Roy the Wraith

by Schitz

Prologue/Stoned to Death

Man, this was not the way I had planned for it to end. But I admit, it kinda made sense for me. Me and my bros were taking a puff, you know, just finished with finals. Hell, the fact I made it in college was something to celebrate, there were bets on my head for how long it’d take for me to drop out. Anyways, we were laughing and having a good time, you know how that is. One of us decided it’d be a riot to go out and hit on the local chicks. I figured I had nothing to lose, so what the hell? We went out, high as the clouds, and started hollering and wolf whistling at just about every girl that passed us by. When you’re that high, you honestly can’t tell who’s hot and who’s not, it’s almost more innocent that way if it wasn’t for the fact it was illegal.

You also couldn’t tell when you were hitting on the girlfriends of the local thugs. My bros saw ‘em first and bailed, leaving me behind wondering why I was suddenly the only guy giving those lovely ladies the attention they obviously deserved. One of the guys pinned me against a wall, started yelling at me. Now, though I was high as shit at the time, I think what he said went something along the lines of

“The fuck you think you’re doing punk! That’s my babe, ain’t no one hits on my babe!”

Now, being as fucked up as I was, I replied in the only way I knew: stoner speak “Hey, chill bro, I was just giving those beautiful ladies over there some attention.” This earned me a hook to the face, but thankfully the weed caught the brunt of the blow, though I wondered why I suddenly felt something hard in my mouth and my cheek tingling. I wiped some red saliva off my mouth, a moment later realizing it was blood, and said to him “Hey, why can’t we all just be friends? Why can’t we be friends, why can-”

“Shut up, fuckhead!” He yelled, and made to punch me in the stomach. Luckily, my hand dropped in the way and caught the fist halfway there, pushing it instead into the wall behind me. He recoiled and backed off a bit, obviously freaked out that a stoner could stop his punch. And in all honesty, I was too. It just felt right, though, so I went with it. By the time I went back to paying attention to him, that stupid smile on my face that you see on the face of every hippie who ever lived, I noticed he was holding something. Something with a familiar shiny glint, people were afraid to see it in dark alleys, it was…a…fuck, what was that called again?

“That’s it! It’s a knife! Wait…” The sudden outburst of remembrance linked together a series of other memories, specifically the capability of knives. They could be used to spread butter, cut veggies, start fires, cut things, and stab people… “You’re gonna stab me.” I said to him, a deadpan look on my face as I saw the sheer rage almost glowing out of his eyes. Fear started pounding in my veins as the effects of the marijuana were suppressed by adrenaline. “Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit!” I panicked, looking for a way out, but I had been cornered for a while now, and the only way out was at the tip of that blade. Looking at it, a kind of calm settled over me, as if my body and soul had already known this was going to happen, and the only part of me yet to accept it was my mind, still sending panic signals in all directions.

Then it happened. He rushed forward, and stabbed me right in the chest, grazing the heart, but I knew there was no way I’d live anyways. As my mind finally accepted that, and I felt peace throughout my entire being, I had the craziest last thoughts. First, I thought that heaven would be a boring place to spend the rest of time in, second that I ought to do one last thing to piss this guy off just so he can’t get me. I smiled at him, that genuine smile you see on old people (at least, I hope that’s what it looked like and not the half assed smirk I give people normally), flipped him the bird, and said to him “Fuck you, I’m out.” Just as my heart gave its last beat and the coldness settled over me, hardening my muscles and numbing my thoughts.

Then the strangest feeling came over me. As if a cord had suddenly snapped, and I could move much more freely than I ever have before. I got up, noticing that I was in a place of pure darkness, though it felt nice in a way. I looked at myself, noticing I had not a trace of my previous stab wound, nor the bruise on my cheek. I ran my rough hands through my hair still feeling the oiliness in it and the way it tickled the skin of my palm. I felt alive, that was sure, but I swear I had died. It couldn’t have been a dream, I can tell the difference between being stoned and being asleep, and I was as sure I was stoned as my eyes are green, and last I checked, they were still green.

“Hey, is anybody there?” I called out. My voice echoed out from me, lingering for several moments before eventually fading to a whisper, and then nothing. “Alright, screw this; I ain’t staying here until something finds me.” I began walking forward, head down focusing on my feet, a little thing I did to make walking pass feel faster. Suddenly I bumped into something, and on reflex I looked up saying “Hey, watch where…you’re...going…shit.”

There, not three feet in front of me, stood Death, skeleton, cloak, scythe and all that jazz. His ivory skull shined in the darkness, only serving to deepen the endless pits of what I could only assume were eye sockets. As my eyes wandered the rest of his form, I noticed that his tattered robed, though it looked to have once been pristine, seemed to outline itself against the darkness, standing out plainly though the mind could see no difference in it and the surrounding void. It clung to his form, both highlighting and obscuring his skeleton form. Holding his scythe in his right hand, I saw runes etched along both the blade and the staff of it, but their meaning escaped me. And lastly I saw that he held himself above the ground, defying the force that has held nigh on billions as if he had no knowledge that gravity even existed. Though, I knew I didn’t have to fear him, something told me I just didn’t need to feel fear around this ghastly embodiment, though I still felt a bit of panic claw at me. It was then that it, he, spoke.

