Grim For Ever After, Elizabeth Haley [best books to read non fiction txt] 📗

''I want her now!" Sidian proclaime'd taking no care to whisper. A passerby stops looking up and down the  street wondering where the voice has come from after a pause he moves on.

"Shhhh don't get your feathers in a bunch" Penn hisses

"You are sure she will be mine tonight?"  Sidian asks his voice lowered but still full of greed.

"Yes and I pity her for it!" Penn lies. He doesn't mean to be deceiving but it's easier that way. though he will have to hear about it later.

He  glances at the window where the girl  is surrounded by friends everyone wear's a smile except for her.  She senses the dark presence she always does. Penn know's this night will be her last and it's his job and burden to carry this knowledge. He is a Death Bearer and tonight he has come for her.  Sidian moves  beside him anxious for the soul he's been  promised. But he can not have her Penn has his own agenda and Sid will have to settle for another girl.  What Sideine doesn't know is this girl is expecting death she's known for sometime and has been warned of Sid's  intentions .  They see her stand to leave and her pretty blond friend protest's to know a avail. She is already lost to them they just don't know it yet.  Sid  flap's his wings  and Penn is sure if crow's could that he would be grinning 

"She steps outside zipping her hoody up but there is nothing that can keep her warm now.

" Is it about to happen?" Sid ask's.

"Yes it is time."  Penn nods but for what exactly he wasn't sure.

She was to die in a hit and run accident any minute and then Penn's task was to take her soul to The Grim Realm where it would remain as a life source for his shady and only friend Sideine who was A Death Bearer whos time had long ago ended and he chose to live on with a spell a Grim spell that allows him to live but only if he can claim a new soul each year and this year he chose Tessa.   But Penn saw something in Tess, her whole group actually. They were drawn to the darker side of life. So Penn had made her an offer. Death could not be avoided but there was another way of life his way a grim life. All she had to do was die in possesion of her soul  and the only way to do that was to commit a sin a life's sacrifice her life.

Penn took off into the sky and  then swooping down toward her he changed form he became a shadow wanting to get close enough to her so that only she could hear......

(TESSA)

The night brought paranoia as well as a starless onyx sky over the town of Killdeer, Tessa should have stayed with her friends who were care free and happy that they were still on fall break from school but instead she was unnerved and alone, well almost. For the third time she stopped and turned to peer down the peaceful street lined with red brick houses and parked cars. Occasionally she was greeted by Jack-o-lanterns. To someone peeking out of their window they would only see a girl, not the dark shadow that creeps forward with every step she takes.  Penn has been following her for weeks now whispering to her warning her and other times urging her to do the unthinkable, but it had been even before then that she had stopped feeling at ease. Who could blame her knowing her death was coming and being anticipated by a Soul Collector. Keeping this to herself was eating her alive and she couldn't sit around her friends another minute pretending everthing was fine. 

The shadow continued to ease down the sidewalk and over bushes like a beast's reaching claws. Coming to collect? No just to taunt her and keep her isolated. This is what she was telling herself when the feeling of being caressed started at her ankles, then her back and then soft and irratating as spider webs on her face.

"Stay clear of busy streets!"  Penn whispered.  As Sid flew over head waitng for him to make his move to cause Tess to be ran down but  those werent at all Penn intentions.

  She looked down at her self at the shadows  Penn had reached her and was wrapping around her body. She shrieked and wiped at the darkness and then she ran.

Penn had never done that before. Up ahead was a busy main street she didn't care she would dart around the car's anything to make distance between her and Penn.

"Stop and end it! Claime your soul" Penns voice was frantic. She reached the end off the sidewalk and  instsead of darting out she hesitated. There on the other side was Brick the boy she'd fallen for the boy who was  less guy and more demon one of Penn's  charges a grim. She could be with him she could live on if only.......  her thought's were scattered as puzzle peices. She turned off of  The Blvd The Birds Of Paradise  and headed for  Cardinal Ave. her street. "

Yessss you have changed your fate!" Penn was at her ear again.

" What are you doing? " Sidian asked from where he now perched on a stop light. Penn heard but ignored him, his focus was solely on Tess. She was gasping for breath when she practically fell through the front door of her house and scrambled up the steps to her room a decision made. She moved to her computer desk nervous sweat burning her dark brown eyes. She picked up a piece of her rose thorn embroidered stationary and a pen. The Shadow would be moving up the side of the house by now. And she was ready to give him what he wanted. She scrawled two words before the darkness took over her window blocking out the whisper of moon light. She fell to her bed her body shaking with sobs and she knew this was it, the end...... 

