Mr. Grandly. Oddly enough they didn’t ask much about my presence there and simply told me the floor and room he was in. They didn’t even hand me a visitor badge, how strange I thought.

I made my way down a few halls, up an elevator and down a few more hallways until I got to his room.

He was dead, well not entirely, but it was obvious the machines were keeping him alive. I walked closer.

A man spoke out “who are you?” I jumped and turned towards the voice.

It was him. He was standing right there in the corner. But how was he also laying down?

My head felt like it could start spinning at any moment, but I spoke “ I’m Mary”.

He looked amazed, “you can see me!!” He almost shouted. “What is going on?! Why am I here and here?? Am I dead???” He was stumbling over his words trying to get them out.

I looked at him and then at the bed where the machines had become one with the body that lay lifelessly there. “I’m not sure” I whispered. “I felt drawn to come here and I don’t understand what’s going on”. I reached into my purse to find the little black book. As I pulled it out and opened it, scribbles were gliding across the first page. ‘Guide him’ was written in beautiful gold letters that seemed to almost float off the page. My bag started to feel warm under my arm. I peaked in and saw the envelope had an emerald green glow, calling for me to grab it. I hesitantly picked it up. As I opened it, I could see now that it was the blade that was glowing. I withdrew it from the envelope, it felt cold in my hand despite the warmth my bag had felt before I opened it. My hand reached up stretching my arm to its full extent. Guided by the blade, my wrist gently flicking to the left and swooped down leaving an open space of what looked like a black hole in the middle of the hospital room.

There was a calmness that fell over the room. Timothy gazed into the blackness and his features turned to comfort as he walked toward it and disappeared between the slit realms. The black opening faded quickly as did the glow of the blade.

I scrambled for the black book and forced it open. The letters evaporated off the page just as all of the machines started blaring noises. My heart dropped and I ran to the elevators. What just happened I thought as the doors glided open.

I lunged inside and looked back at the book, another name. This time there was a location, Syracuse, New York.

I lost my job, a few months ago, since I was taking too much time off to take care of my father. He couldn’t afford the proper help so he needed me. He had been battling cancer a long time and in his last few days he started telling me these strange stories that convinced me his mind had gone too. He would ramble on about black holes, realms, people dying, I thought for sure he was talking about old movies he had seen. After what just happened, I am not sure what is real anymore.

What I did know is that I needed to go to Syracuse. I was outside the hospital now, walking fast to get away from everything that had just happened. After two blocks I slowed down, my heart was racing this hole time that I forgot I was holding the blade still. I reached into my purse and grabbed the envelope. When opened it up to return the blade I noticed something was different. There were ten stacks, all wrapped in paper bands. What happened to the stack I ripped open? Things were getting more strange. I placed the blade in the envelope and put it back in my purse.

Syracuse, New York was two states away, not exactly a hop, skip, and a jump from where I’m standing. I pulled my phone out and called for a cab this time. Twenty minutes later I was stepping into another adventure. I told the driver to go to the nearest airport and with a nod we were off. I rummaged through my bag for the little black book and opened it up. The name was still there, ‘Georgia Thomson, Syracuse, New York’. As my eyes read it once more letters in gold scrawled across the page. An address this time. I flipped through a few pages to see if there was anything I was missing. Nothing, until I turned the last page. On the inside of the back of the book, barely visible, was a name. Edward Mortem. That was my fathers name I thought as my finger gently brushed over the silver ink that painted his name. Letters formed in black ink upside down on the last page, I flipped the book over.

My dear Mary,

If you are reading this then I have moved on and you are now in charge. Thank you for being the best daughter a father could ask for. I hope you are not upset that I did not share this information with you sooner but it was not my choice, it is just the rules.

I was what you would call a grim reaper, as are you now that I am gone. There are many rules that you will learn in your coming days, I would love to tell you all about it but I shall share only some vital information since I don’t have much time. You will receive, if you haven’t already, an envelope with cash and a green blade. The cash will help you get where you need to go, it will never diminish. The blade is your responsibility, no one must touch it but you. Do not let it out of your sight, there are demons disguised as people who are after the green blades. Yes there is more than one, just like there is more than one reaper, since you cannot be everywhere.

Long ago, there was a magnificent deep black sickle that was wielded by The Grim Reaper himself, over time he started to use his powers for bad so the Gods stepped in and shattered his sickle leaving hundreds of small green blades that were given to special people to resume the Grims duties. Our ancestors were one of them, which leaves us here. I wish I had more time to tell you everything but, they are on to me.

I love you with all of my heart, I will see you again, I promise. Stay safe.

Love Always,

Dad

The words brought tears to my eyes even though my skin was hot with anticipation. I don’t know what to believe anymore but I know one thing; I will not let him down and I will find a way to see him again.

We pulled up to the airport, I slung some money at the driver as I exited. Closing the door behind me I walked towards the entrance of the airport, ‘I’ve never felt like I had a true purpose before this moment’ I thought as I held my head high and scanned my surroundings. I walked in confident of my next steps. “I wont let you down dad.” I whispered under my breath as I stepped up to buy my ticket to my next appointment.