THE EARLY ARRIVAL

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“You’re early,” said the Grim Reaper, with a hint of surprise. 

I plop down on the sofa. It’s more comfortable than I thought it would be. “Yeah, thought I’d swing by.”

The Grim Reaper raises an eyebrow. “Can I get you anything? Tea?”

“Coffee would be great. Thanks, Grim.”

The Grim Reaper shakes their head. “You would be a coffee person.”

“I like it black. Like my soul.” 

A steaming mug of coffee materializes on the side table. 

“I can assure you, your soul is nowhere near black.”

I take a sip. “What colour is it, then?”

They consider it. A tall glass filled with a suspicious-looking substance appears in their bony hand. “It’s a sort of… blue colour.”

“Blue?”

“Cerulean,” they offer. 

I sigh. “Disappointing. Not as edgy as I would’ve liked.”

The Grim Reaper tilts their head. “Is there something I can help you with? Your scheduled death date isn’t until…” They hesitate. “... Later.”

I nod thoughtfully. “I was wondering about those. Death dates.”

“What about them?”

“Can you… change them?”

The Grim Reaper leans forward with a small smile. “I can.”

“What does it cost?”

“For every day I postpone someone’s death date, you must sacrifice one of your own days. I’ve had clients who give up a few days at the end of their life so they can prolong a dying loved one’s life. Give them a chance to die among friends and family. If that’s what you w—”

“What if I move up someone’s death date?”

The Grim Reaper frowns. “As in… make their death come sooner?”

“Yeah. Like, do I win their days? Can I shorten their life and make mine longer?”

“Uh, I’ve never done that before. I mean, I guess I could—” 

“Perfect.” I grin and take another sip of my coffee. “I have a lot of life goals. Immortality will make that much easier.”

The Grim Reaper takes a sip of their own drink. “You do realize people have a limited number of days you can… take from them. Yes?”

“I have a very long list of people I hate.”

“And the effect this will have on your soul would be—”

“Will it turn black?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Will it send me to Hell?”

“Technically, there’s no such thing as Hell, but—”

“Then I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?” I lean back on the couch, make myself comfortable. “I look forward to spending more time with you, Grim.”

The Grim Reaper sighs. “Please don’t call me that.”