Black's Lonesome Path: A Short Story

By J.L. Shojosh

Black, like a select few other beings, is a soul reaper, whose sole predilection is to claim human souls. However, his life is turned upside down during a chance encounter with a human woman. Black’s memories of his past human life come flooding back to him. Will he continue to hunt human souls or will he turn against the Authority and now hunt the hunters? This is the tale of the beginnings of Black’s journey as a changed reaper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.L. Shojosh
• Release date: Oct 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005517137

J.L. Shojosh

I hope to show the universal humanity inherent in all of us. There's more that we as humans have in common with one another than the differences that sometimes pit us against each other. Through stories, I hope to highlight a few of those commonalities. Love conquers all.

Book preview

Black’s Lonesome Path

A

Short Story

*

By

J.L. SHOJOSH

*

Copyright © 2020 Joshua Nsangi. All rights reserved.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by R.B. Publishers, Smashwords Edition.

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1

The rustic windmill’s creaking had snapped Glen out of his lucid stupor. Had it been any bit windier, he’d still persist on his grandmother’s porch. Glen had kept staring at nothing in particular, as the horizon too feature nothing peculiar, on that desolate dust-belt farm. Inside the tiny wooden cabin, built by his long past grandfather, the oil lit lanterns plastered a range of motionless, seated figures, their shadows mostly arched to match the floor gazing that so suffused the scene.

No one spoke anymore.

They’d gathered by her bedside, five seated glooms, and a couple of standers, who leaned against the wall. The crowd’s energy seemed to insist that she relieve them of the tension, their day-long, tone-held crescendos. The anticipation in the room was at fever pitch, hot enough to rival the large grey haired dripping mass of flesh and bones.

Hey…

Hey, retorted Glen.

His isolation was short lived, as his old sister, only by two years, had no sooner leaped over his head, scuffing his short, brown and well groomed hair.

Lisa! Are you serious right now?

Glen had protested, though as unconvincingly as usual.

Oh, lighten up. Who died?

Lisa dragged her feet as she walked back to the hand clasped, chubby seventeen year-old.

Haha…

He’d sarcastically bit back.

Oh come on… This place is sad enough as it is…

She finally sat down next to him, as the pair filled the entire entrance way to the never-refurbished wooden front door. With her heels glued to the plank, her feet had rhythmically patted the step on which they’d rested.

Lisa stopped to look at her brother, as he pretended that her staring didn’t bother him.

I just feel for mom, though… I mean, just when you’d think that her memories of foster care would slowly get replaced by new adventures with her long lost mother… She