“James ‘Roy’ Mason. 5 feet 11 inches though you hold to the belief that you’re a solid six feet. Natural blond hair though dyed white long enough to convince most people it was your natural color, green eyes, irrational fear of ducks, usually one to try and please everyone, few personal beliefs, great potential but no motivation, and widely considered either having impaired judgment or retardation. Overall, yet another strange catch.” It was only after he finished that I noticed the clipboard in his hand. He resumed “Now please explain to me, why you went and got yourself killed?”

Now, I’m gonna say it right here and now, I don’t think well when I’m panicking. Picking my jaw up from the floor, I pointed towards where his feet should have been, and asked “How in the fucking world are you doing that,” and a moment’s thought later “and why the clipboard? I mean, you’re Death, right? So why would you need a clipboard? Aren’t you supposed to be omnipotent or something?” By the way he brought his hand to his fore…skull, I could tell that he had been through this before. That, or he was just not in the mood for this shit.

A hint of irritation was noticeable when next he spoke, “It is true that I am death, and it is true that I have power beyond anything your puny mortal mind could comprehend,” ‘oh, he’s so going down, first chance I get.’ I thought, before continuing to listen. “but a tool to record the entirety of a person such as the clipboard, not only helps with memory, which begins to take quite a time to recall as you reach several millennium old, but also helps ease the intimidation factor that I’ve been told I possess in this form. But you still haven’t answered my question, James.”

And that’s when the shit hit the fan “Okay look, first of all my name is Roy; second my mind is anything but puny! I don’t give a fuck if you are death or not, I ain’t gonna take shit from anyone, or anything! Lastly, I didn’t go and get myself killed, me and my bros were just out chillin, and a bunch of thugs got me! Don’t blame me for this shit, blame those assholes!” I finished, slightly out of breath from my yelling. Looking at him, he had what I assumed a far off look on his, hell I’m calling it a face. When he finally realized I had finished, the light from his skull seemed to glint differently, the way a man would get a look in his eyes when he was planning something either really mischievous or dangerous.

Before I had time to register this, he began floating away. Not wanting to be left alone in the void, I ran after him yelling “Hey, wait up!” now walking beside him, I began to notice something about this place. Though there was no light, I could see myself and death fine, and if I focused for a moment, it was almost as if I could see things far into this void. Doors, gates maybe? I couldn’t tell, I just knew they were there. Even now, we were walking towards one.

When we reached the gate, for indeed it was a gate, it left me both speechless and wary. It was shining white, almost as if made out of light itself, and the intricacies of the pillars holding it put Greek pillars, all pillars for that matter, to shame. Through it I could only see light, but, as anyone who’s ever heard of religion at all knows, I knew that behind it was heaven, or at least the equivalent of it, since heaven was from Christianity, and this was most definitely real.

Death gazed upon the gate with a look of boredom; he probably had seen it billions of times before. Speaking with a voice that only those that had lived more than their fair share of years could, he said “Through these gates lay eternal peace. Rejoice, you had earned this, despite the many mistakes and wrongs you had committed in life. Now step through, and-“

“Yeah fuck that shit.” I cut him off. “Like I’m gonna just take that. First, you insulted my brain, there’s no way I’m gonna leave to anywhere before I at least get one in on you. Next, why the hell would I want eternal peace? I want to live, not like before, really live. You know, fight for life, taking each day not knowing what’s tomorrow, going from one adrenaline rush to the next. Eternal peace? You might as well be sending me to hell.”

That glint returned to his skull, and he said “There is an alternative then, but before I tell, are you sure that you truly desire to forsake eternal peace, and no matter what happens, you won’t regret this decision?”
“You know the answer to that. I give you my word, I would honestly prefer anything to that. And when I give my word, I stick to it with everything I am.”

“Then follow me, on the way I’ll tell you of the alternative.” His voice had changed, and when I blinked, instead of incarnation of death I had become actually kinda comfortable with, an old man in a two peace suit stood in front of me. He began to walk away, and I just walked with him, taking in this new form the same way I had his first.

He was about as tall as me, but the way he held himself made him seem at least a foot taller, and much stronger than his body told. His black hair was gray and thinning a bit, but still held a luster to it that you only find in rich people, and his face held many wrinkles, few telling of his smile, countless more of his frowning. His black eyes were the only truly inhuman feature on him, the only thing that betrayed he was death incarnate. His black suit was well pressed, and he resembled something of an old businessman in that manner. And when he spoke, his voice was smooth as oil on glass, but tired as well.

