Ever flew over Melbourne, high enough that the people walking down below looked like ants. Why not? He had this ability to become a reaper and float. Staying at ground level when nothing kept him down was silly. So he flew.

  He flew over Lygon Street. Even on his day off, he couldn’t help but visit his workplace. He stopped over Pagoto’s. With the sun high in the sky, it would be getting busy soon. He could fly down, sink his head through the ceiling and watch Taylor and Chaos work. In the end, he decided against it. What was the point? It wasn’t going to make his task of telling Taylor who he really was any easier.

  Even in reaper form, his mind felt heavy. He honestly didn’t know what to do. He knew what he felt like doing, which was flying, so that’s what he did. He closed his eyes, spun around, picked a direction, and flew. The benefit of being a soul is that you’re not physically there. Where people or even birds would experience wind resistance, he heard and felt nothing. But he knew that he was moving and that nothing could get in his way.

  If he focused really hard, he could feel the warmth of the sun. Or imagine that he could feel it. The rule that applied to the souls he reaped applied to him as well: all senses were muted to within a sliver of human sensation. Whenever he adopted his human shell again, the initial sensory overload was real.

  The one thing that didn’t change irrespective of his physical or spiritual state was time. For example, he had no idea how much time had passed since he closed his eyes and picked a direction to fly. Had it been ten minutes? Had it been thirty? I might keep them closed a bit longer, no reason to open them.

  It was actually really relaxing doing this. Maybe he could try sleeping while fly-

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  He felt a bump.

  “Sooorrrrryyyyy…” The voice got further and further away.

  Ever looked around, disoriented and confused. What on earth could he come into contact with that he could collide into? He righted himself and got his bearings. Up: clouds, a helicopter flying overhead. Down: the sea. Horizontally in one direction was the sea, stretching on forever. The other direction, sand and people.

  Hehe, Death giggled.

  *Mentor?*

  I might have messed around with your cruise control while you were asleep.

  *I wasn’t sleeping.*

  Anyway, you didn’t know where you were going, so I dragged you somewhere where you could potentially get a reaping done.

  *The beach? Has someone drowned here?*

  Not quite. Only because the soul’s here, doesn’t mean they died here.

  Ever frowned, dropping in elevation slightly as he thought. *Did I collide with a ghost?*

  Bingo dingo!

  *So where is the ghost now?*

  Hey, I brought you here. The least you could do is find him yourself.

  *OK then.*

  If you look really hard, you’ll be able to see her right about… now.