Grin

~Kindle Joy Miller

The grim reaper is supposed to be a black-cloaked, scythe-wielding creature that sends people to the darkness of hell to grieve in death and pain forever. But there is one grim reaper who is very different than what the stories tell. He is scared of death and allergic to the colors black and red. Because he’s allergic to the color black his cloak and scythe are dark blue. Other grim reapers call him grin because he doesn’t like to make people hurt or feel pain and he doesn’t have many friends because of this. He does everything happily by himself not wanting to hurt another soul. But one day the council of the lake of fire called for him. “Grin,” they said, “under the laws of Hell set up by the devil you must murder someone and send them down there before midnight tonight or we will have to send you down there.” They pointed towards the fiery lake. “You can’t just live without hurting a soul! The law is the law. Now go and do this for I don’t want to see a grim reaper suffer or any of the creatures of hell, not Hades nor the demons of night! Now go and do these evil deeds!”

Grin walked away very sad wondering how he could hurt someone or even kill someone when he himself was afraid of death. He walked down the streets of the underworld to the portal to the mortal realm. Grin went through the portal for the first time in his life. He swirled through blackness and dark and began to sneeze on his way through the portal.

Grin opened his eyes and he was on a tree. He jumped out of the tree and looked around he seemed to be in a park. There was a little girl there who saw him. “Who... are… you?” She asked. “My name is Grin,” Said Grin, “Who are you?” He put out his hand but the girl shrieked and hid behind the tree. He pulled it back in his cloak. “Sorry,” he said. The girl slowly came back out. “What… are you?” She asked looking him over. “I’m a grim reaper…” He replied afraid she would run away again. “Oh,” she said simply,”Are you gonna kill someone?”

“…No,” he said, “…I’m here to make friends.”

“Oh! Can I be your friend?” she asked, “My name is Lacy.”

“Sure,” replied Grin, “Nice to meet you Lacy.” He put out his hand again and she looked at it for a second then shook it smiling. “Is that really why you’re here? I thought grim reapers killed things…”

“Okay… I hve to kill someone otherwise something very bad will happen to me,” Grin told her. She looked wide eyed. “What would happen to you?” she asked. “They will throw me in the lake of fire if I don’t do it but I don’t want to kill anyone!” said Grin. “Why don’t you kill an animalinstead would that work?” asked Lacy. “I don’tknow,” said Grin, “ but I rather do that then kill a person.”

“Okay,” Said Lacy, “ my family has a farm and There is this pig that my dad hates and we just kill all our pigs anyway so you can kill it. Follow me!”

“Great,” said Grin, “then I will be doing you a faver and I won’t have to be sent to the lake of fire!” Grin followed Lacy down the street and a little ways out of town where a little farm stood. “This is my house,” said Lacy, “The pigs are this way.” She pointed towards a big barn. “Okay,” said Grin. Lacy opened the door and told Grin what to do. “I not allowed to watch but my dad tells me how it is done,” she said. Grin walked in and Lacy shut the door behind him so she couldn’t see. He found a large pig in a pin and raised his scythe.

After he killed the pig he suddenly started transporting back to the underworld. He opened his eyes and he was in front of the concil of the lake of fire again. “We are amazed at how quickly you have obeyed the devil’s orders. You will now not have to kill anyone for another 10 years”

After his meeting with the council, Grin went back to the human world and thanked Lacy for her help.