“This alternative is not something I offer to everyone, and even less take it, so listen closely. In order to continue living, I shall make you into a wraith, an agent of mine who will help guide souls to me after they depart and who will deal with things I have no time for. By becoming a wraith, you shall live forever, but food and water shall no longer be able to sate you. Instead, you shall consume souls in order to feed yourself. The process is quite painful and once you go through with it there is no turning back. Will you take my offer and become a wraith?”

We stopped in front of a different gate, this one shining all colors of the rainbow. It was similar in design to the first, but the colors on it kept shifting, and I saw depictions of unicorns, pegasi, and even four horses that had both horns and wings. After a moment’s thought, I turned towards Death, gave him my trademark smirk, stuck my hand out to him, and said “Sign me up, boss.”

He smiled a genuine smile of happiness, and took my hand. We shook, and he said “Once you step through here, you begin the transformation and shall be sent to the world I’ve picked for you. Be warned, the process is very painful, as is the transfer to the other world. You will also awaken some strange powers. Powers unique to you.” He stopped for a moment and gave a silent chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” I questioned

“Nothing, child, I just didn’t think I’d speak these words again so soon. Now, prepare yourself.”

Then it hit me “Wait, you said other world? You didn’t mention anything about going to another worl- SHIIIIT”
He threw me! The old man threw me through the gate! Not only that, but as soon as I crossed through it, pain unimaginable lanced through my body, ripping apart any coherent thought I had left and making it impossible to comprehend the sudden rush of images flashing in front of me. Not just images too, there were emotions, sounds, thoughts, it’s as if I was suddenly living a million lives at once, but the pain blocked out everything, and the only thing I would remember later was that humans were no more in this place.

I felt the rush of sensations lessen, and instead peaceful darkness took hold of my mind as I fell into unconsciousness.
When I awoke, I noticed that my body wasn’t sore at all, as I expected it to be after that level of pain. I got up, arching my back until a few resounding cracks were heard, and took a look at my surroundings. I seemed to be in some kind of plains, bright green grass stretching far ahead of me until it abruptly stopped and turned into desert. Behind me I could make out some kind of town, the colors of the houses there being far brighter than colors had any right to be, and…is that a horse?
Yes, it was indeed a horse, but unlike any horses I had ever seen, it seems about half my size and pale blue in color. Not only that, but it was wearing a hat and cape. Behind it was a small cart, big enough to house the horse and a bit more, but obviously small enough to be drawn by said horse. And the strangest thing of all was that it seemed to be heading from the town, towards the desert.

Naturally, I began walking towards it. After all, maybe I could find something intelligent in the cart, if there were no humans here. As I approached the cart, the miniature horse (pony?) looked to panic a bit, before calming down and stopping entirely. Was something going to come out of the cart now? No, the pony just stood there, staring at me. I was in front of it now, and even more oddities of its features popped out at me, such as the oversized eyes, and strangely less-than-equine facial features. But looking into its cart, I found no sign of people, or at least anything that looked like it could talk.

And that’s when the pony spoke “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to know what you are doing, foul beast!”

Comments

[Schitz]

I feel like i should say something more about this, but can't think of anything.

[Heath of Tragedy]

An HIE fic? Well then, let me check this out before I send a review

EDIT: Done reading and I say it's interesting, though a bit rushed in some parts, keep at it

[Serpenti]

I's be so proud!!!!

simplicity.kokidokom.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/purezza02-03.jpg

WAAAAAAHAHA

[Divine Path]

EXCELLENCE IS PRESENT IN THIS FICTION.
Awaiting further releases.

[lines n stuff]

did someone say romance tag? upvote

[IgnoreMETILLLATER]

Not my favorite fic, but a green thumb anyways. (I can't STAND it when fics are down voted when they don't deserve it.)

[malfarious]

hmmmm...im watching you like a dingo watches a baby.

[Serpenti]

Okay, if these dislikes are without reason, or over something petty like "EWW ITS AN HIE" or shit like that, don't look at it!. He DOES have my permission, and he's very good at this, so dislikers

PISS OFF!

[Schitz]

1633530
Thanks, I'll make sure to.
1633566
And as the story progresses, you shall only become more proud!
1633796
Thank you, though it might be a few days before I can get the next chapter out. I promise that i won't take TOO long, though.
1633918
Yes, there shall be romance...much later.
1634608
Then thank you for the support, it's greatly appreciated.
1636100
Not sure whether to be happy, or afraid.
1636612
Thanks for doing that, really appreciated.

To the 9 people who liked this:
Thank you, I really do appreciate your support, and will keep writing for you guys/girls.
To the 10 people who disliked this:
Though you may have disliked it, I'm still going to say this: if you took the time to read through it, then disliked it, then thank you for reading it. though next time, I'd really appreciate a comment with that dislike, so I know how to improve not only the story, but my writing style as a whole.

[Divine Path]

1638015
Very well...

[Serpenti]

1638015

Hey, I'm very protective of my group.