Don't Fear the Reaper

By Dahlia Rose

Calliope thought she knew death. She sees it every day in her job and feels it around her. Who knew when she called to that presence it would appear in the form of Arius?

The connection they make is almost instantaneous. She kisses him on impulse, but she falls in love with him because that’s how her heart works. Teaching a reaper about life might seem strange to others, but Calliope accepts the responsibility willingly. But at the end of their time, he will leave, and Calliope will be forever changed.

Arius’s destiny is to take the scythe of his father and become the Angel of Death. But the woman who can feel his presence piques his interest, and he gives in to curiosity. He thought he knew his purpose -- that he was created to be a caretaker of the souls who cross over, and nothing more.

Being with Calliope his world on its axis. Now he questions his destiny, especially when he longs to be with her. The short time they have together might not be enough, for when the bell tolls, the new Angel of Death must answer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changeling Press
• Release date: May 23, 2019

Book preview

answer.

Chapter One

Calliope held Mr. Gill’s frail hand. The gnarled joints showed his age and his life all at once. The thin skin was warm, but still cold in a way, because his body was shutting down and had been for a long time. The whine and soft whisper of the oxygen tank, combined with the beats of the heart monitor, was the only sound in the room other than his thin, wheezing breath. His heartbeat was slower, and sometimes he grasped her hand with the last of his strength, as if trying to hold on to something in this world. It was fear. She knew the unknown of the after life terrified humanity. But he was also hoping, praying, for one last miracle.

Mr. Gill seemed to will his eyes open, to focus on Calliope. He tried to talk. It took a moment for his weak voice to emerge from his lips. Is she here?

No, she didn’t come, Calliope said gently. It was his moment of lucidity, and she had to tell him the truth. I’m so sorry.

A small nod and Mr. Gill closed his eyes, and she watched tears leak out from under the lids. That broke her heart all over again because all he’d wanted for the last year was to see his daughter again, to tell her he loved her before his memories were erased by the disease that stole them away. Alzheimer’s was like a thief that destroyed not only the mind but the body as it ravaged the afflicted.

Mr. Gill opened his eyes again and beamed a smile at her, or past her. It was hard to tell. Jenny, you’re here.

Yes… Yes, I’m here. Calliope nodded, knowing his eyes saw only what he needed to see at this time.

I love you, Jenny girl, always. I’m sorry I was away so much, he whispered, and licked his dry lips.

Calliope wet his parched mouth with a cool sponge and he sighed in relief. It’s okay, I know. He squeezed her hand, sighed, and she heard the beats of the monitor slow. It’s okay. You can go. There’s so much better waiting for you on the other side. We’ll be fine. You rest now. It’s okay to rest.

A huge smile crossed his face and he said one word. Jenny. One final breath, expelled slowly, and the beats of the monitor became one long drone. Calliope wiped away her own tears and sat there holding Mr. Gill’s hand for a few minutes longer. With her eyes closed, she whispered a blessing. Take him on his journey, Angel of Death. Give him peace and calm as he travels to the other side of the veil. He was a good man. Help him find his family.

She stood with resolution and began her cleanup of the body. She changed the bed linens, and after, she put him in clean pajamas. Calliope combed his white, thin hair. She pulled the blanket up to his chest, and for a moment, looked down at Mr. Gill, who could have been sleeping if she didn’t know better. Calliope stepped from the room and went to the nurses’ station. Doris, can you call Dr. Peters so he can come up and pronounce Mr. Gill? Calliope said. You can call downstairs and tell them he’s ready for transport as well.

Dr. Peters is just going to come up and sign the papers. Doris smiled sadly. They trust you, so put the time down since you were with him. Poor old guy, was he still asking for his daughter?

Yeah, but he’ll see her now. I think she was waiting for him on the other side, Calliope answered. During the time she’d cared for Mr. Gill, he’d asked for his daughter, thinking she was still alive all this time.

I don’t know how you do it, Doris said. I see you sit with them until the end, and then you cry for each person. How much can one heart take, even if it’s as big as yours?

Calliope shrugged. I guess I’ll know the limit when I reach it. I’m heading home. G’night, Doris.

See you tomorrow, Calliope, Doris answered.

Calliope grabbed her purse and stepped out into the night, taking a long deep breath and inhaling the chilled air that held hints of spring. She walked to her car and, after letting the engine warm for a moment, started the fifteen-minute drive home.

Hospice. It was the last step of a patient’s journey when doctors could do no more and miracles weren’t coming. It was a place of transition where patients came to be comfortable and their families could have time to say goodbye. It was a place where emotions took precedence -- sadness, happiness, anger, and sometimes defeat. But at the end, in the finality of it all, there was peace because closure ensured those who were left could live on.

But there were some patients who came in alone, who left this world alone. That was one of the main reasons Calliope Nyx was a nurse at the Willow Commons facility. Everyone knew if a new patient came in with no