(RAE)

Rae pulled up outside of Tess's families three story tan brick house early as she did every morning before school. She checked her reflection in the overhead mirror white blond  hair in a messy ponytail, eyebrows arched the left gleaming with a diamond stud. She wanted to look good for Ty her boyfriend who had a mathing peircing and also happened to be Tess's older brother. She cut off her red Beetle in the middle of He Is We's song Happily Ever After over the radio. She started up the walkway past the smiling pumpkins that were on either side and walked straight in the house.

"Morning!" Miss Grayson called from the dining room out of site.

"Good morning!" Rae said back slipping out of silver ankle boots, house rules since Miss G had shell white carpeting put in.

"She's still sleep Rae wake her up pleasssse, I really can't deal with her this morning!"

"Alright." Rae said going up the steps and knowing just what Miss G meant. Tess had been far beyond moody lately.

Rae walked past the shut bathroom adjusting her her skinny leg jeans that refused to stay up. She stopped at Tessa's mauve painted door and knocked a lesson well learned because the time she'd walked in she'd found Tess kissing Brick. No answer. Good Rae thought she's up and in the bathroom. She went in and dropped onto the deep purple quilt again her pants slid down exposing pink lace panties. She stood back up annoyed.

"I'm not dealing with these all day!" She sighed and walked over to the closet so she could get a belt. Tess had been holding at least three of hers hostage including a silver one that matched her shoes perfectly.

Rae pulled the door open and gasped,the sight hit her so hard that she stumbled back her throat tightened holding back the scream that was pulsing through her but wouldn't come out. Her eyes burned and her vision blurred from the sudden moisture.

She turned tripping over her own feet trying to get out of the room. She smashed into a solid figure.

"Ty it's Tess she...she...Rae didn't have to finish. Ty held her tight looking over her shoulder at his sister who swayed lightly in the closet wearing a flowing white dress her eyes closed her face a pale blue and a shimmering silver belt wrapped tight around her neck. Tessa had killed herself. 

Four days later Rae held Ty's hand painfully tight while Tessa's casket was lowered into the ground Miss Grayson sobbed uncontrollably and it had a domino effect on those who surrounded the grave site. Rae's nose burned but she was all cried out and had the red rim's and dark rings under her eye's to prove it. The last few day's had come and gone but she felt as if she were still in Tessa'a room reliving the moment she found her over and over again. The scream still seemed trapped and she'd wondered if the tightness would ever go away. She turned from miss Grayson only to see Brick seperated from the group a girl was beside him. he watched them from behind dark glasses his handsome face in a frozen scowl. Tess had been forbidden to see him though Rae had witnessed them sneak of together countless times. Rae took a halfstep toward him but a women from the church was now handing out roses and it was time to say goodbye. Rae pressed the soft ivory petals to her lips kissing them lightly at the same time a sharp pain was in her thumb she'd pricked her self she dropped the rose then watching it land on shiny black prison that would hold Tessa for now on. She put her thumb in her mouth realizing the small pain was nothing compared to ache she now carried.   

October 30th just a week since Tessas burial was windy and cold. Rae stepped out of the weather and into the coziness that was Hot Stuff The town coffee shop. She immediately searched for her friends and sighed knowing Tess wouldn't be there. She shrugged out of her jacket exposing a white long sleeved shirt a few strands of hair hung from her ponytail onto her shoulders. Only three of her usual group were there to greet her Jake, Laney and Ty.

"Thank's for coming all of you!

Ty said once one of the waitresses took Rae's order of a cinnamon/pumpkin latte.

"I had to get out of the house!" Ty went on his tired brown eyes that were so much like Tess's were lacking there usual flare.

"Me too Laney and Jake replied at the same time. both of Jake's brow shined with silver spikes and he had pitch black hair and the longest eye lashes possible shadowing his pale blue eye's. In addition to his eyebrow piercings his lip was pierced. Then there was Lane with her blond baby blue streaked hair and freckled cheeks the only piercing she had was her belly button hidden so she wouldn't send her parents over the edge.

 "Thanks!" Rae broke the silence watching the waitress sit a steaming coffee mug covered in fall colored leaves onto the table. She was taking a sip when Brick entered. The latte burned her throat and she gagged. Bricks eyes shot to her and before she knew it she was up wiping her mouth and approaching him.

"Did you see Tess that night? She rushed out on us and i was wondering if she'd gone to meet you!"  he turned to face her his back pressed against the bar style counter dust colored hair falling into his face.

" No we didnt meet up i saw her but we didnt even speak!"

"What can I get you?" Another waitress asked Brick but he was'nt listening he was leaving. Which Rae found strange why even bother coming in?

"Wait!" She said not sure exactly what else she had to say. Rae went after him stepping into a strong wind the Avenue was busy with people making there way to the fall festival where the children whould devour way to many caremel apples and get lost playing in the corn maze. And Mr. Sappit the town grump whould win