I walked unnoticed through the hospital and looked around. Unused surgical masks lay on the counter and overweight nurse's residences behind them. Bleached floors and waiting to be used gurneys occupied every hallway. Noiselessly I moved down the hallway towards my next destination.

Harmony Reed. Age 17. I rubbed my forehead and continued to stroll down the hallway, passing little to no people at all. My long legs moved me down the corridor with ease and soon enough I was holding a sweaty hand out for the knob of Room 202. My hands began to shake and I sighed.

Being a grim reaper was an easy job, but there were some hard parts about it. One of the worse parts was when you had to escort someone young to their afterlife. I hated having to go ten minutes before they die, just because they look like they have so much to finish in life… it was heartbreaking to see. It's also hard to see because I died at a young age, twenty-eight, and I had so much more to conquer in life. I stood outside the door awkwardly as I thought about how many young people I have to find a day. There are so many things I hated about being a reaper. I never chose to be a reaper, some people were born one, some people got chose as an 'apprentice' when they died.

Most reapers are young. Around the ages of seventeen to thirty. I grabbed the polished silver knob and turned it, walking into the small room. I looked around the room, squinting my eyes to see white walls, white tile floors, just like the other rooms, nothing special. One brown chair rested against the far wall and a single twin sized bed rest against another. A hunched figure laid in a heap on the bed.

Harmony Reed. Age 17. Beat close to death by step-dad. Dying in exactly 13 minutes.

My palms began to get sweatier and beads of sweat ran down the back of my neck. Another minute passed and I hadn't moved. 12 minutes to live. I walked over silently and pulled the blanket back. The figure of a short chubby girl with freckles laying in the fetal position clawing at her stomach. She looked completely untouched, but I knew the truth.
Internal bleeding, her spleen was pushed up into her diaphragm, puckering a hole from impact.  10 minutes to live.

I laid my hand softly on her shoulder. "Save me, someone! Don't hit me daddy, please!" she began screaming and I flinched back and almost fell over. I stared at her as she started to go silent again, whimpering softly. "Please someone…save me." Her bottom lip quivered as she clutched onto her stomach.

9 minutes. Tik tok.

The tips of my fingers tingled as I sat down next to the figure. I reached out to touch her again and my heart raced. The only noises in the room was the beating of the heart monitor that was hooked up to the girl. "Harmony, wake up!" I whispered and shook her shoulders. Come on Jimmy, you can do it. I told myself over and over again. It was required that I have to tell the person what's happening while they're still living, and if I didn't I would be in trouble. I also have to tell them that they are close to dying and I have to take their souls.

I pursed my lips together and shook her shoulders again. 'Come on, wake up!" I slurred out and I bit my tongue as I watched her eyes flicker open. Her eyes were brown and bloodshot, with chocolate brown irises. Her pupils dilated as she seen me sitting at the foot of her bed.

7 minutes and everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Her mouth dropped and she inched away from me. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a slightly wavy voice. Her eyes flickered with pain and a tear came to her eye when she tried to move to fast. I looked away and then back at her, blushing slightly. "My name is Jimmy," I started, taking a deep breath, "you are in severe pain and I'm here to help you,"

"Medicine? I didn't know doctors dressed like that," Her mouth twitched into a half smile and she chuckled, seeming to relax a bit. 5 minutes until I took this girl from earth.

I spoke slowly, "Not exactly. You have five minutes to live." I sniffled and watched as she tightened her grip on the small blanket she was wrapped in. I could hear the blood rushing in her veins. "Because of the pierced spleen?" She asked curiously, tipping her head to the side, "I knew I was going to die,"

"I'm…its weird really," I started, inhaling a large breath, "I'm a grim reaper, I'm here to take your soul to the afterlife,"

"You've come to save me?" She asked and I looked over at her. I nodded my head as a reply and she relaxed a little more. "You see, you have two options. One is you can go and be bored and unhappy in heaven, or you can become a grim reaper apprentice." She nodded and nibbled on her bottom lip.

"Who's apprentice?" I pointed at myself and she nodded. "What do I do as a grim reaper?" She furrowed her eyebrows at me.

"Well, basically you're going to help me find people that are close to death,"

"Sounds better than being bored in Heaven," She snickered.

"You'd be surprised, kid."

"I'll do it," She grunted in pain as she stood up from the bed, "Just make the pain go away please," She placed her hands on her hips and heaved lightly. I stood up and walked over to her. "Give me your hand," I instructed. She handed it over and I turned it around to the palm. Her hands were dry compared to my sweaty ones.

"What are you doing?" She asked as I started to draw on her inner hand with my index finger. Two minutes and I could feel her life slipping away. Her eyelids were growing heavy and her breaths started to grow shallow. I drew a golden star on her hand with my initials in the middle of it. J.S

As I made her lay down I asked, "Is there anything you need?" I could see the pain in her eyes as she reached up a feeble hand, "hold it?" she asked hopefully. I took it boldly and rubbed my thumb over her fingers. Since I was already dead, no one would see me. I'll be waiting right beside Harmony when her soul comes out of her body.

"I'll be right here when your soul come out," I reassured her and held my new apprentices hand tightly. 10 seconds until she drained away, "I'll see you soon, just close your eyes,"

She closed them and for a moment my heart sank, "Thank you for saving me."